“Be a Blair.” West Chester University head basketball coach Damien Blair’s signature catchphrase he uses with his athletic family means giving 100% effort and not letting anything going on around you affect you.
Now, Autumn Blair has taken “being a Blair” to the next level, taking strides to propel Florida lacrosse forward in her freshman year as an attacker.
Her father, Damien, coaches a prominent Division II men's basketball program, the same one he used to play for in college. Her mother met Damien while playing basketball at the same university, and her brothers, Hunter, Dylan and Hayden, also play basketball.
But Autumn wasn’t interested in basketball. She instead has loved lacrosse since the fourth grade.
As No. 6 Florida lacrosse (11-2, 3-0 Big 12) reaches the midseason mark, the team’s dynamic has shifted, including a revolving door of starting goalkeepers and draw specialists, but one of the most notable differences is Autumn’s impact.
“She’s a student of the game,” said Florida head coach Amanda O’Leary. “She’s a worker; she understands what it takes to be successful.”
The Downingtown, Pennsylvania, native has played in every game this season, but it became clear following the Scotland Exhibition on Feb. 18 that she had earned a spot.
Autumn became one of the first players off the bench in the games that followed and has gone on to start against Kennesaw State, conference opponent Arizona State, the University of South Florida and conference opponent San Diego State on Saturday.
She has tallied 12 goals and two assists this season. Her best game thus far came against Arizona State on March 29, when she played 60 minutes, scored two goals and recovered one ground ball.
Among her 14 other freshman and redshirt-freshman teammates, she is the only one who has started at least four games and has posted more than 11 goals. Following closely behind is midfielder Caroline Hoskins with two game starts and 11 total career goals.
She has recorded points in nine games, excluding matchups against No.17 Michigan, No. 7 Clemson, Penn and South Florida.
“We put balls in Autumn’s hands a lot,” O’Leary said. “We put her in really critical positions.”
O’Leary added that she is only a freshman, but the coaching staff asks a lot of her, and she delivers.
Autumn struggled with her confidence early in the season, and it was difficult for her to get comfortable and find her place among the team, she said.
But one factor in her improvement was her coaches' growing trust in her.
“I know that they hold me at a high standard, and I just have to believe in myself as much as they believe in me,” Autumn said.
A veteran who has helped Autumn find her confidence was junior midfielder and team captain Gabbi Koury. The pair played against each other in high school, and Koury helped Autumn’s transition to Florida.
“I kind of always looked up to her,” Autumn said. “I wanted to be just like her.”
Koury gives her feedback after any play, whether it was good or bad, and helps her find ways to improve, Autumn said.
Another veteran who played a part in her development was senior defender Theresa Bragg. Bragg is Florida’s best match-up defender, earning Big 12 Preseason Co-Defender of the Year honors.
Autumn was injured at the beginning of the fall and was out for much of the early practices. In her first practice back, she was paired up for a one-on-one drill against Bragg.
“It did not end well,” Autumn said. “It was kind of just a slap in the face, like here you are, you’ve worked for this and now you have to play your ass off.”
Clearly, the wake-up call served her well. Following her performances against No. 10 Navy and Stetson in March, Autumn received Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors.
Before Florida, she was a four-star recruit, according to Inside Lacrosse, and was part of the Gators’ fifth-ranked recruiting class in the country. Autumn was also No. 41 on the ILWomen Class of 2025 Freshman Power 100 Rankings.
She was originally recruited as a midfielder but later transitioned to an attacker.
Damien said that even as a young lacrosse player, Autumn was aggressive and always wanted to win, like her mother, Carolyn Blair, who played professional soccer after college.
He describes her as having a bubbly personality but being a fierce competitor.
“The thing that I remember most about her is that she’s always singing,” Damien said.
Carolyn said that Autumn is determined, hilarious and can make anyone laugh, even in the midst of the seriousness and pressure of gruelling season.
Now, Autumn will continue to focus on contributing to the team’s success as it returns home to host Jacksonville in Donald R. Dizney Stadium at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Contact Coral Uzgiden at cuzgiden@alligator.org. Follow her on X @coraluzgiden.
Coral is a sophomore Sports Journalism student in her first semester with the Alligator covering Lacrosse. She also has experience writing for WRUF and covering beats such as high school football and Gators swim and dive. She is an intern for the Women of the Lowcountry and in her free time enjoys playing waterpolo, going to the gym and being outside.
