Gators WR Kadarius Toney Realizing An Unknown Dream in NFL Draft
The path to football stardom looks different for every individual.
Some grow up with the belief that they will be in the NFL when they grow older, with large amounts of hard work and dedication to reach that end goal. Others take everything step by step, soak in the journey along the way, and — while still supplying the effort needed to reach the league — let the chips fall as they may as they climb the individual rungs on the ladder.
Florida Gators star wide receiver Kadarius Toney took the latter approach, taking an unorthodox route to the sports highest level.
Growing up with a humble beginning in Mobile (Ala), the Gators offered Toney in April of 2016. Instead of the feeling of accomplishment many who receive offers like that feel, Toney was attempting to piece together a definition of what that meant for him.
“It was more of me trying to figure out what an offer even is,” Toney said shortly after his pro day performance on Wednesday. “It started there, like, what do you get in an offer? What's that?”
The opportunity to play Division-I football is one that does not come for many athletes, but the chance Toney secured back in 2016 was one he was dead set on taking advantage of.
During the process, he told himself, “I’m seeing what I can actually do with my opportunity. And as soon as I found out, I took advantage.”
Taken advantage, he has.
After transitioning to a wide receiver almost immediately after arriving on Florida’s campus, Toney often flashed an unorthodox skill set in his first three years as a Gator, providing a game-changing prowess whenever the ball touched his hand. Despite the desire to utilize him in a higher capacity, his failure to adhere to the confines of one position made it difficult as Dan Mullen — who would arrive after Toney's freshman year — would need to draw up designed touches.
In 2020, the flip was, finally, switched on.
Toney would drastically improve upon the intricacies of the wide receiver position — namely the sureness of his hands and route-running ability — the uber-athletic playmaker would record a breakout season with UF.
Accounting for a team-leading 70 receptions and 1,145 yards from scrimmage, Toney would total 12 touchdowns on offense throughout the year — also recording a punt return touchdown against Kentucky and a rushing score versus Missouri. Possessing a rare talent to make the opposition miss and his big-play ability, Toney captivated the eyes of the audience for his four years in orange and blue.
An entertainment factor that will pay dividends at the next level if he can continue to perform in a similar capacity. With his knack for making memorable plays and the patience to continue perfecting his craft, Toney is in a position to realize a dream he never knew he had.
Attributing his ascension to where he is to the mentors he has had along the way, Toney spoke glowingly about the individuals that have aided him from back in Mobile.
“I just had a lot of good mentors, like in my city, that helped me out like my high school coaches, Lev Holly, coach Johnson, coach Goodwin. Shout out to them, for real, because they really kept me grounded and motivated throughout this whole process."
A process that culminated in his good showing at the Florida Gators pro day, Toney sits in a favorable spot as one of the more explosive and unpredictable wide receivers on the big board for the NFL Draft.
By taking everything step by step, Toney has remained confident in himself without the lofty expectations that others may have for themselves — as shown by his self-awareness to return to Florida for his senior season.
Now, the Human Joystick is in a position to climb up the next rung of the ladder of his career, as he sits in wait until April 29th when he'll hear his name called on the biggest stage in all of football.
