The Vandal football team consists of players from all around the globe — five countries and 16 states are represented by at least one player on the roster.
Most hail from California and Washington, with 24 players each, and Idaho isn’t far behind with 18. The state with the fourth most, though — it’s not even on this side of the Mississippi.
Idaho has seven players and one coach who will all be going home this weekend when the Vandals travel to Gainesville, Florida, to take on the Florida Gators.
“I’m just ready to go back home,” said Bradenton, Florida, native Jacob Sannon. “I have been waiting all summer for this … The humidity is going to be nice. Most people don’t like it, but I love humidity.”
Nathan Romans | Argonaut
Sophomore running back Richard Montgomery jogs along the sideline after a big run during Tuesday’s practice. Montgomery and the Vandals open the season Saturday at Florida.
It’s hard for kids to grow up in Florida and not do the famous “Gator Chomp” at least once. Idaho defensive back Jordan Grabski, who was teammates with Sannon at Southeast High School, has done more than a few “Gator Chomps” in his lifetime.
Grabski said he was born a Gator fan and attended many games growing up. He added that his room back home has Gator everything, including the paint.
“But I didn’t sleep in there when I went back home over break,” Grabski said. “This is the one month of my life that I have to hate the Gators, so I’m ready.”
Growing up a fan is one thing, but when Idaho defensive line coach Bam Hardmon returns to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium — otherwise known as The Swamp — it will be his first time as an enemy.
Hardmon played defensive end at Florida from 1999-2003, where he was team captain and an All-SEC selection. After attending a few games as a fan, he said this will be the first time he’s rooting for the opposing team — which is Idaho.
“I have so many memories to be honest with you,” Hardmon said of his time in Gainesville. “Anytime you come out of the tunnel, you slap the gator head, that’s always a great feeling there. And just the atmosphere, the fans, you hear the whole two-bit cheer that goes on there.”
While Hardmon got the opportunity to put on the Gator uniform, current Vandal players from Florida go into the game with a chip on their shoulders.
Sophomore running back and wide receiver Richard Montgomery, who calls Jacksonville, Florida, home, said he feels like schools down there passed up on him coming out of Atlantic Coast High School. He added that he’s over it, and ready to go to war as a Vandal.
Sannon said he’s excited about the Florida game and that Idaho moved into the Sun Belt, which mostly consist of schools located in the South. He said it gives him the chance to show the southern schools what they are missing out on.
“Yep, all the time,” said Sannon about having a chip on his shoulder. “I wasn’t sure how many games down South we were going to play, but to know there’s more is motivation for me, because I was down South and no one recruited me.”
Along with Hardmon, Montgomery, Sannon and Grabski, freshman defensive back Dorian Clark, freshman running back Aaron Duckworth, junior defensive lineman Max Martial and junior lineback Irving Steele return home to Florida as well.
It’s a big adjustment going from Florida to Moscow, and the lack of southern style food is what some players miss the most. Grabski made sure he’ll get his fix this weekend, and said he asked his family to bring him some southern food after the game.
Montgomery, however, wants to show his teammates real southern food.
“Yeah, I’ll show them how we get down in the South,” he said. “I’m looking for some down south food, probably like some Popeyes — that would be pretty nice. I might get some of that.”
Korbin McDonald can be reached at [email protected]