Buddy Martin Blog: Riding The Arm, Or Legs, Of Emory Jones: Which Is It ? He's ‘One Athletic Human'
“I don’t think of Emory as a ‘dual threat,’” said veteran running back Dameon Pierce. “He’s more of a ‘mobile pocket passer.’”
It had been two years since I set foot on Florida Gator soil, an absence I hadn’t experienced since Galen Hall was coach while I lived in New York. So imagine the anticipation that welled up in my sportswriter soul when I arrived at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium/Steve Spurrier Field Thursday for Dan Mullen’s presser with a half dozen or so players to talk, in the flesh, about what we hope will be a full 2021 season.
I had a good solid plan – to write about “The Quarterback Whisperer” and his next promising apprentice. In an advance social media tease, I wrote how much I was looking forward to my visit with the next in line of stellar quarterbacks. Unfortunately, the only one of those Mullen quarterbacks was downstairs in bronze. And the statue of Tim Tebow didn’t have much to say. (I tried!)
Presumed starter Emory Jones wasn’t there -- and, for whatever reason, neither was Anthony Richardson. They were not hand-picked for media duty. So whatever was gleaned about Mullen’s QB starter came from him, or light banter from several teammates. In the box score, Jones was a DNP. Not that I read any skullduggery in this, but I will admit it was a little disappointing for those of us wishing to update The Whisperer’s worksheet. So I failed to deliver on my promo.
*According to a Florida PR person, Emory Jones will be made available to the media next week. He was held back today to get a practice under his belt as the starter first.
Naturally the press wanted to know about Covid protocol and how many Gators have been vaccinated (roughly over 85 percent) and how Commissioner Greg Sankey’s new play-or-forfeit mandate would impact the SEC. Mullen’s go-to responses became:
1. “I’m just a football coach.”
2. “That’s a question for the guy down the street.” And:
3. “I dunno, my information came from watching the news.”
The best of what Mullen and his players had to offer was mostly about how Florida will intersperse five solid running backs in the offense, whether the defensive unit can avoid last season’s deficiencies, whether the offensive line will be stout enough to support a good ground game, the current emphasis on player conditioning and body weight management and whether Emory was predominantly a runner or passer.
Of course there were questions about the style of the 2021 offense from the 30 or so media members who were invited on a limited basis. Which of Emory’s skills would be featured? (He is almost equally adept both through the air or on the ground).
“I don’t think of Emory as a ‘dual threat,’” said veteran running back Dameon Pierce. “He’s more of a ‘mobile pocket passer.’” And that term became the preferred mantra of the day. It also speaks to the how highly Emory’s skills are valued. And it presents this interesting concept. If his own teammates are not completely sure about it, how will opposing defensive coordinators defense him?
All but one of the six players agreed, but as offensive lineman Stewart Reese pointed out, “I personally think of Emory as a ‘dual threat,’ but in some games this year he will have to be a ‘mobile pocket passer.’”
Wide receiver Justin Shorter put it best: “Emory is an athletic human.”
While Mullen is about to gives Jones the keys to the big Orange & Blue Truck, he held them back and jangled them in his face just a little, insisting Emory still had to earn the starting job.
“He’s got to go win the job still, but I think everybody looks at you as the guy who’s going to be the guy. There’s certain different levels of expectations for you within the good and the bad and I think the maturing certainly helps him be able to handle all that.”
I asked Mullen about his first impression of Emory as a young teenager.
“That goes back a long time ago now. I think he was like a sophomore in high school, maybe I think it was. That’s an age question. But I think you saw somebody that obviously has elite arm talent, you know where the ball jumps out of his hands, and then an athletic ability to improvise and make plays with his legs.
“The first time you see somebody you’re watching film and like, ‘OK, where are his strengths?’ Every player you look at … what do they do well? What are areas you’re going to be able to coach and improve them on? There’s a lot of things you can teach and there’s things that are harder to teach, you got to look at the things they do well and what they don’t. I guess the first thing with him is seeing a guy where the ball just jumps off his hands and a guy that has ability to improvise.”
The point is that Mullen was recruiting Jones so long that he couldn’t remember. Which speaks to the issue of how much he invests in a young player when he sees one that impresses him. That trust that was developed between them probably became the glue for Jones to stay at Florida for three seasons with only limiting playing time. Now it’s his time. And Jones learned a lot of patience by watching Kyle Trask become the Ultimate Next Man Up. Now he has added “maturity” to his dossier without ever being a starter.
“I think for him (it’s) the expectations but being a mature guy it helps. Being around the guy (Trask), seeing how they handle it, now to prepare for different situations, how he gets himself ready for the season. I think there’s a lot to that within the maturity of knowing how to prepare and how to do things. And then the expectations that come along with it and all the responsibility when everybody’s looking at you.”
The important aspect of the day was that was a good energy in the room and you could feel the expectations of August, foreshadowing the promising days ahead. Coach Mullen could feel it.
Dan Mullen was happy to be back at the podium again on Thursday. (GatorBait photo by Chris Spears).
“You know I hope we’re able to get the stadium where we want it to be and get the excitement back in the stadium and you know that feeling of feeling the energy, and feeling the noise of the Gator Nation on the field. Not just hear it, but you can feel it. That’s what‘s special in that environment of playing here.”
How could you not be psyched when you realize you’re about to become a member of the college football elite: The best damn conference in college football. If it wasn’t already before the annexation of Texas and Oklahoma. And of course, there’s that Sept. 18 Date when national champion Alabama comes to play on Steve Spurrier Field.
"You know what? I think you look and the tradition in the Southeastern Conference of the schools, you want to say, I mean, just that the power academically, the power athletically that the conference has,” Mullen said, without gloating. “The competitive nature of being a championship-level conference. The number of championships over the last 20 years now, really I guess going back to really 2006. The streak of championships in this league is pretty special. And then you're looking at two academic schools, two schools with very strong football traditions. Two excellent football programs. Very passionate fanbases that really fit what this league is all about. And so it makes sense.”
It was almost enough to make you forget about the gaping holes in that 2020 Florida defense and some recruiting-shaming. Well almost. But it’s still only August.
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