He’s definitely physically impressive, but he should probably save the talk about breaking the all-time sack record until after he has... oh, I don't know... maybe gotten a single sack. I sure do hope he meets his own expectations, though!
On Aug 10, 2018, at 8:33 AM, Oliver Barry <[email protected]> wrote: 6’4” 349 pounds and can dunk a basketball! Beastly!! Oliver Barry CRS, GRI Real Estate Broker PARKS Real Estate Services 305 B Indian Lake Blvd Suite 220 Hendersonville TN 37075 Office: 615-826-4040 Mobile: 615-972-4239 [email protected] Begin forwarded message: > From: Shane Ford <[email protected]> > Date: August 10, 2018 at 9:30:04 AM CDT > To: GatorNews <[email protected]> > Subject: [gatornews] [SUN]: Athletic D-lineman Slaton sets sights on UF sack > record > Reply-To: [email protected] > > Athletic D-lineman Slaton sets sights on UF sack record > By Kevin Brockway (Gainesville Sun) - August 9, 201828455 > > TJ Slaton answers questions during Florida's media day in the Touchdown > Terrace on August 2. [Lauren Bacho/Gainesville Sun] > Listed at 6-foot-4 and 349 pounds, Florida sophomore defensive lineman > Tedarrell “T.J.” Slaton can dunk a basketball. > > Slaton also used to be able to do a standing backflip. > > “Not now,” Slaton said. “I need a running start.” > > Slaton possesses plenty of natural athletic gifts — size, speed, agility and > nimble feet. Honing those gifts was a process last season, as he transitioned > from the offensive line to the defensive line as a true freshman. But Slaton > said he feels more comfortable and confident as a defensive tackle heading > into his sophomore season. With that confidence, Slaton has set a lofty goal. > > “I’m trying to get the UF sack record,” Slaton said. > > The record, 13 sacks in a season, was set by Alex Brown in 1999. To > accomplish that goal, Slaton will first need to prove he can stay on the > field for more plays. Slaton said at Florida football media day he’s at 340 > pounds, down from 373 pounds last season. He’s consulting regularly with > Florida head nutritionist Collier Perno, who had Slaton on a strict offseason > plan. Slaton said he’s still allowed to order his favorite food, pizza, on > occasion, but is limited to three slices per serving. > > “It was really my weight that was holding me back,” Slaton said. “I couldn’t > play at the end of the season because my weight had really went up a lot.” > > In limited action, though, Slaton made his presence known as a freshman, > recording 11 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss. The tackles for loss > came against a pair of SEC opponents — Tennessee and Vanderbilt. > > Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said Slaton has all of the size > and measurables a coach looks for in a dominant defensive lineman. > > “T.J. is a young player that has embraced the things we’ve asked him to do,” > Grantham said. “He’s obviously a talented guy that can play multiple things > for us. He’s what I consider a three-down player from the sense that he has > the ability to stop the run on early downs, first and second, but he also has > some pass rush ability, ability to push the pocket.” > > Basketball was Slaton’s first love. He began playing at local gyms in Fort > Lauderdale in seventh grade and at 6-3 and 280 pounds could dunk back then. > Slaton went on to play basketball at American Heritage High School, where the > sight of the 6-foot-5, 300-plus pound player driving in the lane at full > speed scared more than a few would-be defenders. > > “I wouldn’t want to get in front of that,” said former high school and > current UF football teammate Marco Wilson. > > Slaton said he had a few offers to play Division II and junior college > basketball, but as one of the top recruited offensive tackles in the country > from American Heritage, chose to play football at Florida. The Gators were > contemplating moving Slaton from tackle to guard, but Slaton only wanted to > play tackle on the offensive line. > > “I had confidence that I would be a good tackle and they didn’t want to play > me there so I kind of just went back to my (defensive) roots, because when I > first started playing football I was a nose guard,” Slaton said. > > Slaton said he learned a great deal last season from former Gator teammate > Taven Bryan, another highly athletic defensive tackle who declared for the > NFL draft and was picked late in the first round by the Jacksonville Jaguars > last April. Bryan nicknamed Slaton “Baby Shrek.” > > “What I took from Taven is getting your hands up quick and really getting off > the ball and really being physical with guys,” Slaton said. “He was quick and > his speed was unbelievable for how fast he moves and he was strong. Like > really strong.” > > This season, Slaton could see some time up front with redshirt senior > defensive tackle Khairi Clark in some 4-3 formations and at the nose in some > 3-4 formations. Slaton said his goal is to be on the field for about half of > a game’s average 70 snaps on the defensive side of the ball. > > “He’s got everything he needs just being a young guy right now, he’s just got > to keep following in the right direction,” Clark said. “He’ll be fine and I > feel like with him learning by me, I feel I can teach him different things > that will help him in the long run since I’ve been here for so long.” > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sent From Shane's iPhone > Go Gators! & Skål Vikes! > -- > -- > 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) > --- > 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/d/optout. -- -- 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) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" 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/d/optout. -- -- 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) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" 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/d/optout.
