Walking onto the UF campus his freshman year, Eddie Lovett didn’t see track and field as his future.
Lovett was thrilled to run track, but his main focus was football.
But three years later, as a senior, he’s the only four-time Southeastern Conference champion in the 60-meter hurdles.
“Winning four in a row is something that I never really thought about,” Lovett said.
“I never really tried to put that pressure on myself. But just these last two years my coach and I really talked about staying undefeated, and that is what I did.”
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Before Lovett came to UF, he played football with former Gators defensive back and current Baltimore Ravens safety Matt Elam at Palm Beach Lakes High in West Palm Beach.
Lovett first met Elam through his family before the two met each other back in high school.
Elam, a second-year NFL player, played with Lovett during their freshman and sophomore years at Palm Beach Lakes. The two athletes also ran track together.
Lovett started as a quarterback but switched to wide receiver, where Elam thought he was a threat.
Elam said when Lovett switched to wide receiver, his speed made him a deep threat who could go up and make the tough plays.
He was one of the top players on the team and had several colleges scouting him, including Central Michigan and Western Michigan.
Lovett was highly interested in both Michigan schools that approached him.
One of the things Elam recognized about his high school teammate was his ability to silence the critics.
In the end, scouts thought Lovett wasn’t talented enough for Division I football.
Elam said he respects his teammate a lot because he overcame a lot of negativity, which helped him become the track star he is today.
“A lot of people doubted him,” Elam said.
“He kept on competing and he never gave up. He made sure he silenced the people who doubted him.
“I just feel like his competitiveness and the way he worked helped him overcome that.”
One thing Elam will always remember about Lovett was that he was truly an intense competitor.
The duo drifted apart after Elam transferred to West Palm Beach William T. Dwyer High, but the two reunited at UF on two different teams.
Lovett said he looked up to Elam during their duration at UF, and that both men encouraged and motivated each other as athletes and friends.
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But what happened with that chance at playing college football after being looked at by colleges?
Lovett’s football career came to an end after he suffered a broken arm during his senior year of high school.
Despite the injury, he still competed during the track season and won a state title.
But deep inside, when the West Palm Beach native arrived in Gainesville, he still wanted to strap on football pads and a helmet.
“When I first got here, I was excited to run track, but I wanted to play football,” Lovett said. “I even talked to [coach Mike Holloway] about it, and he gave me his words and I thought about it, but once the (track) season started and after SECs, it was just kind of like, ‘Let me see where this goes.’”
Under Holloway’s guidance, Lovett has created an unexpected life path by succeeding in track.
Witnessing the maturation process of one of his finest athletes, Holloway knows Lovett as well as anyone else.
“If you look at Eddie’s performances over his career here, he’s done a wonderful job of understanding that it’s not about being the best in the country at a meet,” Holloway said.
“It’s about being the best guy in the country at the national championships.”
The same athlete who was intimidated as a freshman by other elite hurdlers such as LSU’s Barrett Nugent — a two-time NCAA champion — has overcome those nerves and become that intimidating competitor.
The senior hurdler accrued a numerous amount of awards throughout his collegiate career.
Lovett is the Gators’ record-holder in the 60-meter hurdles and 55-meter hurdles with times of 7.50 and 7.10, respectively.
He is only the second Florida athlete to attempt a four-peat and the first to accomplish it.
“I pretty much give credit to a lot of my ability to a higher power, to God, and just what I believe his purpose is for me and using the abilities I have,” Lovett said. “Before I get on the blocks, I basically say, ‘God, lead my steps.’
“I speak to my dad, I say a prayer to him and that’s about it, and just get ready for the race and however it happens, it happens.”
Saying a prayer to his dad, who was murdered in July of 2012 in the Virgin Islands, has motivated Lovett to be the best.
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From being a two-time gold medalist for USA and Virgin Islands in separate competitions to being one of UF’s all-time great athletes, is it possible to see Lovett at the Olympic stage come Summer 2016?
Once having dreams of playing on the gridiron to becoming a track stud, when it comes to Eddie Lovett, his background speaks for itself.
“I definitely see myself going to the next few worlds and Olympics and (having) success,” he said, “I don’t know how much success, but I definitely see it and definitely believe that it’s possible.”
Follow Lawrence Laguna on Twitter @LagunaLawrence
Eddie Lovett leaps over a hurdle during an NCAA East Preliminary Round in Greensboro, N.C., on May 24, 2013. Lovett played with former UF safety Matt Elam in high school.
