Stafford likes the genuine approach from the Florida Gators’ staff

Last weekend several of the top in-state prospects visited Gainesville for an unofficial visit to meet the new coaching staff.

Athlete Robert Stafford (5-11, 171, Melbourne, FL. Eau Gallie) was on campus and head coach Billy Napier made a strong impression on him.

“It was a great visit,” Stafford said of his visit to Florida. “Coach Napier made me feel at home. He’s extremely genuine and I have a great relationship with Coach [Jamar] Chaney. It was an overall great trip.”

Defensive backs coach Corey Raymond and off-the-field staff member Jamar Chaney spent the most time around Stafford during the visit.

“Coach Chaney and Coach [Corey] Raymond,” he said on the coaches he spent the most time with. “It was great being around them, they seemed extremely grateful that I made it on campus, and they want me to become a Gator.”

Stafford plays both offense and defense in high school, but Raymond has explained that he wants the athlete on defense in college.

“He likes me at cornerback,” Stafford said on where Raymond wants him. “He likes my length and ball skills, just basically that I’m the total package. I can compete with anyone in man coverage.”

Head coach Billy Napier is known as a coach that relates well with players and Stafford instantly got that impression from the head man.

“He definitely wants me and has invested in me,” he said on his talks with Napier. “He loves my game and how I present myself, he was real, and I love that about him.”

After the visit, Stafford says the Gators are in the mix for him now because of a few things he noticed during the visit.

“I’m extremely interested,” Stafford said on his interest in Florida. “I love the coaches and family atmosphere there.”

Next up for Stafford will be two visits to rivals of the Gators rivals but he also hopes to return to Gainesville soon.

“I’m going to FSU this weekend and UGA next week,” he said on other visits planned. “I don’t know exactly when, but I will be back to Florida.”

Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.