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Montrell Johnson Jr., a running back for the Florida Gators, sat down with the press on Monday to discuss the upcoming football season. Johnson Jr. originally played for Louisiana State University during his freshman year before transferring to Florida in 2021. As he reflected on his time with UF, he looks forward to the 2023 football season.
Improvements
Johnson Jr. feels that he has improved tremendously since last season. He takes any chance he can to use his voice to lift moral and give advice to the rest of his team. Additionally, he feels that this makes him a better leader and someone his younger teammates can look up to. In addition to his newfound voice, he has been able to improve his speed on the field. He credits the strength and conditioning staff with his enhanced acceleration. While he feels he has developed several upgrades in his play and leadership, he also commented on the advancements he has witnessed in the rest of his team.
A New Gators Team
Johnson Jr. seems to be very content and close with his newfound Gators squad. He says that he and the team hang out at UF’s Southwest Student Recreation Center and bind on the basketball court just like any other UF students. Although the Gators roster is composed of younger players, Johnson Jr. feels that he is surrounded by a great group. Some players that he commented on in particular were, Ricky Pearsall, Cameron Carroll and Trevor Etienne. Carroll, a Gators running back, has been someone that he can look up to. He says that his seniority and experience in the game makes him a great role model. In addition, Johnson Jr. feels that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is a, “dominant player.” Johnson Jr. expects himself “…to have a big year this year.” Many reporters had questions about the relationship between Johnson Jr. and Etienne. Johnson Jr. vocalized that they are both competitors, but they are not competing against each other. They are simply working to make each other better.
Gators Hope to Shock the World
While closing out the conference, Johnson Jr. says that he is prepared for the Gators to shock the world. Johnson Jr. and other Gators enthusiasts feel like they are being doubted by the public.
He realizes that Florida may have underperformed last year, but knows they will be better than before. He is focusing on learning from his mistakes and cheering on himself and his team no matter who is on the field. Johnson says that, “Football is just a game of execution. We just got to go out there and execute and follow the game plan and everything is going to go as planned.”
With the beginning of the Gators’ season less than a month away, Johnson and his fellow Gators seem more than ready to make a statement in the SEC in 2023 and shock the world with a stellar performance in The Swamp.
