Training camp is a special time of year.
Most fans still have hope that their team will exceed expectations, and no games have been played yet, which means there’s no tape to comb through and over-analyze. Training camp will give the public a better idea of who will be a star and who won’t, but as it begins, there’s a lot of optimism in the Florida locker room.
Most of the optimism comes from the vibes in the Heavener Center, where Florida’s football team has been training over the summer. The physical returns are clearly there, but there’s a greater sense of camaraderie in Gainesville heading into 2023, according to Gators Online.
“Last year was almost like we were navigating in the dark a little bit,” UF director of football strength and conditioning Mark Hocke said. “I think there was some ego, some stubbornness with everyone involved. Whereas this year I feel like everyone understands what the expectation is, what the standards are, how we go about our different protocol systems.”
Hocke isn’t the only one noticing that the team is getting closer, either. Running back Trevor Etienne, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and quarterback Graham Mertz all agreed that the team has grown together over the past six months.
Billy Napier has mentioned a few times that the bulk of the team has been together since January, and he’s intentionally set things up so that the team has as many opportunities as possible to bond.
“I think that’s the way you build and develop a team culture: we before me,” he said. “Are they perfect? No one is. I make mistakes all the time too. But there is remorse, there is ownership, there is accountability and less finger pointing.”
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