It was the morning of Jan. 9, and Gainesville was still partying.
One night earlier, the Gators claimed their second-ever national title with a victory against Ohio State, and seemingly everyone in the Gator Nation was beaming with joy.
Everyone except Kestahn Moore.
"You're talking about a moment that was the height of all of our careers - winning the national championship," Gators running backs coach Stan Drayton said. "The very next day you wake up and talk to Kestahn Moore, and you still feel the frustration that he had about his level of play and his whole approach to last season. When it was time to go back into that weight room and spring workouts, he was a beast. He went from not contributing to being one of the leaders on this football team."
Meet the reborn Kestahn Moore. Drayton said the negativity of past running units no longer drags Moore down.
Now he's first on the depth chart at running back and second behind quarterback Tim Tebow on the "Gators Effort Board" - a system that ranks players based on work ethic.
"He's practicing at a tempo that I've never seen," Drayton said. "There were some attitudes in previous groups before we got here - that old mentality that they didn't have to work hard. 'We're ballers. We're going to show up on game day and be a great back.' He kind of fell into that mold. If you're around negativity, it seeps into you a little bit."
After a solid freshman campaign, fumble woes plagued Moore throughout last season, and it was time for a new approach
"It was a hard experience," Moore said. "Every person has those hard years that you got to pick up from. Last year wasn't a good year for me, but Coach Meyer was looking for that one guy, which he didn't have. I knew I had to make a change."
Moore's new attitude has trickled down the depth chart.
Behind Moore is wide receiver Jarred Fayson, who has spent the off-season adapting to the tailback position. Fayson averaged 9 yards per carry last season, gaining 126 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries.
Sophomore Brandon James, who spent last season as a kickoff and punt return specialist, is also competing for playing time behind Moore. Listed at 5-foot-6, 181 pounds, James has been questioned because of his size.
"The one thing that [James] is bringing to the table right now is a combination of hard work and enthusiasm," Drayton said. "He has become more elusive, if you can believe it or not. He has really upgraded his game in the open field. He's breaking tackles with that little frame."
Freshman running back Chris Rainey has impressed Meyer in practice, and the coach said Rainey would definitely see playing time this season. Still, Meyer has expressed concern about Rainey?s 5-foot-9, 156-pound frame. He said he would use Rainey in special roles because the freshman may not be able to handle the blocking duties of a starting tailback.
"He?s an elusive guy," Meyer said. "We're putting him on the peanut butter sandwich diet seven times a day so he can take a hit."
Freshman Bo Williams and redshirt freshman Chevon Walker round out the running back depth chart, but they will probably see limited carries.
