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.