SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: FLORIDA VS ALABAMA

December 19, 2020

Kadarius Toney

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Florida Gators

THE MODERATOR: Who has the first question for Kadarius?

Q. This is the first time we've talked to you all season. Take us through a little bit through your progress. I know it's tough to talk about after a loss.

KADARIUS TONEY: I feel like I made a lot of strides through learning and practicing from Coach Billy Gonzales, just running different routes, different patterns, different ways to get open. I feel like I got more into that, took off I guess. I guess you could say that.

Q. In the first half, you were responsible for 70% of the yards. Did you feel you were going to be the one to have to carry it?

KADARIUS TONEY: Honestly, not really. I feel like the offense is not just based through one person. I think everybody got to hold up their end. We basically just have to execute clean.

Q. How emotional and exciting a game was that to be a part of?

KADARIUS TONEY: It was very exciting just to be here because I can't name the last time I even came here. This is my first year actually having this experience, embarking on this journey with these guys.

It's kind of exciting. It just didn't come out the way we wanted it to. You can look at it that way, but as far as getting to it, doing different things, it was pretty neat.

Q. What kind of tone does this set for the future? Went toe-to-toe with big, bad Alabama.

KADARIUS TONEY: I think it should set the tone for the next few years to come because these guys are going to know the standard, know what it take to get there. It should just drive them to go harder.

Q. What did you do during the shutdown and the off-season to transform yourself?

KADARIUS TONEY: Just a lot of mental preparation. Through the break, it was mental, locking in on the playbook, locking in with the coaches, getting extra maybe film sessions or something like that. I guess you could say it became natural through teaching, I guess.

Q. The JUGS Machine?

KADARIUS TONEY: No, no, sir.

Q. With the spotlight on you a lot this year, more so than it has been, what did you learn about yourself this year?

KADARIUS TONEY: I learned that along with my mind, as long as I'm focused in other words, I feel like I can do anything.

Q. What does it mean to you being from Mobile, to get a chance to go home and play in this game?

KADARIUS TONEY: I feel like that's very exciting. Something I'm looking forward to doing because I came Tulane the last time I actually been home, because all the stuff that go on there. I'm really looking forward to going there and showcasing my talents.

Q. The last two weeks disappointing. Your senior season, it's obviously been hard, are you satisfied with the team and happy with the way you guys played all year?

KADARIUS TONEY: Yeah, I feel like I'm satisfied. But we can always get better, always execute cleaner, always make the plays when they need to be made. You know what I mean?

Q. That jerk route that you've run throughout the season, tell me about how you consistently separate so well.

KADARIUS TONEY: It's all about patience when you're running a route like that because you have to wait on the defender to make his move, react off that.

Q. Do you feel your elusiveness has allowed you to develop something like that?

KADARIUS TONEY: Yes, I feel like with Coach G, working on footwork drills, different stuff, I feel like he help me take off to another level, as you guys saw.

Q. Didn't your mom go into labor with you at the Senior Bowl?

KADARIUS TONEY: Yeah, something like that I think (laughter). I think I was ready to come out, and she was at the Senior Bowl.

Q. When did you realize this off-season that this could be the year you've been working towards, that this offense could be this special?

KADARIUS TONEY: Once we got in the groove of just practicing after all the shutdown and stuff like that, after I realized and looked at the team after maybe a couple weeks of camp and stuff like that, the way we was moving around, coming together, I just feel like it was one of those years.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.