1 » The Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday announced that former Florida Gators punter Chas Henry has received a one-year contract. Henry, signed as an undrafted free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles before the 2011 season, remained the team’s starter heading into 2012 but was replaced at the start of the season with Mat McBriar. He tried out with other teams throughout the year but was not able to find a new job when all was said and done. In Tampa Bay, Henry will start out as training camp competition for incumbent starter Michael Koenen, who is signed through 2016. Henry averaged 44.0 yards per punt during his time with the Eagles; Koenen averaged 45.3 yards per punt during the 2012 season and also handles the Bucs’ kickoff duties.

2 » Florida junior right-handed pitcher Karsten Whitson, expected to enter the 2013 season as the team’s No. 2 starter, will be sidelined indefinitely with shoulder fatigue, the school announced. Whitson, who has missed significant time with multiple injuries during his sophomore season with the Gators, is a power pitcher with a mid-90s fastball and devastating slider. He went 8-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 2011 but pitched just 33.1 innings in 2012 and went 4-0 with a 3.51 ERA. His shoulder has long been an issue, however, and Baseball America reported on Wednesday that he met with Dr. James Andrews for a consultation. As of press time, the results of that meeting are unknown. Whitson originally joined Florida rather than signing a $2.1 million offer from the San Diego Padres, which selected him with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft. “We knew there was a possibility he might not pitch the first two weekends,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “We were kind of prepared for this, so it hasn’t really changed a whole lot in regards to this weekend.”

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Tags: Abby Wambach, baseball, Chas Henry, Draft, Karsten Whitson, Kevin O'Sullivan, Minnesota Vikings, MLB, NFL, Percy Harvin, Philadelphia Eagles, soccer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, United States

From time to time, OGGOA will come across a plethora of news and notes that we wish to share – too much to fit into one of our truncated BITS segments. In these instances, or when stories fall through the cracks, we catch and wrap them all up with Gator Bites.

» Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden has been a fan favorite in his short time as a superstar in Cleveland, OH but not only because of what he does on the field. Haden shows up to a ton of local sporting events (especially Cleveland Cavaliers games), attended prom as a high school student’s date, sponsored a kid’s baseball team and even invites fans to meet him out at random places in Cleveland for free food and drinks. Haden’s latest gesture of good will occurred this week when he bumped into a fan looking at NFL jerseys at Finish Line. Noticing that the fan, Bradley Morrison, was specifically looking at his jersey, Haden took it off the rack, paid for it and then signed it on the spot without being asked. It is rare for an athlete to embrace a city he never previously lived in as much as Haden has Cleveland, but he has proven to be completely authentic in his love for the town which he now calls home.

» Though it is not yet official, it appears as if Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal will soon be signing a multi-year deal with Nike. Beal’s agent Mark Bartelstein told The Washington Post last week that they are “excited” about the relationship and opportunity. “Obviously Nike does terrific things and I think he’s going to be a big part of their plans going forward,” Bartelstein told the paper.

» Does New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow have a celebrity girlfriend? The rumors and tabloid gossip appear to be real this time as TMZ recently spotted Tebow out bowling with actress Camilla Belle. Reports the website:

Tim and Camilla Belle showed up at Latitude 30 in Jacksonville, Florida Tuesday night, where they bowled and partied. Camilla has a history with other putatively pure celebs. She dated Joe Jonas for awhile, but they split up in 2009. People who were at Latitude 30 last night tell us … Tim and Camilla were overly affectionate throughout the evening, holding hands and touching. Camilla’s rep didn’t get back to us, but sources connected with Camilla tell us they are definitely an item.

Check out SIX more Gator Bites…after the break!
Continue Reading » Gator Bites for Thursday, November 1

Tags: All-SEC, Bradley Beal, Chas Henry, Chris Johnson, Christen Westphal, Cleveland Cavaliers, Coach of the Year, Erika Tymrak, Holly King, Jo Dragotta, Joe Haden, Kyle Christy, Maurkice Pouncey, Miami Dolphins, Mike Pouncey, NBA, New York Jets, NFL, Ole Miss Rebels, Pittsburgh Steelers, Player of the Year, SEC, SEC Tournament, soccer, Tim Tebow, Washington Wizards

1 » Earlier this week, ESPN‘s Kirk Herbstreit broke down Saturday’s game between the No. 2 Florida Gators and No. 7 South Carolina Gamecocks on the network.

2 » After releasing a star-filled injury report earlier in the week, South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier said Thursday that it looks like almost all of his big-name players will be in action on Saturday against Florida. The one exception, of course, is defensive tackle Kelcy Quarles, who has an injured shoulder but will also be suspended for punching a player during last week’s game against LSU. Running back Marcus Lattimore (hip) is still not slated to start but is expected to play after going through a full practice on Thursday. Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (foot) is also good to go, as are a number of players who were hit with a flu bug over the course of the week, Spurrier said.

Check out four more BITS in this post…after the break!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: ESPN, Lattimore, Steelers, Henry, Noah

Tags: Chas Henry, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Indians, Jadeveon Clowney, Joakim Noah, Marcus Gilbert, Marcus Lattimore, Matt LaPorta, Maurkice Pouncey, MLB, NBA, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, SEC, South Carolina Gamecocks, Steve Spurrier, Washington Redskins

The 2012 NFL regular season began four weeks ago with 32 former Florida Gators football players spread over 23 teams.

A total of 20 players participated in week four action, many of whom had an impact on their respective team’s performance.

For the third-straight year, OGGOA has checked and re-checked the box scores to bring you a summary of what all of these Gators accomplished during the fourth week of the 2012 regular season.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
S MAJOR WRIGHT, Chicago Bears: Five tackles (three solo), two interceptions, two pass defenses

WR PERCY HARVIN, Minnesota Vikings Three receptions for 22 yards (targets: 6, long: 17); three carries for 12 yards (long: 14); kick return for 105 yards, touchdown

LB BRANDON SPIKES, New England Patriots: Seven tackles [team-high] (three solo), pass defense, two forced fumbles^ (Video 1 | Video 2)

Check out how the rest of the Florida Gators in the NFL played this week…
Continue Reading » Former Florida Gators in the NFL: Week 4 (2012)

Tags: Ahmad Black, Andre Caldwell, Brandon Siler, Brandon Spikes, Carlos Dunlap, Chas Henry, Cooper Carlisle, Cornelius Ingram, Deonte Thompson, Janoris Jenkins, Jeremy Mincey, Jermaine Cunningham, Louis Murphy, Major Wright, Maurice Hurt, Mike Peterson, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Percy Harvin, Ray McDonald, Reggie Nelson, Tim Tebow, Will Hill

The 2012 NFL regular season began three weeks ago with 32 former Florida Gators football players spread over 23 teams.

A total of 25 players participated in week three action, many of whom had an impact on their respective team’s performance.

For the third-straight year, OGGOA has checked and re-checked the box scores to bring you a summary of what all of these Gators accomplished during the third week of the 2012 regular season.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
S MAJOR WRIGHT, Chicago Bears: Two solo tackles, interception (45-yard touchdown return), pass defense

DE CARLOS DUNLAP, Cincinnati Bengals: Three tackles (two solo, one for loss), sack, three QB hits, forced fumble and fumble recovery (Video)

Check out how the rest of the Florida Gators in the NFL played this week…
Continue Reading » Former Florida Gators in the NFL: Week 3 (2012)

Tags: Ahmad Black, Andre Caldwell, Brandon Siler, Brandon Spikes, Carlos Dunlap, Chas Henry, Chris Rainey, Cooper Carlisle, Deonte Thompson, Janoris Jenkins, Jeremy Mincey, Jermaine Cunningham, Louis Murphy, Major Wright, Marcus Gilbert, Maurice Hurt, Maurkice Pouncey, Max Starks, Mike Peterson, Mike Pouncey, Percy Harvin, Ray McDonald, Reggie Nelson, Tim Tebow, Will Hill

The 2012 NFL regular season began on Wednesday with 32 former Florida Gators football players spread over 23 teams.

A total of 24 players participated in week two action, many of whom had an impact on their respective team’s performance.

For the third-straight year, OGGOA has checked and re-checked the box scores to bring you a summary of what all of these Gators accomplished during the second week of the 2012 regular season.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
WR PERCY HARVIN, Minnesota Vikings 12 receptions [career-high] for 104 yards (targets: 13, long: 20) [team-highs]; two carries for 13 yards (long: 20); two kick returns for 78 yards (long: 50)

Check out how the rest of the Florida Gators in the NFL played this week…
Continue Reading » Former Florida Gators in the NFL: Week 2 (2012)

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Ahmad Black, Brandon Siler, Brandon Spikes, Chas Henry, Chris Rainey, Cooper Carlisle, Deonte Thompson, Janoris Jenkins, Jeremy Mincey, Jermaine Cunningham, Louis Murphy, Major Wright, Marcus Gilbert, Maurice Hurt, Maurkice Pouncey, Max Starks, Mike Peterson, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Percy Harvin, Ray McDonald, Reggie Nelson, Tim Tebow, Will Hill

1 » A New York Daily News report late Wednesday, citing an anonymous source, notes that former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow is expected to request a trade from the New York Jets if he remains the team’s back-up heading into the 2013 season. Citing Tebow’s competitiveness and love for football, the source is not stating fact but rather opinion, making the NYDN report not newsworthy but rather pure speculation. “I think he will be a good solider,” the source said. “At the end of the year, I think he will express those concerns to the Jets. He will want to move on. The one thing about Tebow is he’s the quintessential team player. He would never do anything that is going to undermine the team. But he’s football-aholic. It’s in his blood.”

2 » In his second year with the Miami Dolphins, center Mike Pouncey is making his brand new coaching staff feel completely confident in his abilities to lead and direct the team’s offensive line for years to come. “I thought Pouncey played an excellent football game,” new head coach Joe Philbin said of his actions on Sunday in Miami’s season-opener. “I thought he did some things that I haven’t seen a lineman do in this league in a long time. I thought he played well.” Pouncey not only makes all of the calls and calls out the protections for the line but is also becoming arguably its most trustworthy player aside from left tackle Jake Long. “He’s an intense player and every single play he’s finishing guys 10, 15 or 20 yards downfield,” Long told the team’s website. “He tries to pancake a guy whenever he can and he does a great job of facilitating.” Pouncey noted that his ability to be dominant on the second level makes up for some of what he lacks in overall size. [Click here to bet on the Miami Dolphins]

3 » Punter Chas Henry nearly lost out on his starting job this offseason just a year after being signed by the Philadelphia Eagles to an undrafted free agent contract. Henry told Comcast SportsNet this week that Philadelphia signing two-time Pro Bowl punter Mat McBriar was a move that gave him an immediate sense of dread. “When they brought him in, I saw the writing on the wall,” he said. “He’s a two-time Pro Bowler. I figured, ‘OK, that’s it for me here.’” Instead of getting down on himself, however, Henry used McBriar’s addition to the roster as motivation and spent the entire offseason either equaling or besting him in practice and preseason appearances. The Eagles wound up keeping Henry as he has an equal leg and is a better holder on field goals. He rewarded them by setting a franchise record for highest punting average in a single game, booting three balls over 60 yards and finishing with a 55.0 yard average. “I just needed to learn how to become an NFL punter,” Henry explained. “It’s a totally different game from college.”

4 » Since some offseason theatrics that included missing practice and demanding a trade, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin has once again become a beloved and valued member of the team. The St. Paul Pioneer Press (and former Gators beat writer Jeremy Fowler) pointed out last weekend that Harvin “has a chance to rewrite his legacy – and possibly land a long-term contract extension in the process” by having a healthy and dominant season, something he has been trying to accomplish since his rookie year. Minnesota turned to him on Sunday when they needed a boost to their slow-moving first-half offense. Harvin finished the game with six receptions for 84 yards and five carries for 20 yards as well as three kickoff returns for 88 yards. His productivity in the NFL has never been a question but being able to do it over at least a 16-game season is what the Vikings will want to see from Harvin before handing over the dough.

Tags: Chas Henry, Miami Dolphins, Mike Pouncey, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, NFL, Percy Harvin, Philadelphia Eagles, Tim Tebow

The 2012 NFL regular season began on Wednesday with 32 former Florida Gators football players spread over 23 teams.

A total of 26 players participated in week one action, many of whom had an impact on their respective team’s performance.

For the third-straight year, OGGOA has checked and re-checked the box scores to bring you a summary of what all of these Gators accomplished during the first week of the 2012 regular season.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
SS AHMAD BLACK, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Interception (no return), pass defense

Black caught his first career interception on Sunday and was obviously enthralled with the ball afterward. Image credit: SB Nation

TE AARON HERNANDEZ, New England Patriots: Six receptions [team-high] for 59 yards (targets: 7, long: 23), touchdown; carry for five yards

Check out how the rest of the Florida Gators in the NFL played this week…
Continue Reading » Former Florida Gators in the NFL: Week 1 (2012)

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Ahmad Black, Brandon Siler, Brandon Spikes, Chas Henry, Chris Rainey, Cooper Carlisle, David Nelson, Deonte Thompson, Janoris Jenkins, Jeremy Mincey, Jermaine Cunningham, Joe Haden, Louis Murphy, Major Wright, Marcus Gilbert, Maurice Hurt, Maurkice Pouncey, Max Starks, Mike Peterson, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Percy Harvin, Ray McDonald, Reggie Nelson, Tim Tebow, Will Hill