Florida football defensive lineman Jamari Lyons is coming up on the one-year anniversary of a gruesome ankle injury that sidelined him for the 2024 season and put his college career in peril.
As Lyons made a tackle during a Florida Gators intrasquad scrimmage, a pile of players rolled over him. His ankle got caught on the turf.
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“Bone was hanging out of my own skin,” Lyons sad. “Being able to come back from there, it took a long time to even start walking and a little bit more time to start running after that. But obviously I was able to push through.”
Lyons underwent surgery the same day of the inury, then went from three weeks in a wheelchair to six months on crutches. But it didn’t stop him from his ultimate goal of retuning to the field. Close to a year later, the 6-foot-4, 318-pound Lyons has put himself in position to start at nose tackle for Gators to begin the 2025 season.
A Cocoa native and former Viera High standout, Lyons knows a thing or two about overcoming obstacles. He’s played football at a high level as a Type 2 diabetic, following a strict regimen to take his insulin on time and monitor his weight.
“I learned that taking care of my health is very important, especially dealing with this sport,” Lyons sad. “This is a gladiator sport. Now that I am back 100%, I make sure I’m in the training room, make sure I’m eating healthy, take care of my health.”
Jamari Lyons the ‘Junkyard Dog’ of Florida football defense
Lyons was given the nickname “Junkyard Dog” by former Florida defensive line coach Sean Spencer for his tenacity on defense. But his career at Florida didn’t get off a robust start.
“We went to see him the first couple weeks we were on the job. I remember going to his high school, watching the tape,” Florida coach Billy Napier sad. ” Big, long, twitchy, but didn’t get off to a great start in his career here. He had shoulder surgery, wasn’t midyear, showed up way out of shape. Me and him joke around about that first summer a lot. I mean, it was terrible.”
Lyons appered in three games in the 2022 season, recording two assisted tackles in a redshirt year. As a redshirt freshman, Lyons made progress, finishing the 2023 season with 20 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss in 12 games and one start. Then came the injury just before the start of the 2024 season.
“He was in position last year to have a great year and he got hurt,” Napier said. “So, he’s back and I think he’s chomping at the bit … He continues to get better and better. He’s getting in football shape. You can see some of the twitch coming back and then obviously he plays with passion. He’s a guy who helps keep everybody accountable. Good temperment. The kind of temperment you want with a defensive lineman.”
What Jamari Lyons can bring to the Florida football defense in 2025
Lyons worked out in a black non-contact jersey through spring camp until the week before the spring game, when he was fully cleared for contact.
“I just looked at the blue jersey and started tearing up a little bit, I was like, ‘Wow, I’m really back 100%’,” Lyons said. “It just felt good just to be out there, running around, striking, just having fun like being a big kid. It’s just all great.”
Lyons has carried over that attitude into fall drills. He’s just happy to be playing football again.
“We’re pretty much trying to capitalize off last season,” Lyons said. “Being able to go out there and train every day and work every day is kind of like is just bringing me happiness and joy being able to work. It took like six months of sitting around all season. So being able to work and push forward, it just made me more happy.”
With a starting job at nose tackle up for grabs after Cam Jackson left for the NFL Draft last April, Lyons made a move up the depth chart with a strong showing in UF’s first intrasquad scrimmage.
“I was very motivated,” Lyons said. “There was a lot of emphasis on running to the ball, so I made sure I got to the ball every play. It was tiring because it’s hot out there, but hey, you just gotta get to the ball.”
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com`
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida football DL Jamari Lyons finds new perspective after overcoming compound fracture
Reporting by Kevin Brockway, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
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