Hunter Joyer didn’t mind stepping out of the spotlight.
In fact, he did it willingly.
“I really don’t care,” Joyer said. “That doesn’t bother me at all. I’m not looking for TV time or my name to be talked about a lot. I just want the team to do well.”
The sophomore fullback had been a running back his entire life before coming to Florida. During his senior season at Tampa Catholic High, Joyer led the team with 84 carries for 496 yards and five touchdowns.
In 19 games as a Gator, Joyer has carried the ball just 20 times.
With reduced carries came an exponentially increased blocking responsibility. Although Joyer had never blocked before, he embraced his new role.
“I just felt like that’s the reason that I’m here,” Joyer said. “I’m not here to get touches, get carries. I didn’t really know any fundamentals, but it wasn’t extremely difficult to pick up. It’s not too easy. It’s not as easy as people probably think it is.”
Offensive coordinator Brent Pease said that Joyer is doing more than just throwing a block at the first defender he sees. He’s taking the scheme into account and deciding which defender he should pick up.
“He’s fitting blocks well and his guys aren’t making tackles,” Pease said. “I mean not just for Jeff (Driskel), but he’s done it for Mike (Gillislee).”
Joyer’s natural blocking ability has cleared the way for Gillislee this season. Florida’s starting running back leads all Southeastern Conference backs with 615 rushing yards. Joyer said he enjoys being the lead blocker for Gillislee.
“I think we all do,” Joyer said of taking pride in Gillislee’s statistics. “All of us, the offensive line as well, because it’s more of a team thing. But he’s still a great back, he deserves all the credit and everything for what he does.”
Another job that often falls on Joyer’s shoulders is protecting Driskel when he drops back to pass. On Saturday against South Carolina, that may entail blocking Jadeveon Clowney. The 6-foot-6, 256-pound sophomore defensive end is second in the SEC in both sacks and tackles for loss. Joyer said the task is a challenge he’s not shying away from.
“He’s a phenomenal player,” Joyer said of Clowney. “Probably one of the best in the nation, overall, so I really look forward to it.”
Whether he is humbly accepting a switch to a less glamorous position or eagerly taking on a tough blocking assignment, Joyer displays a willingness to do whatever the offense asks of him. His head coach appreciates it.
“He’s a very unselfish player and epitomizes what we want here at Florida,” coach Will Muschamp said.
Contact Josh Jurnovoy at jjurnovoy@alligator.org.
Sophomore fullback Hunter Joyer (41) blocks for quarterback Jeff Driskel (6) during Florida’s 31-17 victory against Vanderbilt on Saturday at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. Joyer has been the unsung hero in a much improved UF rushing attack.
