Tight end Jake McGee
prepares for his last home game with the Florida Gators.
GAINESVILLE — Jake McGee is not much of a crier, and Senior Day should be no different for the Florida Gators’ tight end.
“If I do, you guys can get on me a little bit,” he said.
Even if McGee was prone to choke up during an occasional tear-jerker, he has seen this movie before. He hopes the sequel has a happier outcome.
Saturday night’s visit from Florida will be McGee’s second Senior Day with the Gators — and third overall, including one at Virginia.
“I’m pretty experienced with the whole Senior Day thing,” joked McGee, a 24-year-old sixth-year senior.
The difference this time is McGee’s senior class will be playing for something after the pregame ceremony.
McGee’s Senior Day at Virginia in 2013 ended with the Cavaliers’ ninth consecutive loss. Last November, McGee — a senior graduate transfer — was recovering from a broken leg and
watched Florida rout overmatched Eastern Kentucky six days after coach Will Muschamp was fired.
This time, McGee and his fellow seniors have reason to celebrate. A win by the Gators (10-1) against FSU (9-2) could make next week’s SEC title game a true battle for a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
“I feel like we’re leaving a program that’s definitely going in the right direction,” UF senior defensive back Brian Poole said.
The last Senior Day to generate this much buzz featured Tim Tebow during his final home game, a 37-10 win against Florida State in 2009 by the topranked, unbeaten Gators. The win was Florida’s last in the Swamp against their in-state rival Seminoles, who have won four of the past five meetings.
But Tebow’s 2006 class played an integral role in
one of the best stretches in program history. The Gators’ 2015 class has experienced highs and lows like few classes before it.
“Pretty much, being down, it just makes you really appreciate what we’ve got going on this year,” Poole said.
Poole is among four current seniors who played during UF’s last victory against FSU, a 37-26 road win in 2012. Senior linebacker Antonio Morrison made one of the game’s pivotal plays, when he knocked Seminoles quarterback EJ Manuel out of the game during the third quarter.
The win was the highlight of the Gators’ 11-win season. Little did players expect to win just 11 more times until this season.
“[We’ve] just all been through so much together,” Poole said. “We’re just all doing it one last time with each other in The Swamp, and hopefully come out with a win.”
The Gators senior class has just 10 members. The tally is six when you exclude former walk-ons and graduate transfers like McGee. But the experience, sacrifice and leadership of Morrison, McGee, Poole, guard Trip Thurman and defensive tackle Jon Bullard helped set the tone for coach Jim McElwain’s first season.
Morrison, McGee and Thurman each overcame serious injuries and surgery to return to the field in 2015. Morrison, who bounced back from a knee injury months ahead of schedule, and Bullard have started a team-leading 23 consecutive games. Thurman, who sat out the spring due to a shoulder injury, leads the offense with 16 straight starts.
Only All-American cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III has started more games (32) than Poole (22) in the Gators’ star-studded secondary.
“There are a lot of them that it will be tough to say goodbye to,” McElwain said.
McGee is just happy to have the chance, even if it took an excruciating injury and months of uncertainty before the NCAA granted him another season of eligibility.
“There’s been a lot of positives that have came out of it,” McGee said of his broken leg. “You can look at the negatives that happened last year, but there’s been a lot of fun moments this year and a lot of things that have sort of come full circle that I’m glad I’ve been able to be a part of.”
A third and final Senior Day included.
“There are a lot of [seniors] that it will be tough to say goodbye to.” Florida coach Jim McElwain