1 » Early Friday morning, Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow sat down with Hannah Storm for another interview, this one mostly about the 2011 season. Though the below video is only a clip of the interview, it will be aired in full on ESPN‘s SportsCenter on Friday. If/when the network makes it available online, OGGOA will update this thread with a video of the complete interview.

Click to expand and read three more BITS in this post.

Tags: Azania Stewart, Brandon Hicks, Buffalo Bills, Cornelius Ingram, David Lerner, Denver Broncos, Lanita Bartley, Maravich Assembly Center, Marcus Gilbert, Ndidi Madu, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tim Tebow, women's basketball

With the 2011 regular season complete, six former Florida Gators participated in Divisional action during the second round of the 2011-12 NFL Playoffs on Saturday and Sunday.

A total of nine former Florida players were on the main rosters of four of the eight teams that participated in this round, but two were inactive and one was forced to sit out due to injury. OGGOA has checked and re-checked the box scores to bring you a summary of what these Gators accomplished over the weekend.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
TE AARON HERNANDEZ, New England Patriots^: Four receptions for 55 yards, touchdown (targets: 6, long: 20); five carries for 61 yards (long: 43); solo tackle

Continue Reading » Former Florida Gators in the NFL: Divisional Rd.

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Brandon Spikes, Cornelius Ingram, Denver Broncos, Derrick Harvey, Gerard Warren, Jermaine Cunningham, Justin Trattou, Marcus Thomas, New England Patriots, New York Giants, NFL, Playoffs, Ray McDonald, San Francisco 49ers, Tim Tebow

1 » Unfortunate news for former Florida Gators tight end Cornelius Ingram, who was waived off the Detroit Lions practice squad Wednesday. Ingram is once again a free agent and continues to rehabilitate his knee after multiple ACL surgeries and injuries.

2 » The New England Patriots re-signed former Gators defensive lineman Gerard Warren on Tuesday, a move that had been expected most of the season. He was previously released from the team in order to make room for a third tight end but is now back with the organization he played for in 2010.

3 » Former Florida safety Will Hill, who left school a year early to turn pro and was neither selected in the 2011 NFL Draft nor signed by a team as an undrafted free agent, agreed to a deal with the Arizona Rattlers of the AFL, the team announced on Wednesday. “I’m excited to get out on the field,” said Hill in the team’s official release. “I’m ready to get out there and put people over the [dasher board] wall.”

4 » Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid confirmed on Wednesday that wide receiver Riley Cooper, who suffered a concussion against the New York Giants last week, has been cleared to return to practice. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Cooper’s concussion was his second with the Eagles (he had one in 2010) and third since he started playing college football.

Tags: AFL, Arizona Rattlers, Cornelius Ingram, Detroit Lions, Gerard Warren, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Riley Cooper, Will Hill

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 try to catch them with Gator Bites. Enjoy.

» Remember back in April when Florida Gators forwards junior Erik Murphy and redshirt freshman Cody Larson were arrested for allegedly trying to break into a car? Since then the felony chargers were reduced to misdemeanors for both parties and Murphy accepted a plea deal that netted him fines, community service and a few other minor penalties. Larson’s situation, on the other hand, is not even close to resolved. The Gainesville Sun’s Kevin Brockway reports that he will have a Oct. 31 sentencing date to determine what legal action will be taken against him. He had previously entered a not guilty plea but could change it on the day of sentencing. As individual Florida basketball drills begin this week and practice starts on Oct. 15, according to Brockway, Larson’s status remains up in the air. The duo is currently indefinitely suspended from the team, though the expectation is that Murphy will be reinstated now that his legal situation is settled.

» Gators baseball received a commitment Wednesday evening as outfielder Max White chose to continue his career in Gainesville, FL. Also a left-handed pitcher, White is recovering from shoulder surgery and chose Florida over LSU, Central Florida, N.C. State, Maryland and North Florida, according to the Sun. “I have always wanted to play for Florida,” he told the paper. “To be in the situation where all of my hard work could possibly lead me to play for them — that is a great feeling. I just want to keep at it and I especially do not want them UF to see me slack off.”

» Florida head football coach Will Muschamp is known for his fiery demeanor on the sidelines. This fan video shot from the season opener against Florida Atlantic shows a mini-tantrum he threw during the game.

Read the rest of the Gator Bites (and watch four videos) after the break!
Continue Reading » Gator Bites for Thursday, September 8th

Tags: baseball, Clemson Tigers, Cody Larson, Cornelius Ingram, Detroit Lions, Emmitt Smith, Erik Murphy, Erika Tymrak, Florida Atlantic Owls, Gerard Warren, Gigi Meyer, Hall of Fame, Iowa State Cyclones, Jacksonville Dolphins, Max White, NBA, New England Patriots, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Pressly Stadium, soccer, Taylor Burke, Taylor Travis, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Urban Meyer, volleyball

With the 2011 NFL preseason officially underway, a number of Florida Gators participated in Week 4 action, some of whom had an impact on their team’s performance. OGGOA has checked and re-checked the box scores to bring you a summary of what these Gators accomplished during the final exhibition week of the 2011 campaign.

VETERANS
LB MIKE PETERSON, Atlanta Falcons: Two tackles (one solo)
OL JASON WATKINS, Buffalo Bills: Played as a reserve
Watkins was waived during final cuts.
WR ANDRE CALDWELL, Cincinnati Bengals: Kick return for 18 yards
OT PHIL TRAUTWEIN, Cleveland Browns: Played as a reserve
Trautwein was waived during final cuts.
DE DERRICK HARVEY, Denver Broncos: Solo tackle for loss
QB TIM TEBOW, Denver Broncos: 7/11 for 116 yards and a touchdown (QB Rating: 129.4), rush for eight yards
DE JEREMY MINCEY, Jacksonville Jaguars: Solo tackle
TE AARON HERNANDEZ, New England Patriots: Two receptions for 22 yards
DT GERARD WARREN, New England Patriots: Three tackles
G COOPER CARLISLE, Oakland Raiders: Started at right guard
WR CHAD JACKSON, Oakland Raiders Reception for nine yards (targets: 3)
Jackson was waived during final cuts.
DE JARVIS MOSS, Oakland Raiders: Sack
CB LITO SHEPPARD, Oakland Raiders: Three tackles (two solo)
Sheppard was waived during final cuts.
WR RILEY COOPER, Philadelphia Eagles: Two receptions for 14 yards (targets: 4)
TE CORNELIUS INGRAM, Philadelphia Eagles Two receptions for 27 yards
Ingram was waived during final cuts.
RB KESTAHN MOORE, Tennessee Titans: Six carries for eight yards
Moore was waived during final cuts.

DRAFTED ROOKIES
Click to expand and read the rest of this post.

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Ahmad Black, Alex Brown, Andra Davis, Andre Caldwell, Brandon Hicks, Brandon Siler, Brandon Spikes, Carlos Dunlap, Chad Jackson, Chas Henry, Cooper Carlisle, Cornelius Ingram, David Nelson, Derrick Harvey, Duke Lemmens, Earnest Graham, Gerard Warren, Jabar Gaffney, Jarvis Moss, Jason Watkins, Jeremy Mincey, Jermaine Cunningham, Joe Haden, Justin Trattou, Kestahn Moore, Lito Sheppard, Louis Murphy, Major Wright, Marcus Gilbert, Marcus Thomas, Maurice Hurt, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Peterson, Mike Pouncey, Percy Harvin, Phil Trautwein, Ray McDonald, Reggie Nelson, Rex Grossman, Riley Cooper, Tim Tebow

With the 2011 NFL preseason officially underway, a number of Florida Gators participated in Week 3 action, some of whom had an impact on their team’s performance. OGGOA has checked and re-checked the box scores to bring you a summary of what these Gators accomplished during the second exhibition week of the 2011 campaign.

VETERANS
LB MIKE PETERSON, Atlanta Falcons: Three solo tackles
LB ANDRA DAVIS, Buffalo Bills: Two tackles (one solo for loss)
WR DAVID NELSON, Buffalo Bills: Reception for 10 yards
OL JASON WATKINS, Buffalo Bills: Played as a reserve
FS MAJOR WRIGHT, Chicago Bears: Four tackles (three solo)
WR ANDRE CALDWELL, Cincinnati Bengals: Played as a reserve
S REGGIE NELSON, Cincinnati Bengals: Team-high five tackles (three solo)
CB JOE HADEN, Cleveland Browns: Four tackles (three solo)
OT PHIL TRAUTWEIN, Cleveland Browns: Played as a reserve
DE DERRICK HARVEY, Denver Broncos: Played as a reserve
QB TIM TEBOW, Denver Broncos: 6/11 for 93 yards (QB Rating: 82.8), four rushes for 25 yards (long: 19), two fumbles (none lost)
WR PERCY HARVIN, Minnesota Vikings Four rec. for 29 yards (targets: 5, long: 13)
TE AARON HERNANDEZ, N.E. Patriots: Five rec. for 46 yards (targets: 8, long: 14)
DT GERARD WARREN, New England Patriots: Solo tackle
DE ALEX BROWN, New Orleans Saints: Started at defensive end
G COOPER CARLISLE, Oakland Raiders: Started at right guard
WR CHAD JACKSON, Oakland Raiders Played as a reserve
DE JARVIS MOSS, Oakland Raiders: Played as a reserve
CB LITO SHEPPARD, Oakland Raiders: Played as a reserve
WR RILEY COOPER, Philadelphia Eagles: Target
TE CORNELIUS INGRAM, Philadelphia Eagles Solo tackle
C MAURKICE POUNCEY, Pittsburgh Steelers: Started at center
DE RAY MCDONALD, San Francisco 49ers: Solo tackle
FB EARNEST GRAHAM, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Three carries for five yards, touchdown, two receptions for 27 yards (targets: 4, long: 15)
WR JABAR GAFFNEY, Wash. Redskins: Two rec. for 27 yards (targets: 3, long: 14)
QB REX GROSSMAN, Washington Redskins: 8/15 for 112 yards, TD (QB Rating: 99.9)

DRAFTED ROOKIES
Click to expand and read the rest of this post.

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Ahmad Black, Alex Brown, Andra Davis, Andre Caldwell, Brandon Hicks, Brandon Siler, Brandon Spikes, Carlos Dunlap, Chad Jackson, Chas Henry, Cooper Carlisle, Cornelius Ingram, David Nelson, Derrick Harvey, Duke Lemmens, Earnest Graham, Gerard Warren, Jabar Gaffney, Jarvis Moss, Jason Watkins, Jeremy Mincey, Jermaine Cunningham, Joe Haden, Justin Trattou, Lito Sheppard, Louis Murphy, Major Wright, Marcus Gilbert, Marcus Thomas, Maurice Hurt, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Peterson, Mike Pouncey, Percy Harvin, Phil Trautwein, Ray McDonald, Reggie Nelson, Rex Grossman, Riley Cooper, Tim Tebow

It is not common for a punter to be one of the best-known players on a football team – unless they make a colossal mistake that costs his squad a game or title. That was not the case for the Florida Gators in 2010 as Chas Henry stood out as a saving grace during the season, saving stalled offensive drives from disaster and (later in the year) doing his part as a kicker to score some points in dire situations.

The 2010 Ray Guy Award winner and one of the team’s most valuable players last season, Henry was not selected in the 2011 NFL Draft but was quite popular as an undrafted free agent when the lockout was lifted. Now a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, Henry sat down with OGGOA to discuss his new surroundings and look back on an interesting senior year in the Orange & Blue.

ADAM SILVERSTEIN: Let’s start off by talking about what has been going on with you recently the lockout is finally lifted and teams start calling – how did that go down and what was that situation like for you?
CHAS HENRY: “It happened all of a sudden. I was actually at my girlfriend’s house with her just sitting watching TV and all of a sudden I started getting all of these phone calls. I knew that free agency was supposed to start up at 10 a.m. the following morning, so I was just trying to figure out my plans for the week before I had to report off to camp. I’m sitting on the couch and all of a sudden my phone starts blowing up with the different area codes and everything, so I’m thinking, ‘Something must be going on.’

“First call I got was at 7:04 p.m. from a Houston Texans coach. A few minutes after that I got another call from another team, and a few minutes after that… Within about two hours I had about five different teams contact me. […] We started narrowing down choices, and I spoke to Coach [Andy] Reid and the general manager up here Howie Roseman – a Florida guy, a great Florida guy up here in Philadelphia. I spoke with them and just really liked everything that they had to offer. I was very excited about the possibility of coming up here to play. There’s a couple Florida guys up here with [Cornelius Ingram] and Riley Cooper, and they just told me how much of a great time they’ve had up here and how they really enjoy the coaching staff and players and everything. I felt like it was the best opportunity for me to come in and be a part of.”

AS: I spoke with Duke Lemmens about how the process was for him and he compared it to a mini version of recruiting. Is that how it went for you?
CH: “Exactly. This is the first time I’ve ever been recruited and I’ve had to make a decision like this. When I was recruited to Florida, Coach [Urban] Meyer recruited me and he offered me and I committed right there on the spot. I figured there was no other better place I could go than the University of Florida. I couldn’t pick a better school than the University of Florida. That was the best opportunity I could have ever imagined putting myself into. I told the coaches this time, ‘This is the first time I’ve ever been recruited, so you have to bear with me a little bit.’”

Read the rest of our exclusive interview with Chas Henry…after the break!
Continue Reading » Punter Chas Henry: “I felt very, very fortunate.”

Tags: Chas Henry, Cornelius Ingram, Duke Lemmens, Howie Roseman, Philadelphia Eagles, Ray Guy Award, Riley Cooper, Urban Meyer

Updated at 9 p.m.

With NFL training camp finally underway after an extended lockout cancelled organized team activities and mini camps, more than three dozen former Florida Gators are working out and trying to earn their keep this year. Below is a comprehensive look at each player in the league as well as those still looking for work.

Continue Reading » Florida Gators report to NFL training camps

Tags: A.J. Jones, Aaron Hernandez, Ahmad Black, Alex Brown, Andra Davis, Andre Caldwell, Billy Latsko, Brandon Hicks, Brandon Siler, Brandon Spikes, Carlos Dunlap, Chanel Brown, Channing Crowder, Chas Henry, Cooper Carlisle, Cornelius Ingram, David Nelson, Derrick Harvey, DeShawn Wynn, Duke Lemmens, Earnest Graham, Emmanuel Moody, Fred Taylor, Gerard Warren, Jabar Gaffney, Jarvis Moss, Jason Watkins, Jeremy Mincey, Jermaine Cunningham, Joe Haden, Justin Trattou, Keiwan Ratliff, Lito Sheppard, Louis Murphy, Major Wright, Marcus Gilbert, Marcus Thomas, Maurice Hurt, Maurkice Pouncey, Max Starks, Mike Peterson, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Percy Harvin, Phil Trautwein, Ray McDonald, Reggie Nelson, Rex Grossman, Riley Cooper, Terron Sanders, Tim Tebow