Former All-American Sharrif Floyd leaving Gators for NFL job
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Sharrif Floyd is leaving the Gators. The former All-American and first-round pick is taking a job with the Dallas Cowboys, a team he interned with prior to the 2022 football season, according to Field Yates and Todd Archer of ESPN.
Floyd spent time with the Cowboys prior to the 2022 season as part of the Bill Walsh Fellowship.
There he worked under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who coached Floyd at Florida. Floyd interned with the Cowboys for the entirety of training camp before returning to Gainesville to resume his student-assistant role with the Gators.
That internship proved fortuitous for Floyd, who will now get an opportunity to learn under his former defensive coordinator and get into coaching at the NFL level.
While a Gator, he was one of seven true freshmen to make a start in 2010. He garnered Freshman All-SEC honors after recording 23 tackles and 6.5 for a loss. Floyd started the final 11 games of his sophomore season at defensive end. He tied for the team lead with four quarterback hurries, totaled 46 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, a pass breakup, and a blocked kick.
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Floyd returns to Gainesville
Floyd took an opportunity to become the defensive coordinator at Ben Franklin High, back in his home state of Pennsylvania. It wasn’t long before Mullen was back on the phone to extend another opportunity, this one more permanent. Floyd returned to UF as a student assistant with Florida. That meant enrolling back at the University of Florida, classes in the morning, and then a myriad of tasks to help the football team. That would range from scouting opponents to helping then defensive line coach David Turner at practice.
Floyd commanded respect. Not by words or actions. His brick outside of the stadium and picture up on the wall of Florida Gator draft picks spoke for him. He was a tremendous resource for all of the defensive linemen at Florida.
“If anything, Reef is just a pillar of knowledge, to be honest with you. He’s done it, he’s been there. He has a brick outside the stadium. A first round draft pick. Whatever he tells me to do I’ll do it,” former Florida Gators defense lineman Antonio Valentino said at his pro day. “Whatever nuggets he gives me I use them. Reef has been a huge help. To be honest I don’t think I would be at this point if I didn’t have access to him. He’s been a huge asset for me personally and all of us.”
