Quoteboard: UF Pro Day
During UF's Pro Day held inside of the indoor practice facility on Tuesday, 15 Gators from last year's roster participated in drills and workouts. A handful of them, including Keanu Neal, Antonio Morrison, Brian Poole, Kelvin Taylor and Jake McGee, spoke with reporters after their on-field work was completed.
Below are some highlights from what each had to say Tuesday.
SAFETY KEANU NEAL
On running unofficial times of 4.50 and 4.53 in the 40-yard dash after logging a 4.60 at the NFL Scouting Combine in February...
Neal: “I felt really good. I felt like I got faster. Obviously, the time showed it. In Indy, I didn’t feel comfortable with my time. It was slower, in my opinion, so I came in, ran faster, feeling good about it.”
On what he offers to NFL teams...
Neal: “Pretty tall. I’ve got long arms. Obviously, I’ve got big hands, I could catch the ball. I could move well. ... My versatility. Everyone sees me as a big hitter, as a knockout guy. But I can cover. I wanted to show my range today – being able to open up, stay on the line, open my hips up and catch the ball, and I did that today. So I’m feeling pretty good about it.”
On what he's hearing about his draft stock...
Neal: “When I was coming out, I was a second. But it’s late first to early second.”
On how difficult the decision to declare early for the draft and not return to UF was for him...
Neal: “It was tough, it was really tough. Just leaving Gator Nation, the coaches. And I love the coaches. This new coaching staff, the old coaching staff, like everyone. Everyone around here, my teammates. We built so much chemistry together. It was hard. But living the dream, taking that next step is something that you dream about when you’re a kid. I had the opportunity to do it, so I had to take advantage of it.”
On what scouts are saying about him...
Neal: “They love the way that I play. They say that I play football the way it should be played. I’m just a hard nosed player and after this, a lot of them came up to me and told me good job. I feel like I showed things that they requested, my ball skills, my range, things like that, wondering if I can be in the center of the field, open up and making a play on the numbers, opening up and and getting the ball at the highest point and show that I can.”
LINEBACKER ANTONIO MORRISON
On how Pro Day went for him after he missed the combine reportedly due to illness...
Morrison: “Yeah, man. It was unfortunate I was unable to get to the combine. A lot of teams had questions if I’m healthy and stuff, so I just wanted to get out here so I could do everything. I mean, the times might not reflect on it, but I’m happy I did everything. It felt good. ... Show them that I’m healthy. That was a huge question, for what I had, then I missed the combine. I really only had like a week to prepare for this. I just wanted to show guys I’m healthy, that I can do everything you all want me to do. I could have easily, like a lot of guys sit out and miss Pro Day, but I’m a competitor and I’m going to go out and I’m going to do it.”
On the feedback he has received from teams since coming back from his devastating knee injury and producing at a high level in 2015...
Morrison: “They love my leadership. Mainly, they ask everybody around the building, everything that has been around me, what type of guy I am. Everything has been positive. You know, I had some incidents when I was younger, but I was 18 at the time. Guys know I have matured from that and they just like the way I play, like what I bring to the table and what I can bring to the team.”
On if he's talking to any teams at this stage...
Morrison: “I’ve been talking to a lot of teams and I’ve got a lot of visits coming up. Since I was unable to go to the combine, I’ve got a ton of visits. I’m going to be gone for a while. I’ve got a ton of meetings and I’m just going to show guys what I can bring to their team.”
DEFENSIVE BACK BRIAN POOLE
On if he had a chip on his shoulder at Pro Day after not receiving Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine invites...
Poole: "I wouldn't say chip, it was a little extra motivation though. But besides that I was good. I can't control that so. ... I ain't going to say I was happy. I definitely felt a little uneasy with it. But I can't control it. I got past it. .. I got hurt in the East/West Shrine Game so they said that was kind of the season, but I don't know."
On his performance in drills Tuesday, including running an unofficial 40 time of 4.49...
Poole: "I wanted to go 4.3 but I'm happy with a 4.4. ... I felt smooth. Everything smooth. I dropped one ball unfortunately but besides that I felt like I did pretty good."
On his upcoming meetings with teams...
Poole: "I've got a meeting with the Patriots today. I got a meeting with Tennessee. I got to Arizona on the 4th, 5th, one of those days. I couple other teams. I really can't name them all."
TIGHT END JAKE MCGEE
On how he felt performing in drills Tuesday after being limited during the combine with a hamstring injury...
McGee: “I went through it and to get through the workout. I had some struggles in Indy and at the Senior Bowl and getting through all of it, I just wasn’t all quite healthy. It was fun today, especially being back with the guys that you’ve been and you played this season with and built relationships with. I thought I did well. I worked as hard as I could. I felt fluid, I caught the ball well, but it’s not up to me. I like what I did today and felt that I gave it my all.”
On which drills he felt he performed the best in...
McGee: “I was happy that I caught every ball, which i was expected to do. I like to think I usually do. It was nice, just felt good running the routes. That’s really the part at the end of the day that matters. Those other drills test individual things, some teams weigh it more than others but to me that’s not really a translation to how you’re going to play in a football game.”
On what he would bring to an NFL team...
McGee: “I think I’m a guy that will help the locker room in a positive way, can make plays on the field and teammates will like playing with me and being around me. ... I think I’m a guy that can catch the football, move the chains and have a positive impact on the guys around him.”
RUNNING BACK KELVIN TAYLOR
On what he wanted to improve on after the combine leading into Pro Day...
Taylor: "At the combine I did pretty decent, but at the same time I just wanted to improve on catching the ball and I felt like I did great in that aspect today. I caught all my balls. My bench press got up to 17 reps, so I felt like I did good there. I felt like I had a pretty good 40, too. ... I didn't do well in the 40 in Indy. I caught the ball poorly. I felt like today I showed everyone I have great hands. I can catch the ball out of the backfield. I ran a better 40, so I'm just very thankful and honored to be here."
On if the fact he never fumbled in a college game should negate concerns over his hand size...
Taylor: "That's an easy question. I never fumbled in college. You got guys with humongous hands with six fumbles. I never had a fumble in college and I had a high amount of carries. That's one thing my father always preached. We don't put the rock on the ground. I never fumbled period. Maybe once or twice in high school."
On whether he'd like to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars, his father's former team...
Taylor: "That would be pretty cool. But at the same time, it's an honor to play in the National Football League so it really doesn't matter."
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Live updates: Jim McElwain Monday Press Conference (3/21/16)
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PRACTICE QUICK HITTERS:
Florida Spring Practice: Day 1 Quick Hitters
Florida Spring Practice: Day 2 Quick Hitters
Florida Spring Practice: Day 3 Quick Hitters
Florida Spring Practice: Day 4 Quick Hitters
Florida Spring Practice: Day 5 Quick Hitters
Florida Spring Practice: Monday Quick Hitters (March 21, 2016)
PRACTICE PHOTOS AND VIDEO:
ITG Spring Practice Update: Week 1
ITG Spring Practice Update: Week 2
Photo Gallery: Day 1 of Florida Gators spring practice
Photo Gallery: Florida Gators Monday spring practice
VIDEO: Open portion of Florida's second spring practice
VIDEO: Open portion of Florida's Monday spring practice
VIDEO: Open portion of Gators Wednesday spring practice
VIDEO: Open portion of Florida's practice Friday inside the IPF
VIDEO: Open portion of Florida's Monday spring practice (March 21, 2016)
VIDEO: Florida offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier speaks to media
VIDEO: Florida defensive coordinator Geoff Collins speaks to media
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