There was a glaring, 6-6, 250-pound hole in the Florida Gators’ offense last weekend.

Despite warming up and looking good on the field leading up to Florida’s game against LSU, junior tight end Kyle Pitts was not allowed to play in the game. Relegated to blue sweatpants and his jersey pulled tightly over a blue hoodie, Pitts was forced to watch as the offense turned the ball over three times and lost to LSU.

Pitts sustained a minor injury against Tennessee and was held out of practice all week. Still, he was determined to try and play what could be his final game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Ultimately the decision wasn’t left to him.

“It was kind of a game-time decision. The medical professionals made that call,” Pitts said on a teleconference Monday afternoon. "I trust them. We all trust them. I went along with their decision.”

Not having a player like Pitts on the field is a tall task to get over. The tight end was lobbying both Dan Mullen and the training staff to play but wasn’t able to make the final call. There is his future to keep in mind and like when a baseball manager comes out to take a pitcher, whose pitch count has gotten too high, out of the game, sometimes you need a coach or a trainer to protect the player from himself.

We don’t know the extent of Pitts’ injury, but he did say that his future, one that will have him drafted in the first round this year, was part of the reason he didn’t play against LSU.

“That was a big part I had to realize, they're looking out for the future, not just this one game. Although we do have more games to play, I have more football to play after I leave the university,” he said. “Like I said, I trusted their judgment. They knew what was best for me.”

Pitts is back on the practice field this week as the Florida Gators prepare for Alabama and the SEC Championship game. To beat the 17-point favorite Crimson Tide, the Gators will need every tool at their disposal, and Pitts is the biggest advantage they have.

“He's a fantastic player. His size and speed and athleticism, all those things make it very difficult to guard the guy. He's a very versatile player. He can play tight end, he can play on the line, he can play off the ball, out as a receiver,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said. “They move him around a lot. Creates a lot of issues and problems for you, no doubt. Probably as well as anybody we played against for a long time.”