Jonathan Greenard has been a force for the Gators when healthy. (Photo: Anissa Dimilta/UAA Communications)
Gators Glad to Get Greenard Back; He's Glad to Be Back
Monday, October 28, 2019 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – If asked to show an example of the anticipation he felt inside, maybe Jonathan Greenard would have head-butted the wall or ran through the glass door adjacent to where he stood surrounded by a group of reporters Monday night.
Of course, that would not have been a good idea, not with the No. 6-ranked Gators (7-1, 4-1) preparing for their clash against No. 8 Georgia (6-1, 3-1) on Saturday in Jacksonville. As the game nears, one of the most discussed storylines is the return of Greenard and fellow Gators defensive lineman Jabari Zuniga to a UF defense that must find a way to slow down a Georgia offense led by quarterback Jake Fromm and anchored by tailback D'Andre Swift.
Greenard missed Florida's win at South Carolina and the majority of the loss at LSU due to a high-ankle sprain he suffered in the Auburn victory. Zuniga has missed four of the last five games because of an ankle injury in the win at Kentucky.
"Those guys are big leaders on our defense, so we expect them to help out the defense a lot with this big game coming up,'' junior cornerback CJ Henderson said. "Having those guys back is going to be real good for us."
Following practice Monday, Greenard spoke to the media for the first time since ESPN cameras caught him with tears in his eyes at LSU as he stood on the sideline with a towel draped over his head, unable to contribute after trying to play early in the game. Greenard spoke fast and furious, the energy palpable in his words.
"I'm excited for it,'' he said. "I can't show it right now, but I'm excited. I'm just ready to get back out there."
Greenard's eagerness is twofold.
He missed last season at Louisville because of a hand injury in the season opener, an unpleasant experience for any player as competitive as the 6-foot-3, 263-pound Greenard. And there's this: Greenard is from Georgia and grew up surrounded by Bulldogs fans. He dreamed of playing in the Southeastern Conference, but when few schools other than Kentucky showed an interest, Gators defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, then at Louisville, lured him away from home to play for the Cardinals.
Defensive lineman/linebacker Jonathan Greenard was forced to watch from the sideline due to an ankle injury in Florida's loss at LSU. (Photo: Courtney Culbreath/UAA Communications)
Greenard decided to rejoin Grantham with the Gators in his final season of eligibility. Prior to his ankle injury, he was having the kind of season that earned him a spot on the Associated Press midseason All-American Team. With a myriad of implications on the line Saturday, in both the SEC East race and potentially the College Football Playoff down the line, Greenard has Georgia on his mind like never before.
The taunting messages on his smartphone from those back home serve as a constant reminder.
"This game is huge. This is a game I've been thinking about since I was a child,'' he said. "Obviously, I heard about it, the opposite side, me being a Florida fan all my life. I got all the trash talk already. But it'll be good, it'll be really good to get a W, bragging rights not only to them, but it also sets us up for where we want to be moving forward with this team."
The return of Zuniga and Greenard couldn't come at a better time. Georgia has outscored Florida 78-24 in back-to-back wins in the heated rivalry. Most had the Bulldogs as the prohibitive favorite in the SEC East at the start of the season, but Florida's continued surge under second-year head coach Dan Mullen and the Bulldogs' struggles of late – then-No. 3 Georgia was upset at home by South Carolina on Oct. 12 – have recast the matchup.
Greenard has 28 tackles and leads the team in both sacks (four) and tackles for loss (6.5). Zuniga has 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. The Gators can use all the weapons they have against a Georgia team averaging 36 points and 471.3 yards per game, which ranks third in the SEC.
"I think we've done an unbelievable job as a coaching staff this year and our players of next guy stepping up," Mullen said. "Very few teams, I think, in the country could have dealt with the injuries we've had and be in the position that we're still in. That's a tribute to our guys, next guy stepping up, and our coaches getting guys ready to play. When you start taking star players away from teams in big games and see what happens — a lot of them don't win."
In addition to Greenard and Zuniga, the Gators expect to have dynamic receiver Kadarius Toney back. He has missed the past six games due to a shoulder injury.
While Florida's offense has ample playmakers who have helped cover for Toney's absence, the defense took a noticeable dip with Greenard out, especially at LSU when the Gators failed to mount a pass-rush against Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow, who completed 21 of 24 passes for 293 yards in a 42-28 victory.
It was painful for Greenard to watch -- and not because his ankle hurt.
"We understand what we have when we're all healthy," Greenard said. "When we're all out there, we have one – in my opinion – we have the best defense in the country. With us healthy, we can make some really good plays. We've just got to play our game, don't do anything out of ordinary. Follow the game plan and follow the keys to victory."
Grantham said both Greenard and Zuniga looked comfortable at Monday's practice coming off a bye week. Greenard rated his ankle 85 to 90 percent, but said whatever lingering effects from his injury won't be an issue Saturday.
Their presence setting the edge against Georgia's mammoth offensive line sets up as one of the keys for Florida's bid to defeat the Bulldogs for the first time since 2016.
"They're bigger, they're stronger, and they're older, all of that,'' Grantham said. "I think anytime you lose guys like that, it can affect you in everything you do because they're physical guys at the point of attack, they're guys who can get off blocks, they're guys that can win the one-on-one blocks, set the edge. I think anytime you remove one, you're dinging yourself, and if you remove two, that ends up being a challenge which our guys have handled and did a really good job against South Carolina."
Dressed in shorts and sports sandals, as Greenard exited his media session Monday night, he wiggled his ankle around to show how good it was.
He's ready. He dreamed of games like this as a late bloomer at Hiram (Ga.) High, about 25 miles northwest of Atlanta. It took a while, but the time has arrived. The Bulldogs are waiting.
"I never played Georgia. I always watched them. I always wanted to play them. I always wanted to play in the SEC," he said. "Getting a chance to do that now, to play against a top team, a team that's been in the national championship, just like many other teams as well, it's going to be a fun one."
A lot more fun than standing next to Grantham on the sideline with a towel draped over his head.
