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Florida's Josh Hammond reflects on his career, including Billy G’s impact, workouts with Louis Murphy and Percy Harvin, why he hates cookies and cream milkshakes and how he became “Old-Man Hamm.” (Associated Press)
GAINESVILLE — To anyone who knows Josh Hammond, it’s no surprise that he’s a captain on the Florida football team and a designated speaker for the weekly Monday press conference.
Not just because the starting slot receiver is a senior or looks way older than he is, something teammates and fans have jokingly harassed him about this season (more on that later).
Hammond’s maturity has been evident since he arrived on campus as an early enrollee, but his leadership skills began to show after the coaching change in late 2017.
“Once I found out it was Coach (Dan) Mullen, I knew we would be fine,” said Hammond, whose older brother Frankie Hammond played for Mullen at UF in 2008. “I remember the program and the offense and how explosive they were. So one thing I was able to do was just send a message to all the guys at that time, letting them know, ‘Just buy in.’”
It didn’t take long for Hammond’s teammates to be sold on the new staff, particularly his position group. During the 2018 offseason, a few former Florida receivers returned to the program and worked out with the current players.
They spent time around the likes of Percy Harvin, Louis Murphy and Brandon James.
“We thank all the guys who came back and helped us,” Hammond said. “Louis Murphy came back, Percy came back, my brother Frankie, a lot of different former players and gave us some little tips and bits of advice. Louis Murphy worked out with us one day in spring ball, just going through drills with us.
“He’s an NFL receiver, you know what I’m saying? That means a lot. He just helped on so many small things. When Percy came, he did the same thing. We kind of took different bits and pieces and applied them to our game. It’s been able to help us play at a high level.”
It also gave the group an eagerness to learn from its new position coach, Billy Gonzales. He molded Harvin and Murphy into NFL players, and having them vouch for him went a long way.
“When you get a new coach, they’re feeling you out as much as you’re feeling them out. Sometimes it can be hard to trust each other,” said Frankie Hammond, who also experienced a coaching change during his time at UF (2008-12). “So hearing that extra voice from somebody who’s actually been through it kind of makes them more comfortable about the situation. It’s one thing coming from your coaches. That’s almost like when your parents tell you something.
“But when it’s coming from someone on your level who you can relate to, it hits home. So we encouraged them to take heed to what Coach Mullen and Coach G are bringing to the table because great things can happen. They got the blueprint, so just follow the plan.”
After making strides as a unit in 2018, Florida’s receiving corps has become one of the best in school history under the guidance of Gonzales. UF has seven 90-yard receiving games from five different players for the first time since 2007 — when Harvin and Murphy were playing.
“You can see the complete turnaround within the whole group,” Hammond said. “Sometimes we’ll go back and watch our first time doing his drills, then we watch now and it’s night and day. Complete difference. Our whole receiving corps has evolved into complete route runners.
“We aren’t afraid to play any position on the field, and he’s definitely molded us into a strong group of guys who are able to do that. He’s done a good job of dissecting the things I wasn’t good at, like getting out of breaks and separation at the top of my routes.”
Hammond flourished in his first year with Gonzales, scoring four touchdowns and increasing his catches (28) and receiving yards (369). That production has continued in 2019 with 24 catches for 307 yards and two touchdowns, as well as a 76-yard TD run against Kentucky.
“First and foremost, he’s a first-class young man,” Gonzales said of Hammond. “He’s a team captain. He’s a leader on and off the field. He’s a college graduate. Has an extremely fantastic work ethic when it comes to the game of football.
“He’s got that passion to help others. He’s Mr. Reliable. He’s going to do everything right. He’s going to be right. He’s going to represent this University in the right way.”
Hammond had one of the best plays of his career in his last game against Missouri, making an impressive adjustment to catch the ball for a 34-yard touchdown. That reception gave the Gators seven players with multiple touchdown receptions this season, another first for the program since 2007.
“Josh’s catch, you know, amazing,” Mullen said after the game. “That was a beautiful catch.”
Hammond’s brother added, “The touchdown he caught against Missouri, where he was facing one way and turned around to readjust himself, that play probably stands out the most to me. I was like, ‘OK, I see you out there.’ ”
It another example of the sure-handed Hammond showing off his pass-catching ability. He went his entire junior season without dropping a pass, unbeknownst to him until Pro Football Focus pointed it out.
Hammond kept the streak going this year until the Auburn game, but has an explanation for what happened.
“I ruined it against Auburn. I know what it was, too,” Hammond said. “I had a different milkshake, I always get strawberry banana, but Tyrie told me to go with cookies and cream. I tried it and had my first drop.
“So that was just a bad week for me. But we won the game, so I was happy. I still graded out a champion because I got a touchdown.”
Auburn week was also when teammates and fans started making fun of Hammond’s old-man looks after a photo of him in the team’s throwback uniforms hit social media.
One fan made a meme of Hammond pictured with the starting lineup on Florida’s 1996 national championship team.
“Someone tweeted that it looks like I played for that team, and it just took off from there,” Hammond said. “Everybody in the locker room was talking about the meme. But the throwback pictures really set it off.
“I never really got jokes about it until then. But it’s fine. It doesn’t bother me much. I don’t really care. I was born in ’98 yo. I’m 21. Y’all chill.”
He eventually joined the fun on Twitter, posting that his nickname has changed from “Hot-Sauce Hammond” to “Old-Man Hammond.” But he has something up his sleeve for his final game in The Swamp.
“I’m cutting my facial hair for Senior Day, so I look young. That’s what drip I’m on,” Hammond said. “I’m cutting everything except my mustache. So I’m switching it up. My mom will be happy. She hates when I have all my facial hair.”