Countdown to Toledo: Drew Ferris

Over the next 46 days, Gator Country will preview the players that make up the 2013 Florida Gators football team as we inch closer and closer to the season.

Each day we will count down using the player whose jersey number corresponds with how many days there are left until Florida kicks off against Toledo in the Swamp on August 31.

Today we take a look at redshirt junior long snapper Drew Ferris.

History

Drew Ferris is a worker.

He decided to walk-on at Florida, a decision that meant leaving sunny San Diego, California to live in Gainesville without a guarantee that he would even make the Gator football team. Not to mention the price he and his family would pay for him to attend Florida, as tuition for out-of-state students can go up to $40,000.

Ferris didn’t see any action as a freshman but did dress for eight games. As a sophomore, Ferris took over the starting role as the long snapper for both the field goal and punt teams.

Ferris’ performance as a  redshirt sophomore earned him a scholarship on the football team. In an interview with Gatorcountry.com last year, Ferris said, “the juice was worth the squeeze” and that he broke down in tears when Will Muschamp told him he would be a full scholarship player.

Ferris entered his first year as a scholarship player ready to assume his role as the long snapper before breaking his collarbone against Bowling Green and was lost for the season.

What to Expect

Collarbone injuries are simple. You have to wait until the bone heals but when it heals properly, the bone usually comes back stronger.

Unless Ferris suffers some sort of injury, he will be Florida’s long snapper on punts and field goals again next season. He gets the ball back quickly and accurately and that’s all you can ask for at his position.

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