Joey Slackman Pursuing Career as Offensive Lineman in NFL

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Joey Slackman is making a change as he pursues a career in the NFL.

The former Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year (2023) turned Florida Gators' "Football Guy," Slackman has been cross-training as an interior offensive lineman while training at his usual defensive tackle spot.

The revelation came during the senior's Pro Day on Thursday, but the training dates back to after the team's regular season finale against FSU.

"I got some feedback from the league in December between Florida State and the bowl game about the possibility of me playing o-line. I talked with my agent, and I was just saying, 'Sure. I'll do whatever a team wants me to be.' I'm not ruling out playing d-line either, but whatever position a team wants me to be, that's what my role is," Slackman said.

Slackman was seen training at both guard and center during the event while working on pass sets with fellow offensive line prospect Brandon Crenswhaw-Dickson and former Gator Max Garcia, who is looking to make a comeback in the league and working on snaps off to the side.

While he played defensive tackle in college, Slackman does have a history on the offensive side of the ball as a guard in high school, and he believes his collegiate wrestling background could translate as he re-learns the techniques.

"The movements are opposite from everything I did as a d-lineman. So, it's a little awkward, but I felt like I did well today," he said. "I mean, I get my best effort, and I've been practicing it for the last couple months, so it felt pretty smooth."

At 6-foot-3.5 and weighing 300 pounds, Slackman is slightly underneath the NFL average of 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds, but Florida believes his training and the commitment to the position change could be successful in the long run.

"This will be a long-term commitment from a big picture standpoint, but what a competitor, what an incredible leader. Just a blue-collar tough guy," head coach Billy Napier said. "So, I'm excited for Joey. If he was available now as a young player, we'd take him as a center/guard."

The process has been a multi-faceted investment from Florida, too, as Slackman credited offensive line coach Rob Sale, All-American center Jake Slaughter and Knijeah Harris for giving him tips and tricks before he left the program along with Crenshaw-Dickson, who specifically helped Slackman during Thursday's Pro Day.

"I think he did a great job today, definitely with his feet," Crenshaw-Dickson said. "We talked a little bit about it just like and timing, you know, where to place his feet. You know, it's a little different switching from defensive line to offensive line, so, but I think he definitely enjoyed it. Definitely turned a lot of heads today."

Slackman would agree with Crenshaw-Dickson about turning heads. Although he isn't sure where he may end up at the next level, he remains open to any opportunity that may arise, whether it be on offense or defense.

"Seems like I did well. I mean, teams have told me that they were surprised that I did it," he explained. "A lot of teams didn't know that I was training for it, which I think is a good thing to be surprised by that kind of thing at a big event like this. So I did the best that I could. I felt like teams were surprised by how smooth it looked. I think that was thing I was most proud of, just that like I felt like it looked like how it's supposed to look doing offensive line drills, and that was my goal."

The 2025 NFL Draft begins with Round One on Thursday, April 24 and concludes with Rounds 4-7 the following Saturday in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

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