The call was ‘Train right Jill, Big Ben In’. The result was a 63-yard touchdown to then freshman receiver Antonio Callaway that served as the game-winning touchdown over Tennessee in 2015. Callaway may not get the opportunity for an encore.
“We’ll try to get Callaway back a little bit,” Jim McElwain said during his Monday press conference. “We’ll see what happens. He’s hurting pretty good.”
Callaway suffered a quad contusion late in a win over Kentucky. Callaway went through Gator walk prior to the game against North Texas and tried testing out the leg, but after not being a full participant that week in practice was held out of the game.
The sophomore receiver has four 100-yard receiving games in his career, the first coming against Tennessee last season, and is an integral part of the Gators’ passing attack. Callaway would also provide a proven weapon to go to when Purdue transfer Austin Appleby makes his first start in place of injured starter Luke Del Rio.
McElwain would not go as far as to rule Callaway out for the game between ranked opponents this Saturday, but he took a strong stance — as he has since he’s been at Florida — about playing guys who are injured.
“I will never play a guy that’s not ready to play. That’s just not fair to that person. That’s how much I care about our players. I’m not going to put a guy out there on half a leg. Life is too short, and there are other people who will step up and plays. It’s just not my gig. I’m not going to do that to somebody’s son.”