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Gators DB Jaydon Hill Named SEC Defensive Player of the Week

Florida Gators cornerback Jaydon Hill earns SEC Defensive Player of the Week following a two-interception performance against Missouri.

Brandon Carroll

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Photo: Jaydon Hill; Credit: Alex Shepherd

Following a career performance on Saturday, Florida Gators cornerback Jaydon Hill earns honors as the SEC Defensive Player of the Week for week six.

However, the award comes as more than a testament to Hill’s productive outing as a ball hawk against Missouri.

Having sat out of action for nearly 14 months due to a lingering knee injury, Hill returned to the gridiron in starting capacity as Florida faced off against Eastern Washington on Oct. 2.

After getting his feet wet in Florida’s blowout victory over the Eagles, the guy who the staff raved about as one of the best players on the team in the brief portion of spring ball he participated in — before tweaking his knee again — re-emerged.

In the first half, Hill aided a sluggish offensive attack by jumping Missouri quarterback Brady Cook’s pass toward the sideline and returning it 50 yards for a touchdown.

The pick six broke the seal of scoring on what was a 3-0 game heading into the second quarter. The Gators held on to the 10-0 lead until midway through the second quarter, when Missouri surged to tie the game at 10 before halftime.

In the second half, Hill once again bailed out the Gators as Missouri pushed deep into Florida territory looking to once again tie the contest.

With similar offensive personnel, defensive coordinator Patrick Toney called the same play that resulted in the pick. When Missouri looked for another play to the far side of the formation, Hill once again got in front of his man to come away with the ball to end the Tigers promising drive.

Florida scored on the ensuing possession to go up 24-10.

He became the first Gators player to record a multi-interception day since Chauncey Gardner-Johnson did so against Michigan in the 2018 Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl in Atlanta.

Hill added three solo tackles on the day.

The award is a full circle moment for the defensive back who questioned — albeit briefly — whether he would see the field again.

Hill’s contribution proved to be the catalyst Florida needed to fend off the Missouri Tigers in what head coach Billy Napier called a “good team win” on Monday.

The Gators will look to get another one this weekend as they play host to cross-divisional rival LSU on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.

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Brandon Carroll
BRANDON CARROLL

Brandon Carroll is a recent graduate of the University of Florida. He serves as the lead reporter for the Florida Gators FanNation-Sports Illustrated website, covering football, basketball and recruiting. When he isn't hard at work, he enjoys listening to music, playing flag football and basketball, spending time with his friends and family, and watching an array of television shows. Follow him on Twitter @itsbcarroll.

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