Justin Pelic, No. 47, turned down opportunities in the Ivy League to come to UF, where he joined the team as a preferred walk-on. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
Pelic Has a GatorMade Story Full of Varied Experiences
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Gators linebacker Justin Pelic will not hear his name called in the NFL Draft or be remembered by fans for his bone-rattling tackles.
He has carved out a more unusual legacy in his time at UF.
How many Florida football players have been accepted into medical school in the last decade? The answer is two: Michael McNeely from the 2014 team and, you guessed it, Pelic.
Pelic was accepted into the Medical University of South Carolina for next fall in Charleston, S.C., just 15 minutes from where he grew up as a Charleston Post & Courier All-Lowcountry linebacker at Wando (S.C.) High. That is much closer than his five-and-a-half-hour drive home from Gainesville, where Pelic chose to be a preferred walk-on in 2019 after receiving an academic scholarship. Justin Pelic
"I got in contact with them (Florida). They had a preferred walk-on spot, got into Florida and they were able to offer an academic scholarship as well," Pelic said this week. "So that really made it kind of an easy decision. Every time that I came here, the people, that family feel that I got, it was like, 'Okay, five and a half hours from home, like let's do it.' This is, you know, once in a lifetime."
Pelic chose to attend Florida over schools like Notre Dame, Stanford and some Ivy League universities because of the academics offered and memories as a fan of the Gators' 2006 and 2008 national championship teams.
Pelic's journey to medical school was a process. Going back and forth on whether medicine was the right path for him after COVID-19, he earned a bachelor's degree in management in the spring of 2023.
"I'd say that I pretty much always wanted to be a doctor. Then I had a point when I got to school here, and Covid hit. There was all this uncertainty and kind of chaos, and I was not sure what the future looked like," said Pelic. "I had some questions and wanted to explore some other things because I did some entrepreneurial stuff in high school and had a grandfather who was a really successful used car salesman, so I wanted to explore that, and I did. I found that really just wasn't where my heart was and that my passion was in medicine. Once I transitioned back to that and got fully invested in that, it was like 'Okay, this is my purpose. This is what I'm meant to do.' And it all clicked."
Despite his professional uncertainty, Pelic joined the GatorMade program instituted by head coach Billy Napier when Napier took over the program in 2022. Napier has designated this as GatorMade Week, shining a spotlight on the program as he has done in each of his three seasons.
Pelic is a great ambassador.
"I've been super involved with GatorMade, I'd say since they started it,'' he said. "I was really interested in it, excited about it. I talked to [senior director] Savannah (Bailey) and asked her what I could do to get involved because I thought that what they were doing was pretty amazing and impactful."
#GatorMade - to be shaped by the experiences as a Florida Gator and the support that continues in all steps of life. 🐊 pic.twitter.com/jK89INVbRr
With GatorMade, Pelic gained more opportunities to develop his professional skills and character, preparing him for a life beyond football. He was even able to go on a service trip to South Africa in 2023, which he credits as a transformative moment in his life. Pelic encourages other athletes to get involved in GatorMade, as it affords them so many opportunities and experiences off the field.
"I think it should almost be necessary, like a prerequisite," said Pelic. "Football is amazing, and there are a lot of guys that do have long and really profitable careers, but for the most part, football is going to end at some point. So, you want to be able to have strong traits and a character outside of football and identity so that when you are done playing, you're ready to take on the world, and you're feeling prepared for success."
GatorMade opened doors for Pelic. And his position on the football team gave him the opportunity to meet Dr. Kevin Farmer, the team's head of orthopedic surgery and sideline doctor for the Gators. Meeting first as a patient, Pelic and Farmer developed a relationship that eventually led to Pelic reaching out for shadowing opportunities.
"I was a former athlete, and understand how difficult it is to be an athlete in college and find time and the ability to experience those things and see if that's something you're interested in,'' said Farmer, who played baseball at Duke. "So, I always have a kind of a special place for athletes trying to balance athletics and academics. I also feel, like a lot of athletes, they're so well trained on organization and time management that they tend to do very well in the medical field. So, if I find athletes that are interested, I try to support them as best as I can."
Throughout his journey, Pelic credits his family, faith, GatorMade, and friends for being his foundation. These are the critical factors in helping him to stay balanced and disciplined between his studies and his work on the football field.
"I have watched him over the last few years. He's a hard worker," said Dr. Farmer. "I'm happy to see that he's had success, and I think he'll do very well in the medical field. So, it's great that athletes have the opportunity to pursue interest in athletics, but still the ability to have strong academics to fall back on at a place like UF."
Pelic, after four seasons on the scout team, made his Gators debut a season ago in the victory over McNeese and made two tackles. He has played in four games in six seasons, but that is a small part of his story.
After all of his hard work and dedication, Pelic is one step closer to achieving his dream and purpose as a doctor. While he does not know what kind of doctor he wants to be yet, he does know why he is doing it.
"The inspiration is to have talents and interests and being able to use that to make an impact and meaning on other people's lives. Also, the relationship aspect between patient and physician, it's a lot of trust, really deep relationships that you can form," said Pelic. "For me, I find that I have most purpose when I'm focusing on other people in my life and those relationships, and so being able to do that for a career and really make meaningful changes.
