1 » With new Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb now off the market and Brett Favre still deciding whether or not to return to the Minnesota Vikings, head coach Brad Childress has taken an interest in former Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow. Childress spoke with the Philadelphia Daily News on how much he believes in Tebow. “Aaron Rodgers was a complete re-do in his throwing motion from Cal, where people didn’t like his stroke and how the ball came out. And he’s doing fine,” Childress said. “Can it be done? It can be done. It’s just a matter of if you as a coach and you as a coaching staff feel like you can fix it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It only takes one person to like him, and they’re going to do everything in their power to make it right.”

2 » Now that his work with Tebow is done, Montreal Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman has come to the conclusion that the signal caller will indeed succeed in the NFL if given a chance, as he told The Morning Journal:

Read Trestman’s almost 500-word commendation of Tebow…after the break!
Continue Reading » TWO BITS: Childress, Trestman supporting Tebow

Tags: Brett Favre, CFL, Donovan McNabb, Florida Gators, Marc Trestman, Minnesota Vikings, Montreal Alouettes, NFL, Tim Tebow, Washington Redskins

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 » Could former Florida Gators wide receiver Percy Harvin be sitting out the most important game of his young NFL career? If his sudden migraine flare-up continues, he just might. Harvin missed Minnesota Vikings practice on Thursday [and Friday] for the first time since returning from the Mayo Clinic in December. He had been headache-free for more than a month, but head coach Brad Childress indicated that the only thing that can cure Harvin is time. “I think it’s just a matter of trying to slow the onsets,” Childress said. “For a while he had them pretty often. We expect him to be OK.” Harvin has 60 receptions on the season, second on the team to Sidney Rice, and has become one of quarterback Brett Favre’s favorite targets on third down.

2 » Preparing for the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl and a future in the NFL, former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow has been working out in Franklin, TN, since last week at D1 Sports Training. Co-owned by Indianapolis Colts star QB Peyton Manning, D1 “specializes in making athletes faster, stronger, more agile and explosive while also building character,” according to the company’s mission statement. Tebow is working closely with former Georgia Bulldogs All-American QB Zeke Bratkowski, a 40-year playing and coaching veteran. “When they see him in person, how he moves and throws, his work ethic at the Senior Bowl, and his passion for the game, I think that is what is going to move him up on the draft,” said Kurt Hester, director of training for D1. Check out the full story by Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

Tags: Brad Childress, Brett Favre, D1 Sports Training, Draft, Indianapolis Colts, Mayo Clinic, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, Percy Harvin, Peyton Manning, Senior Bowl, Sidney Rice, Tim Tebow, Under Armour

CNBC Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell was curious about the money making potential of former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow. Seeing as Tebow will likely be on the cover of NCAA Football 11 and is set to appear in a television commercial during Super Bowl XLIV, Rovell sought out the Davie-Brown Index to compare Tebow’s endorsement potential to others at his position currently playing in the NFL.

The findings were simple: Tebow is already more popular and appealing than future hall of famers Brett Favre and Tom Brady and more of a trendsetter than Super Bowl winners Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning.

It is important to remember that Tebow has already achieved these DBI ratings without competing in the Senior Bowl, working out at the NFL Combine or even being selected in the 2010 NFL Draft – yet. It looks like he will have plenty of money to donate to the Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association even if he does not end up succeeding in the professional ranks. Don’t worry – he will.

Photo Credit: Mark Seliger, GQ

UPDATE: As OGGOA reported yesterday, CBS was in the process of reviewing Tebow’s Focus on the Family advertisement. Sports Business Daily mentioned Wednesday that the script for the Super Bowl spot has received early approval from the network. It appears as if the ad will not carry a strong pro-life message as was the concern of some at CBS. Almost all major networks, especially those airing significant or highly rated national events, have a policy against advocacy ads regardless of the slant.

Tags: Ben Roethlisberger, Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association, Brett Favre, combine, Davie-Brown Index, Draft, Eli Manning, Focus on the Family, NCAA Football 11, NFL, Senior Bowl, Super Bowl XLIV, Tim Tebow, Tom Brady

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

The subject of a lot of debate leading up to the 2009 NFL Draft, former Florida Gators wide receiver Percy Harvin never took his eyes off the prize – even when it was revealed he tested positive for marijuana at the combine. While he was certainly a top 10 (if not higher) talent, Harvin’s fall to No. 22 overall may have been the best thing for his life and career. All you have to do is ask Minnesota Vikings future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre and head coach Brad Childress; they will tell you that Harvin is a problem solver, not a problem starter.

ESPN.com senior writer Elizabeth Merrill went in-depth on Harvin and how he has adjusted to the NFL. OGGOA will highlight some of the article here, but if you want to check it out in its entirety, well, you have to head over to ESPN.

Harvin has emerged as one of the Vikings’ most trustworthy players. Whether the team needs a big-time return (he’s one of the best in the league) or a third-down conversion (Favre has looked his way 15 times, 13 for first downs), he is right there. Those are just two of the reasons he is the midseason favorite for NFL Rookie of the Year honors.

Favre and Harvin developed a close relationship right out of the gate, literally. Harvin was the first player to meet and introduce himself to the legendary quarterback upon his arrival in Minnesota. “Look forward to working with you,” Favre said. “Make me look good now.” It would not take long for Favre to build Harvin up. “I told him from day one, ‘Hey, you’re not a rookie.’ Don’t play like it. Don’t buy into it – because I don’t.”

Quickly coming to the realization that playing with Favre was “a chance of a lifetime,” Harvin still gushes to friends and colleagues every time the two speak. “Every time he texts me, it just shocks me,” Harvin said. “Brett Favre is actually texting my phone. It is humbling to know that a guy who’s done it all, who will go down as one of the best quarterbacks ever…still likes to help.”

This is all a long way from where Harvin was just a few months earlier when he learned about the positive marijuana test he triggered while impressing scouts with his on-field talent at the combine. First, he cried. Then, he looked inside himself and realized he made a bad decision. “I didn’t look at [smoking marijuana] and think of all the stuff or all the people that I might let down at the time,” Harvin said. “Of course, I thought about it afterwards. I was disappointed with myself. I had let myself down, my family down, the University of Florida down. So it was probably one of the worst days of my life. But I learned from it. I got back up, kept moving, ended up here and I’m having a great time.”

“Everything happens for a reason, good or bad. It turned out good for me.” It also happened to turn out quite nicely for the Vikings.

Tags: Brad Childress, Brett Favre, Draft, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, Percy Harvin

1 » In the first OGGOA poll, we asked you point blank: “Will Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow play vs. LSU?” While a total 79% of you (194 votes) believe Tebow will play Saturday, the 46% majority (81 votes) think he will do so while splitting time with sophomore back-up John Brantley. Only 21% (53 votes) are of the impression Tebow will be inactive against the Tigers. The next Tebow health update should be available around noon Monday, when head coach Urban Meyer holds his press conference.

2 » No. 1 Florida Gators have opened up as a nine-point favorite in Las Vegas, NV, over No. 4 LSU Tigers. Most betting services do not have a playable line as of Monday morning. As the week goes on, expect the line to shift depending on Tebow’s health. Should you be inclined to bet on the Tigers (why would you?), this is probably the best line you will get all week as (in my opinion) the odds makers are projecting that Tebow will play. Should Brantley be announced as the starter, I would expect the line to drop to around -7.5 for the Gators.

3 » ESPN’s Monday Night Football is set to kick off tonight from the Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN, as the Minnesota Vikings host the visiting Green Bay Packers. While the storyline of this game for most fans is Vikings quarterback Brett Favre going against his old team, for Florida Gators fans, Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin is the one going after some sort of history.

Lenny Moore of the Baltimore Colts (1963-65) and LaDanian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers (2004-05) currently hold the NFL record of consecutive games with a touchdown at 18. Larry Fitzgerald, formerly of the Pittsburgh Panthers (2002-03), holds the NCAA record of consecutive games with a touchdown catch at 18. While Harvin is not going after these specific records, he has also scored a touchdown in 18 consecutive games, dating back to Nov. 3, 2007. Scoring a touchdown in the NFL is certainly tougher than college football, but Harvin scoring one tonight would be impressive nonetheless.

4 » Fans in the state of Alabama are ecstatic over the start their Auburn Tigers have gotten off to this season (5-0). After a solid outing against the Tennessee Volunteers this weekend, some including The Huntsville Times are trying to draw comparisons between these Tigers and the Florida Gators…at least statistically.

Tags: Brett Favre, John Brantley, LaDanian Tomlinson, Larry Fitzgerald, NFL, Percy Harvin, poll, Tim Tebow