Demps Listed to Return Kickoffs
Written by Michael Harris
If there was anything that came out of the yearly hum-drum specter of Media Day at the University of Florida is the fact head coach Urban Meyer stated former South Lake star Jeff Demps would be returning kickoffs this season.
“Kickoff return will be Jeff Demps, also Chris Rainey,” Meyer said. “We have Deonte Thompson. That is about it right now, we are still trying out some of the young players like Chris Dunkley, but we will not know that until we scrimmage, I think this weekend.”
Being the fact he was the NCAA Champion in the 100 meters in track last spring, it would seem natural to put Demps at the kickoff spot.
“I am very excited about that,” Demps said at Media Day. “Growing up in little league and high school, I was a returner so I am really excited to see how it’s going to be this year.”
Demps is also the starting tailback heading into the season. In two years, Demps has rushed for 1,350 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 7.6 yards per carry.
“He’s very explosive right now,” Running backs coach Stan Drayton said in a recent Gainesville Sun article. “The thing I’m seeing. … we had a little one-on-one tackling drill today, and he’s making people miss. He’s starting to get that lateral movement, that twitching in his run. I’m really, really excited about Demps.”
This season Demps will also have a new quarterback handing off to him as John Brantley replaces Tim Tebow. But even without Tebow, Demps said little has changed.
“It really has not changed,” he said. “We have always been the Florida Gators that are going to come out each and every day and give you 100 percent effort and go hard four to six seconds.”
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