The Gators enter year three of a rebuilding project since winning back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007. Expectations are low. Three major preseason magazines (Sporting News, Lindy's and Athlon) have picked the Gators to finish fifth in the Southeastern Conference's East Division, behind South Carolina and Vanderbilt.
"Life is always humbling," Donovan said. "I think any time you have a chance to be a part of two national championship teams and then you go back to having to start over, that's always a humbling experience."
Donovan has turned to Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant for inspiration. Bryant went through a series of setbacks before proving he could win his first NBA title without Shaquille O'Neal last June.
"I think Kobe Bryant made a really, really great comment about the challenge for himself after winning the NBA championship (2003) of the valley they had to go through for six years before they could get back to that point," Donovan said. "In sports, nobody just stays on top all of the time. I think there are ebbs and flows and ups and downs, and I think that's what allows you to enjoy those moments.
"So it was very, very humbling to me too also when we won two national championships looking from where we came from when I first got there. I mean that was humbling too, to see what could be accomplished."
