Martez Ivey on 2017 loss to UGA: 'I wasn’t going to leave after that'
ATLANTA, GA. -- When signing with the Gators as the nation's top-ranked offensive tackle back in 2015, Martez Ivey envisioned himself making an early splash and putting in three seasons prior to making the leap to the NFL.
The Apopka (Fla.) native has started in 31 games over three years, including each game in 2017, and was eligible for the 2018 NFL Draft, but opted to return to Gainesville for his final year. Not only does staying put allow Ivey to season up his craft and boost his draft stock, but he'll also get to fulfill his potential in the classroom.
"I mean, that’s what everybody says; I’m out in three years," Ivey said. "Highly-recruited, every kid is going to leave early, but sometimes you have to face reality. It doesn’t happen that way, and I faced that reality and it happened that way.
"But I’m also glad I came back for my fourth year, getting a chance to graduate as well. You know I also get a chance to leave a different legacy than what we left last year."
The Gators certainly fell short of their expectations during Jim McElwain's final season. Florida constructed a 4-7 record on the season, with just three wins coming from SEC play. Individual performance consumes the draft process, but Ivey says it was too difficult to flip to the next chapter following the team's dismal 2017 season.
“Oh yeah, definitely; it was part of it," Ivey on if the Gators' season played a factor in his return. "I’m not a person to sit here and lose games. I don’t like to lose. I hate losing more than I like winning."
Was there a point in the season when Ivey's decision was truly solidified?
“Twenty-one to zero against Georgia," Ivey replied. "I wasn’t going to leave after that.”
That 2017 loss to the Bulldogs was obviously under the guidance of Jim McElwain, but Ivey says there wasn't much recruiting once the keys were presented to Dan Mullen.
“They didn’t convince me to come back; it was on me," Ivey said. Four and seven is a bad taste and I didn’t want to leave that taste in my mouth.”
Once both parties made contact, Ivey says the message from Dan Mullen was simple and straight to the point, striking a chord with the in-state product. Ivey is relishing his role as a leader, and teammates are taking notice of his approach and falling in line as well.
“When I came back, he did tell me, ‘I want 100 percent. I don’t want no basically half-butting around,'" Ivey said. "I was like, 'if I come back, I’m going to give you 100 in everything I do.' That’s just how I was raised coming from high school, giving 100 percent.
"I just feel like I just proved to myself that I have to work every day and prove to my teammates that I’m going to be here. I’m going to work and they can count on me to do my job. The harder I work, that reflects on other people and makes them work harder, so that’s what I’m doing and that’s how I’m trying to prove to my team my work-ethic.”
Nick Savage, who is doing wonders as UF's strength and conditioning coach, has played a critical part in Ivey's offseason tranformation. The former five-star prospect arrived in Gainesville as a protoypical left tackle with a frame expected to expand nicely, and now everything is starting to fall into place when it's most important.
"I weighed like 270-260 at Apopka," Ivey said. "With the new staff, I have grown tremendously. I see my body different and they came out. Remember when the players posted those pictures online about how much they’ve changed in three months?
"I see more change in three months than I was here for three years. That's why I stayed around now."
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