Hindsight might be 20/20, but in Brett Heggie’s case, it’s 20/61. He wore that number for five seasons with the Gators, and now he looks back at his time at Florida while predicting what is to come.
Fresh off their final season in orange and blue, departing Gators have unique perspectives and will help us look to the coming months through their eyes.
A battle tested offensive lineman, Heggie seemingly fought to stay on the field through injuries for a large part of his career with the Gators, but he prevailed and is now hoping to get his shot at the next level. Heggie gives his thoughts on Florida’s coaching staff, previews next season’s offensive line and opens up about his journey through multiple obstacles.
What are you doing as far as training right now?
“I’m in Orlando right now at this place called Better Every Day. It’s going really well.”
What is your very early take on the 2021 team?
“When you look at our staff, just a group of guys that have been around each other for a long time and know how to prepare the guys to go out and win, put them in good positions to go out there and win. It goes back to our strength staff and what they do in the offseason to develop everybody, especially the new freshmen that are coming in. I think the strength staff and the rest of the staff are going to do a great job preparing those guys. So, definitely high expectations for this upcoming season for the Gators.”
Can you give some insight into the strength and conditioning program Nick Savage has put together?
“Coach Savage and his staff, they kind of divide the assistant coaches up into different position groups. And then, every day is planned out and in detail to develop the players in the weight room so that it translates onto the field. Whether it be running, different types of running. And then, obviously, in the weight room, lifting and flexibility and mobility. All of those things.”
How did COVID-19 impact your experience and the team overall in 2020?
“It was definitely an interesting year for everybody. I thought our team and coaching staff did a great job of adjusting to it and doing the things necessary to keep everyone safe throughout the season. Personally, my approach to the season was the same. We just had to do meetings a different way with zoom and open meeting rooms. And weight training was different, because there were now a variety of lift times, so each group was smaller. The thing that everyone had to be aware of for every team was that you could lose some guys in the middle of the week due to coming in contact with someone who had it or getting it and we were able to make that work by having the ‘next man up’ mentality throughout the year.”
What are the strengths of the current coaching staff?
“The first thing that comes to mind would be the experience. All of them have been around for a while, and they’ve been in this league for a long time, too. They kind of have an understanding of the variety of teams in the SEC and the coaches that are at the different teams in the SEC. So, when you get into preparation, they’re really able to break down film and come up with a game plan that can put our players in the best possible situation out on the field, to create mismatches through formations and things like that. To put everybody in a good position to go out there and be able to score points and also get stops on defense.”
The 2020 team did not get where it wanted to be. What changes need to be made in 2021 for that not to happen again?
“The main thing that’s always stressed, and I think it will be continued to be focused on is the small things. It’s the little details. That’s what separates a good team from a great team. You look back at this past year, and just a couple of small things in different games, and the outcome of the game could be different. That doesn’t just happen on game day. That happens in the week of preparations, and also in the offseason while they’re training and getting ready to play.”
Do you think next season’s team has potential to make it back to Atlanta or compete for a playoff spot?
“I don’t know the incoming guys, the transfers, things like that. So, I’m not really sure what they’re bringing to the table. But at the end of the day, it’s Florida. And like I said, the coaching staff is going to put all of the players in the best position possible to do those things.”
Why do you think this staff has been so successful at recruiting the transfer portal?
“I would say, from the outside looking in, I would just think it would be the communication from the staff to the guys in the portal and getting them on campus and making them really understand the Gator Standard and how everything is run. I think that kind of excites guys, because I don’t know what their situation was at the school prior, but when you come to our school and see how everything is, I think that could be the difference. I think that’s why they’ve been successful in the portal.”
What are your expectations for the offensive line next season?
“I think the guys who were backups and younger guys last year had a chance to develop. For me, personally, my redshirt year was a big year for me to develop and see how things were supposed to be done. Now, some of those guys have a couple of years under their belt and know exactly how to do things within the offensive scheme. I think that will really help them out this season.”
Can you preview the starters on the OL?
“I really don’t know. After every season, every position is really open. It comes down to a position battle every year, and guys are going to go out and work. Guys like Richard Gouraige, I know works really hard and takes football seriously, and the film room. I think he’ll really continue to improve. Ethan White is probably the most impressive freshman that I saw come in, in terms of understanding the playbook and really getting a grasp on that, and then being able to transfer it onto the field. I expect big things from him. And then you’ve got some vets that are still there, like Stewart [Reese] and Jean [DeLance] and those guys. They’ve been in the system for a while now, so they’re gonna really just focus on the small things to better their game overall.”
Big expectations for Ethan White. Can you talk more about what he brings to the table?
“Obviously, a very big guy that can create movement. And then, at the same time, does pretty well in pass protection, and that is because of his preparation in terms of film study, and what he sees, what he notices. He can kind of see things happening before they even happen. I think his preparation off the field is something that really helps him out.”
Who do you see having a breakout season in 2021?
“I think Zach Carter. Looking at the defensive side, Zach Carter, Ventrell [Miller], [Kaiir] Elam … I think [Brenton] Cox is back. If that’s the case, he will have a great year as well. On the offensive side, you look at the quarterbacks like Emory [Jones] and Anthony [Richardson]. Those guys are different. They’re dual threat guys that can really hurt the defenses with their feet and their arm. They both have big arms, are accurate, and they can also scramble around and extend plays and make plays. That will be exciting. Guys like [Kemore] Gamble, who got in games last year and did really well. And then, on the offensive line, I’m excited to see what Ethan does, and Richard and Stew and Jean. And also, Kingsley [Eguakun]. I’m excited to see how he does and how he develops. Dameon [Pierce], Malik [Davis], Lorenzo [Lingard], all those backs now have been in the system for a long time, and I’m really excited to see how they do as well.”
The running back room is loaded. How do you see that shaking out?
“It’s hard to know who is going to do what, who is going to start or who is going to get the most playing time. Again, that will come down to the coaches’ decisions and what they see in the offseason and spring and everything. I just know there is a lot of talent, which in our offense, that can be used as an advantage, for sure. Keep guys fresh, rotate guys a lot and allow them to just go out there and make plays. Those guys are all playmakers and I think they’ll do well.”
Do you see there being a quarterback competition between Jones and Richardson?
“I’m not sure. The coaches make that decision. But Emory’s been around now, and he definitely has a grasp on the offense. He’s definitely a guy that I trusted every time he was in the game, just to make plays. He can really affect defenses. They have to adjust to him because of his running ability, so it kind of messes with the defense and things like that when you have a guy like him in there. And then, Anthony also has done really well since he got to Florida. He really progressed, I thought. He has a really big arm, he’s got good size and his ability to run is really good, too. So, I’m not really sure. I think Emory, it’s really his time. And I think he will do well. But like I said, after every season, every position is open, so it’s not like it’s just his job. You have to go out there and perform. It’s college football. You never really have your position completely. You have to go out there and perform, always. I’m excited to see how those guys do.”
They are obviously very different quarterbacks than Kyle Trask. Do you think it will be a smooth transition going forward with either of them?
“Yeah, I think it will be a smooth transition. They’re just different quarterbacks. Kyle was a big pocket passer, game manager, really saw the field well, was really smart with adjusting the front line with pass protection to make sure everything was covered up front. Just his preparation going into games was huge, but with these guys, they’re able to, if they do get in trouble, they’re able to extend plays. And they also have the arm to make plays as well. It will be interesting how it all works out.”
How incredible was it watching Trask break records and play as well as he did last season?
“Ever since freshman year, I always would watch, not only the things he did on the field, but in the weight room. His work ethic, how he approached every day, his preparation, whether he was a backup or a starter. Those things go a long way. He got in the game in 2019 after [Feleipe] Franks got hurt, and I had full trust in that guy. His preparation is second to none. I was his roommate this past year and I would come home and he would always be watching film and just be picking up on little things so that he can dissect defenses. And that’s exactly what he did all year. A defense would try to adjust and drop eight in the coverage, and he was still able to pick them apart. I think that’s really what separates him from a lot of quarterbacks. I don’t think different quarterbacks that were playing this past year had to deal with a lot of drop eight and had to find little windows, whereas Kyle did it all year and was very successful at it. I just give that guy a lot of credit. It was a lot of fun as an offensive lineman, because you’re able to get first downs quickly, get down the field fast and score. It makes it fun when you’re scoring a lot of points every game.”
Brian Johnson is headed to coach in the NFL. How big of a loss is that to the offense?
“I know one thing is that things don’t slow down. The game still has to be played. Practices still have to happen. And that staff will be able to adjust very quickly and all get on the same page. I do think that the transition will be smooth. Coach Johnson is definitely a big piece of the offense, being the coordinator, but I don’t think it will slow down. I think these guys will definitely do well with the transition.”
You had multiple offensive line coaches in your time at Florida. What impact did that have on you?
“I think you just have to adjust. Each coach wants things done a certain way. You just kind of adjust as you go. At the end of the day, you’ve got to go play football. But the variety of coaches that I had, they just wanted different things in terms of fundamentals and scheme and different assignments and what you had to do for every play. I think that honestly made me a better player as I went on, because you never know what’s going to happen. In college sports, and also in professional sports, changes happen. Coaches do what’s best for their family, and you have to be able to adjust to what’s coming. I think that was big for me in terms of development, and really just focusing on what was asked of me.”
So you think that actually helped you in the end?
“Yeah. Just picking up on different schemes and different assignments and the way they want things done and being able to adjust. I think that helped me. It also allowed me to put different tools in my toolbox, so that I can kind of pull out different things at different times that I’ve learned in the past five years.”
Looking back at your career at Florida, how were you able to persevere through so many injuries and setbacks?
“It was all a mindset. In this game, things happen, and you’ve gotta be able to bounce back. Through the different things that happened to me, I just always had that motivation that I had to be back, and I had to be back better. Every time I was out there on the field, I wanted to perform for the guys next to me. And when I was at center, I had to make sure that I was making different calls to not only put myself in a better position to make blocks, but also everybody else, so that they kind of had a clue of what was going on. I don’t know. Things happen, and I bounce back strong every single time. I think what it came down to was the mindset.”