Florida Gators Secret Weapon on Defense

Florida Gators transfer Joey Slackman came to Gainesville with little fanfare but hopes to have a big impact.

Florida Gators DL Joey Slackman / FloridaGators.com / University of Florida

Florida Gators defensive tackle Joey Slackman thrives when placed in tough situations. During his final year of college football, he hopes to not only provide the University of Florida with quality snaps as a defensive tackle, but leadership. Slackman will probably rotate in behind Joey Banks. 

However, don't let the reserve role fool you, he will see time on the field. For Slackman his football journey ends in Gainesville after a stellar career at the University of Pennsylvania. Doubters will say that an FCS defensive lineman will look out of place at an SEC school. Those misguided do not know Joey Slackman or his path.

Don't Knock the Hustle

When reviewing the film, you see that Slackman does not give up on a play or rep. Granted, that description may fall into the high motor narrative befitting a particular demographic of defensive lineman. 

Yet the former Penn Quaker doesn't just rumble up to a play, hoping to just show up on film. Instead, he trudges through blocks and trash to affect the play itself. Whether he takes on and defeats a double team or strings out a play to the boundary, the Commack, New York native makes life difficult for the offense.

Key Ingredient

Slackman wrestled in high school, which directly translates to on-field success. Blessed with the leverage to get under blocks and balance while grappling in the trenches, the graduate transfer uses his hands to violently control the rep, attempting to gain the advantage. 

Additionally, adding a power aspect to the leverage palette sees Slackman push opponents into the backfield. The ballcarrier makes the decision to veer wide, into the vicinity of a teammate that closes in. Honestly, every high school and college lineman should enroll in some sort of wrestling training. It wil help them not only in the long run but in the present.

Bumpy Road

Setbacks and overcoming them isn't new to Slackman. In fact, he makes defeating doubt and the naysayers a perennial occurrence. As a freshman wrestler at Penn, Slackman suffered a torn ACL and meniscus. Then, while rehabbing he tore a pectoral muscle just as COVID hit. For two years, Slackman battled injuries just to step back on the field. Through determination and hard work, he stepped back on the field, earning Ivy League Defensive Player of The Year and FCS All-American status in 2023. Not bad for a player that also tore his biceps last season. 

Infectious Drive

If losing becomes contagious, then drive and optimism should also carry the same weight. Slackman did not arrive in Gainesville to take anyone's job or light up social media. He chose Florida to step on the largest stage in college football to prove that a zero-star recruit can play on any level. 

For Joey Slackman, it's not the stars that others judge you by. What matters is how you can change your own destiny.