Gene Frenette: Paralyzed ex-Gators' hoops star Patric Young ready to inspire those around him
It’s doubtful any pregame speech or message Florida basketball coach Todd Golden has for his team this season will approach the impact of ex-Gator Patric Young talking to the players on Sept. 20 about embracing every life opportunity.
Young, a Jacksonville native, was paralyzed in a June 29 single-vehicle accident in Nebraska just 10 days before his wedding to wife Whitney.
During his talk to the Gators, who rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit Friday night to beat Florida State 76-67 in Tallahassee, he implored them to give full effort every day and not waste any opportunity pursing their hoops dreams.
As Young spoke for 10-15 minutes at practice from his wheelchair, the Florida players were laser-focused on his uplifting message.
“It hurts my heart when I see the effort is not there,” Young told the Gators. “I’m not talking about wins and losses, that’s going to take care of itself. I’m talking about effort. There should be no day, no day, that you walk into this gym that you’re thinking, ‘Uh, oh, man, we got to practice today.’
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“The most important battle is right now. The most important thing that you have the opportunity is literally right now in this moment. I got one to two years to maximize my recovery. The vision for me is to walk. I’m going to walk again. I’m praying for that.
“My wife and I, we speak healing every single day. I was told that I have to treat every single day like I’m training for the Olympics. I will not want to look back two years from now, saying: ‘Damn, I could have done more. I just had some bad days. I let that one bad day turn into two bad days, three bad days, then before I know it, I stopped working.’
“The team comes first. For me, my team is my family and my wife. I’m doing it for myself, but I’m doing it for my family and my little girl so they can have a witness to see that their Daddy didn’t give up. So I don’t want you guys to give up on yourselves and don’t let this opportunity pass you by.
“Take advantage of this right now. And if you fall, get back on your horse. Don’t let a day go by because we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. All we have is control of what’s going to happen today.”
If Young had asked the Gators — coming off a 76-74 loss Monday to FAU as the Owls hit 13 three-pointers — to walk barefooted on hot coals at that moment, they probably would have done it.
When a man who led a Billy Donovan-coached team to a Final Four appearance delivers an impactful message from a wheelchair, it’s hard to imagine the Gators being complacent about practice or not grinding through tough circumstances.
The 6-foot-9 Young, who is starting his own foundation to provide resources to assist people affected by life-altering injuries, has taken full advantage of the platform given to him as a high-profile athlete and SEC Network basketball analyst.
Young is using his high demand as a public speaker to essentially be a goodwill ambassador in multiple ways.
Patric Young won’t go down as the greatest basketball player in UF history, but it’s almost impossible to find anyone more inspiring.
FSU hoops shortcomings
There’s no mystery as to why Florida State’s basketball program is off to an 0-4 start -- with losses to non-Power 5 opponents Stetson, UCF and Troy -- for the first time since the 1959-60 season.
The ‘Noles, who typically rely on 9 or 10 players playing each game under veteran coach Leonard Hamilton, are short-handed because six scholarship players were sidelined against Troy and most of the UCF contest.
Nearly all of its frontcourt — 7-foot-4 Naheem McLeod (ankle), 6-11 Baba Miller (NCAA suspension), 6-10 Jaylan Gainey (ACL tear) and 6-10 De’Ante Green (ACL recovery) — didn’t suit up, along with guards Chandler Jackson (broken thumb) and Jeremiah Bembry (back).
FSU starters logged 164 of a possible 200 minutes in the 79-72 loss to Troy, leaving 6-5 guard and UCF transfer Darin Green as the only experienced player. When the ‘Noles have their Senior Night at the end of the season, the only player honored will be law-school bound Cleveland Yates.
FSU did get Jackson and McLeod back against Florida, but they played sparingly and the Seminoles' challenge of defending UF center Colin Castleton was too much in the second half. Castleton had 19 of his 25 points after halftime as Florida went on a 33-5 run in the first 9:20, highlighted by a thunderous dunk by Lee High (Riverside) product Alex Fudge over McLeod.
After going 17-14 last year and being a national contender the previous five seasons, FSU could be looking at its roughest year since going 12-19 (4-12 in ACC) in 2004-05.
Jaguars’ overdue break
It’s evident from the reaction of the Jaguars after the loss at Kansas City that the team is way overdue for a bye week. This year’s bye ties the 2014 season as the latest one (Week 11) in franchise history.
Head coach Doug Pederson could have opted to take the bye right after facing the Denver Broncos in London on Oct. 30, which is what the Jaguars did on seven of their previous eight trips to the UK.
But Pederson elected to play a home game (Las Vegas Raiders) and then travel to K.C. before taking the bye week. The Jaguars are 12-15 all-time in games coming off a bye week, but haven’t won since beating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-7 at home in 2017.
Promising Beck waits his turn
Georgia backup quarterback Carson Beck has been remarkably efficient in his few appearances this season (23 of 30, 276 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INT). Offensive coordinator Todd Monken expects the Mandarin High product to take advantage of his opportunity once starter Stetson Bennett moves on to the NFL.
“Carson is probably our most natural thrower,” said Monken. “He’ll be successful with good players around him. I think he has a chance to have a hell of a career. He looks like a first-round [NFL draft pick] quarterback. We’ll see if he plays that way.”
Monken’s relationship with Beck goes back to 2010 when his son, Travis, and Carson played on the same travel-ball team in Jacksonville while Todd served as the Jaguars’ receivers coach.
Carson’s father, Chris, was the coach of the travel-ball team and now, over a decade later, Monken is in that role with the Georgia quarterback.
Derrick Henry on cusp of history
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (1,010 yards) is in a tight race with Saquon Barkley (931 yards) and Nick Chubb (904 yards) to try and win his third NFL rushing title.
Reaching that milestone would have a lot of significance for the former Yulee High star. Of the eight running backs with three rushing titles, seven are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the other, Adrian Peterson, will likely enter Canton when eligible in 2027.
With Henry (130 scrimmage yards, a rushing TD, a passing TD) leading the 7-3 Titans to a methodical 27-17 dismantling of the Green Bay Packers Thursday night, it feels like the AFC South race is over.
Quick-hitting nuggets
When Rayshawn Jenkins’ hit on Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco forced a fumble last week that was picked up by Devin Lloyd at the KC 6 and returned 13 yards, it was the Jaguars’ first red-zone takeaway since linebacker Joe Schobert intercepted then Chicago Bears’ QB Mitch Tribusky in the end zone of a 41-17 loss in December, 2020. …
Former Bishop Kenny High QB John Wolford threw his first NFL touchdown pass in the Los Angeles Rams’ 27-17 home loss Sunday to the Arizona Cardinals, a 3-yarder to Van Jefferson with seven seconds remaining. He became only the third Jacksonville QB to throw a TD pass in the NFL, joining Mac Jones (Bolles) and Tim Tebow (Nease). . . .
The toughest decision for the College Football Playoff committee might be what to do about No. 5-ranked Tennessee. If the Volunteers finish 11-1, and Georgia wins the SEC Championship, it’s going to be hard to justify keeping them out of the CFP with wins over LSU and Alabama. …
Rory McIlroy insists Greg Norman should quit as LIV commissioner because it’s the only way golf can heal from the contentious relationship between the PGA Tour and the rogue Saudi Arabian-funded league. It’s commendable the world’s No. 1 player is willing to publicly take a hard line, but golf will never be at peace until LIV goes away or its money runs out. …
Pigskin forecast
Philadelphia Eagles over Indianapolis Colts by 10 (Jeff Saturday reality checks); New England Patriots over New York Jets by 3 (AFC playoff tickets); Florida over Vanderbilt by 13 (ground-and-pound messages); Florida State over Louisiana by (27 Billy Napier ghost sightings); Clemson over Miami by 17 (bowl cancellations); UCF over Navy by 17 (dishes of revenge). Last week: 5 right, 2 Brittney Griner prison relocations.
Gfrenette@jacksonville.com: (904) 359-4540
Gene Frenette Sports columnist at Florida Times-Union, follow him on Twitter @genefrenette
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Patric Young visits Florida basketball team to serve as an inspiration
