GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The man in the military uniform stood on the sideline Wednesday night, waiting for the Gators to conclude practice. He had his young son, the one he didn't meet until the boy was 4 months old, standing next to him.
As the Gators prepared this week to face South Carolina on Saturday in the "Saluting Those Who Serve" game, a member from each of the four U.S. military branches was requested to address the team. Air Force Capt. Tom "Filthy" Rich, a 20-year veteran with 11 deployments to his credit, had been invited by Gators head coach
Billy Napier to speak.
Napier has placed a premium on the initiative in his first season at Florida.
"We need to have the utmost respect for these people who have chosen a path to serve and protect these freedoms we have,'' Napier said. "I think this is something that's very important. It gets overlooked. I think we all can agree that, at times, we're walking around living life, and we don't really appreciate that we have a set of people that risk their life every day.
"I think it's one of the things that we can do independent of football that can create good — a place where we respect and appreciate what we have. We want to do that each year and celebrate these people. I think they're deserving."
It didn't take Rich long to get choked up in talking about one of those people who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
In January 2010, Senior Airman Bradley Smith was killed by an improvised explosive device near Kandahar, Afghanistan, while supporting a combat operation during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Rich shared the story with the Gators as silence loomed inside the team's indoor practice facility.
"Brad was on a mission. He was on an overwatch position. His buddy, his counterpart, his teammate, gets blown up,'' Rich said. "Without thought, he grabs the platoon medic. He runs down. They retrieve the body. They retrieve another soldier that was injured. They get him to safety. And now they're like, 'hey, we've got to go back for the other guy.' The other guy was dead. He was cut in half.
"And [Brad] got killed by another IED on the way back. Brad was from my unit."
The Air Force in 2012 named a new camp in Afghanistan after Smith, who is survived by a wife and daughter. Smith was awarded the Silver Star posthumously.
"We wanted to name the camp after someone who had done something extraordinary and whose actions were heroic and courageous," Senior Airman Joshua Leibold, the president of Kandahar's First Four Council, said at the time in a release. "We considered many outstanding airmen, but Airman Smith was an obvious choice."
Napier wants stories like those by Rich and other guest speakers to resonate with the Gators. Daily tasks like attending class, attending meetings on time, and giving 100 percent in practice pale compared to some of the sacrifices those in the military make.
Still, many of the same concepts are shared: teamwork, brotherhood, accountability and discipline.
Veteran Gunnery Sgt. Trey James compared a football team to a group of Marines during his speech to the team after Tuesday night's practice. The 33-year-old James entered the Marines at 18 and was sent to Parris Island, South Carolina, and eventually Okinawa, Japan. James has served multiple combat tours in his career.
He relied on his comrades for survival and success and told the Gators that in his travels to 20 countries worldwide, the freedoms Americans enjoy are not to be taken lightly.
"By the time I was 24, I deployed to combat three times. I was overseas doing what our Marine Corps was asked to do for our country,'' James said. "I truly believe this is the greatest country on the face of the Earth. Why? Because I have been around the world. I tell you, right now, it is nowhere near as bad here as in other places in the world. I promise you.
"This is the best country in the world because we have people who willingly go out and say we are going to continue to have it that way."
Gators head coach Billy Napier welcomes Air Force Capt. Tom Rich to speak to the Gators after Wednesday night's practice. (Photo: Isabella Marley/UAA Communications)
Napier highlighted the initiative each opportunity he had this week leading up to Veterans Day on Friday and Saturday's game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Napier didn't serve in the military, but he has met many people who have. They have impacted his life over the years, he said.
"Really important to me in terms of creating a level of respect here and a gratitude for some of these things that I really believe we take for granted at times,'' said Napier. "We get to celebrate a lot of people who live a life of service.
"I think there's a lot we can learn from these special people. It's been pretty awesome to hear from them. I know it's impacting our players and staff in a positive way."
Senior offensive lineman
Richard Gouraige listened closely as James and Rich spoke. Gouraige has been around long enough to understand Napier's quest to build a holistic program beyond what happens on the field.
"Coach's motto is 'play for the guy who's left or right of you,' so I always take that to heart, that this might be my last snap,'' Gouraige said. "If this is my last snap, I want to please the guy that's left and right of me, knowing that Richard did his job as best as he can."
As James finished his speech, he thanked Napier and the team for providing the platform and recognizing those who have served in the military.
"We appreciate the support,'' he said. "I can tell you nobody joined the military and said, 'I want the admiration and the adulation, and I want the accolades that come with it.' I missed a lot."
Each night, a stream of players and coaches flowed their way when Rich and James finished.
The men heard the same message repeatedly.
"Thank you for your service."
