Marco Ortiz Paving the Way For Florida Gators Walk-Ons
Photo: Marco Ortiz, Jeremy Crawshaw; Credit: UF Football Communications
They're not the most popular on the team, nor will be voted the most likely to succeed. Oftentimes, they end up practicing only throughout the year with the scout team to give the other players something to work on as they get set for the next matchups.
Those players are walk-ons, players on a football team without a full-ride scholarship. Essentially, they're always battling to earn their keep, and don't get the most respect from observers, often not in the limelight. That's doubly the case for Florida Gators long snapper Marco Ortiz, playing a position that's often forgotten in a role that's forgotten as well as a walk-on player.
Of course, though, Ortiz would finally reap the rewards of his hard work for four years, earning a scholarship last year after the team's victory over Tennessee. Now, he, in a way, is leading the charge for his fellow walk-ons that would hope to one day earn the same scholarship that he did.
Meeting with reporters on Tuesday, Ortiz shared just what earning that scholarship meant to him and his family, something that's always been his goal.
"It was huge. You know, that was my goal. Obviously, when I came here, it was a big goal of mine and I accomplished it," Ortiz said when asked about the accomplishment. "And it's great just knowing that all my hard work has paid off and they’re recognizing it, and it's nice to know my parents don’t have to pay for college.”
Ortiz comes from a family of long snappers. Along with himself, his twin brother Antonio Ortiz is also a long snapper.
Their father was a long snapper for a brief time, too. If both Antonio and Marco get into the NFL, it'd be rare, the first twins to do so at that position. Antonio, after spending his collegiate career at TCU, is headed to the NFL this year, if he is signed or selected in this month's draft.
For now, Marco will continue his attempts at making it, while understanding how important it was for him to achieve the status of a scholarship athlete. The opportunities don't come often, but it appears that Gators coach Billy Napier is giving the walk-on players more of an opportunity than perhaps could be expected during the spring or otherwise.
"I've seen a lot more walk-ons get more team reps with the twos, like I would say. Maybe not the ones, but they're getting a lot more reps and, especially with special teams as well, and I just think he's gonna be using them more," Ortiz said of Napier and his usage of walk-on athletes.
"So, it's good because they deserve to be recognized. They’ve put so much work in and honestly, we couldn't do what we do without walk-ons.”
The Gators are currently undergoing a rebuild of sorts on its roster. That, coupled with transfers and other reasons for the attrition, walk-on players are going to be that much more valuable until Napier and his staff can bring in talented recruits over the coming years.
For Ortiz, he's already been the leader of the specialists during his time over the past couple of years in Gainesville, earning the starting LS duties after Brett Dioguardi graduated following the 2020 season. Now, he has an opportunity to lead another special group, showing the other walk-ons that it is possible.
"I would, being the leader of the specialists and now seeing me get on scholarship, hopefully, that can motivate them to ... it can happen if you just put the work in. It may take time, it took four years for me, but at the end of the day it’s worth it."
Certainly, everything was worth it for Ortiz.
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