Joey Slackman

Joey Slackman is an American football defensive tackle who currently plays for the Florida Gators. He previously played for the Penn Quakers.

Joey Slackman
Florida Gators – No. 97
PositionDefensive tackle
ClassGraduate Student
Personal information
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight304 lb (138 kg)
Career history
College
High schoolCommack
(Commack, New York)
Career highlights and awards
  • Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year (2023)
  • First team All-Ivy League (2023)

Early life and high school

Slackman grew up in Commack, New York and attended Commack High School, where he was a member of the football and wrestling teams.[1] He was a two-time All-American wrestler in high school.[2] Slackman committed to wrestle at the University of Pennsylvania.[3]

College career

Penn

Slackman initially was a member of the Penn Quakers wrestling team. He tore his ACL and meniscus during his freshman season. While recovering from his injury he joined the roster of the Penn football team.[2] After the Ivy League announced that they would cancel athletics for the 2020–21 academic due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Slackman took a gap year and interned at the Attorney General of Delaware's office while also volunteering for a wrestling-focused non-profit in Philadelphia.[4]

Slackman had 16 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble in his first football season.[5] As a junior, he made 49 tackles with 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and two passes defended and was named honorable mention All-Ivy League.[6] As a senior, Slackman was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and first team All-Ivy League after finishing the season with 50 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks.[7] After the season, Slackman decided to utilize the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes who were active during the 2020-2021 school year due to the coronavirus pandemic and entered the NCAA transfer portal.[8]

Florida

Slackman ultimately transferred to Florida.[9]

References
  1. "Commack's Joey Slackman had all the right moves". Newsday. April 5, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  2. Feldman, Bruce (June 19, 2024). "'Nobody prepared us': An Ivy League wrestler's unlikely path to SEC lineman and NFL Draft prospect". The Athletic. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  3. "Wrestling Announces 2019 Recruiting Class". PennAthletics.com. January 25, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  4. Rambaud, Kristel (October 5, 2022). "From wrestling to football: How Joey Slackman mans Penn's defensive line". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  5. Callahan, Don (December 15, 2023). "Following Official Visit, UNC 'Up There' For Four-Star Transfer DT Joey Slackman". 247Sports.com. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  6. "Trieu: Michigan football in mix for Penn sack man Joey Slackman". The Detroit News. December 1, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  7. "Joey Slackman's journey from wrestling to a deli to the Ivy's top defensive player continues to the transfer portal". The Philadelphia Inquirer. December 13, 2023.
  8. "Top transfer portal target Joey Slackman earns 17 offers in under a day". On3.com. November 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  9. VanHaaren, Tom (December 17, 2023). "Ivy League football standout Joey Slackman transfers to Florida". ESPN.com.
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