Florida football edge defender Jack Pyburn’s decision to hit the transfer portal brought a jolt to the entire football community, especially the Gators’ fans. The sudden departure decision of the ultimate defensive weapon in Billy Napier’s team came off as a shock, vehemently finding ‘the why.’ Well, the reports dig out that Pyburn demanded a $45,000 monthly stipend, a guaranteed playing time as an outside linebacker, a promise of playing on third downs, and increased snaps in the rotation, which seemed a bit too much to bear for the Gator nation and hence they preferred to let him go. Whether it’s a good move or not is a different debate, but Pyburn, as a Jacksonville product by heart, still holds a gentle place for his school and the people.
Transfer has become quite a joke in the current age of football. People have come and gone in the blink of an eye, and it’s all about money. But when it comes to Pyburn, he brought a different kind of energy to the Florida locker room, flashing pure passion and love for the school, his childhood dream house. He has grown up playing high school football in the state of Florida. From being a fanboy cheering from the sideline to pumping up the team as a standout edge rusher before a fiery rivalry game is really surreal.
Walking out must be very hard. Well, it is. Articulating the deep-down homesickness, the Florida native said during an interview with LSU Tigers on Tigerbait, ”You know, obviously, it was really hard, that was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make in my life. It felt like a divorce, I’m going to be honest. It’s still hard you know, I have all love and respect for everybody over there. It’s a tremendous program,”
