Running back Ja'Kobi Jackson, left, and defensive lineman Kofi Asara learn to make homemade pasta during an outing on last summer's GatorMade trip in Florence. (Photo: GatorMade)
GatorMade Week: Opening Eyes & Doors Off The Field
Monday, October 13, 2025 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — To tweak a famous expression, when in Italy, do as the Italians do.
Fifteen University of Florida football players followed that advice in June when they took a seven-day trip that made stops in Milan, Florence, Tuscany, Lake Como and Rome. They used their on-field talent as instructors at a youth football camp and served meals during a community outing, among other service events, as part of the GatorMade trip.
Equally important, most of them experienced a foreign culture for the first time.
A few days after returning home, running back Ja'Kobi Jackson was hungry. He could have gone to Olive Garden or ordered an authentic pizza from Pomodoro Café to get a taste of Italy, but instead, he went shopping to make homemade pasta.
That was not in Jackson's playbook before an outing in Florence, where the players were taught by locals how to make homemade pasta from scratch.
"I had never cooked,'' he said. "I made basic pasta. I learned a new skill."
In a nutshell, that is why it was important for UF head coach Billy Napier to create the GatorMade program when he took over the program four seasons ago. Sure, the unique program is a recruiting tool and valuable resource for the players who sign with the Gators, but it's also a part of his program he considers invaluable in developing young men equipped for future success.
Napier, as in his previous three seasons, is honoring the program this week as the Gators head into Saturday's homecoming game against Mississippi State.
Gators defensive lineman Jalen Wiggins works with Italian kids at a youth football camp in Rome. (Photo: GatorMade)
"We take time to celebrate, in my opinion, the best player-development program in the country — [GatorMade director] Savannah Bailey and her staff, and all the things that they do throughout the year to invest in our players for the long-term,'' Napier said Monday. "I do think that if you dig into the details of the experience of our players, I think it's an incredible operation, and she's a great leader, and she takes great pride in that program, and I know it's impacted our players in a positive way."
Napier hired Bailey from Clemson in January 2022, and she went to work to create internships, business trips and a once-a-year overseas experience for players who are committed to the program and pass the interview process for the most sought-after experiences, such as trips to Greece, South Africa, Japan and Italy that GatorMade has taken since the summer of 2022. Former All-American linebacker Brandon Spikes and Diane Lebon are also part of GatorMade's staff and work closely with the players.
Freshman defensive lineman Jalen Wiggins has an interest in construction and design as a mechanical engineering major. The trip to Italy, known worldwide for its incredible architecture, was an opportunity of a lifetime.
He said GatorMade played a role in his decision to attend Florida.
"It started when I was a recruit and learning about the GatorMade program and the opportunities they had,'' Wiggins said. "All that really interested me from the beginning. I was like, man, this is something I'm going to take not just from my football career, but later on in life, I will remember this stuff 40 years from now. You may not get this chance to do it again."
Wiggins has participated in a business trip to the office of EA Sports in Orlando and other GatorMade events.
He is interested in a business career after football, so GatorMade has opened the doors and sparked ideas about his future.
"The biggest thing for me is the marketing and opportunities that you wouldn't get if you weren't in the position that we are in,'' Wiggins said. "I know from a marketing and networking aspect, we've got to know people in high places in different fields. It leads into the creative world, business and marketing. It gives you a chance to reach out into these fields before you get out into the real world.
"Even the Italy trip, that was amazing, just to be able to go out of the country and to do it with your teammates. That was a special time."
The GatorMade contingent enjoy an authentic Italian meal in Milan during their summer trip to Italy.
Jackson had a good time, too.
A Pensacola native who started his college career at a junior college in Mississippi, Jackson wasn't sure what GatorMade had to offer when he first transferred to UF. He did his homework, showed interest in Bailey, and said it has been life-changing.
He is considering a career in sports media after his playing days are over, thanks to a broadcasting boot camp GatorMade held in conjunction with the UF College of Journalism & Communications.
"I just wanted to do anything, being new here and excited to experience new things,'' he said. "I signed up for any events they had for the experience, and it turned out to be a great experience and made me come back and sign up for more.
"It has helped me grow as an individual, a lot, as far as being able to communicate and talk to people,'' Jackson said. "Really, it has opened me up to new things like broadcasting and going out of the country for the first time."
Equally important, most of them experienced a foreign culture for the first time.
