GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Gators defensive lineman
Justus Boone spent the final weekend of the offseason hosting a football camp for local youth. He returned home in June to do the same in Sumter, S.C., where Boone starred at Sumter High.
It's one way that Boone tries to make an impact away from the field. He named the event he held in late June in South Carolina the "Just-Us Football Camp."
The tag plays off his name, but not in the way you might think. He does not say his name the way most people do.
"My name is pronounced Just-us,'' he told the
SEC Network. "It was given to me by my mother."
Boone said that when he was born, his mother came up with the name while still in the hospital bed.
"My biological father wasn't present in the room, so it was just me and my mom,'' he said. "She hadn't really picked out a name for me yet. She kind of looked around the room and saw it wasn't anybody but just us, so, yeah, that's it."
Meanwhile, Boone is back on the field trying to make a bigger impact for the Gators as a third-year sophomore. He had 24 tackles last season and started two games. To help in that quest, Boone dropped fried foods to drop a few pounds.
He checked in at 263 pounds prior to the start of camp Sunday and said he feels quicker on his feet since he stopped ordering from the drive-thru.
"It's easy to go to a fast-food restaurant and grab some fries, something like that,'' he said. "That's the most part, being prepared to make meals for myself and eat the proper ways if I'm going to accomplish my goals."
You can watch Boone's complete interview below:
