Like many midwesterners who visit Florida for the first time, Deshawn Pace wasn’t sure what to expect weather-wise. The Ohio native had spent the past few months nestled in the throes of a typical winter where temperatures can drop in the single digits.
“When I hopped off the plane, it was 76 degrees,” said Pace, who thought about bringing his winter coat. “[I thought], ‘Man, I’m going to Florida,’ so I left that coat at home.”
Pace’s dream has always been to move to Florida, which became a reality when he transferred from Cincinnati to UCF last month. The 6-foot-2, 212 defensive back wasn’t alone in his move from the Queen City as Bearcats teammates Myles Montgomery and Bryon Threats also landed with the Knights.
For Threats, who also grew up in Ohio, the decision came down to fit.
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“I like the vibe out here. It’s really cool,” said the senior safety. “It was about finding somewhere I think was most comfortable for me.”
Montgomery, a redshirt junior running back, wanted to play closer to Jacksonville.
“I’ve been missing home,” said Montgomery, who played at Fletcher High School in Neptune Beach. “There’s no greater feeling than playing for your home state. So I’m happy to be back home.”
The trio is well-versed in these new surroundings. They played against UCF for several seasons, first as members of the American Athletic Conference and then as newcomers in the Big 12 last season.
“We played them three years — back-to-back-to-back — so we saw them a lot,” said Threats. “Being a defensive guy, I got to play against Coach [Gus] Malzahn’s offense a lot.”
Added Pace: “I knew the Bounce House had a great atmosphere and fans were into the game, which I liked, so this is my home now.”
Did the Bearcats see the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/trio-cincinnati-transfers-switch-sides-220000368.html
Author : Orlando Sentinel
Publish date : 2024-02-21 22:00:00
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