Florida Gators defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson will suit up in the Orange and Blue just one more time.
The junior announced on Monday night that he has decided to forego his senior season at the University of Florida and plans to declare for the 2019 NFL Draft.
Gardner-Johnson announced his decision on his Twitter and Instagram pages with a note. In the note he says that he is making this decision to maximize his NFL value
“On the field I new understand what football really is and the small details that help someone like myself become a force to be reckoned with,” Gardner-Johnson wrote. “I have grown mentally and physically as I now understand that my body is everything. However, the more I valued my body I realized that all the individuals around me can have a positive and negative affect (sic) on who I am or viewed as in the public eye. The University and my platform as a student-athlete made me strong from the struggles of being alone at night, to waking up in the morning knowing I have a job to do in order to achieve my goals.”
Gardner-Johnson played through a shoulder injury throughout the 2017 season but has silenced critics with his play in 2018. With the beginning of his note citing his physical health as a main reason for declaring early it was easy to wonder if he would skip the bowl game as well. Many draft eligible players have decided to skip their bowl games in recent years. Chauncey put that to rest quickly.
“Along with this decision, I want Gator Nation to know that I am 100 PERCENT COMMITTED to my team and this program as we look to finish the season strong at our bowl game next month,” he wrote.
Thank You Gator Nation !!!! pic.twitter.com/BnseLUFn08
— Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (@CGJXXIII) November 26, 2018