1 » He may not have been drafted as early as he would have liked but new St. Louis Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins is already drawing rave reviews from his performances at rookie minicamp. St. Louis head coach Jeff Fisher was interviewed on ESPN’s NFL 32 program on Tuesday and said that Jenkins is proving his evaluators right so far. “[Jenkins is] very talented – obviously we know that and that has shown just in the last couple of days,” he explained. “He’s got excellent football intelligence and he carries things from the classroom to the field. He’s going to be a really good player soon for us.” Fisher also discussed the process that the Rams’ front office went through in evaluating Jenkins’s off-the-field issues. “It started with the 15-minute interview at the Combine and then the visit where we had him for the day,” he said. “Believe me, no one did more research [than we did]. Everyone we talked to along the road, whether it was in Pahokee, Florida, the University of Florida or people from North Alabama, everyone to a man said, ‘Take this young man.’ This stuff is behind him.” Speaking of Jenkins, below is a video interview he did with ESPN after being selected in the 2012 NFL Draft.

2 » Despite coaches saying after trading for him that quarterback Tim Tebow would play a number of other positions this season for the New York Jets, Tebow told the media last week that he has only taken snaps as a signal caller so far during minicamp. Not only is Tebow only working at quarterback at this point, he has also received rave reviews from both offensive coordinator Tony Sparano and quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh in regards to the progress he has made at his position. “I think he can be very good,” Cavanaugh told the New York Daily News on Tuesday. “I was pleasantly surprised when I saw him over an extended period of time…not just watching him play on film. I think he’s certainly got the arm strength. He has good mechanics. They’re getting better every day.” He also explained to the paper that improved footwork and additional work inside the pocket can help Tebow get even better. “I think with Tim, he’s more focused right now in the offseason on just working on the fundamentals of trying to be rhythmic in the pocket,” Cavanaugh said. “He’s shown great progress. I’m real pleased with him. [...] He doesn’t let a day go by when he’s not focused on trying to get better at something.”

Tags: combine, Draft, Janoris Jenkins, New York Jets, NFL, St. Louis Rams, Tim Tebow

For the fourth time in just over 15 months, Florida Gators redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Leon Orr has had a run-in with the law.

Orr, who was charged with a second-degree misdemeanor for driving with a suspended or revoked driver’s license in Feb. 2011 and was cited for misdemeanor possession of marijuana in January, has once again been charged with a first-degree misdemeanor for knowingly driving with a suspended or revoked license.

Cited Monday for his second nonmoving traffic violation for the same action, Orr has broken a deferred prosecution agreement he promised to uphold in January. As a result of the agreement following his marijuana charge, Orr was supposed to pay $50 in court costs and perform 12.5 hours of community service (or pay another $150 fine) all while staying out of trouble for six months.

His actions on Monday come four months after he accepted the agreement.

Alachua County Court records list Orr as owing $267 in fees, court costs and fines for a speeding ticket he received in Nov. 2011 but has not yet paid; his license has been suspended since Dec. 20, 2011. His arraignment is scheduled for June 6 at 1 p.m.

Though Florida has not released a statement on the matter, Orr tweeted about the incident on Tuesday: “First off I wanna apologize to the g[ator] nation for this bad publicity, but I’m being depicted as a criminal of some sort and I’ve never had hand cuffs on my wrist or been pictured in a stripe jumpsuit! I jus wanna help my team win and provide for my family.”

Orr played in all 13 games in 2011, registering 10 tackles, a sack and a pass defense.

Tags: arrest, Leon Orr

Former Florida Gators running back Ran Carthon has been named the new director of pro director of personnel for the St. Louis Rams, the organization has announced.

Carthon, who led Florida in rushing with 595 yards and six touchdowns in 2003, finished his career with the Gators having played in 48 games (11 starts). He accounted for over 1,300 yards on 270 carries and scored 12 total touchdowns.

Since ending his NFL playing career following three years (2004-06) with Indianapolis Colts, Carthon has been working as a scout with the Atlanta Falcons (2008-11).

For him, the opportunity in Atlanta was a lifelong ambition come true.

“Scouting is something I’ve always been interested in,” he told OGGOA in March. “I used to sit home and record every draft from 1995 to 2003. I would sit by the TV and have my legal pad and kind of do my own little mocks with the magazines and all that.

“When I was in school, whatever team my dad [Maurice Carthon] was with and whatever coach came down, I would always get with them to watch film when they watched our guys for Pro Day. I would be on the field timing 40s myself, timing drills and doing all those things. It was something I always wanted to do.”

Scouting always came naturally to Carthon, who returned to Florida in 2008 to get his degree. After graduating he sent letters to every NFL team looking for an opportunity but got his big break when former Gators head coach Urban Meyer allowed him to participate in Pro Day and bump into some coaches and scouts.

“I wasn’t there working out, but I came and I met some of the scouts and got some cards and kind of kept in touch with guys throughout that process. I was able to get an interview with the Falcons and was able to land the job,” he said.

Carthon has been a popular figure in Atlanta’s front office and even created a Fatherhood Ticket Program that earned him recognition from the White House for responding to a call from President Barack Obama to help strengthen the bonds of fathers and families.

He now has a new challenge in St. Louis and should do quite well if he continues to possess the same passion and fortitude he has throughout his career.

Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts, NFL, Ran Carthon, St. Louis Rams, Urban Meyer

Still nine months away from National Signing Day, the Florida Gators received the 16th commitment for their 2013 recruiting class on Monday after three-star wide receiver Marqui Hawkins (Columbus, GA) pledged to join the team next February.

Hawkins (6’2″ 190 lbs.), who plays wide receiver for Caver High School but could be moved to defensive back in college, was initially offered a scholarship by Florida head coach Will Muschamp in mid-February but was not yet ready to make his decision.

“Coach Muschamp said he woke up early [Saturday] morning to look at my film. He liked the way I could judge the ball, said I had decent speed, and that I can move body well to adjust to the ball. He likes that I can play both sides of the ball, so he offered me a scholarship,” Hawkins told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the time.

Ranked as the No. 42 player at his position by Rivals and listed as a four-star recruit and the No. 31 player at his position by ESPNU, Hawkins also has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson and Georgia among other schools.

He still plans to take his official visits but is firmly committed to UF “largely because the Gators recruited him to play on offense,” according to Rivals‘ Keith Niebuhr (who spoke to the player Monday night). “I knew the depth chart was low at receiver and I could come in and play early,” Hawkins said.

He is the third wide receiver to commit to Florida for 2013 joining four-star recruits Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, FL) and Rodney Adams (St. Petersburg, FL).

Hawkins’s commitment was first reported by Gator Country.

Tags: Ahmad Fulwood, Marqui Hawkins, Rodney Adams, Will Muschamp

Just over a year after leaving school early and going unpicked in the 2011 NFL Draft, former Florida Gators safety Will Hill has signed with a NFL team.

Hill, who has been participating in New York Giants rookie camp since last week, was signed by the team on Monday. He last played football for the AFL’s Arizona Rattlers and spent his offseason working out in the tri-state area.

Originally from West Orange, NJ, Hill has been trying to catch the Giants’ eye since last offseason when he did not receive a single invite to a NFL camp. He participated in a Pro Day in Martinsville, NJ in March and obviously made an impression on New York.

Hill told ESPNNewYork.com over the weekend that he had to come back to Earth and humble himself before moving on with his career.

“When I was in college, I was the No. 1 athlete coming out and then going straight to a team that won the national championship, that had the possibility to win another one, it was just rock star status basically,” he said. “My head got big and I did let my gifts get away and start[ed] acting like a fool, basically. So I did waste my talent in some aspects.

“It’s been a hard time, many nights crying, many night just wondering, ‘When is this going to happen?’ But people were like, ‘Look, you’re a good athlete. Just work on being a better person.’ And that’s something I needed to do. I needed to calm down and sit down, and that’s what I did.”

Among the issues leading NFL teams to shy away from Hill a year ago were the numerous off-the-field problems he had at Florida including failing drug tests due to smoking marijuana, making poor life decisions, posting a number of more-than-questionable messages on Twitter and – as one anonymous scout said in April 2011 – being “ignorant and crazy.”

A spot opened up for Hill with the Giants after former LSU S Chad Jones, who got in a serious car accident in June 2010, was waived by New York for failing a physical while trying to make a comeback this season.

Hill now has his opportunity to prove the 31 other teams that have not paid attention to him wrong and turn his life around for the better by giving it his all for the Giants.

Photo Credit: Stephen Morton/Associated Press

Tags: Draft, New York Giants, NFL, Will Hill

1 » No. 12 Florida Gators men’s tennis (16-9) continued its hot play in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, completing a 4-0 sweep of the No. 24 Harvard Crimson (23-3) to advance to the round of 16. Florida clinched the doubles point and received singles victories from No. 53 senior Nassim Slilam (6-2, 6-3), No. 66 sophomore Spencer Newman (6-4, 6-2) and sophomore Florent Diep (6-1, 6-4) to grab the victory and move on to the round of 16 for the third-straight season. UF will resume play on Friday against No. 5 Ohio State at noon.

2 » Gators softball, one day after falling hard in a bid for a conference tournament title, learned Sunday that they have earned the No. 5 overall seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Florida (46-11) will open the tournament as hosts of the Gainesville Regional, which will also feature Florida Gulf Coast, Central Florida and South Florida. UF is 2-2 this season against the field with victories over FGCU (5-0) and USF (3-2) and losses to UCF (2-0) and USF (4-1). The Gators will play their first game on May 18 at 6 p.m. against FGCU. Should Florida be the victor of their regional, they will take on the winner of the Los Angeles Regional featuring No. 12 UCLA, Florida State, San Diego State and Hofstra. UF would likely host the Super Regional in that scenario.

3 » Five-star point guard Kasey Hill, a 2013 Gators’ commitment and the No. 8 player in the country according to Rivals, received high praise from ESPN’s Dave Telep on Thursday. Telep, who has attended five AAU events since March, said Hill stood out as the top performer at the adidas VIP Run and thinks he is one of two players who could be considered the best point guard in the class of 2013. “The most improved player I’ve seen? That would be point guard Kasey Hill,” he wrote. “He’s refined his approach to the point guard slot and in my mind, become an elite player and impact recruit. There’s a difference between being highly rated and being an impact signee. He’s the best point guard Billy Donovan has ever recruited.”

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Tags: AAU, Baltimore Ravens, Billy Donovan, Deonte Thompson, Florent Diep, Gainesville Regional, Harvard Crimson, John Brantley, Kasey Hill, Matt Bonner, Miami Heat, Mike Miller, Nassim Slilam, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, NFL, San Antonio Spurs, softball, Spencer Newman, tennis, Udonis Haslem

1 » No. 5 Florida Gators baseball (37-14, 15-11 SEC) stalled in a big way on Saturday, getting shut out for the second time this season in a 2-0 loss to the No. 25 Mississippi State Bulldogs (31-19, 13-13 SEC) at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville, FL. A late scratch with a hamstring injury, junior left-hander Brian Johnson was replaced by sophomore right-hander Jonathon Crawford, who did an admirable job as a spot starter. Crawford (4-2, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, HBP, 3 K) gave up single runs in the first and fifth but received no help whatsoever from Florida’s bats in terms of production or run support. The Gators combined to register just three hits on the evening with the first five batters combining to go 0/19 with one walk and three strikeouts.

2 » No. 2 Florida women’s tennis (23-1) registered yet another shutout in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, defeating the No. 31 Washington State Cougars (19-7) and advancing to the round of 16 for the eighth consecutive season. The Gators topped the Cougars 6-0 (shutouts are normally end at 4-0 but three matches finished simultaneously) and combined to go 76-23 in individual games in the seven matches that were completed. The No. 1 pairing of junior Allie Will and sophomore Sofie Oyen registered an 8-1 victory, while the No. 22 duo of junior Lauren Embree and senior Joanna Mather won 8-2 to clinch the doubles point. No. 1 Will (6-3, 6-1), No. 9 Embree (6-2, 6-3), No. 21 Mather (6-3, 6-2), No. 61 Oyen (6-4, 6-0) and No. 79 sophomore Alex Cercone (6-0, 6-2) all won their singles matches as well. UF will take on Michigan on Thursday at 7 p.m. for the opportunity to advance to the quarterfinals.

3 » No. 12 Florida men’s tennis (15-9) began competing in their version of the 2012 NCAA Tournament on Saturday and started as hot as their female counterparts did with a 4-0 sweep of the Navy Midshipmen (18-9). The Gators won the doubles point (8-4; 8-3) and were led by their ranked players in singles action. No. 42 junior Bob van Overbeek (6-1, 6-0), No. 53 senior Nassim Slilam (6-0, 6-0) and sophomore Florent Diep (6-0, 6-0) were victorious in their individual matches as No. 48 junior Tripper Carleton and No. 66 sophomore Spencer Newman also lead at the time the contest was stopped. Florida will face Harvard in second-round action on Sunday for the chance to move on to the round of 16.

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Tags: Alex Cercone, Allie Will, Andra Davis, baseball, Bob Van Overbeek, Brian Johnson, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Mavericks, Draft, Florent Diep, Joanna Mather, Joe Haden, Jonathon Crawford, Lauren Embree, Mississippi State Rebels, Nassim Slilam, Navy Midshipmen, NBA, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, NFL, Nick Calathes, Panathinaikos, Sofie Oyen, Spencer Newman, tennis, Tripper Carleton, Washington State Cougars

1 » No. 5 Florida Gators baseball (37-13, 15-10 SEC) got off to a hot start in their final home series of the regular season, taking down the No. 25 Mississippi State Rebels (30-19, 12-13 SEC) on Senior Day at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville, FL. Florida won 4-1 behind a strong outing by junior right-hander Hudson Randall, who gave up an earned run in the fifth but otherwise scattered five hits in his 7.0 innings while striking out two. Junior lefty Steven Rodriguez (2.0 IP, H, 4 K) was dominant in closing out the game and earned his third save of the season. The Gators rallied to cross the plate once each in the second and third and added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth when senior center fielder Daniel Pigott (2/4, HR, 2 RBI, R) hit a two-run homer to left. Five seniors including Pigott, RHP Greg Larson, utility player Jeff Moyer, outfielder Tyler Thompson and right fielder Preston Tucker were honored on Friday though a handful of the team’s juniors may also be playing their final regular season home series at McKethan Stadium.

2 » It was reported back in January that Florida had offered a preferred walk-on opportunity to three-star quarterback Jacob Guy (Dade City, FL), but the player had chosen to take some time to consider his options before deciding where he would attend school in 2012 and beyond. Guy has finally made that decision and announced on Friday that he will turn down scholarship offers from schools like Massachusetts, Ohio and Western Michigan in order to walk on with the Gators. “I”ve always been a Gators fan,” Guy told the Tampa Bay Times. “The opportunity to go up there to Gainesville and play for the Gators got me there.” Guy set his high school’s single season records for passing yards (2,672) and touchdowns (42) in his senior year and put up a brilliant line in the Class 5A region final when he completed 17-of-18 passes and scored two touchdowns (one rushing). At 6’5” and 200 lbs., Guy’s size is exceptional for a signal caller. Should Florida’s roster remain unchanged heading into the summer, he will be the ninth quarterback in camp with only four on scholarship.

3 » E! has decided to air a 30-minute special on New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow. Unfortunately for Tebow and his fans, the special (which will air sometime in July according to Sports Illustrated), is being created without his participation and therefore is unlikely to include any unique material. “Tebow is a pop culture phenomenon and the interest in his life expands beyond the world of sports. He’s a compelling personality and has a fascinating story,” a network spokesman told SI’s Richard Deitsch.

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Tags: Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Baltimore Ravens, baseball, Cleveland Browns, Dan Wenger, Daniel Pigott, Deonte Thompson, Greg Larson, Hudson Randall, Jacob Guy, Jeff Moyer, John Brantley, McKethan Stadium, Mississippi State Rebels, NBA, New York Giants, New York Jets, Olympics, Playoffs, Preston Tucker, Ryan Lochte, Steven Rodriguez, swimming, Tim Tebow, Tyler Thompson, Will Hill, William Green