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Earnest Graham and Robert Gillespie are the Gators' best runners, and also are best friends.
By ANTONYA ENGLISH
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 27, 2001
GAINESVILLE -- There is no bitter rivalry in what might seem a natural place for one to exist.
No jealousy or ill will from one toward the other.
Robert Gillespie and Earnest Graham are fierce competitors, the top two tailbacks for the Florida Gators.
Gillespie, a 21-year-old senior, is an all-purpose back who can catch a short pass out of the backfield and turn it into a 50-yard touchdown. Graham, a 21-year-old redshirt junior, is a steady, blue-collar runner.
As competitors, each wants to be the starter. As the best of friends, each wants what's best for the other. It might seem one would run counter to the other.
Not to Gillespie and Graham.
"That's one of my best friends," Graham said. "We think on the same level, we talk about the same things, we do the same things. We play the same position and we've just got a lot in common. We talk constantly."
This is how Graham and Gillespie envisioned things when both were being recruited by Florida: two strong running backs sharing time and making an impact at a program known more for passing.
As high school seniors, the two happened to be on a recruiting trip the same weekend at Illinois. Gillespie admits he had heard and read about Graham, Florida's 1997 Class 6A "Mr. Football" from Fort Myers. When the weekend ended, he knew he had found a friend.
"When I met him, he had this laid-back kind of attitude," said Gillespie, from Hattiesburg, Miss. "He was real cool. A lot of guys you meet are real cocky and arrogant, and he just wasn't like that. When he decided to come here, that attracted me also. Ever since then, we have been real good friends."
They also have been good for Florida's offense, particularly this season.
Graham, 5 feet 9 and 220 pounds, is seventh in career rushing touchdowns for Florida with 19, and Gillespie, 5-9, 190, is 11th with 16. Gillespie is fourth for career receiving yards by a running back with 816 and needs 415 to take over Errict Rhett's record set from 1990-93. Last week against Kentucky, they started together for the first time on the opening play.
"They are both excellent backs, good runners," coach Steve Spurrier said. "Robert is better this year. He is not jumping like he used to. He used to go in there and his feet would be off the ground ... you have to have your feet working and cutting and that is what he is doing very well this year. He is quick and talented and strong."
An improved Gillespie, and an improved running game, were desperately needed. Last season, the Gators finished 91st nationally in rushing: 110 yards per game, 3.67 per carry. This year, Florida is tied for 54th, coincidentally, with Mississippi State. Both average 149 yards.
Florida hosts Mississippi State on Saturday in a rematch of the game that showed Florida's running at its worst last season.
The Gators rushed for minus-78 yards in the game; Gillespie had five carries for 23 yards, Graham seven for 3 yards.
"We don't feel we lost the game by ourselves, but we didn't do anything to help the team win," Graham said. "We got behind quick and we had to throw it so we really didn't run the ball much. We didn't take care of our business from the running back positions. It broke down from all over."
It hasn't broken down this season, although the opponents get tougher now. The improved rushing attack also has opened opportunities for the passing game.
"A good example of that is the deep post that Jabar (Gaffney) caught in the (Kentucky) game," receiver Taylor Jacobs said. "Robert Gillespie did a great play fake, and he had like three guys tackle him and the safeties just bit on the play. It just let him (Gaffney) behind the secondary."
And yet, Gillespie and Graham aren't often mentioned among such tandems as Mississippi State's Dicenzo Miller and Dontae Walker. That's just fine with them.
"We'll let the people judge who they think are the best backs in the SEC." Graham said. "We're going to go out and try to take care of what we need to do. If we can help the team win the game, then people can judge who they think are the best running backs."
Graham and Gillespie have not let football get in the way of friendship. They are next-door neighbors who often eat, socialize and just "hang out" together.
"It has always been a competitive nature; even on the practice field we compete every day, but after that we leave it on the field," Gillespie said. "From Day 1 when we first got here Earnest and I have always been tight, and as the years have gone on we've gotten to become much better friends. It's one of the greatest relationships, friendships I've had."