SEC Football Media Days to Feature “Beyond the Field: Stories of the SEC”
Thursday, July 2, 2015 | Football
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference is bringing a new element to its annual Football Media Days in 2015 as each school will send at least one student-athlete with a compelling story outside of his athletic endeavors. The Conference is calling the initiative “Beyond the Field: Stories of the SEC.”
UF will appear on Day 1 of SEC Media Days in Birmingham, Ala. on July 13.
The Gators compelling story comes from senior defensive lineman Jon Bullard. A native of Shelby, N.C., Bullard was raised in part by a grandmother, Joyce Robbs, who battled cancer during his high school career.
Despite his intention to play at a school near her home, she encouraged him to follow his dream and play at Florida. She saw him play his freshman year but soon became ill and passed away the week after he played the best game of his young career vs. Missouri.
She remains an inspiration to him.
GatorZone.com Senior Writer Scott Carter captured this story last fall, as he spoke with members of the Bullard family and Gator coaching staff.
“The athletic achievements of the SEC continue to be well-documented, but many of our student-athletes lead interesting lives or have intriguing stories that happen away from the field of play,” said Greg Sankey, the new commissioner of the SEC who will preside over his first conference media event July 13-16 at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham-The Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Alabama. “This is an opportunity to tell stories of academic achievement, personal ambition, community service, determination in the face of adversity and character of mind. These student-athletes are the chapters of a larger book that is the story of the Southeastern Conference.”
The league's complete release on this announcement can be found here.
