Parting Shots: Leak during the Meyer Era

After each season GatorBait.net talks to several of the top departing seniors and early entry juniors for a Q&A series we call Parting Shots. Until now, players have been the focus. However, today we'll go in a different direction and take a look at a player's career through the eyes of a parent. Curtis Leak, the father of Chris Leak, gives us his perspective on his son's career as a Gator.

GatorBait.net: When Urban Meyer was named the coach, knowing the offense he ran, were there some worries?

Curtis Leak: "When Urban was hired, the other schools that had recruited Chris – and I'm not going to name any names – started going through different avenues to get in touch with us. Friends would call friends and a coach would call another coach and it would eventually get back to us that so and so wanted to talk about Chris' situation. They knew he could come in and redshirt and still have two years of eligibility. They wanted to sway us to transfer out.

"They talked about Urban's system, how he was going to come in and run Chris fifteen times a game and he would get injured and he wouldn't be passing the ball. We heard all kinds of stories."

GatorBait.net: Did Meyer get a chance to talk to you and your family immediately after the hire to maybe put your mind at ease?

Curtis Leak: "He addressed those issues with us and he was very truthful about what he expected from his quarterbacks."

GatorBait.net: What was your initial impression of Meyer?

Curtis Leak: "He's a very straightforward person. My initial impression holds true to this very day. This family loves Urban Meyer for what he did for our son and that's the truth right there."

GatorBait.net: Chris took some criticism because he wasn't a running quarterback. Have you ever been to a game or around fans or read or heard something that you thought was completely unfair or over the top and wanted to say something about it?

Curtis Leak: "No. When you're the parent of a quarterback, you learn that you have to have some thick skin. I remember back in high school on the night that they knew Chris was going to break the national touchdown passes record, there were parents in the stands who wanted Chris to throw the record breaking pass to their son. Then why did he do this or why didn't he do that. That was a crazy experience to sit there and listen to what some of the parents had to say.

"The Florida fans are basically football fans and a lot of the time they say things because they have a passion for the Gators. (Laughing) A lot of times they boo and then they'll cheer the next minute. The same with the way they react to the coach. That's part of it.

"We were proud of everything Chris did at Florida and the adversity he went through was part of the growing up experience. Do you want to hear your son being criticized or booed? No. But you understand where it's coming from and deal with it."

GatorBait.net: Talking about being a football parent. How much politics goes on behind the scenes - player's parents unhappy with playing time or lobbying for this and that?

Curtis Leak: "I see it and I hear about it and in my opinion I think its wrong. As a parent you want and have the right to know what's going on with your child, but you have to let the coach, coach.

"The parents don't know the first thing about what's going on with the team, the plays being called, or what the game plan is.

"It goes on a lot, but I tried to lead by example and give the coaches room to coach my son. My trust in them doing the right thing is why I agreed to allow my son to go there in the first place.

"You see or hear about a parent talking about this player playing when their son isn't or that their son isn't being used the right way. As a parent you have to get out of the way and hope the coach does what he says he's going to do."

GatorBait.net: When Chris first came to UF, he was for lack of a better phrase, quiet as a mouse. Cornelius said he was like that around the team as well. Was he like that growing up?

Curtis Leak: (Laughing) "Well it's not that he's standoffish, it's that he's respectful. He doesn't talk to draw attention to himself or talk over people so it appears as though he's quieter than he really is.

"He's respectful of others – he doesn't need to be at the center of attention. He always allowed his actions to speak louder than his words. People who are quiet sometimes get judged the wrong way.

"Chris has always been the type of person who sits back and takes everything in and if he has something to add, he'll say it. Some people just talk to be heard, Chris has never been that way."

GatorBait.net: He certainly opened up over the last year - what brought on that change?

Curtis Leak: "I think the thing is he's learned to trust situations more, so that he could speak up. He measures his words so that he doesn't give a quote to the media that they can take it and run with it. I think he's become more comfortable in that setting – trusting that what he says won't be taken the wrong way.

"Another thing is Urban Meyer had a lot to do with that. Chris had the thought process of, 'I'm just going to be quiet and let everyone else have their say' and Meyer wanted to change that.

"Chris has always been the type that if you ask him a question he'll answer it – he'll give his opinion. But he's not a guy that's going to talk for the sake of talking. That's just not his personality."

GatorBait.net: What do you think Urban Meyer has meant to Chris both personally and in a football sense?

Curtis Leak: "I think Urban has been a great inspiration and influence on Chris. I speak for my wife on this too. There is a certain moxy that Urban has that rubs off on you if you're around him enough. There's a certain way he carries himself and a certain respect that he demands.

"He respects people and he demands respect."

"Those are the things about him that Chris came away with from him. The thing about being more vocal. Urban is a real vocal guy and speaks his mind, but again, he does it in a respectful way and I think that's another thing Chris can take from him."

GatorBait.net: Do you think it was hard for Chris to see the way Tim Tebow was cheered when he came on the field and embraced by the Gator Nation. Hear some of the cheering Tebow got and some booing when he left the field and Chris came back on?

Curtis Leak: "If you're Chris – you've graduated in three in a half years, you're one of the hardest working players on the team, you've done everything the right way and you're still hearing some of the crowd reaction that you're hearing.

"You would have to not be a human being to not be affected by that in some way. It is a test of your character. If you're cheered does your head get big and you're bigger than life? Then on the flip side, if you're booed, do you get down on yourself? You have to be grounded and know who you are. All you can do is accept the situation and keep working through it while realizing fans are going to be fans.

"Chris is his own man, he'll hold things like that to himself. If I talk to him about a situation, he'll open up a little bit, but he's not the type to lean on anyone else."

GatorBait.net: Earlier in the year a national columnist (Mike Freeman) insinuated that maybe there was some racism at play with the fans at the University of Florida perhaps not fully accepting Chris. You immediately disputed that. What were your feelings on that?

Curtis Leak: "Everyone has an opinion that they are entitled to. There might have been ten to fifteen people who may have booed out of racism, but my God that stadium holds ninety thousand. You can't judge an entire fan base as racists because they booed Chris. That's just as wrong. Quarterbacks get booed, that's a fact of life. You can't look at that and call it racism, you can't look at that and call it anything but passionate football fans."

GatorBait.net: What is your proudest moment over the last four years?

Curtis Leak: "When Chris graduated on December 16th – that was a special, special day for the Leak family. He did it in three and a half years. He was just so proud of himself.

"When your kids do something that makes them that proud, you are just so happy for them. I still get emotional thinking about some of the things that have happened for Chris in the last few months.

"It wasn't just that he graduated, it was the way in which he handled himself while he was at Florida. I guarantee you the Leak family couldn't have asked for anything more from him."

GatorBait.net: Moving on to the next level, the knock as far as the pro game has always been his height. What is he hearing so far?

Curtis Leak: "Surprising enough, I think the height is more of a public perception. Teams want different things from their quarterbacks, but I think Chris has an advantage in that he can stand in the pocket, he can roll out – he can make plays.

"Teams like him, whether they pick him the first day or the second day, nobody knows. There is plenty of interest in him. He had twenty-three interviews at the combine."