PHOTO: Gators’ QB Graham Mertz poses with Florida icon Tim Tebow and more ahead of Week 1 showdown
Graham Mertz is preparing for his game this weekend against the Miami Hurricanes.
Before that sunshine-state showdown, however, the quarterback was seen with Gator icons Tim Tebow, Danny Wuerffel, Leanne Wong and Caeleb Dressel.
Tebow was hired by ESPN in 2013 as a college football analyst and engages in philanthropic work alongside his wife, Demi-Leigh Tebow. Like Wuerffel, Tebow was awarded the Heisman Trophy and became the first sophomore to secure the achievement.
Graham Mertz aims to not get flustered against the Miami Hurricanes
The Gators QB is ready to face the Miami Hurricanes in his final CFB opener this Saturday. During his six-year college career with Wisconsin and Florida, Mertz has become a big game veteran.
When he arrived in Gainesville, Graham Mertz was unfamiliar with the long-standing rivalry between Florida and Miami. However, he has embraced the matchup. He had these words for Sports Illustrated regarding the in-state feud:
"They don't like each other? Florida and Miami don't like each other? I think the first week I got down here, I saw a Miami fan and a Florida fan getting into it on Twitter. Really into it. I think you play this game for these experiences. You play 'em for the big game, the big one at home, the big away one. I think back to any game I've played that's a big game, it all comes down to what team is going to execute."
Miami's front seven is a formidable group, with players like Rueben Bain capable of disrupting the Gators' game plan. Mertz recognizes that but is not intimidated.
"I played a lot of teams that have a lot of really talented front sevens, secondaries. For me, I try to look at more the why behind what they're doing. I would dive into a lot of that. Say a team plays a lot of man. Why do they play a lot of man? Why do they play zone? Learning the why being called on defense, not just the players."
Graham Mertz is determined to begin his final year with a signature win.
Are you excited to watch the Hurricanes take on the Gators? Let us know in the discussion box.