Written By Bob Redman aka Hollywood Bob
Anyone who follows Florida Gators recruiting closely will likely recognize two names, although they are not going to show up in a recruiting database. The duo are nevertheless five-stars that do their thing to build an atmosphere at Florida to bring in real five-star athletes to the program.
Katie Turner and Bri Wade are, a lot of the time, the first people that big-time prospects’ families meet when they arrive on campus. They are the gatekeepers to the program.
Turner and Wade have been a pretty amazing pair so far for the Gators. The compliments about them on social media are unprecedented for the roles that they play.
Turner and Wade are a part of the army of people that head coach Billy Napier has gathered in Gainesville. This group ensures recruiting has few glitches and players on campus are taken care of hopefully better than anywhere else. Turner believes prospects and their families are noticing.
“We have a lot of material things, the indoor practice field and especially being in the SEC,” Turner said earlier this spring. “You can sell the conference and everything, but I really do think it’s about the people that are in the building. I think there’s so much to be said just about the energy and the vibes in the building.”
Make no mistake. Turner and Wade are the introductory people that Napier wants families to meet when they show up.
Arlis Boardingham is a flex tight end/big receiver from California that signed with Florida in February. He and his family visited Florida for the first time on Jan. 14. It was the first weekend that the two ladies were working a recruiting weekend after Turner made the move from Georgia and Wade made the move from ULL.
“For me, they are the face of the organization,” Arlis’ mom Kim Boardingham said. “The coaches text and that kind of thing, but when it comes to me getting there and being on campus, the girls are the ones I met first. And then when you get there, it’s like a well-oiled machine.”
It was pretty amazing that the two pulled off the feat of getting everything organized for the weekend. They had not worked together before. However, Turner worked for Napier at ULL. When she left for Georgia, Wade arrived there.
Napier made sure the two got to know each other by phone when Wade took the job in Lafayette. Napier thought they were eerily similar.
“We truly are long lost sisters. It’s crazy,” Wade would say.
“When you’re just so on the same page it makes the job so much easier,” Turner said. “It’s been really awesome.”
They can answer each other’s questions before they are asked. They work together like they have been together for years.
“The girls were yin and yang, they had it so it went flawlessly,” Boardingham said about the only visit she has made to Gainesville. “Once I got the initial greeting, I knew from there, if it’s anything like these two ladies, we’ve probably found a home. They were wonderful. They answered every question without fail. If they didn’t have an answer, they got back to me immediately.”
Boardingham was really surprised that these two women were able to pull off what they did after just briefly being on campus and hosting their first official visit weekend. She does not think Florida could have a better first impression pair than what they have right now.
“When we left there, I didn’t know that we were their first visit, and had they not told me we wouldn’t have known,” Boardingham said. “It was seamless. Everybody was on point. There wasn’t a question that wasn’t answered when I was there. They’re wonderful individuals and great for the organization. They’ve got the right gatekeepers.”
And as much as they make a first impression, they continue to make a lasting impression on families. They still check in with Boardingham, making sure they stay in touch and are doing well.
These ladies open the doors for families to the Florida program, but it does not stop there. They seem to be there throughout their journey — through the recruiting process and beyond.