Seniors reflect on career and “last tackle”

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. —The Florida Gators finished their fourth practice in preparation for the bowl game. They would soon be let out to head home and be with their families for the holiday but there was one more thing they needed to take care of.

The senior class at Florida has been through a lot and their time is running out. The last order of business in Gainesville was the senior tackle.

Just like in the movie Rudy, the team would split up on either side of the hash marks forming a tunnel as each senior would get the chance to say a few words, run through the tunnel and hit a tackling dummy one last time.

On Friday we spoke to four seniors and asked what that moment was like to them and asked them to reflect on their time at Florida.

Josh Hammond
On Senior tackle
“Yeah, so the last practice we had in Gainesville, we called it a senior tackle. So every senior has to get up and speak and talk about what it meant for them to be a Florida Gator, and you get that one last tackle on the bag before you depart with that last practice in Gainesville. Everybody cherishes that moment. You know, it’s exciting to finally move on and excited to take that next step and see what the future has for you. I think a lot of guys take advantage of it. I think a lot of people listened to what the seniors had to say. I think we mean a lot to the people on this team, and we’re just excited to do the things we did for this team and come out here and play for each other.”

On his time in Gainesville
“I think it was really fun. I’ve enjoyed every moment here. I’ve been in a lot of ballgames. I’ve always done the things I can to try to help our team be successful. So I think I’ve worked really hard to put myself in this position. I think everybody on our team has worked really hard to put ourselves in this position. So we just want to come out and be able to continue to execute, play hard, and try to be successful come Monday.”

Lamical Perine
Reflect on his four years
“Just knowing how much I’ve been through and things like that. It was bittersweet when I was leaving The Swamp and it’s still bittersweet knowing this is my last game being a Gator, in orange and blue. It’s a surreal moment.”

On his last tackle at practice
“It was good. I don’t think it was that big of a tackle but I did what I can do. I’ve had a lot of great experience from my first practice to my last. I’ve seen a lot of things throughout my four years here.”

Van Jefferson
On senior tackle.
We had a little senior tackle the last week at practice, that was the last time practicing and the game. It’s going to be emotional, because I’m not going to see these guys for a long time. We’re going on to the next chapter of our lives. We’ll see each other again.”

“My form was not very good. I mean, I just tackled air pretty much.”

Nick Buchanan
On senior tackle
“It went good. I said a few words, tackled the dummy. Tackling was the easy part, going back to my high school days for a little bit. The run, I mean, the run was kind of laborious but I pushed through for teammates. It felt like 200 yards.”

“I told the guys to make sure they graduate. I told them to come back and put something on the wall — a national championship. Make sure you have fun and make the most of it.

Q: When can that happen? How close is the team?
“Real, real soon.”

Q:Why?
“I feel as though we have a great group of young guys that work incredibly hard. We have some juniors on the team that are ready to step up and lead this team to where they need to be.”

Nick de la Torre
A South Florida native, Nick developed a passion for all things sports at a very young age. His love for baseball was solidified when he saw Al Leiter’s no-hitter for the Marlins live in May of 1996. He was able to play baseball in college but quickly realized there isn’t much of a market for short, slow outfielders that hit around the Mendoza line. Wanting to continue with sports in some capacity he studied journalism at the University of Central Florida. Nick got his first start in the business as an intern for a website covering all things related to the NFL draft before spending two seasons covering the Florida football team at Bleacher Report. That job led him to GatorCountry. When he isn’t covering Gator sports, Nick enjoys hitting way too many shots on the golf course, attempting to keep up with his favorite t.v. shows and watching the Heat, Dolphins and Marlins. Follow him on twitter @NickdelatorreGC