Kicker Eddy Pineiro didn’t mince words when asked about the departure of Jim McElwain, the former Florida coach who arrived at his front doorstep for a visit the day after Florida’s loss to Alabama in the 2015 SEC Championship Game.
For Pineiro, although he remains focused on Florida’s final three games, McElwain’s parting is a gut punch.
“It’s horrible. It sucks because, you know, I feel like I lost a best friend,” Pineiro said. “The reason why I came here was because of him. So it hurt. It hurt a lot, but, I mean, you know we’ve got to win and this program expects a lot from the players and it’s all about winning at the end of the day.”
And while Pineiro may feel like a part of him is missing without McElwain, his ability to see the big picture is a large part of why fans have embraced the junior college transfer in under two years in Gainesville.
After his missed extra point played a role in Florida’s 17-16 loss to LSU, Pineiro received nothing but support from the Florida faithful — a far cry from the allegations of death threats that have engulfed the program in recent weeks.
“My parents told me they didn’t get any negative comments, no death threats, nothing like that,” Pineiro said. “Nothing negative. All the parents came up to my dad and mom and were just super supportive like ‘We still love Eddy’, and all the fans would go up to my parents because they know who they are and they were like ‘We still love him’, this and that. We’ve got a good fanbase here.”
And the cries from Florida fans hungry for wins? Pineiro doesn’t hold their fandom against them, instead assuring the disgruntled that better times are ahead for Florida. “Nobody likes to lose so people are frustrated, and I would be frustrated if I was a fan like how they are, to this program and stuff,” Pineiro said. “I know people are frustrated, and they just need to hold on and hopefully we get a good coach that comes in and we can win some games.”
Regardless of who is at the helm next season, Pineiro may not be providing the kicks. The redshirt junior needs to complete just two classes before graduation, and the NFL is becoming more than just a possibility for the Florida kicker. Pineiro is about the big picture.
“I didn’t even know I was draft eligible,” Pineiro said. “Yeah, maybe I’ll start thinking about it.
“That’s my dream, to get my family out of the struggle, that’s what it’s all about. I left soccer, the sport that I love, to give my parents a better life through football. Whatever it takes. If I need to play tennis, I’ll play tennis. Whatever gives my family a better life.”
Saturday
Who: Florida (3-5, 3-4 SEC) vs. South Carolina (6-3, 4-3)
When: 12 p.m.
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia
TV: CBS
Radio: 103.7-FM, AM-850
EDD-Y! EDD-Y! EDD-Y! EDD-Y!
Greatest kicker in Gator history!
Again evidence that our players are good, sound and wanting to compete and win. What is missing is true leadership at the top. This reflects the culture of easy, fake money at the top of the societal pyramid. God Bless the Eddys of the world. We need to make our leaders more accountable at UF. Title IX and Quantitative Easing are all bad for College Football.
I don’t know how much this proves anything. The fans love Eddy because he transformed a weak position that cost a lot of games into a strength immediately. He’s missed far fewer than he’s made, so of course the fans love him. I wonder if Austin Harden would have the same thing to say? Gator fans love you when you succeed, but beat the hell out of you when you don’t, just ask Franks.
Coaches are high paid mercenaries. The players are kids. While I might get frustrated by a kid’s play, and might talk about the kid, I would never be personal with the kid or his family.
Remember when the fans booed the Gators when SOS was the coach? Spurrier offered to resign and the booing stopped immediately. SOS said I know you are not booing the players so you must be booing me.
Florida’s fan base is no worse than any other top tier team fan base.
Franks isn’t done. And nobody I know of is bashing Franks, he’s frustrated that he lost the starting QB position. If he improves his play he will get the job back, possibly start next year. Anybody blaming Gator Nation for the failure of the team is totally wrong. I see it time after time, there is always somebody blaming the fans. Enough!
Great attitude, our team is lacking in player leadership, if he was a QB leadership would be better. I did wonder why those short kick offs, it seemed that someone would have had to told him to do that no matter what they claim. If he is leaving we better get another good kicker in this class.
This would be a huge loss for our team if Eddy were to leave. But he’s right, family always comes first.
It’s a shame we haven’t been in a position to use Eddy’s talent and skill to win a game at the end. Eddy, you’re the kind of player who makes Gator fans proud.
The LSU game was the height of pathetic. A whole quarter to get Eddie within 60 yards and we never came close. That is an embarrassment.
Why would anyone be upset at eddie? he is an alltime gator great to me. it was the hold (and we have a great holder) that went wrong at lsu. Great Kicker, the nfl is going to want him asap.
It looks like we’ll be seeing Eddy on Sundays. He is definatly fun to watch and cheer for.