Please Read: Welcome to the new-look Inside the Gators
- Happy Homecoming: Former teammates talk Hardmon and Trautwein
- Florida Football Class Breakdown
- Impact Analysis: Baugh is back
- Getting to Know: Davian Groce
- Tulane player goes in-depth on Sumrall
- Getting to Know: CJ Bronaugh
- These 10 players returning would be a great gift for the new staff
1) Even after looking at your official bio on the Jacksonville State site, I’m not sure what your background is other than what you are listed as a redshirt junior, and you are from England. Tell us a little about your background and how you ended up at JSU.
“I was born and raised in Manchester, England. I started with soccer, and then transitioned to basketball. I went to college to study medicine, so I am in medical school. I started playing football when I was 18 years old. I played for a bit, fell in love with the sport, and wanted to play overseas!”
2) I am going to assume that you were lightly recruited to start your college career. What was it like to go through the process now, as a transfer, as a much more highly sought-after player?
“A lot of bigger schools recruited me this time. I had an agent, and he was helping me navigate that. It was definitely different in that regard.”
3) Other than Florida, what other programs were realistically in the mix? Who got in contact with you, and who did you seriously consider?
“We were looking at schools in the Southeast, mainly such as LSU, Texas, Florida, Mizzou, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Penn State, and Clemson.”
4) You left your UF visit and went to see Texas A&M. When did you make your decision, which coach(es) did you tell, what was their reaction, and why Florida?
“I committed on the way back from College Station. I told my agent I wanted to go to Florida, there’s stuff on the business side that he needed to handle, and I was also in the process of thinking about it as well. When I went to UF, they showed the most love and when I spoke with Coach Gerald Chatman, I really liked his philosophy and what he is about. I also spoke with Coach Brad White. I like how he is coordinating already and how they envision me as a part of the program. I also spoke to Coach Jon Sumrall about his plans to win. I got along with him very well.”
5) What are your initial impressions of Gerald Chatman? What is he like, and what was his message to you?
“He is very cool and personable, easy to relate to, and genuine. He is extremely passionate and enthusiastic about the defensive line and everything. He has a lot of energy.”
6) We live in an NIL Era. Money matters; it seems silly to pretend like it doesn’t at all. On a scale from 1-to-10, how much did money play a part in why you ended up at UF?
“Honestly, it didn’t play a huge part in me coming to Florida. On a scale of 1 to 10, I say maybe a three. Any coach can say something with his mouth, like promising me a starting position, but what schools really do is speak with their pockets and invest more in you.”
7) Where does Florida project you to play along the line?
“They see me as a defensive end, edge, and field end. I am going to set the tone for the game, I can swing around the line, and I am versatile. I can move to different places, mainly I will be on the edge.”
8) The Gator Nation knows next to nothing about Jon Sumrall, only getting to know him via a roughly 30-minute introductory press conference. What is your impression of him? Does anything stick out when you meet him?
“I could describe him as the cool uncle. He is a coach who has a standard, and he is someone whom every player can get along with. He is filled with energy. He gets involved; he is interacting with every position.”
9) What are your strengths and weaknesses as a player? What position are they projecting at?
“Defensive end. My strengths are that I can play the run really well, and I have long arms, which prevent blockers from getting into my frame. Overall, due to my size and build, I have a lot of moves that people give me credit for. I have a bit of power and moves that might shock people from what my measurements say on paper. I am still developing as a player, I am still learning, I need more game reps, and I have been doing a good job adapting to the speed as well. I can also be more consistent in my hand game and hand placement. ”
10) Have they given you a timeline as to what is happening next as far as when you report, housing, etc.…
“I arrive in Gainesville on January 9th, and we reporton Sunday, and we have a team meeting on Monday.”
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