SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA DAYS

July 17, 2024

Montrell Johnson Jr.

Florida Gators

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We have our final Gator of the afternoon, save the best for last, we have Montrell and he is ready for questions.

Q. I had a different question but after hearing from Coach Napier, how is the video game going?

MONTRELL JOHNSON JR.: It's going extremely good, I feel like the Swamp looks great on it as well.

Q. How is the pre-season, a lot of pressure or excitement?

MONTRELL JOHNSON JR.: In the looker room it's very exciting. The upcoming schedule, I feel like the guys are using it as motivation and looking at it as 12 opportunities to prove ourselves to the nation.

Q. Montrell, for Oklahoma's sake they know every SEC road game is going to be a dog fight. What's it like playing on the road in the SEC and what's the toughest venue you've played in so far?

MONTRELL JOHNSON JR.: It's tough playing on the road in the SEC. You gotta come with it, every time you do. The toughest stadium I played in is Tennessee by far, the checkerboard audience, the way the ground shakes when the fans are screaming and stuff like that. That made it very tough for us that year.

Q. What were some of the things that Graham did when he arrived at Florida to establish himself as a leader and went over to the locker room, and would you say he has evolved as a leader on this Florida team?

MONTRELL JOHNSON JR.: Most definitely. His first year here I was quiet, because he just got there but that next year he had to fire up, I'm here now, I've established myself in the offense and he's spoken out more and called guys out.

Q. What do you think the most exciting thing about SEC football is?

MONTRELL JOHNSON JR.: Man, I think it's the stadiums, the fans, I feel like the fans make it the most exciting. Just playing in the Swamp every home game, it's very surreal to me all those fans out there cheering for me.

Q. Montrell, you had one of your compadres leave to Georgia. Do you relish this chance to get the ball more maybe?

MONTRELL JOHNSON JR.: Ask that question again.

Q. One of your compadres left to go to Georgia. Do you relish the task of getting the ball more?

MONTRELL JOHNSON JR.: I expect to get the ball more coming into the future this next season. I'm not too worried about it, because I feel like I can hold the load on my own and just going out there and making sure I play mistake-free football.

Q. Oklahoma and Texas play in the Cotton Bowel every year, neutral site. What's it like playing in Jacksonville when you play that big game, neutral site, two fan bases? Explain to me what it's like playing that game every year.

MONTRELL JOHNSON JR.: It's great playing that game every year, knowing that you're playing in an NFL stadium, the game is so big that you have to play at a neutral site makes it more amazing, and knowing that the stadium is half and half, blue and red, it makes the atmosphere more amazing.

Q. Who is somebody on the team that we may not know right now who has impressed you with the work they have done this off-season, could have a break-out year for Florida?

MONTRELL JOHNSON JR.: I would say Jadan Baugh, our freshman running back. He's been shocking me every single day the way he preps, coming to work every day, and the way he attacks. Him being a freshman is kind of surprising to me.

Q. What's Coach Napier like on a regular basis, day to day?

MONTRELL JOHNSON JR.: Napier is very chill. You always see him around the facility smiling, laughing with people. He's a very chill individual.

Q. Do you have some skills you want to display this season that we haven't seen in the past? Pass catching, anything?

MONTRELL JOHNSON JR.: I would say my catching ability. Honestly, I just want to catch more balls out of the backfield and just get in space more and show my ability to, you know, make the first defender miss, stuff like that.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Montrell, appreciate it. Good job.

MONTRELL JOHNSON JR.: Thank you guys.