I hope he can stay healthy... if he's on top of his game and live up to all that was expected.. he could have a major break out season in Ropers offense.
On Thu, Feb 27, 2014 at 8:01 AM, Shane Ford <[email protected]>wrote: > Debose ready for senior season after string of injuries > > > Florida's Andre Debose runs the opening kickoff for a touchdown against > South Carolina on Nov. 12, 2010. > *Matt Stamey/Staff photographer/File* > By Pat Dooley <http://www.gatorsports.com/personalia/patdooley> > GAINESVILLE SUN Columnist > Published: Thursday, February 27, 2014 at 6:01 a.m. Last Modified: > Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 8:49 p.m. > > > You can hear it in his voice. > The unbridled enthusiasm. The joy of recovery. The optimism that comes > with one last shot. > One more chance to show what he can be. One more opportunity to hear the > crowd and show what he can do. > "I can't wait to run through The Swamp again," Andre Debose said. > He's not supposed to be here. That was never the plan. But plans are > rarely grounded in reality. Life happens. A football career is filled with > potholes. Sometimes you step in them. > For Debose, his career at Florida started with the declaration by > then-coach Urban Meyer that UF had found the "next Percy Harvin." It was a > heavy burden to place on a freshman, and Debose never felt comfortable in > Harvin's skin. > There may never be another Harvin at Florida, or anywhere else for that > matter. > Still, he had a plan. > "My plan coming out of high school," he said, "was to be out of there in > three years." > The first pothole was an old track injury that flared up and required > surgery before he ever played a down. His freshman season was spent > recovering. Over the next three years, he became one of the most dangerous > return men in the game, running back four kickoffs for touchdowns. > Still, Florida expected more from Debose. He caught only 29 passes in > those three years and rarely started. It was going to be his year in 2013. > But in August, he suffered a torn ACL in a non-contact drill. It was the > end of his senior season and a portent of things to come for the Gators > last year. > "I was competing at a high level," he said. "I was doing everything the > coaches were asking me to do. I was buying into the program all the way. > "It was a freak accident. I knew right away something bad had happened. > There is no doubt in your mind when that happens that you've done something > very wrong." > The injury was devastating for Debose. His parents came from Sanford to be > with him during the surgery. His dad, Morrell, stayed two weeks. > "It was very hard," said Morrell, a deputy sheriff in Seminole County. "It > was his senior year and he was expecting big things to happen. It was a > difficult time for him. > "I just encouraged him, letting him know there were going to be better > days." > The physical part of the injury was bad enough. The mental part was > excruciating. > "I went through a little slump," Debose said. "It was pretty tough. It was > definitely hard to deal with. And it was very hard to watch last season and > know you can't do anything to help. Just sit back and watch. It was a > shock." > Join the club. Nobody saw 4-8 coming like a sledgehammer to the stomach. > Debose's injury was the start of a string of bad luck for Will Muschamp's > third team. By the time the Gators started losing games on a weekly basis, > the injury to Debose had almost been forgotten. > There were too many to keep track of. But the loss of the deep threat and > game-changer on kickoffs couldn't be underestimated. > As Florida prepares for spring practice next month with the goal of > getting back to where it belongs, Debose is on track to be the player he > knows he can be. > "I'm running pretty fast," he said. "I'm still working on cuts. I'll take > part in some drills, not everything. No contact." > He is something of an X-factor for the 2014 season. If Florida can get the > Andre Debose the coaches expected in 2013, it would add a major weapon to > an offense that was punchless a year ago. > Debose had to appeal for a sixth year of eligibility and it was granted > because he missed two full seasons with injuries. He will graduate in the > spring. > His classmates from the 2009 recruiting class are elsewhere. Some are in > the NFL. Some went to other schools. Some were at the NFL Combine this week. > Debose is working on a new plan. > "I feel like I'm a good football player," he said. "It was hard to deal > with the emotions I had to deal with. But I'm moving forward. I'm more > focused. My Dad told me, 'Don't dwell on the past.'" > The past isn't what he expected. But the future -- and Florida's new > offense -- has him ready to go. > "The spread is definitely a plus," he said. "I'm looking forward to it. I > came to Florida to play in the spread." > Of course, so much has changed since he committed to play in Meyer's > spread offense. This wasn't the plan. But as a wise man once said, isn't > life what happens when you're busy making other plans? > *Contact Pat Dooley at 352-374-5053 <352-374-5053> or at > [email protected] <[email protected]>. And follow at > Twitter.com/Pat_Dooley.* > > > -- > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions > 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions > 2008 National Football Champions | > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), > Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "GatorNews" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > -- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. 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