Leak drawing rave reviews
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It all seems to center around one guy.
When you talk about the future of Florida football, all eyes are on sophomore quarterback Chris Leak.
A year ago, he became the starting quarterback five games into the season and ranked second in Southeastern Conference history among true freshmen for completions (190), passing yards (2,435) and touchdowns (16).
After winning numerous national high school player of the year awards in 2002 at Charlotte (N.C.) Independence, Leak did what seemed like almost the impossible. He led Florida to a New Year’s Day bowl just months removed from being a high school student.
And now he feels he’s even better, thanks largely to a summer spent in the darkness.
“It’ll be 8 or 9 o’clock at night and if I feel like watching film, I can go in there and watch film all I want,” Leak said. “Just to be able to have that is a big advantage. It allows you to get better whenever you want to. They make it so convenient for us. I’m right down the road on campus.”
While Gators coach Ron Zook has become legendary for working 18-hour days, he actually found a quarterback who will give him a run for his money in terms of dedication and desire.
And the Gators’ coach is a huge Leak fan for another reason.
A year ago, the quarterback threw a trio of interceptions in a stunning 20-17 loss to Mississippi in Gainesville to drop UF to a 3-3 record. The radio waves were sizzling. The Internet was overloading. The pressure was boiling over.
Leak answered by throwing for 229 yards and two scores — with no interceptions — in a 19-7 win the following week at LSU. He went on to throw for 269 yards and a score at Arkansas and 235 yards and another TD against Georgia.
Those three wins against teams ranked in the Top 10 suddenly changed the whole outlook from Gator followers toward the freshman and even the coach.
“Chris is a young man who has got an unbelievable work ethic,” Zook said. “He’s the same, it makes no difference what happens. To me, besides his God-given ability, it’s his ability to throw the football and do those kinds of things. He’s got an uncanny ability to maintain his poise or regroup if something bad does happen.”
Leak’s performances during that key stretch convinced a lot of opponents of his skills, as well. But then, few had doubts that he’d become a great college QB.
“The guy is a great student of the game,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “I remember him being at camp when I was at FSU back when he was going into the ninth grade. His fundamentals were just about where you didn’t want to say anything to him. He was very polished back then. His single-mindedness has made the biggest difference in where he is today.”
Mississippi coach David Cutcliffe, who helped develop Peyton Manning while the offensive coordinator at Tennessee, celebrated one of his best wins as the Rebels’ coach against the Gators. But he, too, saw something very special developing in Gainesville.
“He’s an unusually good football player and has proven that game after game,” Cutcliffe said. “One of the things you have to do as quarterback is take the bad with the good.”
As bad as Leak was for part of the Ole Miss game, he was that good the rest of the year. And that has Zook and Gator followers excited to see what their young star can do this time around.
“That’s what Florida is all about — winning championships,” Leak said. “That’s where our mind is right now.”