Gator Country

Florida senior safety Ahmad Black talks to reporters after the Gators' first day of spring practice on Wednesday at the Sanders football practice fields. / Gator Country photo by Tim Casey

Gator Country's Dave Gardner caught up with rising senior safety Ahmad Black after spring practice for a brief question/answer session.

Question: How important was it that Urban Meyer was here on Day 1?
Answer: It was really important. It shows that he’s here for us. We’ve got his back his back, and he’s got ours. I was glad to see him out here—and I know a lot of guys were glad to see him out here—smiling.

Q: How did he address the team?
A: Like normal. Like nothing had happened. That’s our coach. He’s doing great. We love to see him out here.

Q: How excited are you about the season that’s facing you?
A: I’m really excited. I’m excited about the talent that we have that came in. I’m excited about the talent that we get in August. I was just excited to see everyone come and play.

Q: There was a big pro day today, and there seems to be a void of veteran leadership on this team. How important is it for guys to step up this spring?
A: Me being the most experienced guy on defense, I gotta make sure our guys get under my wing. I gotta make sure to lead them in the right path. We can be great like we were last year.

Q: Was it different, not seeing familiar faces around here today?
A: Yeah, different people and different numbers—it’s a little bit crazy. But I’ll get adjusted to it.

Q: Have the coaches talked to you personally about being more of a leader this season, now that you’re the senior in that secondary?
A: We talked about it. I’ve kinda always been a leader—I’ve always had it together. But I’ve gotta be a little bit more in that leadership role now that I’m the only senior back there.

Q: You’re interceptions dropped a little bit last season, are you excited to try and get them back up there this season?
A: I’d be scared to throw to me, too. (Laughs) I’m just playin’. Like I said last year, I wasn’t complaining as long as I was winning. As long as I’m doing my job, it’s fine. I could get one, I could get none.

Q: How do you like what you’ve seen out of the young guys in the secondary so far?
A: They’re great. I like how they move around. It was a little sloppy today. A couple of guys ran around a little bit.

Q: Do you remember what it was like your first day here?
A: Oh man. I was worse than them. They came out better than me. They came out cooking, I came, you know, not doing so good. So they was a little bit better than me.

Q: Did you come out today with something a little bit extra to prove? Last year, this team was the top dog; this year, you’ve lost some people.
A: Yeah, there’s a little motivation. I hear all the time that we’re not gonna be as good because we don’t have (Brandon) Spikes, Joe (Haden) and (Carlos) Dunlap.  I think the young guys can step up. They have the potential to do it. They just gotta have the want-to and the drive to do it.

Q: Did anybody seem to step up today?
A: It’s a little too early to tell. It’s the first day. The freshmen were just coming in, getting the first day jitters out.

Q: Do you look around for those guys that you’ve been playing with all these years, like Major Wright and Joe Haden?
A: I try to liven it up a little bit. I don’t have my boy Major to be loud with me. Will Hill is a quiet guy. I gotta make him more into a Major guy. I try to liven it up a little bit—it’s a little bit too quiet.

Q: How much are you taking responsibility for guys like Matt Elam coming in as freshman?
A: Well, him and (Jordan) Haden. They’re both playing behind me. If I go down, God forbid, they gotta go in. I’m just trying to teach them everything I know, to teach them what Coach Heater taught me early in my day.

Q: From your perspective, could you see a change in Brantley today?
A: Nah, he’s still the same Johnny Brantley. A little bit more mature, though.

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