Emotional Will Grier apologizes to teammates, fans for his “mistake.”
Decision will cost Gators’ QB one season
GAINESVILLE — Fighting back tears, Florida quarterback Will Grier struggled to put into words the emotions surrounding his one-year suspension for violating the NCAA’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
Grier needed 60 seconds to say just 47 words, pausing to compose himself and his thoughts several times.
The ashen-faced Grier finally concluded, “I’m really, really sorry to everyone. Just really sorry.”
Coach Jim McElwain then stepped in, put his right arm around Grier’s shoulders and pulled him close before the young quarterback walked off. With him might have gone the unbeaten Gators’ hopes for a special, perhaps a championship, season.
The Gators and McElwain had found their quarterback of the future in Grier, a redshirt freshman who started the past five
games.
No. 8 Florida (6-0, 4-0 SEC) now prepares to visit No. 6 LSU (5-0, 3-0) on Saturday night without Grier.
“It’s a loss,” McElwain said. “But we also have other guys, and we’ve got to move forward. Hopefully guys will learn from this.”
Sophomore Treon Harris will make his first start since the season opener, when Harris and Grier rotated as McElwain searched for answers at the position.
Harris is 5-2 as a starter and an above-average backup. Harris is an elusive runner and accurate thrower, but he lacks Grier’s arm strength, quick release and skill as a down-field passer, especially on intermediate routes.
Josh Grady, a Vanderbilt transfer with seven career pass attempts, will back up Harris.
“As you know going into this, I felt that we’ve had two really good quarterbacks,” McElwain said of Grier and Harris. “Now it’s Treon’s opportunity to take the reins and run with it. He’ll do a great job.”
Grier said he took an over-the-counter supplement and mistakenly did not confer with UF’s medical staff about its contents. He failed a drug test two weeks ago.
UF will appeal Grier’s suspension, but if upheld, he would not return until the seventh game of the 2016 season as a redshirt sophomore. During the appeal process, Grier can practice, but he cannot travel with the team.
Grier, solemn and eyes downcast, echoed his coach’s sentiments about his suspension.
“I really hope that people can learn from this, learn from my mistake,” Grier said.
Listed at 6-foot-2, 201 pounds, Grier said in August he was up to 215 — a gain of 14 pounds since spring and 24 since the start of the 2014 season.
McElwain called Grier’s use of a performance-enhancing drug “an honest mistake,” but one that could have been prevented.
“He knew he had, as all our players do, before you even take cough medicine, you’ve gotta check with the medical staff to allow you to be even able to do it,” McElwain said.
Grier’s mistake could cost the Gators dearly.
With Grier at the helm, the Gators’ passing game has shown signs of like for the first time in years.
Grier leads in the SEC with a completion percentage of 65.8 and is the first Florida quarterback to pass for at 200 yards in three consecutive games since Tim Tebow in 2009.
Grier threw 554 yards and six touchdowns during wins against Tennessee and Ole Miss, but was less productive at Mizzou, finishing 20-of-33 passing for 208 yards and no touchdowns.
Florida enters the LSU game ranked 47th nationally in passing offense after finishing the previous three seasons 106th, 109th and 118th, respectively.
The offense’s ability to score and sustain drives has supplemented one of the nation’s top defenses during the Gators’ surprising start under McElwain.
McElwain said Grier’s teammates supported him when he addressed the team Monday.
“They hugged him,” McElwain said. “They care about him, and they appreciated his honesty.”
Grier’s appearance Monday shortly after news of his suspension broke was a bit of a surprise, but is the latest sign of McElwain’s efforts to hold players accountable.
Grier’s sideline tirade after tailback Kelvin Taylor’s penalty for using the throat-slash gesture Sept. 12 against East Carolina showed the first-year coach’s intolerance for unnecessary and selfish penalties.
McElwain suspended Harris and starting cornerback Jalen Tabor for a Sept. 26 matchup with Tennessee.
“I think that’s part of growing up in life,” McElwain said. “I look at each case as an individual thing. In this case, there’s a chance for other people out there to learn from this, and that’s a good thing. We’re not happy it happened. We’re not condoning it. But each one of us in this room have probably done something along the way and that’s part of growing up. That’s part of life.”
Grier will not have to weather his suspension alone.
“Here’s the good thing: We’re here for him,” McElwain said. “This family’s here for him. This university’s here for him, and our guys are going to support him.”
“I really hope that people can learn from this, learn from my mistake.” Florida quarterback Will Grier, suspended for a year for taking a banned substance