Justin Trattou - From Jersey To The Swamp
Sunday, November 14, 2010 | Football
By Susie Epp, UF Communications
As a senior captain at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, N.J., Justin Trattou led his team to a state championship and had already committed to Notre Dame. He wanted to play for the biggest name in college football.
When January of 2007 rolled around, Trattou had a change of heart and decided to take advantage of an invitation to visit the University of Florida. Despite not being able to see a game in The Swamp or visit the campus, Trattou was impressed with the atmosphere and Florida's emphasis on defense.
“I wanted to play at the best football school in America,” said Trattou. “I realized that I wouldn't be able to beat playing on the defensive line at Florida.”
Trattou was ranked as the No. 4 defensive end in the country by Scout.com and had garnered four to five-star ratings from recruiting services.
Entering his freshman year in Gainesville, Trattou found that his life as a college football player was very different from his life in high school.
“In the Southeast, fans live for college football,” said Trattou. “In the North, fans live for the NFL. That was one of the biggest differences I experienced from high school to college.”
In his highly-publicized Gator defensive recruiting class that also included Carlos Dunlap, Jaye Howard and Duke Lemmens, Trattou came in and played 12 games, led all Florida freshmen defensive linemen with 20 tackles and was selected to the SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll.
“I have always been a believer in hard work,” said Trattou. “During my freshman and sophomore years, I did what I could to out-work my competition. I knew that if I kept working hard, it would pay off.”
His hard work did pay off, as he started 13 out of the Gators' 14 games in his sophomore campaign and recorded 27 tackles.
Head coach Urban Meyer called him “vastly improved” from his freshman year and noted that he is “always high energy and playing real hard.”
Trattou also played a role in the defensive charge against Oklahoma in the 2009 FedEx BCS National Championship Game, an experience he will never forget. The Orange and Blue collected its second title in three years with a 24-14 victory over the Sooners.
“Playing on Florida's defense in that game was one of the best experiences ever because it was one of our best defensive games,” said Trattou. “It was and still is very special to be a part of.”
The Gators entered Trattou's junior season on a 22-game winning streak, one of the longest winning streaks in college football. He continued to be a great contributor to the team, playing in 13 games and starting in four contests, including both the 2009 SEC Championship Game and the 2010 Allstate Sugar Bowl. Trattou capped off the season with a pair of tackles and a quarterback sack as Florida overpowered previously unbeaten Cincinnati, 51-24.
“Justin Trattou gives us relentless effort,” said defensive line coach Dan McCarney. “He is tough, quick, fast, a good football player and he'll do whatever we ask him to do.”
During the 2009 season, Trattou suffered a bicep tear, which forced him out of one game and made him play with pain in the rest. Working through the ailment caused his coaches to take notice of his toughness.
“That's one of the toughest guys I've been around,” said Meyer. “It's unbelievable to bounce back from a painful injury like that. Not many guys would do what he's doing.”
Trattou used his injury as motivation to get better and became a leader on the team. He impressed Coach Meyer by his toughness, hunger to win and get better and unselfish attitude.
“My injury really taught me to value my health,” said Trattou. “It made me realize that I need to go out on the field and have fun.”
In addition to gaining recognition from the coaching staff and his teammates, Trattou made the biggest play of the season and perhaps one of the most dramatic plays in Florida football history when he intercepted a tipped pass and returned it for 53 yards against South Carolina. The play shifted the momentum and allowed Florida to avoid an upset with a 24-14 victory in Columbia and remain undefeated.
The play prompted Meyer to call him a “superstar” after making the play in a hostile environment and doing it through excruciating pain.
Coming into his senior year, Trattou knew the value of his last year playing in The Swamp and worked harder than he ever had in the offseason.
Chris Low of ESPN said about Trattou, “One of Florida's most inspirational players a year ago on defense might end up being one of the Gators' most important players in 2010.”
“I wanted to come in and make a big contribution this year,” said Trattou. “I just started eating right and living right and I knew it would pay off in the end.”
It has paid off. The sport management major was voted as one of the team captains and has consistently been a leader in tackles. Entering the game with South Carolina, Trattou leads the squad with eight tackles for loss and is third on the team with 42 tackles, 29 of which are solo.
Aside from hard work, Trattou finds motivation through family and friends.
“I am inspired by the opportunity to make my family and my 'brothers' back home proud,” said the New Jersey native. “I also find motivation in proving my critics wrong.”
In addition, Trattou has formed close relationships with his teammates, feeling closer this year than he ever has before.
“I have made some of my best friends on this team,” said Trattou. “We have been through a lot of ups and downs together. We have stuck together through criticism and a lot of guys have showed a lot of character because of it.”
Down to his final games as a member of the Gator football team, Trattou hopes to cherish every moment. One highlight came when he recorded his third-career interception for a 35-yard touchdown against USF in The Swamp on Sept. 11.
“Playing at Florida has been the best experience a person can have as a football player,” said Trattou. “To me, the game-day atmosphere, the fans and the prime-time exposure are better than anywhere else in the country.”
