Keary Colbert Attempting to Add to Developmental Resume with Florida Gators
Photo: Keary Colbert and the Florida Gators wide receivers; Credit: Zach Goodall
The presence of a coach who has earned their keep at the pinnacle of the sport as a player will always hold weight in the locker room, especially when surrounded by athletes attempting to reach the next level.
While Billy Napier has lined his inaugural Florida staff with multiple former pros, wide receivers coach Keary Colbert enters arguably the most daunting role on the Gators' staff as he looks to develop and replenish a unit that has seen six athletes enter the NFL since 2019.
As he steps out of his comfort zone, Colbert welcomes the challenge as he moves from the west to the east coast.
“I’m excited, man," he said earlier this offseason. "I think when you talk about growth in life, sometimes you gotta grow outside of your comfort zone. I’m excited about the opportunity, and I look forward to being here and bringing championships here to Gainesville. You want to pour into these players, pour into this university and try to go win some championships.”
Drafted in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers, Colbert, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound wideout at the time, spent six seasons in the NFL playing for various teams, including the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs.
Producing at a modest rate during his 75 career contests – and 49 career starts – Colbert posted 130 receptions, 1,629 yards and eight touchdowns from 2004 to 2011.
Departing from the Panthers after 55 games with the franchise, including 31 straight starts to begin his career, Colbert began to bounce from team to team, struggling to find traction as he failed to see considerable action. As a result, he retired in 2011.
However, the former Trojan chose to use the knowledge he accumulated throughout his career in order to guide him as he began his new coaching venture.
That, along with his desire to connect with players as a mentor, has allowed Colbert to command respect from the talent he has taken – and will continue to take – under his wing.
"I'd say it's definitely nice to be able to like know that he's been there, he's been down that path, so he can be someone that I can go to if I need help with anything or I have questions about that stuff," wide receiver Justin Shorter said during spring.
Entering what will likely be his final year with the Gators, Florida's lead wide receiver in Shorter is looking to take a sizable leap as a pass-catcher in 2022. He feels Colbert's development history is ideal for wideouts of his playstyle and stature.
"I was very, very happy when we had got him because looking at his history, he has coached a lot of like bigger wide receivers," Shorter said. "So, just meeting with him for the first time, I was like, 'Hey, I want you to coach me, and I'm going to be this huge sponge that soaks in everything.'"
Fellow starter Xzavier Henderson echoed Shorter's sentiment, explaining how Colbert's ability to relate to the athletes as someone who has been in their shoes is a benefit.
"Coach Colbert, that’s my guy," Henderson said earlier this spring. "He’s real relatable because he’s a younger coach, and he’s done it before. So it’s, like, he’s been in our shoes before, and he actually pulls up his film sometimes and relates it to our offense.”
In fact, Colbert's youth allows him to continue lacing up his cleats to lead by example as the Gators hit the practice field this spring.
“He’s real hands-on, too. He’ll be out there with his cleats on, right with us, walking us through every step of the way.”
Coming to Florida from his alma mater of USC, Colbert looks to continue the strong resume of recruiting and developing talent for the NFL he has built at multiple stops.
Having his handprint on the careers of Albert Wilson (Georgia State), Michael Pittman Jr. (USC), Amon Ra St. Brown (USC), Jordan Cameron (USC), Robert Davis (Georgia State) and projected first wide receiver off the board in the 2022 Draft in Drake London (USC), Colbert instills confidence in his players that he has the tools to equip them with the skills needed to reach their goals.
Shorter has already seen that in action.
"I feel like I've learned so much from him already," he said. "He’s definitely teaching us how to be quicker at the line and not spend so much time at the line of scrimmage, you know, because everything needs to have a vertical presence to it, so he’s really just teaching us to just get up, pop your feet and like really get a vertical presence.
"I would say just like learning how to control my body, like top of my routes counting steps, stuff like that. Really working on those jump balls, really going and getting the ball instead of letting it come to me. Just small stuff like that where some bigger wideouts, you can get better on."
For the unit as a whole, Colbert has harped on the importance of exploding off the ball and being detailed at the top of the route.
Serving over a Gators wide receivers room that continues to look for a true number one target to emerge from the pack of possession pass catchers, Colbert stresses that the intricacies of route running and creating separation is a vital aspect of his instruction.
“You’ve got to be detailed at the top of the route, especially, and there’s little things we do to work on it," he said. "It’s really about the urgency at the top of the route and the mindset of being physical, being technical with your feet and your hands.
"Those guys are doing a great job and we’re working on those things daily. At the end of the day, we’re preparing ourselves to be the best players we can be individually and to make our plays when the ball comes.”
Colbert's application of the game isn't limited to the players currently occupying chairs in his position meeting room. It expands to the recruiting trail as he offers wideouts a unique opportunity for pro-level development with simple philosophies at the forefront of his coaching style.
He shares his wealth of knowledge with each prospective talent that enters his office.
"I love his coaching style," North Florida Christian 2023 wide receiver recruit Traylon Ray said after his unofficial visit in early March. "He doesn't complicate anything too much. He keeps it all very simple, but it definitely works."
Colbert looks to carry his success over from Los Angeles to Gainesville to re-equip the Gators with explosiveness on the outside. His track record as an eye for talent, developer and player has the potential to pay dividends.
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