Percy Harvin feels fast and very, very strong
Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 7:38 am
[img]http://www.gatorcountry.com/images/uplo ... llenge.jpg[/img]
Percy Harvin is feeling fast. Really fast. He’s alsofeeling very strong. Really, really strong. He is also one goodpractice away from being declared fit and ready to play his firstcollege football game of the season, which is a good thing for theFlorida Gators and maybe not such a good thing for the Miami Hurricanes.
Harvin’sroad to recovery from heel surgery is right on track and after two daysof practice at full speed including full contact on “Bloody Tuesday” heknows he’s close to getting back on the field again. Harvin hasn’t beenheld out of any drills or any scrimmaging the last two days so he knowshe’s getting close to game ready.
“I feel like I’m going to play and if I keep progressing like thisI’m definitely going to play,” said Harvin, who didn’t play in lastSaturday’s season opener when the Gators beat Hawaii, 56-10.
Florida coach Urban Meyer sounded very optimistic about Harvin when he talked with the media after Tuesday’s practice.
“You need to have a good Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday,” said Meyer.“He’s had a good Monday, Tuesday. I’ll have to see tomorrow but if hecomes out tomorrow and lets it rip … “
This isn’t the skinny Percy Harvin that arrived on the Floridacampus a couple of summers ago. Even at 185, Harvin was impressive as afreshman when he was a vital offensive cog in the Gators’ nationalchampionship team. He was about five pounds heavier last year as asophomore when he ran for 764 yards (9.2 per carry) and caught passesfor 858 yards (14.5 yards per catch). For his Florida career, Harvinhas 1,192 rushing yards (9.6 average per carry) and 1,285 receivingyards (13.8 per catch).
If he can stay healthy the rest of the year, it’s entirely possiblethat Harvin could become the first 1,000-1,000 player in the history ofthe Southeastern Conference --- that’s 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000pass receiving yards in the same year.
That could happen because there’s a solid 202 pounds stretched over his5-11 frame. The extra muscle has him feeling like he can run with powerthat he’s never had.
“[I’m feeling] really strong,” said Harvin. “I think that’s one of thereasons I feel faster because I feel like I’m running with powerinstead of just running.”
Meyer likes what he’s seeing.
“He’s over 200 pounds and benching 400,” said Florida coach Urban Meyer after Tuesday’s practice. “That’s a powerful guy.”
The heel surgery was necessary because Harvin was constantly naggedby tendonitis in his Achilles heel and his hip. Doctors examined himand determined that he should have a new type of surgery that hasproven successful although it hasn’t been attempted many times.
Instead of having the surgery at Shands, Harvin went to North Carolinawhere team doctor Pete Indelicato worked with a surgeon that hadperformed the surgery before.
“They drilled some holes and shaved the bone,” said Harvin. “It was pretty nasty.”
The rehabilitation was a slow process. Doctors and trainers broughtHarvin along on a steady schedule. They never pushed him too hard andstuck to the schedule even when Harvin was feeling well.
Harvin says the rehab process moved along without any setbacks.
“There weren’t any setbacks,” said Harvin. “I wasn’t supposed tostart running until about mid-August. We’ve been on a schedule. Wedidn’t speed it up; we didn’t slow it down. We just stayed with whatthe doctor told us and what the trainers said it should be. I wasjogging pretty good and running pretty good but the trainers had themindset that they were going to go with the schedule they had. WhetherI was running good or not, we were on schedule.”
There was always that temptation to play him in the opener against Hawaii, but the choice was made to stay on schedule.
“We just went with how I felt and we didn’t feel last week that Iwas good to go so I sat out,” said Harvin. “This week we’ll take itone day at a time.”
Although the rehab process might have progressed at a slow butsteady pace, Harvin’s strength program has moved along rapidly. It’sobvious that he’s ripped these days and in retrospect, he thinks thatmaybe the surgery was a really good thing in more ways than one. Notonly should he be free of the tendonitis that has caused him to missgames the past two seasons, but he should be faster, stronger and ableto contribute more to the Gators.
“I got a chance to do some of the things I haven’t been able to dowhich is to keep weight on and get bigger and stronger and I’ve beenable to do that so I’m looking at it as a blessing in disguise,” hesaid. “Everything happens for a reason. I sat out and the whole time wekept saying that I had to get bigger and here came the surgery and Igot bigger. I’m back running fast. I have no problems with whathappened.”
He says he was proud of young running backs like Chris Rainey andJeff Demps, who stepped up in his place and carried the football forlong touchdowns against Hawaii. With Harvin joining Rainey and Demps insome of Florida’s multiple offensive sets along with Heisman Trophyquarterback Tim Tebow and fast wide receivers like Louis Murphy, DeonteThompson and Riley Cooper, it might be appropriate to call the Floridaoffense “The Electric Company.”
There’s no doubt there will be electricity in the air when you see anycombination of those players on the field for the Gators. It’s going tobe a dilemma for defensive coordinators. With all that speed, you haveto double someone, but who?
“Just take your best shot and hope the play wasn’t designed to go to the one you double teamed,” said Harvin.
Asked what he would do if he was an opposing defensive coordinatorand he saw that lineup, Harvin grinned and responded, “I’m calling timeout if I’m the coach.”
Percy Harvin is feeling fast. Really fast. He’s alsofeeling very strong. Really, really strong. He is also one goodpractice away from being declared fit and ready to play his firstcollege football game of the season, which is a good thing for theFlorida Gators and maybe not such a good thing for the Miami Hurricanes.
Harvin’sroad to recovery from heel surgery is right on track and after two daysof practice at full speed including full contact on “Bloody Tuesday” heknows he’s close to getting back on the field again. Harvin hasn’t beenheld out of any drills or any scrimmaging the last two days so he knowshe’s getting close to game ready.
“I feel like I’m going to play and if I keep progressing like thisI’m definitely going to play,” said Harvin, who didn’t play in lastSaturday’s season opener when the Gators beat Hawaii, 56-10.
Florida coach Urban Meyer sounded very optimistic about Harvin when he talked with the media after Tuesday’s practice.
“You need to have a good Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday,” said Meyer.“He’s had a good Monday, Tuesday. I’ll have to see tomorrow but if hecomes out tomorrow and lets it rip … “
This isn’t the skinny Percy Harvin that arrived on the Floridacampus a couple of summers ago. Even at 185, Harvin was impressive as afreshman when he was a vital offensive cog in the Gators’ nationalchampionship team. He was about five pounds heavier last year as asophomore when he ran for 764 yards (9.2 per carry) and caught passesfor 858 yards (14.5 yards per catch). For his Florida career, Harvinhas 1,192 rushing yards (9.6 average per carry) and 1,285 receivingyards (13.8 per catch).
If he can stay healthy the rest of the year, it’s entirely possiblethat Harvin could become the first 1,000-1,000 player in the history ofthe Southeastern Conference --- that’s 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000pass receiving yards in the same year.
That could happen because there’s a solid 202 pounds stretched over his5-11 frame. The extra muscle has him feeling like he can run with powerthat he’s never had.
“[I’m feeling] really strong,” said Harvin. “I think that’s one of thereasons I feel faster because I feel like I’m running with powerinstead of just running.”
Meyer likes what he’s seeing.
“He’s over 200 pounds and benching 400,” said Florida coach Urban Meyer after Tuesday’s practice. “That’s a powerful guy.”
The heel surgery was necessary because Harvin was constantly naggedby tendonitis in his Achilles heel and his hip. Doctors examined himand determined that he should have a new type of surgery that hasproven successful although it hasn’t been attempted many times.
Instead of having the surgery at Shands, Harvin went to North Carolinawhere team doctor Pete Indelicato worked with a surgeon that hadperformed the surgery before.
“They drilled some holes and shaved the bone,” said Harvin. “It was pretty nasty.”
The rehabilitation was a slow process. Doctors and trainers broughtHarvin along on a steady schedule. They never pushed him too hard andstuck to the schedule even when Harvin was feeling well.
Harvin says the rehab process moved along without any setbacks.
“There weren’t any setbacks,” said Harvin. “I wasn’t supposed tostart running until about mid-August. We’ve been on a schedule. Wedidn’t speed it up; we didn’t slow it down. We just stayed with whatthe doctor told us and what the trainers said it should be. I wasjogging pretty good and running pretty good but the trainers had themindset that they were going to go with the schedule they had. WhetherI was running good or not, we were on schedule.”
There was always that temptation to play him in the opener against Hawaii, but the choice was made to stay on schedule.
“We just went with how I felt and we didn’t feel last week that Iwas good to go so I sat out,” said Harvin. “This week we’ll take itone day at a time.”
Although the rehab process might have progressed at a slow butsteady pace, Harvin’s strength program has moved along rapidly. It’sobvious that he’s ripped these days and in retrospect, he thinks thatmaybe the surgery was a really good thing in more ways than one. Notonly should he be free of the tendonitis that has caused him to missgames the past two seasons, but he should be faster, stronger and ableto contribute more to the Gators.
“I got a chance to do some of the things I haven’t been able to dowhich is to keep weight on and get bigger and stronger and I’ve beenable to do that so I’m looking at it as a blessing in disguise,” hesaid. “Everything happens for a reason. I sat out and the whole time wekept saying that I had to get bigger and here came the surgery and Igot bigger. I’m back running fast. I have no problems with whathappened.”
He says he was proud of young running backs like Chris Rainey andJeff Demps, who stepped up in his place and carried the football forlong touchdowns against Hawaii. With Harvin joining Rainey and Demps insome of Florida’s multiple offensive sets along with Heisman Trophyquarterback Tim Tebow and fast wide receivers like Louis Murphy, DeonteThompson and Riley Cooper, it might be appropriate to call the Floridaoffense “The Electric Company.”
There’s no doubt there will be electricity in the air when you see anycombination of those players on the field for the Gators. It’s going tobe a dilemma for defensive coordinators. With all that speed, you haveto double someone, but who?
“Just take your best shot and hope the play wasn’t designed to go to the one you double teamed,” said Harvin.
Asked what he would do if he was an opposing defensive coordinatorand he saw that lineup, Harvin grinned and responded, “I’m calling timeout if I’m the coach.”