Stephens is making most of last chance with Gators
Gainesville — UF tight end Moral Stephens would start over if he could.
At least the Gators’ fifthyear senior will finish what he started.
Until recently, Stephens was a non-factor at UF and a forgotten member of the 2014 class, a collection of players with stories of success, scandal, redemption and even tragedy.
Taven Bryan, Teez Tabor and a few others are reaping NFL fortunes; Will Grier transferred amid an NCAA suspension and has since become a Heisman candidate at West Virginia; Gerald Willis was shown the door and now stars at Miami; and Treon Harris transferred following offthe-field issues to lower-division Tennessee State. J.C. Jackson went to prison, got out and now is with the New England Patriots. Meanwhile, DeAndre Porter is serving a 10-year sentence for armed robbery.
“A lot of talented guys,” Stephens said Tuesday. “It’s actually really crazy because I feel like that class — almost all of us could’ve [done] a lot of things for this team. But unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. A lot of people had to transfer, got in trouble.
“But yeah, I do feel like if some of those guys were still here, it would just be another bonus for us.”
Stephens, though, stuck it out and is among four members of the class still at UF.
The 22-year-old’s story is as unexpected and remarkable as many of his classmates. Stephen’s tale is one of perseverance, patience and delayed opportunity.
A player with just seven catches and no touchdowns before this season enters Saturday’s visit to Vanderbilt with six receptions and three scores for the No. 14 Gators (5-1, 3-1 SEC). He caught touchdowns during upsets of Mississippi State and LSU.
“To be honest with you, I always felt like that I could make plays,” Stephens said. “I just feel like when I first got here, my opportunity was limited as far as with the different coaches and the scheme they had for the team.”
Coach Dan Mullen and his staff arrived during the offseason with plans to build toward the future, but they saw something salvageable in Stephens before it was too late.
“He’s very athletic and has really good ball skills,” Mullen said. “He was just underdeveloped.”
Mullen joked that when he arrived, he could benchpress as much as Stephens could.
UF strength coach Nick Savage changed that during the offseason. Mullen did the rest.
“I feel like as soon as he got here, he noticed my talent and he put me in positions to make plays for the team,” Stephens said.
Stephens always had been a playmaker at Taylor County High School in Perry, a rural town located 90 miles west of Gainesville on the way to the Florida Panhandle.
UF quarterback Feleipe Franks, who grew up 50 miles farther west in Wakulla County, faced Stephens in high school and remembers him as a bigtime player.
“He’s always the guy that ‘Moss-ed’ our guys,” Franks said, referencing the Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss. “I’ve been watching throughout high school and then being able to play with him since he’s been here, just seeing him develop this year as opposed to the last two years. He’s just getting better every single day.”
Naturally, Stephens could look back at all the lost time during the past four years. But he believes his 11th-hour emergence at UF is all part of a plan.
“Just being on the sidelines, just, just knowing you can make plays, yeah, it can get frustrating,” he said. “But I stayed patient, stayed patient, and I believe in God. So I just stayed and had faith, faith in God.”
Stephens now has the faith of his coaches and teammates. He’s sure to be a factor when the Gators face the Commodores at noon Saturday. The game will air on ESPN. AUTO RACING: NASCAR Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus will part ways after the end of the season, Hendrick Motorsports announced. Johnson and Knaus won a record-tying seven championships during their 17 years together, but Johnson hasn’t won a race in 17 months and was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round. “It's no secret that Chad and Jimmie have experienced their ups and downs over the years,” owner Rick Hendrick said. “They’re fierce competitors, great friends and have immense respect for one another. They also fight like brothers. All three of us agree it's finally time for new challenges and that a change will benefit them and the organization.”
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