Brothers set to meet when SEC rivals do battle
Chris and C.J. Leak will
meet on the field when
Tennessee and Florida play
By Randall Mell
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (KRT)
GAINESVILLE, I la. — Quarter
backs, brothers, rivals.
While this week is delightfully awk
ward for the Leak family with Univer
sity of Florida freshman quarterback
Chris Leak preparing to meet his
brother, C.J., and the Tennessee Vol
unteers at Florida Field on Saturday,
there's no delight in the sibling
buildup for Vols fans.
Back in Knoxville, there's nothing
worse than a football fanatic scorned.
The Leaks have a unique insight
into the bitter undertones that fuel
this Southeastern Conference rivalry
with the 33rd meeting looming.
With half its heart in Knoxville and
the other half in Gainesville, the
Leak family's allegiance is divided.
The game is further complicated
by some simmering discontent over
the controversy that led to and fol
lowed UTs failed bid to woo Chris
to Knoxville.
Vols fans felt scorned when Chris
decided not to follow C.J. to Ten
nessee. They thought he added insult
to injury by signing with the Gators.
Vols coach Phillip Fulmer insists he
decided to quit recruiting Chris, not
the other way around.
Chris, the hottest quarterback
prospect in the nation at Charlotte
(N.C.) Independence High, was be
lieved to be all but signed with the
Vols when a storm broke out over
C.J.'s playing time last season.
When Ur starter Casey Clausen in
jured his collarbone, C.J., then a soph
omore, got the starting call against
Georgia. But C.J. failed to move the
team, appeared unfamiliar with the
signals from the sideline, and was
benched ^fter only two series. Third
stringer James Banks took over for the
rest of the game.
Chris, who was writing a recruiting
diary last fall for ESPN.com, was bru
tally frank in asserting his belief that
Fulmer didn't live up to his promises
or give his brother a fair chance. UT
fans knew Chris likely wasn't headed
to Knoxville after what he wrote, and
they didn't like him questioning their
coach's integrity.
"What I'm trying to do is figure out
which schools tell the truth and
which schools don't," Chris wrote.
"And I'd be an idiot to not try and
learn from my brother's experiences
in this process just a few years ago."
Chris downplayed the furor his di
ary caused after Monday's practice.
"I always believe things happen for
a reason," Chris said. "I'm proud to be
a Gator. There are issues we didn't
agree with, but I put that behind me."
Apparently, some Vols haven't. UT
players were not available for tele
phone interviews after Monday1 s prac
tice, but safety Gibril Wilson told the
(Nashville) Tennessean that the Vols
are eager to face Chris.
"Back in the summer, 1 used to al
ways tell (C.J.J that he needed to tell
his brother that 1 was going to get
"What I'm trying to do is
figure out which schools
tell the truth and which
schools don't."
Chris Leak
Florida freshman quarterback
him," Wilson said. "Really, C.J. was
put in a weird position with that
whole situation. Here and there,
some guys were angry, but I don't
think it's a big deal."
, Chris said he talks to C.J. "every
day" via telephone. Their father
bought them a special telephone
package just so they could call each
other any time they wanted. That they
are so close explains Chris' strong re
action to C.J.'s benching.
"We love each other to death,"
Chris said.
So much so that C.J. flew from
Knoxville to Gainesville last week
end to sit with his parents, Curtis
and Karen, and watch the Gators
rout Florida A&M at The Swamp.
C.J. hugged his brother before the
game, and the entire family ate at
Denny's after the game. C.J. even
hung out with Chris and some
Gator teammates before Chris drove
him to the airport to fly home Sun
day night.
"C.J. flew down with Coach Ful
mer's blessing," Curtis said.
This bit of information is necessary
because the most rabid of Volunteer
fans don't like the fact that the broth
ers fraternize so much. Football se
crets, you know, might be spilled,
even accidentally. Some of the most
devoted UT fans didn't approve when
Chris showed up in Knoxville with his
father to watch C.J. at a spring practice
six months ago.
The father assures fans of both
teams that his boys are innocently
enjoying the best of brotherhood
and don't share information on
game plans.
"There are going to be fanatics
about secrets in football," Curtis said.
"But here is my answer: Don't worry.
This is Division I-A football. It isn't
like these teams have been playing on
a street comer somewhere. These
teams watch so much film, study each
other so much, they know everything
about each other."
Curtis wants his boys to enjoy their
unique view of one of the game's
best rivalries.
Brothers have squared off against
each other many times before in
college games. UTEP guard Ben
Graniello and Arizona tackle Peter
Graniello did so in their season
openers this year. BYU defensive
end Brady Poppinga actually took
on his brother at the line of scrim
mage when the Cougars met Utah
State and tight end Casey Poppinga
last year.
The occurrence, however, is rare
when the two brothers are QBs. It
happened two years ago when UCLA
quarterback Cory Paus led his Bruins
against Washington. Casey Paus was a
Huskies backup QB in that game.
"It’s going to be fun for our fami
ly," Curtis said. "C.J. mentored Chris
growing up. Chris started wearing
No. 12 because that is the number
his brother wore. C.L has helped
Chris adjust to college life, telling
him what to expect along the way. As
parents, it's almost a dream come
true to have two sons as close as they
are to each other."
(c) 2003 South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune
Information Services.
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