John Brantley must feel comfortable wearing that crown by now.
On Saturday, when Brantley is expected to make his triumphant return against Georgia, he will be greeted to cheers fit for a king. Here he is, Gator Nation: your quarterback, your leader, your savior.
But he shouldn’t carry that burden. Expectations shouldn’t be this high. He has played one half against a good team this season, yet fans and pundits consider him one of the best players in the Southeastern Conference.
Crown him.
Brantley will shoulder that responsibility come Saturday, because he always has, because he has never had another choice. From the day he signed with Florida in 2007, Brantley has been the Gators’ future.
Never mind that some elite recruits simply don’t pan out. Brantley was going to fill Tim Tebow’s shoes perfectly. Before Tebow even left, before Brantley even took a meaningful snap, Florida’s backup was one of the top-five passers in the SEC, according to the “experts.”
Crown him.
Then, he actually started playing games. Fans wanted to bury him. He was no Tebow, no Rex Grossman or Danny Wuerffel or Chris Leak. He was just … just … average.
That wasn’t Brantley’s fault. He never proclaimed himself the King of the South, never asked to wear the crown. At media day before last season, he said he was, “Just a regular guy from Ocala.” That’s right, Ocala.
Still, expectations were cranked up by opening day. Brantley wasn’t supposed to just perform; he was supposed to change the way Florida played football. Last season was a case study in preseason hype gone haywire.
More than anything, the university’s propaganda machine is to blame. Practices were closed. Nobody saw what the quarterback could actually do. Instead, we heard about Brantley from his teammates and coaches.
What were they going to say? Of course they hyped him. Of course they said his passes were perfect, his approach cerebral. And of course everyone ate it up in August. Newspapers needed to fill space. Radio stations needed to fill time.
Crown him.
Fast forward to last spring. Fans said Brantley was terrible, said that kid Driskel was going to unseat him with a big arm and some quick feet. Then, the hype machine started cranking. Again.
This was different. This was a pro-style offense. Brantley was a perfect fit. He is smart, accurate, comfortable. Now, us outsiders were going to see the real John Brantley, a gunslinger.
Crown him.
He went 4 of 14 in the spring game, and everyone scratched their heads. How could this be? Of course, that was the offensive line’s fault — too many were injured. And that was a legitimate excuse; Brantley was chased all afternoon.
Then came fall camp. Brantley was in control, and he was playing toward redemption.
Crown him.
Now, Florida is preparing for its eighth game of the season. Now, Brantley will save them.
And, of course, that is partially true. The Gators need a veteran quarterback; anyone who watched the last three games knows that.
But don’t force Brantley to carry that cross. Before the Alabama game, nobody knew how he would handle a legitimate SEC defense. Then, he passed for 190 yards in one half. Apparently, those 30 minutes proved enough.
Crown him, I guess.
Contact Tyler Jett at tjett@alligator.org.
