Can Debose Be The Playmaker The Gators Need?
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Since he was 7, the football field for Andre Debose has been similar to what a concert stage is to Mick Jagger.
It has been Debose's own personal playground to shine. What Debose wanted to do, he usually did, often making it look easy.
“I've never set on the bench,'' Debose said Tuesday.
In his final high school game, Debose caught the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds to give Sanford's Seminole High a win over Miami Northwestern in the Class 6A state championship. A few weeks later on ESPN, Debose hauled in a 90-yard touchdown reception in the Under-Armour All-Star Game at the Citrus Bowl, announcing live during the game that he was committing to the Gators.
Life and football were easy back then. And then he arrived at Florida as a fresh-faced, much-hyped recruit pegged as Percy Harvin's replacement. Debose showed up expecting the joy ride to continue.
“Yeah, I kind of did take that [attitude] from high school, because high school was kind of easy,'' Debose said. “It was pretty much just run and get open. I was kind of faster than everybody in high school. But I'm starting to figure out that it does take more to be a student of the game instead of just going out and doing it.''
What served as his wake-up call?
“Not getting on the field,'' he said. “I've never experienced that in my life.''
Somewhere, Gators coach Urban Meyer probably just flashed a smile.
As fans speculated early in the season why Debose wasn't playing, and reporters asked him each week about Debose's status, Meyer kept saying that Debose simply wasn't ready to contribute. It was a boring answer, but one Meyer never wavered from.
Finally, in the Gators' 48-14 win over Kentucky on Sept. 25, there was a Debose sighting. He had four receptions in the first quarter. And then he was quiet the rest of the game.
Debose was a non-factor at Alabama on Oct. 2, seemingly off the radar once again. But in last week's loss to LSU, Debose's 88-yard kickoff return early in the fourth quarter sparked the Gators' comeback from a 26-14 deficit. Florida came back to take a 29-26 lead before LSU won in the final seconds.
With running back Jeff Demps sidelined against LSU, Debose also had a carry in the LSU game. As Meyer searches for playmakers, Debose appears to be a guy that is suddenly in the picture entering Saturday's game against Mississippi State.
“Debose is fitting into that equation much more than he has in the past,'' Meyer said.
Gators quarterback John Brantley understands why.
“Andre has been working really hard during the week and that has been showing on Saturdays,'' Brantley said. “He can do a lot. He can be in the backfield. He can go out and run X [receiver], run deep routes or run short routes or whatever. He is a very versatile player. He loves the game, that's for sure.''
When he wasn't playing earlier this season, Debose said Tuesday that it was mostly due to the little things: not knowing the offense well enough, over-thinking when he was on the field, having trouble reading routes and perfecting blocking schemes.
A redshirt freshman who missed last season due to a hamstring injury, Debose became frustrated at times.
“I had to figure out something fast,'' he said.
Linebacker Jelani Jenkins sees a different player than the one who not only struggled to find playing time, but one who had trouble making the transition from prep superstar to unproven college player.
“I've noticed over the last year or so that his attitude, his behavior, everything about him is starting to change,'' Jenkins said. “The last couple of weeks of practice he has been going as hard as he can. I see him getting a lot better every day. He is a talented player. Just going up against him in practice, you know he has a lot of potential.''
Slowly, Debose has started to gain confidence. When special teams coach D.J. Durkin approached Debose prior to the LSU game about replacing Demps returning kicks, Debose saw an opportunity to contribute.
He made the most of it and hopes to be the playmaker the Gators need.
“I feel that I can bring that element to the team,'' he said.
Offensive coordinator Steve Addazio said that's been the plan all along. It's now up to Debose to do the rest.
“He is emerging as a guy that can make a play,'' Addazio said. “It's really nice to see that … It's experience and getting on the field and doing it and gaining all that confidence and trust.”
