The Front 9: SEC Media Days recap, and an extended ‘four questions’ with Gators great Patric Young

The Front 9 comes at you after a weekend living on the sun, aka Gainesville in July.

1. SEC Media Days are always interesting … except when they are not. Lane Kiffin tried to act like a grown-up, the media was apoplectic because Gators coach Jon Sumrall jumped on a hack who left his cell on and we learned nothing about the future of the league. The players were the stars and that’s the way it should be, but — and this may come as a shock — every team is excited about the upcoming season and is working harder than anyone else. Yawn.

2. A little more exciting was the news that LeBron James chose Philadelphia as his new team. Who can blame him? He’s going to a place where the 76ers already have acquired Jaylen Brown and have the pieces to roll through the season. And all the cheesesteaks he can eat.

3. FOMO game of the week

There isn’t much, but if you are desperate for football, I have the game for you. We may be dying for Week 1 of CFB and the NFL, but the CFL is in Week 9. Saskatchewan and Edmonton battle on Saturday at 7 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network with first place on the line.

4. A very special four questions with Gator great and broadcaster Patric Young

1. Better moment — walking off the court with your teammates after the last home game in 2014 or winning the SEC Tournament in Atlanta that year?

Young: Both moments are incredibly significant to me, but they fall into two different categories. Walking off the court after our final home game carried a real sense of finality. There was the realization that we would never play on that court together again. Everything happened so fast, and it was emotional because we knew that chapter of our lives was closing.

But if I have to choose, winning the SEC Tournament in Atlanta has to be No. 1. It was something we had never accomplished before. We had already won the regular-season championship, became the first team to go 18-0 in SEC play and carried so much unfinished business into that season as four seniors.

Then we beat Kentucky for the third time, in what was probably the best game they played against us all year. Seeing the Kentucky fans leave Atlanta sad and angry, while we cut down the nets and put on those championship shirts, was a pretty great feeling. When I look at those pictures, I immediately feel that joy again.

When I see the pictures of us walking off the court in Gainesville, I feel more sadness. I also immediately notice that I’m barefoot, which everybody still gives me a hard time about.

There is a story behind that. We taped our ankles before games, and sometimes the tape would become unbearably irritating afterward. After that game, I went into the locker room and cut it off. My socks were completely soaked, and I was hoping one of the equipment managers would find me another pair. Understandably, everybody was busy celebrating, so I finally said, “Forget it, I’m going back out barefoot.”

Most basketball players do not have the prettiest feet in the world, so I have had to embrace that picture. Scottie, Will and Casey still clown me every time it comes up.

But winning the SEC Tournament remains the better moment, especially because of how it ended: Scottie getting the steal, stopping their best player and the championship ultimately being secured by our defense. That was the perfect ending for who we were as a team.

2. What have you used to keep a positive attitude after your accident four years ago?

Young: I’ve always been a pretty positive person. A lot of that came from how I was raised. My dad, my mom, and the people they surrounded me with always taught me to see each day as an opportunity and to look for the good in people. I didn’t always live that out perfectly, but optimism was something that had been poured into me long before my accident.

After the accident, though, I hit a place I’d never known. I felt desperate. I felt abandoned after my marriage fell apart. I was overwhelmed, depressed, scared, and grieving a life I thought I had lost. It was the first time I had ever experienced that depth of pain for that long.

During my stay in Denver, about five weeks after the accident, we were playing one of those conversation games, and the question was, “What would you title the season you’re in right now?”

The words that came to me were: “Do you believe God?”

Not just, Do you believe in God? But, Do you believe Him? Do I believe He’s still sovereign? Do I believe He’s still good? Do I believe what He says about me? Do I believe my story isn’t over?

That question became a turning point for me. I became determined to prove God right, not because I was mentally tougher than everyone else, but because I believed I still had a choice.

I also want people to know I didn’t do this alone. Sometimes people see resilience and assume it all comes from within. That wasn’t my story. I was surrounded by incredible people who loved me consistently, encouraged me, prayed for me, and reminded me that my worth had nothing to do with what I could do. They loved me simply because of who I was.

When you experience that kind of love, you eventually have to make a decision. I call it a pre-decision. You decide ahead of time who you’re going to be.

Mine was simple: I’m not going to let this destroy me. I’m going to use the very thing that almost destroyed me to become a beacon of hope for someone else.

That doesn’t mean it was easy. There were days I tried to stay busy just to distract myself from the trauma, and I don’t recommend that. Healing required me to actually face the pain.

Over these last five years, I’ve learned that God doesn’t ask us to control everything around us. He asks us to steward ourselves, our attitude, our choices, and our response.

This has been the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced. I would never minimize that. But I also wouldn’t trade the transformation that’s happened because of it. This is the cup I was given, and I’ve chosen to cherish it. My hope is that people see my story and realize they don’t have to let their circumstances determine whether they live a life of purpose, hope, and joy.

3. How are Todd Golden and Billy Donovan the same and different?

Young: I don’t have a deep enough relationship with Todd Golden to pretend I can give a complete comparison, and I think it’s important to be honest about that.

What I can say is that every interaction I’ve had with Coach Golden has left me with the impression that he’s authentic. He’s present wherever he is. He genuinely cares about the people around him, he wants to win, and he’s willing to listen. Those are qualities that players recognize and appreciate.

Obviously, Coach Golden and Coach Donovan coach in completely different eras. College basketball has changed dramatically with NIL, the transfer portal, and the way rosters are built. Their philosophies and approaches naturally reflect that.

What I can speak to firsthand is Billy Donovan’s coaching style. Coach Donovan demanded excellence every single day. He didn’t move on from a drill until we got it right.

I’ll never forget my junior year when we weren’t rebounding well. For about a month, our coaches put a cover over the rim during practice so the ball literally couldn’t go in. Every possession became a rebounding battle. Practice was brutal. We were crashing into each other every day, and I remember thinking the football team would’ve gained a whole new respect for what basketball players put ourselves through. Coach Donovan believed if something was a weakness, you attacked it until it became a strength.

From what I’ve seen, Coach Golden shares that same competitive DNA. He doesn’t lower his standards, and I don’t think Billy Donovan ever lowered his either. Coaches like that don’t recruit players they don’t believe in. They recruit them because they see potential, and then they push them to become the best version of themselves.

One difference I’d point to is personality. Coach Golden seems a little more outwardly emotional during games. Coach Donovan certainly worked the officials too, but in a different way. One of his favorite words was “absurd.” If he didn’t like a call, you were probably going to hear that word from the sideline.

More than anything, both coaches fight for their players. They expect a lot because they believe a lot. As a player, that’s exactly what you want. You want to know your coach believes in you enough to challenge you every day.

And I hope this comes across with the respect I intend. I’d love the opportunity to know Coach Golden even better over time, but based on everything I’ve seen so far, I’d play for him in a heartbeat.

4. Who have you leaned on to help you refine your skills as a broadcaster and radio star?

Young: I’ve been fortunate to learn from a lot of people because broadcasting really isn’t just one thing. It’s television, radio, writing, preparation, production, storytelling, and constantly learning how to communicate.

I’ve done radio with Sean Kelley, worked with 1010 XL, and had opportunities through the SEC Network that have allowed me to learn from people with very different styles. The truth is, I don’t have one person that I try to emulate.

During the season, I’m watching everybody. I’m watching SEC Network, ACC Network, College GameDay, Rece Davis, Marty Smith, Ron Slay, Pat Bradley, Daymeon Fishback and so many others. Every one of them has a different personality, a different rhythm, and a different way of connecting with an audience. I try to learn something from all of them while remembering that I can’t become any of them.

That lesson actually started long before broadcasting. Early in my speaking career, I’d watch people like Eric Thomas and Inky Johnson. They’re phenomenal communicators, but eventually I realized something important. You can learn from people without trying to become them. The goal isn’t to be the next someone else. The goal is to become the best version of yourself.

That mindset has been incredibly freeing on television.

One of the people who had the biggest impact on me early was Peter Burns. My first year at the SEC Network was a steep learning curve. I had been playing overseas, so while I followed Florida basketball, I hadn’t been following every coach, every roster move, every storyline across the conference.

One day during a segment, I kept mixing up a coach’s name. I was frustrated and beating myself up afterward. Peter pulled me aside and basically said, “Patric, we’re not curing diseases or saving lives. We’re here to inform people, entertain them, and give them a break from the pressures of life through sports. Give your best. Be authentic. People aren’t going to remember that you mixed up a name. They’ll remember whether you were genuine.”

That conversation changed the way I approached broadcasting.

It took a lot of pressure off and reminded me that authenticity matters more than perfection. If I’m prepared, humble enough to receive coaching, and confident enough to be myself, then I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

I’ve also learned not to be defensive when I receive feedback. Early on, that’s a natural reaction. But the producers, talent coaches, and executives who critique you aren’t trying to tear you down. They’re investing in you because they want you to succeed.

That’s still my mindset today. Keep learning. Stay coachable. Be a great teammate. And every time the light comes on, be the best version of Patric Young, because nobody else can do that.

5. Five takeaways from the SEC Media Days poll while trying to figure out why 164 of more than 1,000 accredited media bothered to vote

• Florida is about right at No. 9. Almost every magazine has the Gators ninth or 10^th.
• They followed my advice and picked Georgia. Texas wasn’t as close as we thought they’d be.
• When was the last time Alabama was picked sixth? Well, not since we got rid of divisions.
• Kentucky got a vote to win it all. Which is just dummy.
• Vanderbilt is underrated. Yes, it is the post-Pavia Era, but Clark Lea will finish better than 13^th.

6. This will happen this week

I will bore you with my frustration of being turned down by The Masters. This is the first time I applied for tickets. The rejection letter is lovely, but a bitter pill. Even though I covered the tourney nine times and played the course once. Calm down, buddy.

7. Hot take of the week

In the aftermath of the World Cup, I have to address one thing. It’s OK not to care about soccer except once every four years. This is still a free country and if you don’t want to play fantasy football or can’t understand why anyone would watch golf on TV or ignore the WNBA and laugh at people who care about spring MLB games, it’s just fine. If you hate the ping of the bat in college baseball and think swimming is boring and have fallen out of love with men’s tennis, don’t worry. What I am trying to say is there is no obligation to care about anything except what you care about. Hopefully, you care about college football or we can’t be friends.

8. Tweet of the week

Whoever sent this out at WRUF, well done: “Lebron James set to make less than Florida’s star player (Thomas Haugh) next season.” Technically correct.

9. Remote drop of the week

If you have never seen the movie “Dave” give it a look. Kevin Kline is awesome as is Frank Langella. It’s a very sweet movie.