- Sep 8, 2014
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(not going to cut and paste the whole article, pretty good stuff....but one comment stood out):
Parting Thoughts I: Appleby reflects on 2016 season with Gators
https://florida.rivals.com/news/parting-thoughts-i-appleby-reflects-on-2016-season-with-gators
ITG: Taking a look back at your season in Gainesville, do you feel transferring to Florida was the right decision for yourself?
Appleby: Absolutely, and it’s on a number of different levels. I got my degree at Purdue and sitting back with everything that had transpired in my great four years there, I soon told my family what I decided. I know what kind of player I am, I know how good I am, I know the kind of work I’ve put in. I really want to go put all the chips in when I was going through the transfer process and had all of the options of where I was going to go. I could go to a number of different teams and be guaranteed starting – they already gave me the keys to the car. I can go play my 12 games and win a bowl game and be really great.
But, what I was looking for was I want to go play with the very best against the very best, and be coached by the very best, and go compete for a championship. Nothing was ever promised here at Florida. Coach Mac gave me nothing more than an opportunity to compete and earn the respect of my teammates and come help this football team in any way that I have to do so.
I took a gamble on myself, and I am 100% proud of the decision that I made. Getting the chance to be half done with my master’s degree in sports management here is unbelievable. My teammates, these guys that I've met and only known for about a year, are my best friends in the world. The relationships I’ve built these guys are absolutely second to none. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Then from a football standpoint, it didn’t necessarily start the way that I had intended. They had their mind up from the very, very early point that they were going to start Luke. I don’t know how much of a competition it really was, being candid. But again, it’s about me trusting my preparation and my process, earning the respect of my teammates and knowing that the cream rises to the top and when I was going to get my opportunity, I was going to make the most of it.
That opportunity came, and I really feel like I seized it. I ultimately led us to Atlanta and have a chance to play for a championship and capped it off with a bowl win. So looking back, it was one heck of a year.
Parting Thoughts I: Appleby reflects on 2016 season with Gators
https://florida.rivals.com/news/parting-thoughts-i-appleby-reflects-on-2016-season-with-gators
ITG: Taking a look back at your season in Gainesville, do you feel transferring to Florida was the right decision for yourself?
Appleby: Absolutely, and it’s on a number of different levels. I got my degree at Purdue and sitting back with everything that had transpired in my great four years there, I soon told my family what I decided. I know what kind of player I am, I know how good I am, I know the kind of work I’ve put in. I really want to go put all the chips in when I was going through the transfer process and had all of the options of where I was going to go. I could go to a number of different teams and be guaranteed starting – they already gave me the keys to the car. I can go play my 12 games and win a bowl game and be really great.
But, what I was looking for was I want to go play with the very best against the very best, and be coached by the very best, and go compete for a championship. Nothing was ever promised here at Florida. Coach Mac gave me nothing more than an opportunity to compete and earn the respect of my teammates and come help this football team in any way that I have to do so.
I took a gamble on myself, and I am 100% proud of the decision that I made. Getting the chance to be half done with my master’s degree in sports management here is unbelievable. My teammates, these guys that I've met and only known for about a year, are my best friends in the world. The relationships I’ve built these guys are absolutely second to none. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Then from a football standpoint, it didn’t necessarily start the way that I had intended. They had their mind up from the very, very early point that they were going to start Luke. I don’t know how much of a competition it really was, being candid. But again, it’s about me trusting my preparation and my process, earning the respect of my teammates and knowing that the cream rises to the top and when I was going to get my opportunity, I was going to make the most of it.
That opportunity came, and I really feel like I seized it. I ultimately led us to Atlanta and have a chance to play for a championship and capped it off with a bowl win. So looking back, it was one heck of a year.