GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Lacedrick Brunson's life has changed.

One can easily point to spring as the turning point, when Brunson started turning heads on the practice field; or even at Florida's media day, when defensive coordinator Todd Grantham told reporters that Brunson had impressed him the most this offseason.

No.

Brunson's life changed three months ago, when the Gators linebacker held his son, Lacedrick Brunson Jr., for the first time.

"It's unexplainable," Brunson said. "I really have a child. I made him."

"I remember the day I called him when he had the baby," said linebackers coach Christian Robinson. "I just said everything is going to be different from this point on."

"It gives me a bigger chip on my shoulder," said Brunson. "I have to work for him. It's not just about me now. I got to provide for my family. I got to provide for my son."

"Even in the anticipation of the baby being born, you started to see how he had his stuff in line," said Robinson. "He never shows up late. He is always coachable. He sits right next to me, and he is taking notes...You can see that he is more mature than some guys his age."

"When he first came in here, he had a lot of learning to do," said linebacker David Reese. "And thats a guy that has his head in the books and took care of business. I'm excited about that kid."

Brunson took every opportunity and ran with them.

"I've changed my work ethic," he said. "Every workout and practice I'm trying to work hard. I know I'm here for a reason to work and get better every day."

Brunson quickly became a key member of Florida's special teams unit - totaling seven tackles on the year.

"Special teams was an opportunity for me to prove myself," said Brunson. "Every time I stepped on the field for kick off, I'm making sure I'm running as fast as I can - making sure they see how much I want to play, and that I can do more for the team to help us win."

In the offseason Brunson took to the weight room - shedding 10 pounds and four percent of body fat in order to become stronger and quicker.

“I feel lighter on my feet," said Brunson. " Like after practice I feel better, just like less weight on my body. I feel great out there.”

"He just went to work," said Robinson. "You never heard one complaint. He just came in and asked questions on how to execute what we asked him to do and then learned other people's jobs and that creates depth because I trust him."

"I think he's made the biggest jump since we have been here from being a guy that wasn't quite with it," said Grantham. "What I mean by with it is, wasn't, wasn't maybe keeping up and kind of got left a little bit. But he kept working hard and he got into special teams and making plays. And now he's a part of our rotation with our inside backers, and he's a guy that we're going to count on to give us some snaps at some point this year."

"You just see a confidence in where he fits in the scheme. He is actually playing both inside linebackers position for us, providing depth," added Robinson. "He might be the only guy, since I've been here, that has been playing both and looks like he is able to play both.

"I tell him that the value of a linebacker as a quarterback is that you make the people around you better, and he is doing that."

Relegated to special teams and limited defensive snaps, others would have transferred in Brunson's shoes. However, that thought did not cross his mind.

“Trust the process knowing all the hard work is going to pay off," said Brunson. "Keep grinding every day, because somebody is going to find you.”

"You are trying to tell kids in a day and time that it's about me, me, me, to put the team above everything else," said Robinson. "Sticking with us, I'm proud of being his coach. Everything he does, he gives effort. I never have to tell him to go hard. I never have to tell where to be on time. He just cares. He loves the Florida Gator, and I'm glad he is here."

Brunson sees the bigger picture.

He embodies the selfless part of football, a trait strengthened by his son's birth.

"I have a child and I get to raise him and build him into a man," said Brunson. "I just take pride in that, and I am going to work hard to provide him a future."