Antonio Morrison fits the part of a linebacker.
Standing at 6-foot-1 and 229 pounds, he’s a human wrecking ball looking to deal out punishment with every tackle and has a personality that can be difficult to tolerate.
For instance, during his sophomore season, he was arrested for resisting arrest and barking at a police dog — his defense being that the dog barked first.
If you’re looking for Mr. Nice Guy, Antonio isn’t your man.
"On the field, he likes to hit hard," center Cam Dillard said. "Sometimes, he likes to talk. Other than that, he’s a linebacker. What do you expect?"
But there’s more to Antonio than that.
Despite his outward persona, there isn’t a more selfless or motivated player on Florida’s football team.
And as he prepares to play his last game in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday against Florida State during Senior Day, he’ll be the guy all his teammates look to for leadership — no matter if it’s a warm-up exercise during practice or a crucial third down play in the final minutes of the game.
Just don’t mention it to Antonio — he would never admit that’s the case.
• • •
"Fierce competitor."
Those are the first words that come to mind when John Ivlow thinks about Antonio.
Ivlow, a former NFL running back and Antonio’s high school coach at Bolingbrook High — a school just southwest of Chicago — knows all about talented football players.
Ivlow has 32 former players on current college rosters, from the likes of Minnesota, Notre Dame, Ohio State and more.
But few have been as talented or as driven as Antonio, whom Ivlow said could always be found either in the gym or on the football field.
"My best football players over the years aren’t there to make friends," Ivlow said.
"They’re not there to please or impress anybody. They’re there to bust their butts, win as many games as they can and get themselves a full-ride scholarship. And that’s what (Antonio) was about."
Once he became an upperclassman, Antonio took ownership of the defense, always pushing his teammates to test the limits of how hard they could go.
And once his determination was put on display, it was tough for teammates not to follow suit.
The result: a state championship in Antonio’s senior season.
"They worked," Ivlow said. "They all had that goal, that vision of where they wanted to go, and they got there all right. ... I guess it was kinda contagious."
• • •
Antonio’s work ethic has continued to be contagious at Florida.
If the team shows up to practice without enough energy in opening warm-ups, Antonio will make everyone start over again and do it right.
Even if the offense needs a pep talk during a game, Antonio will step up to the plate and say something.
It may not always be what his teammates want to hear, but sometimes it’s the message they need to hear.
"You may not like what he says, but he’s upfront and honest," linebackers coach Randy Shannon said. "A lot of people don’t want to hear the truth. Antonio is that type of guy, but he’s going to hold himself accountable, too.
"When he knows he’s screwing up, he’ll tell you he’s screwing up. …That’s the greatest thing about Antonio. He’s the pulse of the team because he’s honest."
The senior certainly doesn’t sugarcoat anything.
Sometimes the manner in which he gets his message across can make him seem like a jerk, but it’s just the way he’s wired.
And while he might show it differently, McElwain said he believes Antonio has a natural gift for leadership, even if he doesn’t realize it.
"The one thing that isn’t different about people who are leaders is they have an ability to affect the people around them and motivate and get people to follow what you’re doing," McElwain said. "He’s got that. Whatever ‘it’ is, he has it in that category and that’s what makes him so special."
But again, Antonio is quick to undersell that notion.
"We’re filled (with) leaders," he said. "Everybody on that defense is a leader. I call guys out, guys call me out. It doesn’t matter what year they’re in — freshman, sophomore, it doesn’t matter."
• • •
Antonio’s recovery from a devastating knee injury has been written about countless times this season.
He suffered the injury during Florida’s bowl game in January and was expected to need nearly a full calendar year to get back to full strength.
Yet there he was on opening night against New Mexico State, starting in the heart of the Gators’ defense as if he had never missed a day.
The process to get there wasn’t so easy, however, and coach Jim McElwain has taken every chance he can to praise Antonio’s work ethic and drive to successfully pull off an "unbelievable" and "miraculous" recovery.
"I can’t say enough good stuff about this guy," McElwain said. "My hat’s off to that guy for what he did giving up himself for this team to be good."
The more telling part about the senior linebacker, though, is how he has responded time and again to all the praise he has gotten.
"Injuries are part of the game," Antonio said when asked about how much he had to overcome during the offseason. "That’s what I signed up for. You’re going to get injured. Just rehabbed, now I’m playing."
He then quickly turned the attention to the other linebackers on the team, mentioning them all by name and stating "they’re all going to be better than me," despite the fact that he himself was coming off a 100-tackle season — the school’s first since Brandon Spikes in 2007.
It’s that type of attitude that has endeared him to his teammates and coaches.
It’s that type of attitude Florida will sorely miss when he’s gone.
Everyone who is part of the team realizes it.
Except Antonio.
"Y’all going to be forgetting my name probably next year," he said when talking about all the young talent this team has and will have in the future.
With someone so central to the fiber of this team, the odds of that are pretty slim.
"That guy’s the heart and soul, man," McElwain said.
Follow Graham Hack on Twitter @graham_hack24
UF's Antonio Morrison (3) pursues an FAU player during Florida's 20-14 overtime win against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 21, 2015, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
