ONLY GATORS Get Out Alive learned on Feb. 2 that 10 former Florida Gators players had been officially invited to participate in the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine (National Invitational Camp) in Indianapolis, IN, at Lucas Oil Stadium.
You can read OGGOA‘s original post with participants and a full schedule here!
OGGOA will offer full coverage of the event Feb. 24 – March 2.
1 » After ESPN‘s Adam Schefter reported Monday morning that former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow would not be throwing at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine but rather waiting to unveil a new delivery at Florida’s Pro Day on March 17, the Heisman Trophy winner went on the offensive to clear up any concerns about his ability.
2 » Tebow was also supposed to appear on NFL Network Monday, but OGGOA has been unable to find video of his appearance if one did indeed take place. Instead, we have this video of the network’s analysts discussing Tebow’s decision and how it will impact his draft stock. You can also view Schefter’s original ESPN report from earlier.
1 » As OGGOA wrote earlier today, former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow has adjusted his throwing motion and will put it on display for NFL front offices at Florida’s Pro Day on March 17. In the Paul Finebaum model, Ray Melick of The Birmingham News cautions high school recruits that Tebow’s struggles should have big-time QB prospects shying away from the Gators. “There is a lesson here, however, for young quarterbacks who envision themselves having the chance to play in the NFL one day,” Melick contends. “Look around for a coach who runs an NFL-style offense, and coaches quarterbacks to play with NFL-style mechanics. […] If you were a young quarterback with NFL potential, would you want to play for [head coach Urban] Meyer right now?”
2 » The Orlando Sentinel’s Jeremy Fowler caught up with former Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap’s father and asked him how his son has been progressing in workouts leading up to the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine. Asked if Dunlap, Jr. was ready to prove everyone wrong, his father replied emphatically. “That’s putting It mildly,” he said. “He knows that all his training has led to this moment, this week. He’ll be ready.” Fowler tells us Dunlap’s goals are to do 25 reps of 225-pounds on the bench press and run a 4.6-second 40-yard dash.
Opting to make a go of it in the NFL rather than retiring like former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann suggested earlier this month, former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow has decided to unveil a new delivery at Florida’s Pro Day on March 17. Tebow told Adam Schefter of ESPN that he will not throw at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine this week in Indianapolis, IN, and will continue working on three- and five-step drops privately before showcasing his talents for scouts, head coaches and general managers next month.
“I’m not changing who I am or how I approach football,” Tebow said. “But there are things that I can get a lot better at – my fundamentals. I’ve never been asked to shorten or quicken my release and not have a loop in it. The changes I’m making have gone very well and it’s becoming more and more natural to me.”
Altering both his footwork and arm motion (delivery, release point), Tebow said he would have been making these changes regardless of recent criticisms he has received. “I want to get better,” he said. “I want to be around people who will push me. I will do anything to get better. Without hearing the criticism, I would have done it. It’s made me more confident, more accurate. And that’s not to say I haven’t had this type of coaching in the past. I just had different coaching than this NFL style.”
Read what Tebow’s trainers have to say about his progress after the jump!
Continue Reading » Tebow to debut delivery at pro day, not combine
With the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine coming up on Feb. 24 and the NFL Draft just over two months away, OGGOA sat down with former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah of Move The Sticks to pick his brain about departed Florida Gators players participating in the combine and eligible to be selected from April 22-24. Jeremiah was completely candid in our discussion, pointing out qualities he liked in each player while
explaining why certain Gators might fall further than some may expect. In addition to his Web site, Jeremiah also offers comprehensive NFL scouting coverage on Twitter (@MoveTheSticks) as well as with his brand new podcast (also available on iTunes).
ADAM SILVERSTEIN: Obviously scouting is about hitting and not missing on prospects. What qualities separate a successful NFL scout from the rest of the pack?
DANIEL JEREMIAH: Successful NFL scouts know what they are looking for. If you go into a school knowing what makes a good player and what fits your team, you are way ahead of the curve.
AS: Is there one player in particular who you were dead-right on over your six years in the league? Perhaps one you overrated going into the draft?
DJ: Several of both instances. I really felt that Reggie Bush would become the biggest playmaker in the NFL. He has been very good but not up to the level I thought he would be performing. I felt very strongly about Roddy White and DeMarcus Ware, even though they came out of lesser known programs. Both should have been top five picks.
AS: Let’s get this out of the way: I know you were able to get a good look at Tim Tebow both through your extensive tape watching as well as in-person at the Senior Bowl. Assuming for a second he is able to correct his release, what else do you believe will eventually hold him back from being a successful starting quarterback in the NFL?
DJ: He needs to improve his downfield accuracy. He is much better on lob throws (fades, corner routes, deep posts) than he is on drive throws. That is my second biggest concern after improving his release.
Read more of his thoughts on Tebow and the rest of the Gators after the break!
Continue Reading » Former pro scout on Gators in 2010 NFL Draft
1 » New York Knicks forward/center David Lee, a former Florida Gators standout who is averaging a double-double of 20 points and 11.4 rebounds in his fourth professional season, has been selected as a replacement reserve for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. Lee will take the place of Philadelphia 76ers point guard Allen Iverson (personal reasons) and will join Atlanta Hawks F/C Al Horford in Dallas, TX.
2 » Former Gators linebacker Brandon Spikes has decided to continue training in Gainesville, FL, as he prepares for the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine at the end of February. His agent, Terry Watson, spoke with The Gainesville Sun about Spikes. “He’s doing well,” Watson said. “He continues to work out hard and he’s eating well. He’s fully committed to a plan that will get him ready for the Combine.” Also in Gainesville working out with Florida strength and conditioning coordinator Mickey Marotti is wide receiver Riley Cooper. “Coach Mick is the best,” Cooper said. “I’m following the same plan Percy (Harvin) did a year ago under Coach Mick.”
Four more very informative Florida Gators BITS after the jump!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Lee, Spikes, Cooper, Tebow, Jones-Drew
1 » Now that his Super Bowl XLIV commercial has aired and there are just over two weeks until the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine, former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow will focus his attention solely on improving his football aptitude and mechanics, according to his agent Jimmy Sexton. “It’s going to be nothing but football between now and the Combine,” Sexton told Robbie Andreu of The Gainesville Sun.
2 » Speaking of Tebow’s Super Bowl advertisement, an interesting turn of events has transpired since it aired on Sunday. The heavily controversial commercial, which was determined by the majority of the viewing public to be rather bland and insignificant, has drawn the ire of the National Organization for Women. The pro-choice NOW, which was previously against the ad due to its pro-life slant, has now taken umbrage with a different part of its content. “I am blown away at the celebration of the violence against women in it,” NOW president Terry O’Neil told the Los Angeles Times. “That’s what comes across to me even more strongly than the anti-abortion message. I myself am a survivor of domestic violence, and I don’t find it charming. I think CBS should be ashamed of itself.”
1 » The 2009 NFL Playoffs may have begun with seven but only one former Florida Gators player has made it to Super Bowl XLIV at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, FL. That man is New Orleans Saints defensive end Bobby McCray, who did not have a dominating regular season but has had quite an impact on his team’s first two playoff games. Making it a point to hit both Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre hard, McCray knocked each out of the game for a short period of time. Now he will turn his focus on NFL MVP and Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning. Keep an eye on No. 93 throughout the game on Sunday.
2 » All of the pre-2010 NFL Draft attention has been focused on former Gators QB Tim Tebow (wide receiver Riley Cooper has received a little, too), but linebacker Brandon Spikes is preparing for the biggest job interview of his career, too. Staying quiet while training and working out after a sub-par (for him) season, Spikes is doing whatever he can to impress scouts at the NFL Scouting Combine from Feb. 24 to March 2. “I’m anxious to get started,” Spikes told Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel. “Hopefully, I can go to the league and grab it by the neck.” Speaking about the future at Florida, Spikes was optimistic. “Those younger players know what we started and the legacy we have here. They just want to keep it going. I say it all the time to my younger group, the linebacker corps, those guys are talented. The sky’s the limit for those guys. If they continue to work and buy into the program, they’ll have the same success.”
Read how Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey and Frankie Hammond fared in track and field action and how gymnastics and tennis performed this weekend after the jump!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: McCray in Super Bowl, weekend wrap-up
Taurean Green (@TaureanJGreen):
"Yes yes....my #GatorBoys in the Elite 8. All u jive time turkeys that thought Marquette was gonna win can sit down and go to sleep!"
The Silver Lining is an exclusive column written by Adam Silverstein of OnlyGators.com for Yahoo! Sports and Rivals.com affiliate InsideTheGators.com. OGGOA readers can receive a special discount on a subscription to InsideTheGators, which can be accessed by clicking the image above!
