1 » Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer sat down for a question-and-answer session with CBSSports.com’s Jeremy Fowler (believe it or not) that was published on Friday. In the piece, he mentions the Florida Gators on a few occasions, the highlights of which are below. Check out the other topics by clicking here.

On why ‘no question’ he would still be at Florida if health issues never surfaced
“I realized not too long after [around February 2011]. I called Jeremy [Foley] and said, ‘I made a mistake.’ Once I felt like everything was under control, it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, what did I do?’ I just told Jeremy as a friend in conversation. The talk was more about one day getting back into it. He was very supportive. Then I started at ESPN and had a ball with that, but is that enough? Is that what I was called to do? I planned to take more than a year [off] though.”

On regrets for the way his Florida tenure ended
“I didn’t at first. I thought we did a good job. We did our best. I look back now, the way it ended was certainly a regret. Does that mean it haunts me? Not at all. I’ve always felt our job is to do a good job and do it the right way, do it ethically and for the best interest of the student-athlete — check, check, check. I’ll always be associated with the school, and my great friends are there and all that. Absolutely none with that. It just wasn’t a normal way to move on. There would have been if I would have stayed out. I was worried about survival for a little bit.”

2 » Florida brought back a huge name in Gators tennis on Friday when the school announced that Mark Merklein has returned to the program as an assistant coach with the men’s team. Merklein, a two-time national champion (doubles in 1993, singles in 1994) and the 1994 SEC Player of the Year, earned four All-American nominations and three All-SEC nods while at Florida and was inducted into the UF Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005. Considered by many to be the best men’s tennis player in school history, Merklein wound up competing as a professional for 12 years and even serving as a volunteer assistant for the Gators from 1998-2002 while he was on the tour. He was the head coach of the USTA Player Development Center for six seasons (2006-11) before being hired by Michigan as an assistant coach for the past two years (2012-13). “When I left I even said to everyone, including Mr. [Jeremy] Foley, that it was a goal of mine to one day come back and coach and win national championships,” Merklein said in a school release. “I’ve said it so much now, it’s time to actually do it and put the work in. I’m excited to do that alongside [head coach Bryan Shelton].”

CLICK TO EXPAND and read two more BITS in this post.

Tags: All-American, All-SEC, Bryan Shelton, Jeremy Foley, Mark Merklein, Miami Hurricanes, National Championship, NFL, Ohio State Buckeyes, Percy Harvin, Player of the Year, Seattle Seahawks, SEC, Sun Life Stadium, tennis, Urban Meyer

The Florida Gators have pounced on a relatively unknown 2014 prospect, landing a commitment late Thursday night from tight end C’yontai Lewis (Tuscaloosa, AL), according to InsidetheGators.com’s Blake Alderman.

Listed as 6’5” and 212 lbs. on Rivals, Lewis is a raw but talented athlete who Florida’s coaching staff believes can be molded into a great fit for their offensive scheme.

The two-star prospect was officially offered by the Gators on Tuesday and did not take long to make his decision, pulling the trigger on Thursday when he reached out and spoke with head coach Will Muschamp over the phone.

If Muschamp and the coaching staff have their way, Lewis will not be the only member of his family playing for Florida next season.

His cousin, four-star athlete Bo Scarbrough (Tuscaloosa, AL), is currently committed to Alabama but supposedly has interest in playing for the Gators.

The cousins are expected to visit Florida together in June, according to Alderman, and the Gators are hoping to see continued improvement from Lewis over the next year.

Lewis camped at Mississippi State last summer and also holds an offer from the school, according to Andrew Bone of Rivals affiliate TideSports.com. His offer list is expected to fill up shortly as many other teams have begun taking notice of his talents.

He is the eighth member of the Gators’ 2014 recruiting class, which lost a pair of four-star commitments in the last week.

Tags: Bo Scarbrough, Cyontai Lewis, Will Muschamp

1 » After falling short of a third-straight team national title, Florida Gators women’s tennis felt confident that its three singles competitors would make some noise in the 2013 NCAA Singles Championship, which began on Wednesday. Instead, all three Florida women lost their first-round matches and were eliminated from the competition. No. 1 senior Lauren Embree continued her tough week by being upset 3-6, 2-6. Just two days earlier, Embree suffered the first NCAA dual match singles loss of her career when she was similarly beaten in straight sets. For one of the greatest tennis players in school history, both results are shocking. No. 17 junior Sofie Oyen (3-6, 4-6) and No. 51 junior Alex Cercone (3-6, 7-6, 4-6) also dropped their matches; all three lost to lower-ranked competitors. The No. 11 duo of Embree/Oyen will participate in the 2013 NCAA Doubles Championship beginning on Thursday.

2 » The “Chuck Norris wears Tim Tebow pajamas” joke that was so often mentioned during former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow’s college days got the actor’s attention at the time. The two wound up meeting and becoming friendly. Now Norris (via the conservative-slanted website NewsBusters) is campaigning on Tebow’s behalf, questioning why he is not currently employed by an NFL team despite proving to be a clutch player. In this 1,075-word rant, Norris calls Tebow “a winner – plain and simple” while arguing that the two are very similar as people and that is why the Jacksonville Jaguars should be signing the controversial player.

I’ve heard the critics say Tebow has poor technical skills, but the truth is that Tim is a natural leader, an amazingly gifted football player, an inspiration to his team and the possessor of intense determination and strategy to bring any team to victory — no matter what the odds. One can improve technique, but leadership is innate. That is why I believe that Tebow could be a superstar and legend in the NFL.

Tebow is a player who rises to the occasion and delivers big in critical moments. He reminds me of myself when I used to compete in martial arts. I would spar with my black belts in class, and sometimes they would outscore me. Yet in the tournaments, I would defeat them. My students used to ask me, “Why is it that we can contend equally against you in class but can’t beat you in the tournaments?” My answer was always the same: “When it counts, I rise to the occasion.”

3 » Florida junior cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy is receiving a ton of praise heading into the 2013 season, especially from ESPN’s draft analysts. Mel Kiper, Jr. has Purifoy ranked as his No. 10 overall prospect, and Todd McShay believes he is approaching “top-tier” cornerback status. “FLA CB Purifoy (#15) needs strength and to improve [his] ‘off’ cover skills, but [he] has feet, balance, hips, instincts to become [a] top-tier NFL corner,” he tweeted on Wednesday. McShay has Purifoy ranked as his No. 19 overall prospect and also sees him making an impact as a punt return specialist in the NFL.

4 » If you have find yourself wondering what Florida’s sports nutrition program is like, check out this feature by Scott Carter, the senior writer on Florida’s official website, which profiles the program and Sarah Snyder, the Gators’ director of nutrition. “What can give you that upper edge if everyone is doing the same amount of practice time, the same amount of intensity?” Snyder asked rhetorically. “Hydration and nutrition come into play, and recovery comes into play.”

Tags: Alex Cercone, Jacksonville Jaguars, Lauren Embree, Loucheiz Purifoy, NCAA, NCAA Championship, NCAA Tournament, NFL, Sofie Oyen, Tim Tebow, women's tennis

Over 11 months ago, four-star wide receiver Ryeshene Bronson (Fort Myers, FL) became the first 2014 prospect to commit to the Florida Gators. On Tuesday, Bronson decided to rescind his pledge and reopen his recruitment, becoming the second prospect to part ways with Florida in the last five days.

Bronson (6’3”, 182 lbs.), ranked No. 125 overall on the newest Rivals250 released Tuesday, first committed to the Gators on June 14, 2012, after visiting Florida and participating in a football camp.

He committed to the Gators nearly 19 months before his National Signing Day, choosing Florida at the time over Auburn, Florida State and South Carolina, among others.

“I wanted to lock it in and get it all out of the way,” he told InsidetheGators.com last June. “I didn’t want to have the stress of recruiting on me.”

Bronson joins four-star linebacker Christian Miller (Jacksonville, FL) on the decommitment list. Miller, a Rivals100 prospect, backed off from his pledge on Friday but maintained that the Gators remain in the mix for his services.

Bronson, whose decision was first reported by Michael Langston of Rivals, spoke about the situation Tuesday afternoon. ITG‘s Blake Alderman notes that Bronson splitting ways with UF was “a mutual decision by both parties.” ($)

“My recruitment is officially open I’m not committed to university of Florida any more,” he wrote on Twitter. “Uf is not out of the.picture tho,” he added.

Florida is down to seven 2014 commitments including two offensive playmakers – four-stars running back Dalvin Cook (Miami, FL) and quarterback Will Grier (Davidson, NC). Cook (No. 24) and Grier (No. 29) are both ranked in the new Rivals100.

Tags: Christian Miller, Dalvin Cook, Ryeshene Bronson, Will Grier

1 » Here is Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah dancing outdoors at a house party.

2 » The Baltimore Ravens are searching for a new No. 2 receiver, and it appears as if former Florida Gators pass catcher Denote Thompson “has the inside track” on the job, according to The Baltimore Sun. “[Thompson] could sneak in there, he looks different, is fast and catches everything,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “I’ve always said, the best player will play.” Thompson thinks his athleticism and speed mean the “sky is the limit” for what he can accomplish with the Ravens. He also discussed why he struggled with the Gators and how things have changed for him. “We had a new offensive coordinator and new coaches at Florida my last year and the whole offense didn’t play well,” he said. “We were just trying to find a rhythm. But here, I think I have adjusted and I can play outside or in the slot, it doesn’t matter. A year ago, I didn’t know what to expect, but now I know what it is going to take. One of the hardest things was learning defenses, the audibles and the different coverages.”

3 » Gators forward Erik Murphy participated in the 2013 NBA Combine late last week. He measured 6’8.75” without shoes, 6’9.5” with shoes and had a 6’10.5” wingspan and 9’0” reach. Murphy also checked in at 239.8 lbs. with eight percent body fat, 8.75” hands and 9.75” hand width. Here are his on the court results: three-quarter time (3.57 seconds), lane agility time (12.19 s), modified time (2.96 s), standing leap (24.5”), maximum leap (29.5”). Murphy will check in with OGGOA later this week with his second “Path to the Draft” blog post to recap the combine, but the Orlando Sentinel reports that he had a one-hour workout with the Orlando Magic last Thursday.

4 » Greg Luca of The Alligator penned this piece back in April on Ron “Moose” Davis, the fan who can always be found behind the basket at Florida basketball games wearing a moose hat and waving a neon Speedo in hopes of distracting opposing foul shooters. Plenty has been written about Davis over the years, but this piece provides great background and a thorough look at one of the Gators’ biggest fans.

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bulls, combine, Deonte Thompson, Erik Murphy, Joakim Noah, NBA, NFL, Orlando Magic

1 » If Chicago point guard Derrick Rose did not have enough motivation to come back and play well next year, comments from Washington Wizards rookie guard Bradley Beal may give him that extra kick in the butt. Beal this week told 106.7 The Fan that he might lose respect for a teammate who was cleared by doctors but chose to sit out and not try and help his team in the playoffs. “He might have to give it a go,” he said. “If you’re practicing for two months, and then everybody in practice is saying you’re practicing well, I mean, I think you have to give it a shot in the game. Look at David Lee. You don’t have to play significant minutes, but the fact that you’re out there and that you’re actually giving it a go, I think people will respect that.” He continued: “Because I know the type of player he is, and the mentality and the competitiveness that he has, I think he would have gave it a go.”

2 » Quarterback Tim Tebow was back in Jacksonville for the weekend – not for a tryout with his hometown’s NFL team but rather to speak at New Life Christian Fellowship. During his speaking engagement, a fan asked Tebow to pinpoint his most memorable moment was from his breakout 2011 season. Tebow self-deprecatingly replied: “One of my favorite stories, ironically, was against the New York Jets…and probably my greatest Jets highlight, I guess.” Tebow was also on NBC’s All-Star Celebrity Apprentice finale over the weekend as he donated $300,000 to charity on behalf of Trace Adkins, one of the two finalists competing to win the show.

3 » New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes is entering the final year of his rookie contract and undoubtedly hopes to remain with his team long-term. Not only does Spikes have a tremendous personal relationship with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick also values the player’s contributions on defense. Nevertheless, Spikes is only set to earn $630,000 in salary in 2013 (along with $240,000 as part of a prorated signing bonus) and undoubtedly feels like he deserves to get paid. New England has a history of getting its players to sign below-market-value contracts before they hit free agency, so keep an eye out for Spikes to get something done soon. According to ESPNBoston.com, he “hasn’t been seen much at Gillette Stadium since the offseason program begin in mid-April,” an approach that could be productive in letting the team know he is wanting to get a deal done before the season.

Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Beal, Tebow, Spikes, Leak, Francis

Tags: Billy Donovan, Bradley Beal, Brandon Spikes, Brandone Francis, Chris Chiozza, Chris Leak, NBA, New England Patriots, NFL, Tim Tebow, Washington Wizards, Will Muschamp

Former Florida Gators running back Mike Gillislee agreed to a four-year rookie contract with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, officially becoming the fourth player out of Florida on Miami’s roster for the 2013 season.

He signed for $2.322 million with a $162,800 fully guaranteed signing bonus and will average $580,700 per season, becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2017.

Gillislee is the fourth of Florida’s eight draftees to come to terms with the team that selected him in April’s draft. Chicago signed LB Jon Bostic on May 9. Linebacker Jelani Jenkins and kicker Caleb Sturgis inked deals with the Dolphins on Tuesday.

Gillislee was chosen by Miami with the No. 164 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, two spots ahead of Sturgis at No. 166 overall. The Dolphins will have an open competition at running back with Gillislee competing primarily against Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas.

Though not a starter until his senior season, Gillislee made the most of the opportunity by racking up 1,152 yards while becoming the Gators’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Ciatrick Fason in 2004. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry and scored 10 touchdowns.

Being selected by Miami was the realization of a dream for Gillislee, who grew up rooting for the Dolphins. He also gets to play close to home in front of his family.

“The Dolphins were always my favorite team. It was always a dream, and now my dream came true,” he said. “I’m going to be closer to my family and I’m just ready to play football. It’s good weather to play football and everything.”

All three new Miami players will join former Florida center Mike Pouncey, who is entering his third year with the franchise.

Tags: Caleb Sturgis, Draft, Jelani Jenkins, Mike Gillislee, Mike Pouncey, NFL

One of three players that committed to the Florida Gators on Feb. 16 during its popular Junior Day event, four-star Rivals100 linebacker Christian Miller (Columbia, SC) officially decommitted from the team on Friday, according to ESPN‘s Kipp Adams and InsidetheGators.com‘s Blake Alderman.

The son of former South Carolina starter and nine-year NFL LB Corey Miller, he undoubtedly took his father’s advice when initially making his pledge. The older Miller was coached by Florida defensive line coach Brad Lawing when both were at USC.

Miller registered 14 sacks during his junior campaign at Spring Valley High School and was the third-highest rated player in the Gators’ 2014 recruiting class (No. 91 overall). He was the only linebacker and one of just three defensive players committed.

The offers continue to stack up for Miller with Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee and TCU all having spoken with him this spring, according to Rivals. Though Miller has reopened his recruitment, he has made no indication that Florida is out of the running for his services. Miller always planned to take multiple official visits.

Tags: Christian Miller, Junior Day