You can’t necessarily say that Antonio “Tee” Riles was the fish that got away from UGA in 2013.
That’s because the defensive tackle from Archer High School had tried to call UGA to commit last summer. But none of the Bulldogs coaches answered the phone.
Riles ended up pledging early to Florida, and then stuck with the Gators when UGA flirted with him right before signing day.
Riles talked to the AJC about the recruiting process:
Which school finished runner-up to Florida for you? “UGA, no questions about it.” What could UGA have done better? “It was just a lack of contact. I was at a point (the summer before my senior year) where I was ready to call Georgia and tell Coach Richt that I wanted to commit. But, by the time they realized that, I had committed to Florida, and I had built a great relationship with Florida. It was nothing personal against Georgia. I just couldn’t get in contact with them, like I told (reporters then). After that, I started to sit back and think about other things. I decided that Florida was the best place to go.”
It was former UGA recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner that you were having problems getting on the phone last summer to commit to the Bulldogs? “Yes, it was Coach Garner – and Coach Grantham, and Coach McClendon. I mean, I called all of them. That’s what I was saying. I mean, that’s what happens when nobody answers the phone. That usually means they don’t want to talk to you. Maybe they were chasing somebody else. Maybe they thought they were going to get somebody else. I understand. You’ve got to go to where your heart takes you.”
Biggest recruiting rumor that wasn’t true? “Hmm.” Was it that you were going to flip from Florida to UGA at the end? “Oh yeah, probably so. But I wouldn’t say that as a rumor because I was really thinking about it. It was a thought. It wasn’t like I was going to definitely do it, without a doubt. Yeah, I don’t know. It wasn’t really a rumor, but there (was talk) I was going to flip to Georgia.”
Biggest secret you kept during the recruiting process? “I didn’t have any secrets.”
Funniest thing a coach said to you during recruiting? “It was Coach (Joker Phillips, the former Kentucky head coach who was hired by Florida as an assistant). He was recruiting me for Kentucky when he was there. As soon as I got down to Florida for my visit, he was just laughing. He was like, ‘We did a (crappy) job recruiting you at Kentucky.’ Joker Phillips was just hilarious.”
Biggest regret? “I don’t have any regrets. Everything happens for a reason. I could have seen a lot more. I could have taken some official visits and stuff like that. But I know the Florida was in my heart, so I don’t really have any regrets.”
What was the funniest thing that happened in your recruiting experiences? “I would say Clemson thinking they were going to get Robert Nkemdiche, but that would be kind of subliminal. So I won’t say that.” Why Robert? “Robert is hilarious. Him and David Kamara, they were funny. I just knew when they committed to Clemson … I don’t know.” You knew at the time that they wouldn’t sign with Clemson? “Everybody in Gwinnett knew that Robert was going to Ole Miss.”
Which college disappointed you the most during recruiting? “I really don’t have a disappointment. I wish if Georgia had really wanted to talk to me … I wouldn’t say that. I don’t have any disappointments. At the time (when I wanted to commit there), Georgia was probably chasing somebody else they really wanted – which somebody can understand. I don’t really have any disappointments. Florida is a great school.”
If were in charge of the NCAA, which rule would you change? “Maybe more personal time with the coaches. Maybe get rid of the (NCAA) non-contact periods where they can’t see you or can’t talk to you. I’d give kids more time to talk to coaches so they could learn who they really are, rather than just seeing them on TV.”
Which non-Florida coach was the nicest? “Clemson’s Dabo Swinney. He was like the coolest.” What happened with Clemson? “Nothing really happened with them. It was between Florida, Georgia and Clemson. You know, after thinking it through, when I had gotten over the thing with Georgia, it was between Florida and Clemson. I liked Clemson because Coach Swinney.”
Advice you’d give a high school junior about recruiting? “Make sure you know what you want do, and not what other people want you to do. Don’t read too much into other people’s opinions. Try to follow your own lead, and go with what your heart tells you to do.”
Tailback J.J. Green said he can’t say for sure how many times he has heard “you’re one play away from playing” from Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and running backs coach Bryan McClendon.
Here is a clue that your trip to sunny south Florida may not be a carefree vacation: You’re a football team, and you lose one of your starters during warm-ups.
If nothing else, Georgia has ensured at least one thing about its season. Regardless of where the rest of the schedule takes them, whether its to an SEC championship, a BCS bowl bid or a national title, there will be no claims from outsiders that this team received too many breaks and escaped health issues, no suggestions that the road to success was lined with lollipops and unicorns.
Having been at Georgia four seasons now, soccer coach Steve Holeman doesn’t weird out nearly as much as he once did about playing Ole Miss, where he coached for 15 years.
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