The commitment Greg Reid made to the UF football coaches in February had been in the works for all 17 years of his life.
Born and raised in Valdosta, Ga., Reid can't remember any point when he wasn't a Gator.
"Honestly, the only thing I really knew as a kid was rooting for them," Reid said. "It made my decision a pretty easy one."
The Lowndes High athlete's love for UF hasn't kept rival coaches away from him though. As a junior, Reid has received scholarship offers from schools such as Florida State and Georgia, but his mind was already made up.
When UF tight ends coach John Hevesy contacted Reid with the Gators' interest, it wasn't a difficult sell to make him the first commitment of the 2009 recruiting class, and their relationship has continued to grow in the time since his commitment.
"We talked about spring practice, my family and just about everything," Reid said. "I met his wife and his kids when I was down there. He's honest with me. I've listened to other coaches and him talk to me, and they're completely different. He's one of the few coaches that hasn't beaten around the bush with me."
The question about Reid is what position he will play when he gets on campus.
He is rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, and his 5-foot-9, 178-pound frame leaves him the opportunity to play cornerback, running back or slot receiver. He has excelled at all three of those spots in high school in addition to returning kicks and playing quarterback in his team's "Tebow set."
"I want to play defense," Reid said. "I love being part of a defensive team. Everyone knows that defense wins championships. I get pumped the most when I make a big play on defense."
During his junior year, Reid was selected Georgia's AAAAA player of the year. His legend in the Valdosta area has grown consistently in the last few seasons, according to HTF Sports Performance trainer Fred King, who has trained Reid since early in his high school career.
"Everyone used to talk about him before his freshman season even started," King said. "His sophomore year was when people started to find out who he was."
King has seen Reid's knowledge of the game increase since he entered high school and believes the sky is the limit if he continues to work hard.
"He's always had a knack for being around the ball and making special plays," King said. "He's just continued to work hard and progress. He isn't scared of any kind of challenge."
The breakout performance for Reid came in the 2007 Georgia Class AAAAA State Championship game.
He ran for 191 yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion, intercepted a pass, blocked an extra point and all but ended the opposition's hopes on the first play from scrimmage - a 91-yard touchdown scamper after a teammate slipped on the opening kickoff.
That's the type of play people are used to seeing out of Reid. His team has its back pinned against the wall, and Reid does something out of the ordinary to put it right back in the game. Reid's trainer has shown him some things to do on the field, but the rest is raw talent.
"I might show him a move to use when he's got the ball, but I always tell him that's all I can do," King said. "He has to know when to use it, and he does that because of his playmaking ability. The way he makes big plays is just that. He knows when to make the right cut at the right time."
Reid's focus is on winning another state championship in the fall, but he can't help but let his mind wander toward national title aspirations for the 2009 season.
"I'm not going to Florida to lose," Reid said. "I want to make sure everyone knows that."
The past three recruiting classes under head coach Urban Meyer have been ranked among the top in the country. Reid is going to do his part to make sure his class is as highly ranked as the others.
"I just want to get other recruits to take a visit to Gainesville, and the fight is over," Reid said. "The Gators' coaches and I don't even have to do much because the school sells itself. There's nothing like it."
Reid still has to play his senior season in high school, but he already can't wait until the first game he runs out of the tunnel at The Swamp.
"I don't know what I'm going to do," Reid said. "It's so loud. I've known that ever since my first day there. I walk in The Swamp, and all I see is people."
