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. When stories like these fall through the cracks, we catch and wrap them all up with Gator Bites.

» Rather than doubling down on disappointment while stuck playing in the state North Carolina, No. 2 Florida Gators women’s tennis (4-1) came from behind on Monday to pick up a huge victory over the No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels (9-1) in Chapel Hill, NC. UNC, which took over for UF as the No. 1 team in the country last week, held a 2-0 advantage over its visitors after winning the doubles point and a singles match to start the contest. The Gators answered by rallying with four consecutive singles match victories to pick up the 4-2 win. First, junior Olivia Janowicz took down No. 79 Tessa Lyons 6-2, 6-1. Freshman Brianna Morgan then picked up a 6-1, 6-1 win over No. 122 Lauren McHale, leaving the match in the hands of Florida’s two best players. No. 4 senior Lauren Embree came through in the clutch once again with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 victory against No. 7 Gina Suarez-Malaguti, and No. 9 junior Sofie Oyen fought hard on court two to defeat No. 30 Zoe De Bruycker 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. UF’s loss on Sunday at No. 4 Duke was its first in over a year’s time. By taking down the Tar Heels on Monday, the Gators avoided falling in consecutive matches for the first time in three years.

» Former Florida guard Matt Walsh, who signed a deal with Spirou Charleroi of Belgium in August 2012, told OGGOA on Monday that his contract has been purchased by Brose Baskets of Bamberg, Germany. The three-time defending German champions play in the Euroleague and are hoping Walsh helps push them to a fourth-straight title.

» Despite multiple reports pointing to the contrary, Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman on Friday said he has “no intent” of trading wide receiver Percy Harvin, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Harvin raised concerns about Minnesota’s offense (and how he was not utilized much) prior to the 2012 season and reportedly got into an explosive verbal argument with head coach Leslie Frazier during the season. While it does look like he and the Vikings will split ways, multiple players have come out in his defense and expressed their desire to see him return to the team. The latest to do so is quarterback Christian Ponder, who said he “obviously” wants Harvin to return because “he’s a tremendous player” and “a heck of a part of this offense and this team in general.” Ponder told KFAN in Minneapolis, MN that he and Harvin have a good relationship and “spent some extra time together” working on their on-field chemistry during the last offseason.

Read 11 more bites of Florida Gators news…after the break!
Continue Reading » 14 Gator Bites for Tuesday, February 19

Tags: Ahmad Black, Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Brianna Morgan, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bulls, Chris Rainey, Chris Walker, David Lee, David Nelson, Detroit Lions, field, Golden State Warriors, Gregg Troy, Ike Hilliard, Jevon Kearse, Joakim Noah, Kasey Hill, Kelvin Taylor, Lauren Embree, Lomas Brown, Matt Elam, Matt Walsh, Maurkice Pouncey, McDonald's All-American, Miami Dolphins, Mike Holloway, Mike Pouncey, Minnesota Vikings, NBA, NFL, North Carolina Tar Heels, Olivia Janowicz, Olympics, Percy Harvin, Ronni Williams, Ryan Lochte, Sofie Oyen, swimming, tennis, Tony McQuay, track, Will Muschamp, women's basketball, World Outdoor Championships

1 » Despite well-documented problems off the field (marijuana arrests) and a number of questions about his maturity (four children under the age of four supposedly by three different women), former Florida Gators cornerback Janoris Jenkins continues to be a hot name for teams looking for secondary talent in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. The Detroit Lions have recently emerged as a team in serious contention for Jenkins’s services with the No. 23 overall pick. However, the team and its front office are undoubtedly doing their due diligence on Jenkins. According to the Detroit Free Press, the Lions met with Jenkins at the 2012 Under Armour Senior Bowl and “are expected to host him on a visit” soon. When asked about him in particular, general manager Martin Mayhew played coy: “Wouldn’t you like to know that?” he said. “Like I said, we’ve got a lot of work to do in the process, and we haven’t done it all.”

2 » Florida senior center fielder Michelle Moultrie picked up a second weekly award on Tuesday as she was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week for her dominant performance the prior weekend. Moultrie went 8/11 with two home runs, three doubles, four RBIs, six runs and a stolen base as UF swept Arkansas on the road. She was also named the SEC Player of the Week on Monday for her efforts.

3 » In a question-and-answer session with ESPN, Gators five-star defensive end/Buck linebacker commitment Dante Fowler, Jr. divulged some specifics about his personality and excitement to don the orange and blue sooner than later. Fowler noted not only that he recently got some advice from junior Buck LB Ronald Powell but also that he is “actually like a big teddy bear” instead of a “big, mean person” that some think he is just because he plays football. “People might say that I’m kind of shy because I put my head down when I talk and stuff,” he said. “But I’m a big teddy bear. My favorite TV show is iCarly. I’m going to be a big teddy bear off the field, but on the field I’m all business.”

4 » USA Today has released a compiled list of the salaries of the 68 head coaches participating in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Florida’s Billy Donovan came in No. 4 on the list in terms of total pay, earning $3.64 million for 2011-12 with a maximum bonus of $454,000. Though Donovan’s salary and bonuses are high, they are very much in-line with what Kansas’ Bill Self ($3.63M, $425K max bonus) and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo ($3.60M, $425K max bonus) bring in annually. The only men above Donovan are Kentucky’s John Calipari ($5.39M, $850K max bonus), Louisville’s Rick Pitino ($4.81M, $575K max bonus) and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski ($4.70M). Alabama’s Anthony Grant ($1.84M, $415K max bonus) is ranked No. 18 on the list and Virginia Commonwealth’s Shaka Smart ($1.21M, $621K max bonus) checks in at No. 30.

Tags: Anthony Grant, Billy Donovan, Dante Fowler, Detroit Lions, Draft, Janoris Jenkins, John Calipari, Michelle Moultrie, NFL, Player of the Week, Ronald Powell, SEC, Senior Bowl, Shaka Smart, softball, USA Softball

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

1 » No. 1/1 Florida Gators volleyball (20-1, 13-0 SEC) looks unstoppable these days, especially if you ask their opponents. Take the Ole Miss Rebels (16-6, 10-3 SEC) for example, who were trounced 3-0 (25-12, 25-21, 25-17) by the Gators at home on Friday in Oxford, MS. Florida junior right-side/setter Kelly Murphy achieved her nation-high sixth triple-double on the season with 10 kills on .562 hitting, a team high 16 assists and a match-high 10 digs. The Gators have seven matches left in the regular season, which ends for them on Fri., Nov. 26.

2 » Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin has suffered his fair share of injuries both at the University of Florida and already in the NFL, but one that hit him pretty hard on Sunday may be bothering him for quite some time. In the first quarter of the Vikings’ game on the road against the New England Patriots, Harvin significantly hurt his left ankle and was unable to get off the field without help from two medical staffers. After sitting out a number of plays, Harvin’s ankle was taped and he reentered the game where he ended up registering team-highs in receptions (six) and receiving yards (104) along with a spectacular two-point conversion catch later in the game. Even so, he had a severe limp in the locker room after the contest and claimed that “adrenaline got me through” the game.

3 » Washington Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman saw his first action of the season on Sunday, and it came at the tail end of his team’s game against the Detroit Lions when he was substituted for a healthy Donovan McNabb because he apparently knows the two-minute offense better than the Pro Bowler. While that may be the case, head coach (and former Florida offensive coordinator) Mike Shanahan’s decision-making was certainly questionable considering, on Grossman’s first play from scrimmage, he was sacked and fumbled the ball which was returned by Detroit for a touchdown.

4 » Since we here at OGGOA also have a strong following on Twitter, we figured it was a good idea to share with you a link that has come our way almost a dozen times this morning. While ESPN picked up a five-year-old website calling for head football coach Urban Meyer‘s firing two weeks ago, we present to you a more creative site – one that supports retaining Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt: KeepMarkRicht.com.

Photo Credit: Unknown

Tags: Detroit Lions, Donovan McNabb, Georgia Bulldogs, Kelly Murphy, Mark Richt, Mike Shanahan, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, NFL, Ole Miss Rebels, Percy Harvin, Rex Grossman, University of Florida, volleyball, Washington Redskins

Two bulging discs causing excruciating pain in his back prevented former Florida Gators linebacker Ryan Stamper from showing teams what he was made of prior to the 2010 NFL Draft in April. Regardless, there remained plenty of interest from a variety of teams throughout the league, one of which acted on instinct just after the seventh round was completed.

Fortunately, the Gators’ leading tackler in 2009 was one of the very first players contacted by the Detroit Lions after the draft; he was immediately signed to an undrafted free agent contract.

“It was frustrating to sit back while everybody else was working out,” Stamper told the Orlando Sentinel back in April. “All teams had on me was game film and they kept saying they wanted to see me live. It was impossible to work out because every time I tried, it felt like I couldn’t walk the next day.”

Unfortunately for Stamper, his injury had not fully healed when he met with trainers, causing him to fail a team physical and forcing the Lions to cut him right away.

Even so, the team has decided to give him another chance by inviting him back to Detroit to workout Tuesday, according to The Detroit News. Stamper has been staying in shape and completing full workouts in Gainesville, FL, recently; he is expected to be ready to earn a roster spot with the Lions before training camp beings on July 31.

A non-updated version of the above article was first published by OGGOA on July 4.

Photo Credit: Richard C. Lewis/Icon SMI

Tags: Detroit Lions, Draft, NFL, Ryan Stamper

Two bulging discs causing excruciating pain in his back prevented former Florida Gators linebacker Ryan Stamper from showing teams what he was made of prior to the 2010 NFL Draft in April. Regardless, there remained plenty of interest from a variety of teams throughout the league, one of which acted on instinct just after the seventh round was completed.

Fortunately, the Gators’ leading tackler in 2009 was one of the very first players contacted by the Detroit Lions after the draft; he was immediately signed to an undrafted free agent contract.

“It was frustrating to sit back while everybody else was working out,” Stamper told the Orlando Sentinel back in April. “All teams had on me was game film and they kept saying they wanted to see me live. It was impossible to work out because every time I tried, it felt like I couldn’t walk the next day.”

Unfortunately for Stamper, his injury had not fully healed when he met with trainers, causing him to fail a team physical and forcing the Lions to cut him right away.

Even so, the team has decided to give him another chance by inviting him back to Detroit in two weeks – as early as July 18 – for a workout. Stamper has been staying in shape and completing full workouts in Gainesville, FL, recently; he is expected to be ready to earn a roster spot with the Lions before training camp beings on July 30.

Photo Credit: Richard C. Lewis/Icon SMI

Tags: Detroit Lions, Draft, NFL, Ryan Stamper

1 » Apparently the already close relationship between former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow and his new head coach, Josh McDaniels of the Denver Broncos, was like an old-fashioned story – love at first sight. The Denver Post reports that occurrence took place at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine when the two met in a private room along with other Broncos’ staffers. “I was jacked leaving that room. I didn’t even want to visit another room. It was not enough time,” Tebow said. “We were excited, we were enthusiastic. There was passion. It was just intense, and it was ball, and it was juice. The juice level in that room was high, and it was awesome.”

2 » Two bulging discs in his back prevented former Gators linebacker Ryan Stamper from showing teams what he was made of prior to the 2010 NFL Draft – even though there was plenty of interest. What his injury did not faze was the Detroit Lions’ interest in signing him to an undrafted free agent contract. “It was frustrating to sit back while everybody else was working out,” Stamper told the Orlando Sentinel. “All teams had on me was game film and they kept saying they wanted to see me live. It was impossible to work out because every time I tried, it felt like I couldn’t walk the next day.”

3 » The New England Patriots drafted three former Florida players over the weekend – defensive end Jermaine Cunningham, linebacker Brandon Spikes and tight end Aaron Hernandez. However, only one of the three already has ties (albeit limited ones) to the area. According to a variety of reports, Spikes has been dating Callie Rivers, a volleyball player at UF who happens to be the daughter of Boston Celtics‘ coach Doc Rivers and brother of former Gators five-star basketball commitment Austin Rivers. Needless to say, her father is happy to have Spikes close and even gave Patriots head coach Bill Belichick a recommendation. “Big guy, big for an inside linebacker,” Belichick told the Boston Herald. “Very highly respected […] and, of course, came with a good recommendation from Doc. Of course, I appreciate that. He can keep an eye on him up here, keep his daughter a little closer to home.”

4 » Already a close personal friend with Gators head coach Urban Meyer, Belichick spoke fondly of the Florida football program when asked why he drafted three players from it over the weekend. “[When] we were in Florida, I felt like we were working out half of the first and second round,” he said. “We saw all those guys [...] it was the day after their Pro Day down there. It was a good meeting like it always is with Florida. Those kids are very focused on football. Football’s important to them. They’re in a good program. It’s important for them to win. They know what they are doing. They’ve worked hard both on and off the field. They’re extremely well-coached by Coach Meyer and his staff, so it’s a lot of fun to sit down and talk football with them.”

Extra Bit » Former Gators cornerback Wondy Pierre-Louis has been given a tryout with the New York Giants and will attend the team’s mini camp hoping to earn a contract, according to the Naples News.

Photo Credit: Associated Press

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Austin Rivers, Bill Belichick, Boston Celtics, Brandon Spikes, Callie Rivers, combine, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Doc Rivers, Draft, Jermaine Cunningham, Josh McDaniels, New England Patriots, New York Giants, NFL, Ryan Stamper, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Wondy Pierre-Louis