Andre Debose is Adamant that He is His “Own” Man

With Percy Harvin off to the NFL, The Florida Gators lose their X-factor. There is no denying that Harvin was electrifying on the field when he had the ball in his hand, and he was the ultimate decoy as well, reminds me of Randy Moss when he did his stint in Minnesota and now on the New England Patriots. Players of this caliber have to be accounted for whenever they are on the field, and you can bet that defensive coordinators have spent many nights constructing and wiping out game plans for these superstars. Urban Meyer is no slouch when it comes to recruiting and he brought in his version of Percy Harvin, everyone please welcome Andre Debose. When it comes to speed, Meyer has built a team of track stars that have speed to burn: from Chris Rainey to Jeffrey Demps to Deonte Thompson to Joe Haden, just one word “speed.” True Freshman Debose will try to make everyone forget about Harvin. After a hot summer practice, Debose was corralled by reporters about his status of being a Gator and what he felt about the pressure of living up to the legacy left by Harvin. Debose made it clear to the press in attendance that he cannot worry about pressure from the Florida fans and press alike. He recounts his father telling him, “My dad always told me to be my own man.” And he says that he lives by those words and is confident in his ability to be that playmaker and be known for his own skills. Debose did admit that he sees some of himself in Harvin but is determined to make a name for himself while he is at Florida. Debose gleefully spoke about how the workouts and practice are intense. He mentions David Nelson, who serves as a mentor to the young receivers, and he is glad for the support and guidance. It is evident that this kid wants to learn the offense and be the best he can be. Not being around in the spring and arriving in the summer, Debose watched film of the Gators and came prepared. However, a hamstring injury slowed his progress throughout the summer but vows that he is almost recovered from the sore hammy. With the help from Wide Receivers’ Coach Billy Gonzalezs, Debose has no choice but to be excellent. Gonzales demands excellence and he has given Debose a pep talk or two about his concentration on the field. Meyer has amassed a good staff that will take Debose and the other talented offensive and defensive players to new heights. One member of the press told Debose that Deonte Thompson deemed himself the fastest on the team. Debose said once his sore hamstring is healed he will lay to rest that dispute as he will challenge Thompson and Rainey for the title as the fastest man on the Florida Gator squad.

Florida Gators Fall Practice Begins: Day One (August 6th) of open practice to the public.

Offense: Quarterback Tim Tebow has looked better throwing the deep ball. It is really evident that new QB coach Scott Loeffler is working on Tebow’s mechanics. Tebow’s long throws are tighter and have less air on them. The two-time National Championship winner and Heisman trophy winner has shown that he is going through more of his check downs when the first and second receiver are not available. The staff is looking at adding the slant pass to their offensive game plan to work in conjunction with the speed at the wide receiver position. John Brantley did not look spectacular like he did in the spring in this first practice. He had some interceptions on the day, but there is no doubt that the staff has confidence in him if Tebow goes down. Brantley showed his toughness and live arm in spring practice and not to mention good mobility at the quarterback position. Wide Receivers: Riley Cooper returned to fall practice after playing baseball throughout the summer. His conditioning for baseball has caused him to come in a lot slimmer and fitter. It is noticeable that he worked on his speed and quickness and that will benefit this fast receiving core. On the whole, none of the receivers stood out. There were bad drops by Aaron Hernandez and Deonte Thompson. David Nelson looked decent catching the ball. And of note, Carl Moore did not attend. Running Backs: Even though the running backs were not in pads, Emmanuel Moody was absent with a sprained ankle. It is speculated that the staff would like to see more toughness from this kid when it comes to playing through injuries. On display was Chris Rainey making catches out of the backfield, and Jeffrey Demps was in attendance as well. In the next practice, we should get more of a sense of how the running backs will fair this season when the pads come on. Offensive Line: The Gators might have the best offensive line in the nation come this fall. There is no denying the immergence of Sam Robey, out of the spring, at the center position. You also have Jason Wilson, who has battled with injuries for two years, competiting for the left guard or left tackle position. And Matt Patchan who is also vying for a position whether it is left tackle or left guard. With the two Pouncey brothers healthy, this line could be a dominating force. If the injury bug hits them, they can plug any player in and not miss a beat. 7-on-7 Drill: Riley Cooper looked smooth snagging passes. Deonte Thompson showed his quickness and toughness trying to elude and fight for the ball from the defender. Aaron Hernandez continued to show that his size and speed will wreak havoc on opposing defenses this fall, and David Nelson continued to show that his use of his body to shield defenders will make him an excellent target in the red zone. Tebow will have two options in the red zone with Hernandez and Nelson. On defense, you saw Janoris Jenkins baiting and picking off John Brantley. Also there were pass break ups from Wondy-Pierre Louis, Joe Haden, and playmaker Will Hill.