1 » Florida Gators lacrosse’s freshman attacker Ashley Bruns was named the 2010 American Lacrosse Conference Rookie of the Year on Tuesday. Bruns, one of the top recruits in the country, led Florida’s inaugural lacrosse team in goals (44) and assists (30) while taking home numerous honors over the course of the season. She also earned a spot on the All-ALC Second Team along with teammates freshman midfielders Brittany Dashiell and Jamie Reeg.

2 » Former Gators defensive end Carlos Dunlap is already finding a level of comfort with the Cincinnati Bengals. He knows exactly what the team expects of him and hopes to exceed their projections. “They drafted me to be a pass rusher. That’s definitely something I want to be the best at on the team, so I can be that guy,” said Dunlap according to CNATI.com. “I’m just working on that and working on becoming an NFL player. […] It’s a passing league. If you can be a dominant pass rusher, you can be one of the dominant players in the league.”

3 » By all appearances, former Florida kick returner Brandon James had a rough year in 2010, culminating with a season-ending injury that kept him out of the postseason. Unable to compete at most pre-draft workouts, James was counting on his college production and workout at the Gators’ second Pro Day to fuel interest. The Indianapolis Colts recognized his talent, signing him to an undrafted free agent contract after the 2010 NFL Draft completed. Now, James believes he can greatly impact the former Super Bowl champions (at least) on special teams. “That’s an area I can help in,” he told the Indianapolis Star. “If not making big plays, then putting [the offense] in good field position. If you put the offense at the 40- or 50-yard line, the chances [of scoring] are a lot greater than if it starts at the 18 or 20. That’s what I feel like I’m here for.” In order to remain “here,” James will have to beat out Indiana’s Ray Fisher, a seventh-round pick who is also attempting to make the team as the primary returner.

4 » Though he spent a good amount of time at Florida as a strong safety, Major Wright is already competing for the starting free safety job with the Chicago Bears, according to the Daily Herald. Wright, the Bears’ third-round selection, is ready and raring to go. “I was like, ‘Wow my dream’s come true,’” he said. “I dreamed about this when I was younger and it’s here. Now I just have to go out and hustle and just stay focused.”

Photo Credit: Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Tags: ALC, Ashley Bruns, Brandon James, Brittany Dashiell, Carlos Dunlap, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Draft, Indianapolis Colts, Jamie Reeg, lacrosse, Major Wright, NFL, Pro Day, Ray Fisher, Rookie of the Year, Super Bowl

1 » The No. 3 Florida Gators women’s tennis team was honored extensively by the Southeastern Conference on Wednesday, taking home the top three available annual awards. Freshman Lauren Embree won SEC Player of the Year, freshman Allie Will took home SEC Freshman of the Year honors and Roland Thornqvist was named SEC Coach of the Year. Also representing the team were seniors Marrit Boonstra and Anastasia Revzina, who were named to the All-SEC First Team and Second Team, respectively. Embree and Will also earned All-SEC First Team honors and placement on the SEC All-Freshman Team. Florida was undefeated (11-0) during the regular season, won the 2010 SEC Tournament and will compete in the 2010 NCAA Team Championship beginning May 14.

2 » When it comes to former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow’s future with the Denver Broncos, you will find no stronger advocate or staunch defender than Denver Post columnist Woody Paige. As someone who suggested the team select Tebow from the get-go, Paige has gone on the offensive against a number of his readers who continue to question head coach Josh McDaniels’ decision, comparing Tebow to the likes of John Elway and San Francisco’s Steve Young.

Check out four more BITS on Cunningham, Mullen and Florida baseball…
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Tennis, Tebow’s defense, Cunningham’s future, Mullen’s job, Johnson’s start, Moyer

Tags: All-SEC, Allie Will, Anastasia Revzina, Andre Smith, baseball, Bob Stoops, Brian Johnson, Carlos Dunlap, Cincinnati Bengals, Coach of the Year, Dan Mullen, Denver Broncos, Draft, Freshman of the Year, Jeff Moyer, Jermaine Cunningham, John Elway, John Jerry, Josh McDaniels, Lauren Embree, Marrit Boonstra, Michael Oher, Mississippi State Bulldogs, MLB, NCAA Team Championship, New England Patriots, NFL, Player of the Year, Roland Thornqvist, SEC, SEC Tournament, Steve Young, tennis, Tim Tebow, Tommy Toledo, Urban Meyer

Round 2 – No. 54
Carlos Dunlap, DE
Cincinnati Bengals

Height: 6’6″ – Weight: 277 lbs.
Age: 20 – Class: Junior

Experiencing a slide in the 2010 NFL Draft that he certainly did not expect when he declared as a junior, former Florida Gators defensive end Carlos Dunlap did not have to wait long after his linemate Jermaine Cunningham was picked. In fact, Dunlap’s name was called immediately after Cunningham’s when he was finally chosen by the Cincinnati Bengals with the No. 54 overall pick in the second round.

The eighth Florida defensive lineman to be drafted in the past five years, Dunlap was a unanimous 2009 first-team All-SEC player by the conference’s coaches, the Associated Press and Sporting News. His 19.5 career sacks with the Gators puts him in the top ten in school history.

He was projected to be a top-five selection in the draft before the 2009 season began due to his athletic ability but steadily fell down scouts’ charts due to character concerns (his DUI before the 2010 SEC Championship) and, more importantly, an inconsistent motor. Most front office personnel are of the opinion that Dunlap takes plays off during games, something he adamantly denies.

Dunlap will join former Gators wide receiver Andre Caldwell (third round – 2008) and cornerback Keiwan Ratliff in Cincinnati.

Tags: All-SEC, Andre Caldwell, Carlos Dunlap, Cincinnati Bengals, Draft, Jermaine Cunningham, Keiwan Ratliff, NFL, SEC, SEC Championship

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andre “Bubba” Cadlwell, who caught 56 passes for 761 yards and seven touchdowns from former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow in 2007, told his team’s official Web site that the Heisman Trophy winner and two-time National Champion does not have what it takes to be an elite passer on the next level.

“He needs time. He needs to sit behind one of those good quarterbacks for about three years because I know he’s going to put in the work and the effort to be a great quarterback. He’s going to learn. I don’t think he’s going to be an elite passer ever. But he’s a playmaker. He’ll get the ball there. He probably can’t make the prettiest looking passes. But he’s going to use what he has to his advantage. Running. Scrambling. Making passes. He’s got a strong arm and I think he can make the throws, but they may not be the prettiest.”

For what it’s worth, Caldwell is simply speaking his mind. He was asked a question and gave an honest reply. Seeing as he’s been catching passes from two-time Pro Bowler Carson Palmer for 21 NFL games and two full seasons of practice, Caldwell is certainly in the position to speak on the topic.

Asked to give an assessment of where he would draft Tebow if he was an NFL general manager, Caldwell was specific. “Late second round,” he said.

10:15 p.m. UPDATE: Caldwell wished to clarify his comments via Twitter this evening, and OGGOA is more than obliged to provide him with an additional forum:

“People are taking my comments about Tebow not being an elite passing QB wrong. Tebow is a college football great. What I meant is that he probably won’t throw as good as [Peyton] Manning or Carson [Palmer] – guys like that. But he can do so many other things that they don’t which make him a great QB but just in a different way. He’s a playmaker in so many ways not just only throwing the ball.”

OGGOA believes Caldwell was perfectly clear in the first place.

Tags: Andre Caldwell, Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals, Heisman Trophy, National Championship, NFL, Pro Bowl, Tim Tebow

With the regular season wrapping up Sunday night, the participants in the 2009 NFL Playoffs have now been determined. There are seven Florida Gators with roles on their squad’s active rosters among the 12 teams competing to appear in Super Bowl XLIV. OGGOA has put together a comprehensive list of these players.

Continue Reading » Florida Gators in the 2009 NFL Playoffs

Tags: Andre Caldwell, Bobby McCray, Brandon Siler, Cincinnati Bengals, Fred Taylor, Ian Scott, Lito Sheppard, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, NFL, Percy Harvin, Playoffs, San Diego Chargers, Super Bowl XLIV

1 » First, Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer resigned and the media had sympathy for him and respect for making what they deemed to be a mature and righteous decision. Then, Meyer decided to take a leave of absence instead and has since been met with immense backlash. Starting his column by calling the school “Flip-Flop Florida,” ESPN’s Pat Forde drops some sarcasm on the coach. “Meyer apparently went out to practice and decided that burnout is for losers,” Forde writes, “and his family may or may not come before his players. They had a spirited practice in unseasonably cold weather and, shazam, Urban’s not resigning after all! Just taking a vacation of unspecified length! While looming over the program like a 900-foot shadow!” Don’t worry, there is more, but you need to check out the column for the rest of it.

2 » Jumping on the bus with Forde is CBSSports.com senior writer Dennis Dodd. (This cannot be surprising to anyone, you had to know Dodd was going to write something like this.) Calling Meyer’s change of heart “baffling” in the title of his story because no one has ever changed their mind before, Dodd seems to go back on that opinion later on while still lending himself the ability to criticize. “Maybe it was a simple change of heart.,” he wrote. “Maybe Meyer is going against doctors’ wishes by coming back. Either way there is still room to criticize him for waffling. After sleeping on it, the subject changed from chest pains to being homesick. After careful reconsideration, Meyer walked into a karaoke bar and started belting out Billy Donovan tunes.”

Check out four more BITS on Urban, Addazio, Shelley and more after the jump!!!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Urban Meyer absence edition (Part 2)

Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals, Dan McCarney, Earl Everett, Marce Petroccio, Montreal Alouettes, Nikki Meyer, Shelley Meyer, Steve Addazio, Urban Meyer

1 » Two former Florida Gators players had strong showings in the NFL on Sunday, and both are recent alumni from the defensive side of the ball. Second-year defensive end Derrick Harvey of the Jacksonville Jaguars recorded a sack in his second straight game even though his team fell to the Miami Dolphins while third-year linebacker Brandon Siler dominated the middle for the San Diego Chargers against the Dallas Cowboys. Siler recorded five tackles on the day (two for a loss) and one sack. He was also instrumental on a number of goal-line and fourth-down stands. Other Gators who contributed this weekend were LB Mike Peterson of the Atlanta Falcons (eight tackles), wide receiver Jabar Gaffney of the Denver Broncos (three receptions for 48 yards) and Andre “Bubba” Caldwell of the Cincinnati Bengals (four catches for 25 yards).

2 » Looking to nab a trifecta of players from Dwyer High School in West Palm Beach, FL, Florida set their sights on bringing three-star cornerback Robert Clark into the fold during his official visit this weekend. Clark, who said prior to his visit that he was leaning towards the Gators until the loss of recruiting coordinator Billy Gonzales had him open up the process again, met new wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni and came away impressed. “[Azzanni] was great,” Clark told Rivals. “I already knew him from camp because he worked the camp [in Gainesville]. He’s a great guy. He taught me a lot of things so it was good to meet him again. [The coaches] didn’t really talk about [Gonzales] much [this weekend]. It was kind of sad that he left but at the same time they had to move on and stuff and get a new coach. He’s pretty energetic. He likes to hop around a lot. He was hyped up.” Though he is not considered “solid,” Clark is currently committed to the West Virginia Mountaineers; even so, he has decided to make his decision official before the Class 4A championship game this Saturday.

UPDATE: “Florida['s visit] is the best visit I’ve been on by far. I’m not gonna lie,” Clark told The Gainesville Sun. “It’s hard because I’m kind of committed to West Virginia, right now, but I love Florida more than I love West Virginia.” Clark also told The Sun that the shorter distance and better weather are much more appealing to him.

Tags: Andre Caldwell, Atlanta Falcons, Billy Gonzales, Brandon Siler, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Derrick Harvey, Dwyer, Florida Gators, Jabar Gaffney, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Mike Peterson, NFL, Robert Clark, San Diego Chargers, West Virginia Mountaineers, Zach Azzanni

1 » Some former Florida Gators shined in the NFL today for their respective teams. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin caught four passes for 66 yards and racked up 27 return yards against the St. Louis Rams. WR Andre “Bubba” Caldwell caught two passes for 33 yards and a game-winning 20-yard touchdown for the Cincinnati Bengals. News was not as good for San Francisco 49ers top reserve defensive end Ray McDonald, who left Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans with a sprained right ankle.

2 » A strong game featuring the No. 1 Gators and then-No. 4 LSU Tigers won the Saturday night ratings battle for CBS. The network averaged 10.1 million viewers in prime time according to preliminary numbers, also easily winning the all-important 18-49 age group. In contrast, ABC (which was airing the Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 12 Iowa Hawkeyes game) had 4.2 million viewers.

3 » Being twins, the Pouncey brothers have literally been inseparable since birth. Playing next to each other throughout their entire lives, they committed to Florida together and have been charged with one of the most important roles on the Gators team – protecting Tebow. With Maurkice most likely going to enter next year’s NFL Draft and Mike probably returning for his senior year, they have already begun to separate from each other. One thing that has not changed is their desire to see the Gators post an undefeated season in 2009.

4 » No. 14 Florida Gators soccer (now 10-4-1, 4-1-1 SEC) had a pair of wins over the weekend, defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide (5-5-1, 1-2-1 SEC) 2-0 Friday evening and beating the Auburn Tigers (5-6-3, 2-4 SEC) 4-0 Sunday afternoon. In Friday’s game, the Gators scored a goal in the opening 10 and final 10 minutes of the match, while it added four goals by four different players on Sunday. Sunday was also Senior Day for the soccer team, and two of the four goals came from UF’s senior class.

Tags: Andre Caldwell, Cincinnati Bengals, Iowa Hawkeyes, LSU Tigers, Maurkice Pouncey, Michigan Wolverines, Mike Pouncey, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, Percy Harvin, Ray McDonald, San Francisco 49ers, soccer, St. Louis Rams