As a dreamer of big dreams, Ahmad Black is starting to get that old championship feeling again. High school might seem like light years away even though it’s only been two years since he was part of that Lakeland High School football machine but what he did in high school prepared him well for what he’s starting to go through as a Florida Gator this year.
In Lakeland, kids grow up dreaming of suiting up for the mighty Dreadnaughts. Black lived out those childhood dreams at Bryant Stadium where he was the last line of defense from his safety position for teams that won 45 straight games, three straight state championships and two mythical national titles. What he did in high school is night and day for what he’s experiencing now at the collegiate level, but championships are championships and you never grow tired of winning them.
“I’m looking at that big ring [national championship],” said Black, Florida’s starting strong safety, after the third-ranked Gators finished practice Tuesday. “I dream about it sometimes.”
The first leg of the marathon that is Florida’s run for a national championship resulted in a Southeastern Conference East Division championship. The Gators got that one out of the way last Saturday night when they hammered Vanderbilt, 42-14, in Nashville.
The second leg of the marathon begins Saturday afternoon when South Carolina (7-3, 4-3 SEC East) comes to town, intent on derailing any hopes Florida (8-1, 6-1 SEC East) Florida has of a national championship. South Carolina can’t win a championship this year but the next best thing would be to have a say in who does win the national title.
Black knows the Gators can’t be caught looking ahead to a date in the SEC Championship Game against Alabama in Atlanta. The team has to have a serious case of tunnel vision and that means living by those old clichés “one game at a time” and “on any given Saturday.”
“We have to take it one game at a time,” said Black. “We can’t jump out from the situation we’re in now. Any given Saturday we could get beaten again.”
Every given Saturday in 2007 was an adventure for the Gators, who finished 9-4. Black spent most of the season trying to earn playing time on special teams. He was a fish out of water cornerback that couldn’t adapt.
A safety for those great Lakeland teams, Black was moved to corner when he came to Florida in January of 2007. He didn’t fit the prototypical size for a safety so it was assumed he could adapt easily to corner.
File that under easier said than done. At corner, his lack of blazing speed was exposed but when he was moved back to safety this past spring, he showed remarkable instincts for being in the right place at the right time. At safety, he’s a natural.
“I like that [playing safety] better than chasing the Louis Murphys and Percys (Harvin) around the field,” he said.
Asked what it’s like to cover Harvin one-on-one, he responded, “I don’t think anybody can do that.”
The team of Black and sophomore Major Wright has been a stroke of genius for the Gators, who rank 14th nationally in pass efficiency defense. Sophomore Joe Haden has excelled in his second year as a starter at cornerback and true freshman Janoris Jenkins looks like a natural at the other corner. The secondary took on an added dimension of speed and athleticism when true freshman Will Hill was moved into the role of nickel when the Gators put five DBs on the field.
Last year, the secondary was a weak point for the Gators but the marked improvement has had everything to do with dedication, adequate preparation and good coaching. Black says Florida’s secondary rarely get caught by surprise.
“With all the film we watch when we get in the game we know just about exactly what they’re going to run,” said Black.
If there is a key word to describe Black’s personal ascension from Urban Meyer’s “recruiting mistake” list to a star on the short list for first team All-SEC it is preparation. He’s well aware that he’s not the biggest, strongest or fastest safety so he has to find ways to compensate.
Because he knows what he’s doing, Black has picked off five passes, which ranks him second in the SEC and tied for sixth nationally. Black has returned the picks 184 yards for two touchdowns and he’s had one pick six called back because of a penalty.
“Going out there and knowing what you’re doing is much better than not knowing what you’re doing,” said Black. “Anybody can be fast but not know what they’re doing and they won’t get the job done. I think it’s basically knowing what I’m doing and being in the right spots.”
If there is a common theme for the Florida defense, it is being in the right place at the right time. Other than that one loss to Ole Miss in game four, Florida’s defense has made all the right plays this season.
Ever since that Ole Miss loss, the Gators have been playing like a team on a mission. The offense has scored at least 38 points in the five games since the loss. Special teams have been blocking punts and field goals. The defense has been keeping opponents out of the end zone.
It’s a team effort that Black says begins with the way the Gators practice.
“We’ve been having good practices and we’re staying focused and like coach says, the team is maturing,” said Black. “I see a whole different team from last year. We have to keep it up and keep going in the right direction. We have to get the guys that aren’t playing better as well as the people who are playing better.”
And if they can keep on getting everybody better, Ahmad Black’s dream of another championship has a chance to come true.