Kyle Trask takes in the Swamp and Townsend’s Charity for the Spring Game

by Bob Redman, aka “Hollywood Bob”

Kyle Trask takes in the Swamp and Townsend’s charity for spring game

Among dozens of former Florida Gators football players in attendance at the University of Florida’s football spring game on Thursday, one of the big stars and maybe the biggest in recent memory in attendance was quarterback Kyle Trask. The boy wonder that never started a football game in high school or in the first three years of his college career before being thrust into that role in the third game of his fourth year became a bona fide star in Gainesville before he left school. He spent Thursday mingling with teammates and fans and helping out a good cause.

The Johnny Townsend Foundation hosted a tailgate party for former Gator players and other big guests to benefit Pediatric Oncology at UF Health. Townsend along with his brother Tommy of course were Trask’s teammates at Florida and Johnny has been running his foundation for years now. The turnout at the tailgate Thursday was big.

“I think it’s great, especially getting all of these former players out here integrated with the community,” Trask said. “It’s a really fantastic thing they’re doing.”

I was allowed to be a part of the function as long time friend and media covering the Townsends and the team and saw many faces of Gators from 40+ years ago and everywhere in between. Trask got a good grasp of the fraternity he is now a part of.

“I’ve seen probably a dozen former teammates that I played with, met dozens of others that played in the 80’s, 90’s or whenever,” he said. “I know Johnny told me earlier that he had about 80 RSVP actually, and so far there’s been about 50 or 60 show up so it’s been a really good turnout for such an amazing event.”

It was also good for Trask to get back to campus. As a quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Trask’s busy schedule doesn’t allow him often to get back and mingle with the locals and the students he knows that may still be in school.

“Obviously my job has kept me busy,” he said. “I’ve been back a couple of times to see some friends. But it’s great especially to get back with all the former Gators and meet a lot of new faces that I’ve heard about playing here, so it’s actually kind of cool.”

Originally from Manville, Texas, Trask spent four years in Gainesville before he moved on to the National Football League following the 2020 season when he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round. Just a couple of hours away by car, there are some similarities but plenty of differences in the towns.

“It’s great. Gainesville’s fantastic, a great college town,” he said. “I did a lot of growing up here. Tampa is fantastic and can’t complain. You probably have some of the best weather of anywhere in the NFL. You have great beaches, great people, and great teammates. I really can’t complain.”

Trask finds himself in a similar place that he was in when he arrived at Florida. He’s currently in a backup role to probably the greatest NFL quarterback of all time in Tom Brady. He’s waiting his chance just like he did in Gainesville where he started the last 10 games in 2019 and then started the entire COVID shortened season in 2020 when he threw for 4,283 yards, 43 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. The touchdown mark was tops in the country in 2020 and was recognized on the All-SEC second team.

If there is anyone that has shown patience to get on the field, it is Trask. Nothing has changed with the extremely humble young man.

“I’m just happy to be around such a great group of guys,” he said. “We have a great quarterback room. They’ve all been super helpful to me. It’s just a blessing for me to be able to be around so many veteran guys and be able to learn that much football.”