R.J. Raymond has been attending Florida Gators football games since before some of his teammates were born.
No, seriously.
Raymond is a fifth generation Gator. His great-great grandfather all the way down to his parents all attended the University of Florida. His father, Bobby, was a placekicker for the Gators (1982-1984) and still holds the record for the most points scored by a kicker in a game.
RJ has been going to football games since he was three years old. Being a fifth year senior means Raymond was in the stands before most of the freshman class were alive.
Long story short, Raymond has been bleeding Orange and Blue his entire life and always dreamed of putting on the helmet with the script Gators on either side. So when it came time, after his senior season at Fletcher High School in nearby Jacksonville, Raymond decided to follow his dream and go to Florida. He walked on to the football team in 2014.
It’s been a wild ride since then. A linebacker in high school that’s the group that Raymond gravitated towards when he walked on, in his mind it would be his best shot to make the team and get to run out of the tunnel. He played all three-linebacker spots for Will Muschamp and D.J. Durkin. His sophomore season he broke his foot and missed time but returned in 2016. At the time Florida was low on defensive linemen, so Raymond moved down from linebacker and tried to hold his own in the trenches.
Last year, in what he thought would be his final season, he played special teams and eventually moved to fullback. Raymond would come in and block in certain short yardage situations, paving the way for the running backs.
He went through senior day ceremonies at the end of the 2017 season and thought that his playing days were done.
“When the previous staff got let go and the changes were being made I was talking with my family every day and trying to figure out what was next. And I did. I went through senior day as you all know and then I saw coach Mullen was hired and I was like ‘ya know I love what this guy’s doing over at Mississippi State.’ He’s been extremely successful over there so I’m gonna, I’d kick myself if I didn’t come back for my fifth year,” Raymond said. “I made it this far. I’ve done this many things. Ya know if I don’t come back for one more fall, I’m graduating in December, I’m gonna regret that.”
So he came back, again with no promises. There was very little film for the coaches to go back and look at so, as Raymond tells it, he kind of had to tell Mullen what kind of player he was and leave it up to the coach to tell him which unit he should join when practice started.
“When coach Mullen got here when I first met with him I was like I came here as a linebacker, I played d-line and last year I played fullback, was meeting with the tight ends, where do you want me? Who do you want me to meet with?” Raymond said. “And he goes just stay in the tight end room, and it’s worked out.”
He’s gotten acclimated to the new offense and the new system. He’s working on a new position entirely but coming along.
“He is a very good, smart football player,” tight ends coach Larry Scott said. “He plays hard and it means a lot to him. He is one of those guys that is asking questions; once you explain it he picks it up real fast. He is a quick learner.”
Raymond credits that football IQ to playing multiple positions and Scott recognized that early on. Now, in his final season, he’s settled in to one spot and he’s been making strides in a tight end room that has potential albeit untapped as of now.
The redshirt senior has been through a lot in his five years but he’s been living out a dream.
“I never ever would have thought I would have been in the position that I am in today,” Raymond said. “When I was ten-years-old sitting up with my parents and watching the games I dreamed of this. This is everything I’ve ever wanted, and now I’m here and it’s just, it’s pretty cool that to be in this position for me.”
Things got even cooler on Monday night as the Gators wrapped up fall camp.
Following practice Dan Mullen gathered the team around him in the indoor practice facility. He spoke of playing your role, Raymond has had so many the last four years, and how important each role is to the team. He singled Raymond out, asking him what his biggest role was on the team.
Mullen: “What’s your most important job on the team?”
Raymond: “Special teams.”
Mullen: “What position on special teams?”
Raymond: “Left shield on punt.”
Mullen: “Left shield on punt. One of the most critical roles.”
Mullen stood Raymond up. He singled out another walk on, Nick Villano, who plays right shield on punt.
Mullen wasted no time after that.
“Punt is the most important thing we do, right? So it’s not right that you guys are walk-ons. You’re both on scholarship.”
Both Raymond and Villano were mobbed by their teammates.
Raymond dreamed of attending the University of Florida. He made that reality.
He dreamed of playing football at the university. He made that a reality.
He dreamed of graduating with a degree, just like four generations of Raymond’s have before him. That will be reality in December.
NOW ON SCHOLARSHIP:
🐊 @rjraymond3
🐊 @7Big_N1Story: https://t.co/xXinA1yfVD#GoGators pic.twitter.com/vjdC2nmUNh
— Gators Football (@GatorsFB) August 21, 2018
He never imagined he’d be going to school for free but it goes to show what putting your head down, keeping your nose clean, doing things the right way and working hard can do.
He called his mom, who just happened to be with his dad and his grandmother and their excitement came through the phone. It’s a script Disney would like to get their hands on and Raymond couldn’t be happier to be the lead in his story of hard work and perseverance.
“My first and foremost goal, was to graduate with a degree. And then my second goal was to get a scholarship and earn playing time. And so I’ve accomplished two of those three goals, get playing time and earn a scholarship and like I said, December 15th I’m going to accomplish that third goal,” he said. “And so ya know I didn’t have, I wasn’t going to kill myself over it, or it doesn’t work out or anything like that I was gonna just put my head down and work and wherever it took me, it took me, and it’s taken me here. I’m excited about this opportunity.”