By: Nick Marcinko -- August 3, 2024 UPenn transfer Joey Slackman has been described as a “football guy” by many of his teammates and coaches since arriving on campus in the spring. The 2023 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year finished with 50 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and four sacks last season. Slackman brings talent, experience, and competitiveness on and off the field to a Gators’ defensive line that’s looking to make major strides under new assistant coach Gerald Chatman. “He’s an alpha”: Gators praise transfer DL Joey Slackman | GatorCountry.com
I think Slackman's motor runs constantly because of his wrestling training, too. Those with good/great wrestling coaches or training seem to have that thing in common... a fully switched on motor that never seems to stop. He and Jack Pyburn have that constant motor you love to see in common, especially on the defense side of the ball. That is one trait that all defensive coaches should be looking for when finding players for their defensive squad. That constant hustle makes up for not being the biggest, strongest, fastest player on the field. But when you add the talent that Slackman has, you get a special player indeed. I was psyched when we landed him because of his accomplishments, and the fact that he was a relentless player and stud. Yes, the competition is nothing like the SEC, but he has the measurables to make it in the SEC. I hope he's fully acclimated to the upgrade in talent level he will face in the SEC... he seems to have won-over many of his teammates, which always bodes well, IMHO. That means he's the real deal in their eyes, and you can fake your way though practice in football. Players know real players, and they know the talkers that pretend... he's no pretender. So... more quality depth on the D-line makes me happy that we do have pieces to keep up in games. I saw several games recently where we just ran out of depth... and that sucked. This year looks to be far better in terms of talented and experienced depth goes. I liked this Slackman addition beck even before he transfered to Gainesville... and I like him even more now. Joey Slackman - Wrestling - University of Pennsylvania Athletics
It appears that Jack IS BACK! And that is good news. After an ACL tear suffered against Arkansas, Pyburn is already full-go for the Gators’ fall camp. It’s been exactly 273 days since that injury. It’s a remarkable recovery considering ACL tears are usually year-long recoveries. Not to mention, even if a player was able to participate, they’d likely be in a non-contact jersey. Pyburn is in neither category and looks like he hasn’t missed a beat. In fact, Pyburn has put on 15 pounds since the 2023 season. Florida Gators Day 3 Practice Report: Turnovers Reign
That is great news! He seemed to be the guy that always brought energy. I hope the others are able to feed off of him and Slackman.
