GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- It was the second quarter of Florida's game against Kentucky. The Gators were ahead 10-7 and the Wildcats were driving down the field.

Tedarrell Slaton came down his gap wrong and UK's Benny Snell made him pay by running down the field for 44-yards.

"I knew as soon as it happened," Slaton recounted. "At that point it was like nothing I could do."

CJ Henderson would save the drive by intercepting Terry Wilson, however, Slaton's season took a turn. After starting for Florida in the opener against Charleston Southern, the defensive lineman soon saw him replaced as the starter.

"Coach [Todd] Grantham came up to me, he was just like ‘We’re not doing this because we don’t like you, we’re just doing this ‘cause it’s a part of the game, and this situation,’" said Slaton. "But he was just telling me to not look down upon yourself because we took it away from you. Just work to get better and fight for it.”

Slaton used this one moment to spur him forward.

"It still does stick [with you]."

It was his fire to become better.

Slaton admits that he struggled to learn defensive coordinator Todd Grantham's defense.

“Last year he came in, me having to learn a new defense it was kind of tough for me at first because I learn different from everybody else," explained Slaton. "It took me awhile to pick up defenses and really understand why he was running certain plays."

Slaton is a visual learner. He needs someone to show him the correct technique, play rather than just telling him how it works.

"It's like, ok 'coach when we get on the field can you show me how you want me to step if I'm stepping too much to the side?'"

Step in Florida defensive tackle Kyree Campbell.

"If you know what you're doing, you are going to play fast, so it's just being able to get in the books and study, study, study," said Campbell. "Thats what was our focus [with Elijah Conliffe and Slaton]."

So thats what Campbell did with Slaton.

"Me and Ree, me and Ree like best friends," said Slaton. "I used to live with him last year but now we don't stay together anymore. We both got one bedroom apartments but we stay right around the corner from each other.

"See last year, I was at 3 but now me and him are both at Nose. You know it's different because I didn't really know Nose like that, because we do more than what the 3 does, so he's helped me, like put me in certain places so that's been good."

Once he embraced his role as a leader, Campbell took his responsibility seriously- which means being there for his fellow teammate and best friend.

They first needed to have their bodies right for the season.

"We want to play fast this year," said Campbell, "so we got down."

Both of them made personal goals in the weight room: Campbell dropped down about 20 pounds, Slaton shed 30.

"Me and TJ, we cut out eating fried foods for about, I want to say about a month or two," said Campbell. " I think that's really where he lost all of my weight and I think I lost all of mine too."

“I just started eating smaller portions of whatever I was eating at the time," said Slaton. "Usually if I packed a big meal to take home, I probably wouldn’t eat most of it, I would eat a quarter of it and that’s it. Drink more water to fill in the open spaces.”

Weight was always an issue for Slaton, however, this offseason Slaton took the initiative to change.

"They was on me about losing weight and stuff like that. But then when I just came to realize what I want my future to be, so it’s a commitment thing.”

"He is taking it seriously," said Campbell. "I can see that he has really bought into the program now. He is always with me and he is always asking questions. I believe that he wants it."

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Slaton soon saw the difference on the field.

"I’m not as tired as I usually would be. But that just what comes from putting the work in," he said. "It just made it easier for me to be quicker off the ball. Not so much me working on my speed, just me being faster.

"I’m still working on getting in shape. I just got my weight down, now I got to get my endurance up. "

“I've seen a lot of progress," said defensive lineman Adam Shuler. "Progress in work ethic, progress in finishing, which is all what [defensive line] Coach [David] Turner has embedded; that finish, finish, finish mentality in us. I think we are all starting to pick up on it.”

"Slaton has progressed a lot," added Campbell. "He has down pat his technique, and I'm 100 percent sure y'all are going to be very surprised this season."

Slaton received a shock to the system when he was pulled. However, that 44-yard run is always on the back of his mind.

A reminder that he needs to commit to the process.

"It put me down but it also motivated me to get better," he said.