'Envy Can Be the Death of Players': Gators Edge Rusher Ready for Loyalty to Pay Off

A heavily sought-after recruit out of high school, James saw just 77 total snaps as a freshman, recording only four total tackles all year. After dominating at Florida’s highest level of high school football, the pass-rusher was quickly humbled in the different world of division one.

“It was a big adjustment. I’ll say around the second half of that 2023 season when I realized I wasn’t good enough yet, but I was still traveling and getting reps. At that point, I started training, taking my reps to prepare for [2024],” James said. “It’s humbling for sure, but it’s all a part of it.”

After his difficult first year, James found the hard truth through his father and former coach, Eric.

“I was told ‘you may not be where you want to be’ and that was true, and I was told the things that I had to do. It was easy to listen because I know it was coming from a place of love and somebody that wants the best for me who’s never done me wrong," James recalled. “I told him I wanted it. He was just telling me, ‘go back to the drawing board just like high school, you are trying to take that next step and you have to work harder than the next person every time, every day.”

Though seemingly securing a starting spot in year two, the adversity still did not stop for James. Just four games into the season, he lost his job to Tyreak Sapp.

“You can’t take it too personally… You want to be the starter, this and that, but he got the hot hand... Yes, I was producing, but he became the No. 1 pass rusher in the nation- highest graded by PFF,” James said. “I could have hit the portal… The same way Sapp was an older player, and I started over him. He could have said, 'Ok, I'm not gonna do this’... It just brings competitiveness”

While watching Sapp break out in a role that was once his, James again didn’t let envy overcome him. Instead, it was another reason to keep working.

“It was motivating. I don’t think anybody wants to be the person that comes into the game and it’s like, ‘ah, get him out,’ or anything like that. You don’t want to be the letdown of the room, per se, and we’re all brothers,” James said about the situation. “I know when I get into the game, and everybody is getting hyped, you get in, you want to make yours, too. It’s just a brotherhood, and I feel like us being so close, it makes it easy to want to get in and go as hard as you can for your brothers.”

Now headed into year three as a leader on the team, James is excited to see his loyalty and perseverance pay off in a big way.

“It’s amazing, but I say it’s all part of the plan. I was a leader on every team I’ve ever been on and I believe in stay down until you come up. But I knew once my opportunity came, I was going to take onto it and I’m not going to let go.” James said. “It was just a long time coming.”

Still in a room of talented edge rushers, James looks to be one of the best now, with a big season seemingly coming up after all his years of staying down.

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