Having to watch Florida’s season opener against Toledo on Aug. 31 from the sidelines was painful for Jon Halapio.
Being forced to sit through a loss against Miami a week later was torture.
But after missing the first two games of the season, the senior right guard will return for No. 19 Florida (1-1) to face Tennessee (2-1) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
“Sitting out the last two games was really long,” Halapio said.
“It was the longest two weeks of my life.”
Prior to this season, Halapio was the epitome of consistency for the Gators. The 6-foot-3, 320-pound St. Petersburg native played in 41 games (33 starts) during his career at Florida.
His 27 consecutive starts were the most on the team.
Halapio, a second-team All-Southeastern Conference pick, expected to be the anchor of Florida’s offensive line before an offseason injury clouded his plans. He suffered a partially torn pectoral muscle while lifting weights in July.
“We were doing max-out benching one day,” he said. “I came down and basically ripped my [pectoral muscle].”
The injury cost him all of fall camp and the first two games of the season.
To quicken his recovery, Halapio received a platelet-rich plasma injection and hours of medical treatment from Florida’s athletic training staff.
Because the tear has not fully healed, Halapio will wear a brace consisting of a sleeve and multiple straps that combine to stabilize his shoulder and prevent it from rotating too far backward while he plays against the Volunteers.
“It’s still going to be weak, so it could still tear at any time,” said Halapio, who also admitted endurance could be an issue early in his return.
“They’re telling me that’s the down side of it. But the brace helps really well. Practicing last week and this week was a confidence-booster for me, so I don’t have no concern.”
Halapio’s return should help bolster UF’s rushing attack. Through two games, the Gators have averaged the third-fewest yards on the ground in the SEC.
During Florida’s 21-16 loss to Miami on Sept. 7, the Gators were bottled up for 122 rushing yards on 44 carries — an average of just 2.8 yards per attempt.
“Having Halapio back is a big thing,” running back Mack Brown said. “We missed him early in the first two games. He’s a beast, man.”
Added fullback Hunter Joyer: “[Halapio] is one of the guys we look to on the offense. He’s a leader on the line. The other guys on the line look up to him. It will be nice to have him back.”
Florida also received good news pertaining to the rest of the offensive line. Left tackle D.J. Humphries (knee) is expected to return for Tennessee after missing the second half against Miami. Right tackle Tyler Moore (ankle) is probable to play against the Volunteers.
Center Jon Harrison and left guard Max Garcia, who were each banged up against the Hurricanes, were not mentioned by coach Will Muschamp on Wednesday and should be fully healthy. Florida expects to have its entire starting offensive line healthy for the first time this season.
“It feels good to be out there with everybody else,” Halapio said. “I’ve got to knock the rust off and get back in the swing of things real fast.”
Follow Phil Heilman on Twitter @phillip_heilman.
Jon Halapio runs during Florida’s 37-26 win against Florida State on Nov. 24 in Doak Campbell Stadium. Halapio is expected to make his season debut on Saturday.
