1 » While former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow is dealing with strict evaluations from seemingly every direction, one person at the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl who is squarely in Tebow’s corner is Miami Dolphins and South team head coach Tony Sparano. “I thought it was outstanding, I really did,” Sparano said of Tebow’s work ethic. “In the meeting room he’s been super, spending extra time. He’s been great to coach. One of the nice things with him is, you’ve got somebody lining up in the wrong spot, he’s got it, he can get them lined up right. He sees somebody maybe not run the right route or in the wrong place, he’s got it. This whole thing has really slowed down for him. He has great command for what we’re trying to do.”

2 » Also on Tebow’s side, not surprisingly, is his high school coach at Nease, Craig Howard. “He’s the most scrutinized quarterback I’ve ever seen,” Howard told The Gainesville Sun’s John Patton. “It seems like so many people want to pick out what they find to be wrong with him. […] There is more to a quarterback than throwing motion and whether he plays primarily out of a shotgun or under center. […] He was the most dominant high school quarterback I have ever seen. [...] When he was being recruited, multiple coaches told me he cannot play the way he did at Nease in the SEC. How right were they? It’s the same deal now. […] It’s the same thing I told Urban Meyer. You aren’t just getting a quarterback, you are getting a guy who will change your program. He will change you. He made me a better coach. I wanted to be a better coach because I didn’t want to let him down.”

Two more BITS on Tim Tebow (documentary, mock draft) after the jump!
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Former QB Tim Tebow’s NFL future

Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Bill Heavener, Chase Heavener, Craig Howard, Draft, Miami Dolphins, Nease, NFL, Senior Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Tim Tebow, Tony Sparano, Under Armour

1 » New Orleans Saints defensive end Bobby McCray is the only former Florida Gators football player to make his way out of the 2010 NFL Playoffs and into Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, FL. McCray and his team will face the Indianapolis Colts and star quarterback Peyton Manning in the grandest stage of them all. Also in action Sunday were Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin (five receptions for 38 yards, four rushes for 15 yards and one fumble) and New York Jets cornerback Lito Sheppard (two tackles). McCray has been a big-name over the last few weeks, delivering powerful hits to both Arizona Cardinals QB Kurt Warner and Vikings QB Brett Favre.

2 » No. 11 Florida men’s tennis fell 5-2 to the No. 6 Baylor Bears on Sunday at the Baylor Tennis Center in Waco, TX. Senior Antoine Benneteau held his own in singles competition, though junior Alexandre Lacroix fell in three sets to Denes Lukacs 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Lacroix and Benneteau, the No. 10-ranked doubles team in the country, continued their hot streak by winning their match 9-7. The Gators host the Furman Paladins on Jan. 30 at 10 a.m. in the first round of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex. The Georgia Tech yellow Jackets and Penn State Nittany Lions are also involved in the short tournament.

Tags: Alexandre Lacroix, Antoine Benneteau, Arizona Cardinals, Baylor Bears, Baylor Tennis Center, Bobby McCray, Brett Favre, Denes Lukacs, Indianapolis Colts, Kurt Warner, Lito Sheppard, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, NFL, Percy Harvin, Playoffs, Super Bowl XLIV, tennis

1 » Former Florida Gators defensive end Bobby McCray, now with the New Orleans Saints, laid out Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner during the second round of the NFL Playoffs on Saturday. OGGOA has the video.

2 » Plenty of former Gators will be in action Sunday as the second round of the NFL Playoffs continue. Linebacker Brandon Siler and defensive tackle Ian Scott will be lining up for the San Diego Chargers, New York Jets‘ cornerback Lito Sheppard will be trying to shut down the Chargers’ deep threats and wide receiver Percy Harvin will see action in the early game as one of Brett Favre‘s top targets on the Minnesota Vikings against the Dallas Cowboys.

3 » Barely missing a triple-double for the New York Knicks Saturday was former Florida forward/center David Lee. Finishing with 26 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists, Lee has been tearing it up in New York over the last two seasons. Lee is averaging career-highs in minutes (36.9), points (19.3), assists (3.3) and steals (1.1) this season while also grabbing 11.2 rebounds per game; he has all the makings of an NBA All-Star.

4 » The decision that former Gators tight end Aaron Hernandez made to declare for the 2010 NFL Draft may turn out to be a wise one. But one choice Hernandez made that is already paying dividends was that of attending Florida instead of the University of Connecticut. “I feel like it was the best decision I made,” Hernandez told the Hartford Courant. “It made me grow up a little bit, get away from family and friends. The coaches were great coaches and they were great people, and I just don’t think anything could have gone better.” When did Hernandez decide to leave school? “I kind of planned toward the middle of the season, because I felt like I wanted to move on and enter a new part of my life,” he said. “Really, as the season went on, I just wanted [it] more and more.”

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, All-Star, Arizona Cardinals, Bobby McCray, Brandon Siler, Brett Favre, Dallas Cowboys, David Lee, Draft, Ian Scott, Kurt Warner, Lito Sheppard, Minnesota Vikings, NBA, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, New York Knicks, NFL, Percy Harvin, Playoffs, San Diego Chargers