Martez Ivey anchors a UF offensive line that returns five starters from a year ago. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
SEC Media Days: Ivey Motivated to Finish Strong
Saturday, July 14, 2018 | Football, Scott Carter
Offensive lineman Martez Ivey could have left too, but the senior from Apopka kept reflecting back to his junior season.
"I don't like to go out the easy way,'' he said. "I just felt like 4-7 is the easy way. I know I had a shot to go play in the league and see where I got drafted. I also know the legacy I want to leave behind. And it wasn't that."
In one of the biggest offseason developments for the Gators, the 6-foot-5, 315-pound Ivey opted to return to school for his final season of eligibility rather than enter the NFL Draft. A three-year starter, Ivey anchors a UF offensive line that has experience and depth.
What it could use is a star. Ivey is the player projected for that role and has been since the day he stepped on campus in 2015 as the state's top offensive line prospect according to multiple recruiting services.
Ivey is one of three Gators attending SEC Media Days in Atlanta on Tuesday with head coach Dan Mullen.
"I remember signing day,'' said fellow senior CeCe Jefferson, the other five-star recruit in Florida's 2015 signing class. "When he put on that Gator hat, I felt like a kid in Candy Land. He's a helluva player. He's going to have a breakout year."
Ivey will be playing for his third offensive line coach in three years and talked at length with first-year O-line coach John Hevesy before making his decision to return. A two-time All-SEC second-team selection the past two seasons, Ivey has started 31 games the past three seasons.
He spent most of his first two seasons at left guard but moved to tackle in 2018 and has the length, footwork and size NFL teams covet on the exterior line.
Hevesy shot straight with Ivey about his decision soon after Hevesy returned to Gainesville with Mullen after nine seasons on Mullen's staff at Mississippi State.
"He talked to Coach Mullen, he talked to me,'' Hevesy said in the spring. "Whoever he talked to outside of that, the decision's got to be made by you. It's no different when it comes down to recruiting for kids. Make sure you're talking to the right people, the right information is being given to you. Not from someone that thinks they know [like] your elementary football coach who has two uncles past that played in the NFL 35 years ago."
Ivey listened. He talked to others. In the end, he made the choice he considered was best for him long-term.
"It was a tough decision,'' he said. "I believe if I had prepared well before the combine I would have been fine. But I'm excited for this year because I know I got bigger, faster and stronger and it's only going to continue with the new staff. And my technique is going to be better with Coach Hevesy and I've got one more year to learn football. That can't hurt."
If Ivey can have the breakout season Jefferson and others believe he is capable of, Florida's offensive line should be one of the team's strengths. The Gators return all five starters from a year ago.
Ivey has been a productive player in his college career, but the expectations were so high when he joined the Gators, there is a sense he has yet to tap into his vast potential.
Ivey doesn't necessarily disagree.
"I've got tons to improve,'' Ivey said when asked about his ceiling. "Right now, this is a fresh start and I'm at the bottom. I've got one year to get to the top and climb that rope. I know what I'm going to do this year and I've got a plan for it and change people's perspective about me. I feel like I'm in a great position. I expect more out of myself and that's why I'm going to push myself to be better."
Junior linebacker David Reese has a similar approach as Ivey. Both are lead-by-example players who aren't the most vocal on the field.
In Ivey's case, Reese said don't let that fool you.
"You see a will to win,'' Reese said. "He wants to win. He could have left. He is ready to come back and ready to accomplish something and get the job done."
Q: What does it mean for Coach Mullen to have you represent the team for the second straight year at SEC Media Days?
A: It's always nice to be recognized, but also the way I work and carry myself around here, it's kind of expected to be like that. Most people look up to me on the team.
Q: Tougher decision on coming to Florida or returning for senior season?
A: I already knew where I wanted to go to school. I just played the game [laughs].
Q: Why can this year's offensive line make a difference?
A: On the O-line, we've got a lot of experience and we also have chemistry as a unit. We've all played together and started together. There's nothing new on the O-line. It's all about having attention to detail now and doing things right.
Q: What would your advice be to the top offensive line prospect in the class of 2019 about the next level?
A: When I got on campus they basically expected me to come in and start right away. The first time we ever had a player workout by ourselves, they told me, 'you, we're moving you to [left] tackle, so whoever is over there, tell them to go over to right tackle.' What do you mean? I just got here, but sure. I didn't know any plays and I had to catch on fast. We had people like Bryan Cox and I remember I had to go against him. It was my first time ever in college. I was just like, 'wow, this is fast. It's different from high school.' You had to catch on real fast or you are put in the back of the line. I worked really hard. For me, my advice for a kid, number one, don't be cocky and arrogant. It's a whole different thing. You've got kids four years, five years in college and you are fresh out of high school. There are some kids who are naturally gifted that might be freaks, but at the same time, you do have to learn the game. As time goes on, the game does become slower. It doesn't matter how talented you are, because if you don't know what you're doing, it's a complete waste. You are playing scared.
Q: What's different with you in relation to the new strength program?
A: To be honest, I feel better. It's the weights and also the nutrition. For me, once I see a change in my body, I knew I could get even more changes if I eat healthy. I'm trying to do that and play offensive line, too. I won't shy away from a cookie, but I feel different. I know I'm stronger and I feel strong. That's a big confidence boost right there. If anything, that gives you confidence because you physically know you can go out and do the job. Now it's about having the technique and the knowledge to go out and execute it. We are actually pushing ourselves to our limit and exceeding our limit. It's just different because everybody is buying into it. You can see the change within the program and in our bodies, too.
Q: Is the game still as fun for you as it was growing up?
A: Everything we do is a competition. The competition piece of it is fun. There's always a reason why we're going something. There's nothing that is pointless. It's like carrying the rope when we run stadiums. You can't have one guy going fast and another guy behind you going really slow. That is being accountable to your teammates. Little stuff like that goes a long way. It teaches us how to be a team and how to work together. That's what we need.
Q: How would you describe yourself off the field?
A: A lot of people know me. I'm pretty friendly. I know just about everybody on campus. I know student-athletes and I know a lot of regular students. I don't see myself as a big guy, just a regular person. I go about my business and I'm a very social guy.
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