Pierce calls JaJuan Seider important to his commitment to Florida

It has been over a month since the Florida Gators hosted a football game in the Swamp but instead of it being full of recruits, it was just a select few of commits in town due to the Gators not having a head coach.

One of those commits in town was running back commit Dameon Pierce (5-11, 205, Bainbridge, GA.) who wanted to catch up with running back coach JaJuan Seider.

“It was great to see, I’m a running back so that’s what I want to see,” Pierce said of Florida’s rushing game against UAB. “It was good catching up with Coach Seider, he was just seeing me off before I go back home.”

Pierce who hasn’t spoken much about his commitment since Jim McElwain was let go said that having Seider still in town is a huge reason why he’s still committed.

“If Coach Seider would’ve been one of the coaches that left with Coach [Jim McElwain] Mac then I would’ve probably decomitted honestly,” he said. “Because Coach Seider and I have a great relationship between each other. He understands what I want as a football player and he’s what I want out of a coach and a leader.”

The running back commit is waiting to see who the Gators hire and whether or not Seider remains on staff before he decides on his school of choice.

“That’s a key factor in my recruiting process,” he said of having JaJuan Seider on staff at Florida. “I would early enroll still but it would be a matter of what school.”

One of the biggest reason Seider is important to Pierce is because of their relationship and how much they talk with each other.

“Really the only coach I talk to is Coach Seider,” Pierce said of who he speaks with from Florida. “We don’t really talk football, we just talk about life. The only thing we talk football wise is about the hiring of a new coach.”

On Saturday, Pierce had the opportunity to meet with the Gators athletic director and explain to him why Seider is so important to him as a player.

“I talked to Scott Stricklin and he’s a great guy,” Pierce said. “I think he understands the importance of Coach Seider being here for me.”

After Saturday, Pierce admits that other schools are recruiting him and that he may take other visits but he knows he will be back in Gainesville.

“It’s the recruiting process so why not check out schools,” he said on if he will visit anyone else. “But to name anyone, I’m not sure if I can name anyone. It’s thinking process on who to visit but I know for a fact that Florida is one of my officials.”

Pierce was also asked about the possibility of Chip Kelly coming to Florida and he said that move would make him happy.

“Look if Chip Kelly comes here, I’m going to hit some cartwheels,” Pierce said on if Chip Kelly comes to Florida. “I grew up an Oregon fan and a Chip Kelly fan, if Chip Kelly comes here that’s icing on the cake.”

 

INSIDERS TAKE: Pierce says he plans to be back in Gainesville for the Gators game against Florida State next Saturday.

Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.