HOOVER, Ala. -- A large group of reporters, at some times more than three deep, crowded around a table that Chris Leak sat at inside the Wynfrey Hotel.

At least three photographers snapped pictures of Florida’s mild-mannered quarterback as he kept his eyes on the table and tried answering questions that came at him from every different direction.

Meanwhile, at an opposite end of the banquet room, Florida defensive end Ray McDonald cracked a smile as he spoke to a handful of reporters on Friday afternoon.

It’s not often that a quarterback who has graced the cover of Sports Illustrated and is on pace to break several of his school’s career passing records must defend his play and his father in front of a room full of reporters.

But that’s the situation that Leak was thrust into on the final day of the Southeastern Conference media days.

“I really don’t listen to things outside of me getting my education and me leading my team, being a great team leader and being a great team captain,” said Leak, dressed in a black pinstripe suit and yellow tie. “I really haven’t listened to any outside things. I’m just focused on being a Gator.”

But criticism comes with being Florida’s starting quarterback. USA Today had a large story on the front page of its sports section earlier this week on Leak’s struggles.

The senior has received criticism over the last few months from Florida fans who are so unhappy with the way the four-year starter played in coach Urban Meyer’s spread offense last season that they want him benched in favor of true freshman Tim Tebow.

The issue took a twist last week when Leak’s father, Curtis, was quoted in a column on CBS Sportsline.com saying that there are some Gators fans who don’t want his son to break Danny Wuerffel’s school records “because Chris is black.”

When his time came to speak Friday, Meyer stood behind a podium and vigorously defended Leak, who was the media’s overwhelming choice to the All-Southeastern Conference first-team.

“I will fight for players that I believe deserve being protected and stood up for,” Meyer said.

“Chris Leak, in my opinion, had a very good year in the spread offense. He won more games than he’s ever won. His completion percentage was higher. He threw half as many interceptions.

“At the University of Florida and most programs, you’re not evaluated on yards thrown but winning championships. The only just criticism of Chris right now in my opinion is that he has not won a championship.”

Leak appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s college football preview issue last year, and he was mentioned as an early favorite for the Heisman Trophy award.

But Leak didn’t live up to the hype, looking uncomfortable at times during his first season in Meyer’s system. It didn’t help that he had a left shoulder injury that required him to take pain-killer shots before games and not attempt any passes in several practices.

“There are going to be times when you have to play through adversity in the SEC,” Leak said. “I mean, I didn’t want to let my teammates down just because my shoulder was hurting.

“... Being injured, it gets frustrating at times because you can’t play to the best of your ability for your teammates.”

Leak ranked second last season in the SEC with 2,639 yards passing, and his 20 touchdowns was third behind only Georgia’s D.J. Shockley and Vanderbilt’s Jay Cutler.

But Leak appeared at times to be unsuited for Meyer’s spread offense, in large part because he’s not as much of a mobile quarterback as Meyer has had in the past.

Some Florida fans believe Tebow, the highly recruited freshman from Jacksonville, Fla., is more of a natural fit for the offense. But Meyer stands by his senior quarterback, giving the impression that a change isn’t likely.

“Chris, I keep hearing a square peg, a round hole,” Meyer said. “It’s our job (as coaches) to make it a square peg in a square hole. We’re going to make that happen.”

Leak said he wants to improve on recognizing defenses, and he spoke with Peyton Manning while working as an instructor at his passing camp about trying to be a better leader.

But Leak admits he doesn’t pay attention to the criticism. He said he didn’t read the CBS Sportsline.com column, and he didn’t speak to his father about his comments that race plays a factor in how Florida fans view Leak.

“I don’t pay attention to outside things,” Leak said. “I just try to focus on going to school and football.”