Anyone know the status of the health of Andre Debose? I came across this interesting article on him and it made me wonder.
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Andre Debose, Florida Gators: The Next Percy Harvin?
- Thread starter PeterC042
- Start date
He has seemingly been injury-prone thus far, starting with having to sit out his freshman year as a redshirt after coming in with that "next Percy Harvin"-hype. Since then, it has frankly been unclear to what degree injuries or something more have stunted his expected progress. He's shown flashes of explosive crazy talent as a return man, and it became an ever larger question as to why he wasn't seeing the field more as the 2010 season went on--just one of many glaring screw-ups to be laid at the feet of our former OC. Anyway, in Debose's case, it's approaching "late-in-the-game" careerwise, and we could sure use some wildcard weapons on offense. With he, Rainey, Demps and a new Weis offense designed to take advantage of them, Brantley may not HAVE to dazzle, just be efficient enough running the offense and getting the ball to the right guy in the right place at the right time. We can hope, at any rate.
Call me crazy, but I was not as impressed with Percy Harvin as 99.99% of the Gator Nation. Sure, when he was on the field he did great things. The problem is that he was not on the field enough. Give me an every-down back that churns out 4 yards at a time over a once-in-a-while-when-he-does-not-have-a-migraine-or-bleeding-v@gin@ 12 yarder. Yeah, he was great, but it was like catching lightning in a bottle. It sure looks pretty when you get it right, but I was not as confident with Percy on the field as I was with Little Timmy Tebow. I am by no means a Timmy fanboy, but throughout our football history we have some varying degrees of lightning in a jar. I want some consistent excellence, not sporadic. Note how Percy's health issues plague him in the NFL as well. Note how Debose is absent from the field due to injury. I really do not care if Debose is the next Percy Harvin. I want the next Ike Hilliard, Chris Doering, or Dallas Baker--a receiver that may not be flashy, but is always available to catch the ball. Let JB4 toss the ball to Debose and let us see that magic. When Debose' magic dust fails, let JB4 turn around and hand the ball to Rainey or Demps.
I'm with you, man. I tended to feel exactly the same way about Harvin, have seen his pro career as "more of the same" (flashes of greatness, but lots of downtime, unreliability)--and find irony in Debose's career thus far being FAR too similar in this regard, only with even fewer of the flashes, so far. Let's face it: we look flush with speed and quickness, but it is time for SOMEONE (I know we have Brown, a couple of others with potential) to step up as a steady, tearing-it-up-the-middle-for-three-to-five-yards-back as a reliable counterpoint. THAT (and a QB that runs the offense with calm efficiency) would give a us true balance--with the potential we have on defense coming into its own early as well, I could see this team hitting its stride earlier than even we expected. I still figure it'll be 2012 before we put it all together, but there is at least the aforementioned scenario where we shake things up, break some hearts, and get some glimpse of where we're headed over the next few seasons.
InkedAdrenaline
VIP Member
X2 on pretty much what DRU said.
Debose was all hype to me...always injured and even when he is in, he hasnt produced so much...
Debose was all hype to me...always injured and even when he is in, he hasnt produced so much...
CaliZona_Gator
Super Senior Member
Percy was more than just a home run hitter. Yeah he wasn't an every down back, but watch the games he played in, then watch the games he didn't play in. Teams would have to account for him every time he was on the field. They had to buy in to the fake handoffs and everything. When he didn't play, the other teams could focus the attention on Tebow. Percy Harvin on the field made our offense 100 times better.
InkedAdrenaline
VIP Member
^in 08 Harvin was our offense haha.
TEBOW+Harvin+Hernandez= national titles all day long haha
TEBOW+Harvin+Hernandez= national titles all day long haha
The thing that frustrated so much last year, and contributes to our HOPE this year, is the fact that we have a number of potential "quick move/sudden burst" playmakers on offense. Harvin alone was a weapon not only for what he actually did but for the shadow of "what he might do" and the fear that engendered hanging over a defense whenever he was in the game. They always had to "account for him", changing their normal sets and messing with their own heads. Imagine what two or THREE "dangerous playmakers" on the field at any given time could do TO a defense, and FOR our offense.
To some extent, I came into this season expecting all in all that our "D" would come around sooner and more reliably than the offense, given all the circumstances...but almost in spite of myself I've begun to envision at least the potential for an offense that can lull an opposing defense, move the ball and burn some time, then suddenly burn them--and do this just often enough to get inside their heads, wear them down, force them to make mistakes.
Harvin wasn't all we had back in '08. We've got to hope we've got more than one "Harvin-type" now.
To some extent, I came into this season expecting all in all that our "D" would come around sooner and more reliably than the offense, given all the circumstances...but almost in spite of myself I've begun to envision at least the potential for an offense that can lull an opposing defense, move the ball and burn some time, then suddenly burn them--and do this just often enough to get inside their heads, wear them down, force them to make mistakes.
Harvin wasn't all we had back in '08. We've got to hope we've got more than one "Harvin-type" now.
The playmakers need to be consistently awesome, not once in a while awesome. If DeBose is healthy, he will give us a spark, but we need a playmaker for 12+ games. Even Harbin at his best was good for pivotal plays in the second half, but not every game. By the way, we won without Harvin--it was not pretty, but it was a win. DeBose will not be as good as Harvin as a spark or consistent playmaker. We need some more players to step up, more like Aaron Hernandez, or the players I mentioned earlier--Chris Doering, Dallas Baker, etc. I think it will be one of the Burton boys that will be that consistent player that takes pressure off DeBose so he can collect ESPN highlights. Those are the players people remember, but it is the consistent players that actaully win games.
You're right about needing more than "once in a while". In addition to Debose we're hearing about potential at TE and another WR (Dunbar, I think), and along with Demps in the backfield there is of course Rainey, football fast and by all accounts poised to wipe out the memory of last year's let down. We saw what Trey Burton could do last season (remember Kentucky?), and apparently Weis has more or less designed a position in the offense that takes advantage of his multiple talents (the "F-back"). Half the guys I just mentioned are known quantities that are actually a year older, bigger, more experienced; the others have known talent at least and are being touted by coaches who normally don't tend to show such public enthusiasm. It's in the area of ball-control that there are questions; we need a relentless, pound-it-out-up-the-middle-even-when-they-know-it's-coming-back, along with calm efficiency at QB. The big-play potential is there, though, and it COULD spread defenses pretty thin. It's another "if", and a big one, but with these players there is some hope that Weis' offense creates match-up problems all over the field for the otherwise strong SEC defenses.
InkedAdrenaline
VIP Member
Yep and IMO debose is not the answer. (hope I eat my words though, I really do cuz we need and explosive player)
The problem comes down to the same big question: Guys didn't come through last year. Will they come through this year?
Coaching. Strife. Injuries. Crimes. Suspensions. All those "reasons", and more, last time.
New Season. New Coaches. New attitude. New health. New chances. All these changes, a fresh start and more, THIS time.
Is it enough? Geez, I don't know...I've spent months trying to harden myself, prepare for a rough road, while the new Head Coach and staff goes through what I told myself would be the bumps and bruises of a "transition year", whatever necessary to rebuild us into a program that annually produces winning teams. Somewhere in there, when I wasn't looking, my outlook changed. In spite of myself, I began to hope. Not the blind, unquestioning faith that we would suddenly return to Championship contention, but nonetheless a more upbeat excitement to see what we MIGHT be able to accomplish, that this season could bring its share of excitement, satisfaction, even thrills to Gator Nation.
I'm not sure if I should be thankful to the new regime for doing enough things right to bring me around to this outlook (if that's even the main reason it happened), or resentful and suspicious that it happened at all! As it is, I'm sort of strung out between two points-of-view: I'm still guarded and cynical enough now to (albeit quite happily) admit my lack of faith, eat my words and climb on the bandwagon if things turn out well, yet also will feel let down and foolishly manipulated if they it goes to sh*t--and will really go after the "usual suspects" if/when they revert-to-type and live down to previous expectations.
Someone once said, "Show me a cynic and I'll show you a disappointed idealist who's lost his faith."
I tend towards cynicism, it has served me well as "insulation", and I'm a bit peeved and concerned to realize it has seemingly deserted me now--but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Gator Football is just a couple of weeks or so away, and in spite of everything, I guess there will always be a part of me that BELIEVES; that "part" may grow or shrink as the case may be, but will NEVER GO AWAY. The "cynic" will be there too, though, protectively warning all, not just opponents but our OWN coaches and players as well: "Don't screw around with our hopes and dreams...Don't F*CK with us!".
Coaching. Strife. Injuries. Crimes. Suspensions. All those "reasons", and more, last time.
New Season. New Coaches. New attitude. New health. New chances. All these changes, a fresh start and more, THIS time.
Is it enough? Geez, I don't know...I've spent months trying to harden myself, prepare for a rough road, while the new Head Coach and staff goes through what I told myself would be the bumps and bruises of a "transition year", whatever necessary to rebuild us into a program that annually produces winning teams. Somewhere in there, when I wasn't looking, my outlook changed. In spite of myself, I began to hope. Not the blind, unquestioning faith that we would suddenly return to Championship contention, but nonetheless a more upbeat excitement to see what we MIGHT be able to accomplish, that this season could bring its share of excitement, satisfaction, even thrills to Gator Nation.
I'm not sure if I should be thankful to the new regime for doing enough things right to bring me around to this outlook (if that's even the main reason it happened), or resentful and suspicious that it happened at all! As it is, I'm sort of strung out between two points-of-view: I'm still guarded and cynical enough now to (albeit quite happily) admit my lack of faith, eat my words and climb on the bandwagon if things turn out well, yet also will feel let down and foolishly manipulated if they it goes to sh*t--and will really go after the "usual suspects" if/when they revert-to-type and live down to previous expectations.
Someone once said, "Show me a cynic and I'll show you a disappointed idealist who's lost his faith."
I tend towards cynicism, it has served me well as "insulation", and I'm a bit peeved and concerned to realize it has seemingly deserted me now--but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Gator Football is just a couple of weeks or so away, and in spite of everything, I guess there will always be a part of me that BELIEVES; that "part" may grow or shrink as the case may be, but will NEVER GO AWAY. The "cynic" will be there too, though, protectively warning all, not just opponents but our OWN coaches and players as well: "Don't screw around with our hopes and dreams...Don't F*CK with us!".
