RECRUITING: It’s a Swamp Thing for Henry

Talking to Chas Henry about being a Florida Gator is like riding an energetic colt. It is hard not to say, “Whoa slow down son,” he gets so enthusiastic. He did visit his home state Georgia Bulldogs first, but, the Gators were quicker to offer. “Once Florida offered, I knew it was where I should be,” said Chas.

While Chas agrees with all of the other recruits that Florida offers a big, family type atmosphere, it was the Swamp that really closed the door for him. “I really love the Stadium, the Swamp, its history and tradition,” he said, adding “But along with that, Coach Meyer and the staff are the best. I really also like that Coach Meyer is the Special Teams Coach. I think it is great when the Head Coach also spends so much time with Special Teams.”

Eric Wilbur was Chas’s host and they had a great time together. While Eric has graduated, he is now enrolled at UF in grad school and took the time to help out and host Chas. “Along with Eric I met just about everyone on the team and all the players that will be here next year. I’ve been to Gainesville for five or six games, so I already knew the town and what it is like. The players are great, the staff is great.” This is about when it became clear that Chas really does like the idea of being a Gator.

Chas also talked about the kind of player that Urban Meyer is recruiting and how that helps. “Coach Meyer is bringing in players that are versatile and can do everything. This makes it much harder on defenses and also helps out special teams,” he said. He also looks forward to playing with some of the new verbals such as Carlos Dunlap. The idea of a 6-6 260lb DE who is able to return kickoffs just sparks the imagination of a player like Chas, who is an accomplished Quarterback in his own right, playing punter. Chas added “with all of the versatile athletes that Coach Meyer has, and is bringing in, I do see a LOT of trick plays being worked on and used.”

When asked about any advice he would give a player considering Florida, Chas had this to say: “Speak with the coaches and Coach Meyer and listen to them when they talk about the character of the players they are looking for and what they are trying to build. This way you will know if it is right for you. Look at the facilities and the education.”

Chas is also quite optimistic about the future of the Gator program. “As long as Coach Meyer and his staff are at Florida, doing things the way they have and brining in the types of players they are, Florida will always be successful and competing for championships.”

Who can argue with that kind of enthusiasm?