Reactions to Marcell Harris news pour in expressing tough loss for Gator defense
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Florida’s odds to defend its back-to-back SEC East titles just took a hit as the team’s leading tackler Marcell Harris has been ruled out for the season. Harris will miss the season after tearing his ACL in a team run, the team announced Thursday.
Head coach Jim McElwain issued the following statement expressing his disappointment upon hearing the news.
“As a coach this is one of the hardest things you are faced with,” McElwain said. “Here is a kid who has made great personal growth during his time here and has really matured both on and off the field. It is tough to see a player invest so much in himself and his teammates and have this happen, but I do know that we will support him every step of the way as he works through this injury.”
McElwain wasn’t the only one to publicly issue thoughts on the news. Following the announcement, the loss of Harris was trending on Twitter:
Impossible to overstate how big a loss Marcell Harris is for the #Gators. He and Duke Dawson were 1A and 1B.
— Thomas Goldkamp (@ThomasGoldkamp) July 20, 2017
Big loss for #Gators defense as UF announces Marcell Harris out for 2017 season with torn achilles tendon.
— Andy Olson (@ByAndrewOlson) July 20, 2017
Huge blow for 5th-year senior. Team's leading tackler in 2016. https://t.co/KMEXgEqSnV
— Edgar Thompson (@osgators) July 20, 2017
Man … https://t.co/O0Nx166MiH
— Mike Huguenin (@MikeHuguenin) July 20, 2017
Big loss for Florida secondary that had three players drafted in first 53 picks of 2017 draft https://t.co/ZQQXlpoGYs
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) July 20, 2017
Big loss here —> https://t.co/ap85UbG5DI
— George Schroeder (@GeorgeSchroeder) July 20, 2017
Big hit for the Florida defense: https://t.co/uIfiZt5sWp
— Brent Zwerneman (@BrentZwerneman) July 20, 2017
Huge hit for Florida secondary. https://t.co/B4UM9r1Qsq
— Jen Smith (@ByJenSmith) July 20, 2017
Brutal, brutal, brutal. https://t.co/fYYhfZDUrt
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) July 20, 2017
Florida's defense took a major hit with the news that starting S Marcell Harris is out for the season with a… https://t.co/ZgEdVMGH6F
— Edward Aschoff (@AschoffESPN) July 20, 2017
Disappointed for #Gators S Marcell Harris and his season-ending injury. He was pumped to get started at SEC MD. Young secondary gets younger
— Scott Carter (@GatorsScott) July 20, 2017
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
