It wasn't a game-winner or an acrobatic toe-tapping touchdown reception, but the two-yard TD grab that wideout Justin Shorter reeled in against Missouri will be a memorable catch in his career.
You always remember your first — especially when you’ve waited three years to score.
“Man, it’s been so long. I’ve been working so hard," said Shorter, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Penn State. “So it feels great to just go out there and finally get my first one. I got a little taste of it, so now I just want to get more and more.”
The former five-star recruit from Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, hasn’t had an easy journey through college to this point.
He left the Nittany Lions last November after not getting enough opportunities in their offense, his father told Gators Territory. Shorter made three starts in seven games played last year, catching 12 balls for 137 yards.
He committed to Florida in late January and patiently waited for months to hear from the NCAA regarding his 2020 eligibility. Two weeks before the season opener, Shorter received the coveted news and the Gators had yet another weapon at their disposal in the receiving corps.
“It’s so important because we have so many different weapons, and I feel like a lot of people don’t even realize just how many weapons we really have,” Shorter said. “Trent Whittemore, Xzavier Henderson and myself, and even Rick Wells, Jordan Pouncey. We have real weapons on our team, and it’s just good to see everyone getting targets and the ball being thrown around to give everyone a chance to show what they can do.”
At 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, Shorter has looked the part of a prototypical SEC receiver. He's contributed in every game so far this season and now has eight grabs for 48 yards, including his score against Mizzou.
With that first touchdown as a Gator now officially in the books, Shorter’s hungry for more opportunities.
"Every single day, I wake up and I work my heart out, every single day morning to night time," Shorter said. “So it just feels great to get that first one, but I’m always humbled.
“I’m going to continuously keep my head down and work. … Hopefully next week versus Georgia I can go out and try to get me at least one more, two more.”
