Just over a year ago today, defensive lineman Jamari Lyons suffered a gruesome ankle injury during Florida’s first scrimmage of the 2024 fall camp. After two surgeries, six months without walking, and a few tears, Lyons is back 100% healthy and looking to make an impact on the Gators’ defense in 2025.
“My injury was terrible. My ankle completely popped off the bone. Bone was hanging out of my own skin,” Lyons said. “Being able to come back from there, it took a long time to even start walking and a little bit more time to start running after that. But obviously I was able to push through, keep going. And now I’m out there running around, striking blocks, getting off the ball, making plays, making tackles during camp and practice.”
The Gators’ staff viewed Lyons as a starting caliber defensive tackle, so his loss was significant in Florida’s 8-5 campaign. Nobody felt worse than Lyons, however, who’s toughest moment was watching his teammates play without him.
“It just hurt to see my boys go practice without me, had to sit back and get wheeled around practice. So that really just hurt me,” Lyons said. “I’m the type of guy like I always love to practice, like to attack that day. So it would just hurt my heart just being, just being pretty much sat down or forced to sit down, and it kind of like messed me up in my head a little bit. But coming into the facility every other day, just being around my guys, it just kept me going, kept my head moving and now I just take this opportunity to give back to them and do what I got to do for them to be the next level to succeed.”
Defensive line coach Gerald Chatman, who’s known for his hard-nosed and stern coaching style, played a large role in the mental recovery of such a devastating injury.
“When I was injured, he came to visit me. It was hard. We both had some tears. He just kept making sure that I was out of my head and he kept reminding me that I was going to get back to healthy and being 100 percent,” Lyons said. “Every day he saw me when I was in a wheelchair in the building or when I was in the hospital, he came to visit me at my house as well. So he was making sure that I’m out of my head and doing the right things. I’m going to take the next step to making sure my body is healthy so this won’t happen again.”
Things started to change for the better when Lyons was able to get back on the field for spring camp. The 6’4, 318 pound defensive lineman was simply eager to run after months in a wheelchair, crutches, and scooter.
“Once I got the chance to walk, I wanted to run right away. I remember telling the trainer, Donovan, ‘As soon as I’m walking, I want to run. I don’t care how it feels, I just need to get it going’,” Lyons said.
“They had to tell me to slow it down. I know Coach Chapman is always telling me to slow it down because he knows how devastating it was to be injured like that and how extreme the injury was,” Lyons added. “But they do definitely tell me to slow it down, take it day by day, take it slow, make sure you get recovery, training room, hot and cold tub, stuff like that.”
After a long recovery, Lyons shed the black non contact jersey and returned as a full participant in the last week of spring camp.
“I was in a black jersey. I go out there to my locker, it was the next day so I go to my locker, we getting ready to suit up, I see a blue jersey. I just looked at the blue jersey and started tearing up a little bit, I was like ‘wow, I’m really back 100 percent’. It just felt good just to be out there, running around, striking, just having fun like being a big kid. It’s just all great,” Lyons said.
Devastating injuries are painful for everyone, but they often times provide a unique perspective for athletes that can push them to become better the best versions of themselves.
“It just taught me that it can be taken away at any moment,” Lyons said on what this injury taught him. “I was very down inside and don’t want to feel that way ever again. So every opportunity, every chance I get to go on that field, I just make it my best and give it all I got.”
Entering his redshirt junior season, Lyons has a chance to make a positive impact on a Florida defense that’s looking to turn the corner in 2025. Lyons has showed no signs of limitations with less than three weeks until opening kickoff.