Chris Leak impressive at Florida

Turning a few heads for sure, completed first 9 passes for 199 yards in scrimmage.

Gators' Leak no average rookie
By Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer

Gainesville, FL -- Chris Leak has yet to run a play for the University of Florida football team, but already the stories about him sound like the stuff of legends:

* On the Saturday afternoon before national signing day last February, when his friends were out having fun, Leak was at home in Charlotte doing an interview with Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun. While they talked, Leak was watching videotape, breaking down the formations and blocking schemes of the 2002 Georgia-Florida game. For the fourth time.

* Leak spent his savings during spring break, not on a trip to Hilton Head or Myrtle Beach, S.C., but on a junket to Gainesville to watch more video of Florida's offense. By the time Leak enrolled in summer school in July, he had made four trips to study his future team.

* At summer school, his fellow freshmen tried to get Leak to go out on the town. Leak stayed in his room and watched some more tape. He recently told teammates that he would not allow himself the luxury of a girlfriend until he had led Florida to a national championship.

That one made some of the Gator upperclassmen snicker. But only a little.

"The guy is serious about what he's doing," said Max Starks, the veteran offensive lineman. "But I'll give him his props. He's focused. He knows what he wants to do. You gotta respect that."

What Leak wants is to be the starting quarterback when Florida opens the season Aug. 30 against San Jose State. He has worked toward that goal every free moment since signing with the Gators on Feb. 6.

"I came here to get an education and win a national championship," said Leak, who threw for 15,593 yards in four seasons at Charlotte's Independence High School.

The college football landscape is littered with high school phenoms who wilted under the big-time spotlight. Remember Bobby Sabelhaus? He was a Parade All-America quarterback who signed with the Gators in 1995 and never got on the field. He transferred to West Virginia and never got on the field there, either.

But a visit to Florida's practice last revealed one thing: Leak is no Sabelhaus. Legend has it that Steve Spurrier knew Sabelhaus couldn't play after five minutes at the first practice. Just the opposite was true with Leak. Watching him go through a series of routine practice drills, it was readily apparent that he has special ability.

"I think it is fair to say that Chris is special," said Gators offensive coordinator Ed Zaunbrecher. "But what he does with his talent, and what we do with his talent, is the question. We have a number of talented quarterbacks here and each will get his chance."

Leak is competing with three other quarterbacks who also were big-time high school stars.

* Sophomore Ingle Martin is the only one who has played at the college level. On the day Leak announced he was coming to Florida, head coach Ron Zook called Martin at home.

"He told me not to listen to the noise outside the program and to be ready to compete for the job," said Martin, who threw for 194 yards and two touchdowns in the spring game. "I remember that they once said Rex Grossman would never play because we had Brock Berlin. And we know how that turned out."

* Redshirt freshman Gavin Dickey has not played, but he has a year in Florida's system after leading Lincoln High School in Tallahassee to a 45-5 record in high school. He struggled in the spring game. Dickey says he sometimes has trouble relaxing under the pressure of the competition. "But I'm getting better. I can feel it," Dickey said.

* True freshman Justin Midgett committed to Florida early and didn't change his mind after Leak made his intentions known. Midgett threw for 2,489 yards and led his Charlotte County (Fla.) High School team to a 13-1 record.

"OK, I wasn't ranked the No. 1 player in the nation. But I was No. 6," Midgett said. "It's not like I came from nowhere."

Zook and Zaunbrecher know they must start narrowing the field soon. Leak may have made that process easier in the team's first scrimmage Wednesday night when he hit his first nine passes for 199 yards.

"Man," said guard Shannon Snell. "He just tore it up out there."

Freshmen usually don't have a great impact in the SEC. But once in a great while a special talent -- like a Herschel Walker or Peyton Manning -- defies convention and lifts his team to an unexpected level. With only nine starters returning, the Gators hope Leak is that kind of player.

 

I'm not a Gator fan, but I'll be a big fan if Leak starts.

 

I've seen a lot of good players over the years watching highschool football. Chris Leak is one of the best. Good luck to him at Flordia.

 

not a Gator fan but I did go to Independence. therefore I will be following the Croc's this year.

 

He is the best high school player Ive seen