Earl Okine is living the dream.
The Gainesville High defensive end signed a letter of intent Wednesday to become what he has always dreamed - a football player for the Gators.
As family and friends cheered around him, Okine got the chance to put it in writing, ending his high school football career and beginning his collegiate one.
As the National Signing Day ceremony went on, Okine's excitement to play for UF became more and more obvious.
Every time the Gators were mentioned, Okine would pause, take a breath and smile.
The four-star prospect hopes to join a group of Gainesville natives, including UF wide receiver Cornelius Ingram, that not only have played for the Gators but also have excelled.
Okine was the first member of UF's 2008 recruiting class, committing to the Gators on April 19, 2007. He already has sent in his official paperwork and enrolled at UF this semester, as many early commits do.
Gainesville High coach Eddy Moore thinks Okine can definitely join those other Gainesville greats, adding that he acts more as a specialist in his position rather than an example of pure athleticism.
"He's meant to play defensive end," Moore said.
Okine has the advantage of being the only true high school defensive end in the Gators' recruiting class this year, but he will face competition from Hoover (Ala.) Spain Park High linebacker William Green, who will most likely switch over to play defensive end, and sophomore Jermaine Cunningham.
When he met Okine - at that time an unusually large freshman - Moore knew that he was going to grow to be an elite player.
"He's like a Rottweiler puppy," Moore said. "At first he's clumsy, but you always know that inside him is this potential to be something special."
James Okine, Earl's father, never thought his son would grow to be 6 feet 5 inches and 250 pounds, let alone play American football at a major university.
Before Earl was born, James Okine came to America from Ghana to get an education. He now works as a pharmacist for Shands at UF, where Earl was born.
While extremely proud of his son, Okine hopes that Earl will continue on a path of excellence not only on the football field but also in the classroom.
"Our family philosophy is education," James Okine said. "Now it looks like he can be the best football player as well as the best educated person."
Earl said that he really enjoyed how UF coach Urban Meyer got to know his family well, something coaches from other schools did not do.
For Meyer, it's important to start recruiting local talent early.
"You better take care of home before you go anywhere else," Meyer said. "That's a sign of a problem if a guy from your back door goes somewhere else."
It seemed, however, that Earl's mind was made before the recruiting process even began.
"It's always been my dream to play for UF," he said. "I never really wanted to go anywhere else."
