His opponent? His father, Jason Odom, the previous Gators All-American beginning offensive lineman. The University of Florida Athletics Hall of Famer is aware of all about taking part in beneath the intense lights of the Swamp.
This day was totally different, although. The stands have been empty. The grass was freshly minimize. And different youngsters have been operating round within the background.
With the soccer tucked into his chest and guarded by a tiny arm, Jonathan took it to the top zone. As Jonathan and Jason confronted off beneath the Florida solar, their household photographed the second.
With a press of a button, the image froze a second that might later be repeated: a Jonathan Odom landing.
Now, quick ahead to Nov. 12Â in Florida’s 38-6 win in opposition to South Carolina. The Odom household has one other memento second, one which greater than 89,000 followers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium witnessed.
Jonathan scored in the exact same finish zone.
Lots has modified as days dropped from the calendar
Jonathan’s toes are a lot bigger. He’s taller. He’s older. And, like his father when he starred for the Gators within the mid-Nineteen Nineties, Jonathan is sporting a Gators uniform.
The rating got here on a third-and-2 play on which UF quarterback Anthony Richardson play-faked and rolled proper. He lobbed a brief go to Odom, who caught the ball, turned, and strolled into the top zone for a 4-yard landing, the primary of his profession.
From the stands, Jason Odom watched the play unravel. As somebody who performed at Bartow High, then at UF, and for 4 years within the NFL, he understood what was taking place earlier than it got here to fruition.
“I saw the play forming, and I stood up ’cause I knew that he was going to be open,” Jason mentioned this week.
And there Jonathan was, huge open after Richardson faked a handoff to operating again Montrell Johnson Jr. A 3rd-year sophomore tight finish, Jonathan rocked the all-blue No. 87 Florida jersey throughout the purpose line as followers roared into the evening.
He then danced on the identical piece of actual property he scored on as a younger boy.
“It’s a really surreal moment,” Jonathan mentioned.
In Florida’s ultimate dwelling sport of the season, Odom’s rating prolonged the Gators’Â result in 31-6 over the Gamecocks. Florida’s sideline gathered across the 6-foot-5, 237-pound Odom as he danced his technique to them with the assistance of the celebratory Gators cane.
Florida coach Billy Napier watched the celebration from the sideline in his group’s most dominant efficiency of the season.
“There might be a common misconception that Napier’s not a funny guy,” Jonathan Odom mentioned. “He’s real serious. He tells us he wants us to go crazy. He wants the momentum. He says he wants the officials to warn him. You can see, we captured the momentum of the game.”
Odom’s landing was a results of a pressured fumble from defensive lineman Desmond Watson the place the group went loopy, and Florida’s sideline spilled onto the sector.
It’s a flip of occasions Odom will bear in mind for a very long time.
“We had all the momentum. Des, me, everyone. You just take over momentum. We’ve been on the other side of that before, I know how that feels. When we’ve lost games, see guys on the sideline celebrating, like, ‘man I wish. I wish that can be us.’ “
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Odom deliberate to present the landing ball to his household, a signature second in his younger profession of highs and lows since arriving from Jesuit High in Tampa.
Odom has puzzled at instances if there could be a second like that as he endured on-and-off accidents for the previous three years.
Odom was redshirted in 2020 after 4 video games after which appeared in eight video games in 2021, taking part in totally on particular groups and as a reserve tight finish. Finally, wholesome and within the rotation, Odom skilled a kind of moments he envisioned when he joined the Gators.
He danced to indicate his journey of overcoming adversity, enduring struggles and going through disappointment. He saved at it, his resiliency not misplaced on his teammates.
“He’s just been waiting on his opportunity and it finally came,” Gators middle Kingsley Eguakun mentioned. “And I’m happy that he was able to take full advantage of that. He’s worked for it, so when he got in the game, I really wasn’t expecting anything less from him.”
Odom was prepared for the chance that was introduced. While followers noticed the landing and celebration, they did not see the sacrifice, the exhausting work, the setbacks and the wrestle.
His father did. Jason has been a rock for his son via all of the ups and downs. The second Jonathan took it to the home, nobody was happier than Jason Odom.
“To have that moment culminate in a game that matters, in a time that matters, was just an incredible moment for us,” Jason mentioned. “It was one of the closest-to-best moments of our lives as parents, getting to see him kind of fulfill one of his dreams.”
A dream fulfilled for Jonathan and a journey he continues to overcome to succeed in his ultimate vacation spot.
Perhaps sooner or later, each Gators – Jonathan and Jason – will share an area to position the memorabilia collected throughout their profitable taking part in careers.
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