Richard Gouraige Talks Pro Day

Richard Gouraige, offensive tackle for the Florida Gators, showed his talents at Pro Day alongside close friend, teammate and quarterback Anthony Richardson, among others.

Pro Day

Though he was unable to compete in the combine due to an injury during a strength test, Gouraige made the most of Pro Day opportunities. He landed a 22.5 inch vertical leap, marked 5.38 seconds for his 40-yard dash, 8.03 seconds on the 3-cone drill and completed 24 reps on bench press. All in all, Gouraige emphasized how grateful he was to just be able to go out and showcase his talents.

24 reps for Richard Gouraige pic.twitter.com/1udGEtBCEt

— Nick de la Torre (@delatorre) March 30, 2023

“The big guys can really move out there for sure,” he said. “I’m just blessed to be able to rep my city and the Florida logo.”

Richard Gouraige as a Gator

Gouraige said he absolutely enjoyed his time at Florida.

“It’s been nothing but memorable,” he said.

Gouraige said he has learned from all of his teammates, especially O’Cyrus Torrence, about the brotherhood that comes with the Florida Gator football program.

Gouraige redshirted as a freshman. He said he thought he was strong out of highschool and joining the team, but learned his lesson on the first day of practice. Over the years, Gouraige has done the extra work after practice.

“I made it my mission to learn the playbook in coach’s office before I went out there,” Gouraige said, “along with getting bigger and stronger.”

Fortunately, Gouraige has gotten the opportunity to play in big games and solidify his spot. He played in the Senior Bowl and competed in the NFL combine, both Gouraige described as blessings to be a part of.

https://twitter.com/seniorbowl/status/1602301448104050689?s=20

“It was phenomenal going against some of the best guys in the game,” Gouraige said. “Learning from them and from offensive line coaches across the country was an experience I’ll never forget.”

Gouraige described himself as a sponge, soaking everything up.

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Gouraige said he already knew what Anthony Richardson was capable of. When Dan Mullen was with the Gators, Richardson was the first kid in and the last kid out of practice.

“He made a journey for himself and it was obvious he wanted to be a great quarterback,” Gouraige said. “Now he has the opportunity to reach younger guys and hold the Gator name up.”

As one of the top quarterbacks projected to be selected in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, Richardson had a large impact on media coverage at Florida’s Pro Day. At the combine, Richardson marked a 4.43-second 40-yard dash, a 40.5-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-9 inch broad jump. With an utterly impressive physical performance at the combine, he just threw the ball Thursday at Pro Day to reduce the risk of injury.

https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1641815661629300736?s=20

Gouraige described Richardson as one of his best friends. He said protecting a guy with that much value in you life is phenomenal.

Richard Gouraige on the O Line

According to Gouraige, technique is most important for offensive linemen. He said footwork and hand placement are the two biggest things he works on, and it’s extremely helpful to have great guys to learn from at practice.

“We’re big dudes man, but you got to be a little agile and flexible in our position for sure.”

There are about 30 days until the NFL Draft. Until then, Gouraige said he’s going to keep working. He has a local visit set up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on April 6. After that, he said him and his team will put a plan together to hopefully turn some heads and get some attention from some NFL teams.

“I’m enjoying the process and I know everything will work out for itself,” Gouraige said.