It was like a scene out of a movie.
Joe Haden picked up a ball and tossed it across the practice field to UF coach Urban Meyer.
"That thing came at me, tight spiral and hot. I said 'Do that again.' He did, and ever since then Scot (Loeffler, UF quarterbacks coach) has been talking to me about it," Meyer said.
Meyer was so impressed with the cornerback's arm that he opted to name Haden the team's new Wildcat quarterback this fall.
The junior defensive standout is no stranger to playing with the ball in his hands.
Before moving to cornerback as a freshman, Haden starred as a quarterback at Maryland's Friendly High.
Haden, the first true freshman to start at cornerback for UF on opening day (2007), threw for 2,783 yards as a senior, set a Maryland public school record with 7,371 career passing yards and tied the career mark for touchdown passes with 80.
"I can really throw," Haden said. "I used to really play quarterback. It's not like I'm a defensive back trying to play quarterback."
As a high school recruit, Haden was sold on UF partially because he thought he would have a chance to play both ways.
Now, more than two years later, he may finally get his chance.
"It was a little part of the plan, but when I got here and they had Tebow, that put an end to that," Haden said. "I've always told coach Meyer I wanted to get back on that side (of the ball), even if it was just two plays or something like that. When I'm playing it, running plays, that just brings back memories."
Haden has started 26 games at corner for the Gators.
He has 24 pass breakups and four interceptions - including an 88-yard return against Georgia last year.
The 5-foot-11, 190 pound Haden has been staying after practice to throw with quarterbacks Tim Tebow and John Brantley and says there is a very real chance he could put the Heisman Trophy winner on the sideline for at least couple plays each game, though Loeffler said he has not worked with Haden in practice.
"I'm not going to steal (Tebow's job)," Haden said. "I'm going to borrow it for a second."
