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CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL: FLORIDA VS VIRGINIA

December 27, 2019

Josh Hammond

Miami Gardens, Florida

Q. What are your initial thoughts of South Florida, getting back down here and finishing your career?
JOSH HAMMOND: Oh, it's fun. I think a lot of guys have enjoyed the first couple days of being here. Excited to get back practicing. Had a couple days off, and I think we're just excited to get one last game together and go out there and execute and try to put on a show for all our fans.

Q. Personally does it feel like full circle?
JOSH HAMMOND: It does. Yesterday when I was practicing, my mom and a couple of my family members came to practice. It felt good to be back in South Florida for that one last time, getting back used to the heat, and just having fun out here, enjoying every moment, and I'm excited to be with my team in the Orange Bowl.

Q. (Indiscernible) does every senior go through it?
JOSH HAMMOND: Yeah, so the last practice we had in Gainesville, we called it a senior tackle. So every senior has to get up and speak and talk about what it meant for them to be a Florida Gator, and you get that one last tackle on the bag before you depart with that last practice in Gainesville.

Q. What was that like for you?
JOSH HAMMOND: It was cool. I think a lot of guys probably was just ready to go home because it was our first day before we go, so it kind of went a little faster than it probably should have. But everybody cherishes that moment. You know, it's exciting to finally move on and excited to take that next step and see what the future has for you. I think a lot of guys take advantage of it. I think a lot of people listened to what the seniors had to say. I think we mean a lot to the people on this team, and we're just excited to do the things we did for this team and come out here and play for each other.

Q. Still have one more game, but how would you sum up your career?
JOSH HAMMOND: I think it was really fun. I've enjoyed every moment here. I've been in a lot of ballgames. I've always done the things I can to try to help our team be successful. So I think I've worked really hard to put myself in this position. I think everybody on our team has worked really hard to put ourselves in this position. So we just want to come out and be able to continue to execute, play hard, and try to be successful come Monday.

Q. And then the last two years under Coach Mullen, how did you see the program evolve and what do you think is the trajectory of the program?
JOSH HAMMOND: Definitely. I think it's headed in the right direction. You can see the national prominence that the Florida Gators have at the moment, back to back New Year's Six bowls, 10-win season, getting top recruits in the recruiting game. It's definitely headed in the right direction. I think it'll be within the playoffs in the next couple years, and as long as they continue to work hard, I think they'll be fine.

Q. Coach says as far as a team being as good as it is, everyone has to be that way. Do you feel like this team maybe more so than any other teams you've been on has kind of embodied that?
JOSH HAMMOND: Definitely. You know, last year was kind of up and down because it's the first year. I think after seeing the success that we had last year with all the guys that bought in, you know, it only makes the young guys want to come in and buy in and do the same thing. Anybody else who's a part of this program wants to buy in just to be a part of something special. Everybody takes advantage of the opportunity. Everybody comes in, works hard, and we listen to what he says because we know he knows what he's doing, and we just try to listen to him, and we know he'll lead us where we want to go.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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