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

After two years of rehabbing his torn anterior cruciate ligament, two years of watching while other tight ends succeeded in his stead and two years of sitting in the background while yearning to get back on the field to play his favorite sport, Philadelphia Eagles tight end Cornelius Ingram decided to spend his free month before 2010 training camp begins starting a charity and spending a half hour talking about his career and life with OGGOA. The former Florida Gators breakout star, now back in town to relax with family and work out with some of his former coaches, reminisced about his struggles, successes and what he hopes to accomplish in his hometown.

ADAM SILVERSTEIN: Let’s start off with the most important question first…how is your knee? Last we heard you were back to full speed and participating in mini camp.
CORNELIUS INGRAM: “That’s 100 percent correct. I feel good. I was able to go through OTAs and minicamp and I had a pretty successful one as well. I feel good. The knee’s back to 100 percent, so I’m excited about the season.”

AS: Obviously it is tough going into a situation where you are hoping to contribute right away only to get backtracked with basically the same injury again. What were your thoughts when you found out you had to sit out another full year after tearing your ACL?
CI: “It was tough. If anybody is doing something that they have a passion for and they love it, regardless if its sports or not, it’s tough when you love to do something and it’s something you’ve been doing your whole life – it’s very hard to sit out and watch other guys be successful. I’m a pretty competitive guy, so I’m always trying to do my best at whatever I’m doing. It was very tough being [injured] two years in a row. But the good thing I can say – I was still able to go to meetings. I was lifting weights; I was still able to watch film with the team during the course of game week. I still felt like I got better in certain areas, but at the end of the day, there’s nothing like being on the field.”

Read the rest of our exclusive interview with Cornelius Ingram…after the break!

AS: The problems with your knee first began when you tore your ACL in the 2008 offseason. How difficult was that for you – knowing you were coming off the best year of your career and finally named a team captain but unable to participate?
CI: “You said it all right there. That was my whole focus – to come back to school, finish school first of all, and try to get drafted as high as possible. I knew I was a highly rated player coming back, and I knew we had a great team – [we had] what it took to win a National Championship. It was definitely tough the first time, but I think the similarities between the University of Florida and the Philadelphia Eagles are [that] we’re surrounded by great people and great coaches and great players. They don’t make mistakes on who they draft or who they recruit. It was almost like the same atmosphere when I got to Philadelphia that I had at Florida – guys still came in the training room, and we laughed and talked just like I was out there catching passes. That actually made my rehab ten times smoother. You kind of felt like you were still being cared about even though you weren’t out there on the field. It was a great feeling. […] They could have easily forgotten about the guy who is in the training room, because their job is a lot harder preparing every week. I couldn’t be at a better place because, once I left Florida – a great university, I went to a great organization – the Philadelphia Eagles.”

AS: Each time you got injured, another tight end was thrust into the spotlight. Aaron Hernandez took over with the Gators and Brent Celek broke out with the Eagles.
CI: “Hernandez came in highly rated – there was no question that the guy could play. Once he got here, he was one of those competitive guys as well. I knew that he was going to be a special guy. He made a lot of special plays; I made sure I caught all the games. Even when I was hurt and I was there, we would talk, he would ask questions. He was just one of those guys who had that football player mentality in him regardless of what was going on. I knew the position was still in good hands, because he was one of those guys who pushed me – and I pushed him back. It was a great feeling. Like you said, Brent Celek had a phenomenal year last year. He is one of those guys where, regardless of what he had going on, he would take time out to help. Day one, when I stepped out on the field, I would ask questions and he never hesitated to answer. He always made sure I understood I knew what I was doing and what was going on. I promise you when I say this: I couldn’t have been at a better college or at a better organization.”

AS: There is no doubt you are a big-time athlete, but at Florida you went through a bunch of transitions going back-and-forth between basketball and football and becoming a pretty dominant tight end after starting out as a quarterback. Was it difficult for you having to make that many changes?
CI: “It was pretty tough to go through the transitions but, at the same time, when I was in high school I used to joke with my team at football practice that I’m the best receiver that we don’t have. Laughing… I knew I was a pretty good athlete; it really didn’t matter what position I played. Growing up, when your dad is the head Pop Warner coach, it was like I automatically had to play quarterback. I was brought up playing quarterback and never played any other position until I made that transition in college. It was different, but I thought, ‘Hey, I can catch the ball. I can run routes – that’s natural. But I have never put my hands on anyone or blocked or anything like that. Am I really ready to do this?’ It took a little time to get used to the blocking. As you know, in that spread offense, I was basically just a big receiver in the offense. At the end of the day, everything happens for a reason and going through all of these transitions made me a better person and a better man.”

AS: Jordan Reed, a quarterback last year, is making the same transition you did to tight end. Have you spoken to him about it? If not, what kind of advice would you give him?
CI: “I just got back in town last week, and I just met with coach [Urban] Meyer last Friday, so I just started working out back on campus. I’ll be there until the end of July before I report to training camp. I haven’t seen him yet, but that will definitely be something I put on my list to make sure I do before I leave. I have heard a lot of great things about the kid, and I’m pretty sure that – if he is at the University of Florida – he can definitely play. If the coaches believe he can make the transition, they see something special in him. I always heard [that switching positions was bad], but change is not always bad. I always made the best of what I went through, and I’m pretty sure he can do the same thing. […] I’ll be here until the end of July, so I’ll be able to talk to him about how I made my transition – what I did to get to being a tight end in our offense – and I’m pretty sure he’ll listen. That will definitely be something I do before I leave.”

AS: Have you spoken or kept in touch much with Billy Donovan since you graduated?
CI: “I haven’t spoken to Billy since I left. It’s funny you said that because his youngest son played my brother’s high school basketball team the other night – Thursday of last week. I saw his wife, and we’re supposed to talk sometime soon. It’ll be pretty nice to holla at coach.”

AS: When did you first find out that the Eagles had drafted Riley Cooper? Did you two have a good relationship at Florida?
CI: “Me and Coop was real cool – pretty good friends. I think we’ll be even better friends now – laughing. I was definitely excited because I know what kind of guy he is and what kind of ball player he is. Just having him as a teammate with you, a long way from home, helps out a ton. He actually had a great mini camp, too. A lot of people have been asking about him, and I tell them the same thing – the guy’s a ball player. I’m not surprised he came up and had a great mini camp. I’m pretty excited for what he has going on, too. Hopefully we just get back on the same track when we get back to training camp and get this thing rolling.

AS: Has Cooper been looking to you for advice about the city and team?
CI: “He definitely asked. Not just football stuff – places to live, simple stuff about being on the team, what to expect and all of that kind of stuff. I don’t know everything, but there’s a lot of stuff I might know that he might not be sure about. […] I have a lot of respect for Riley, what he does on and off the field. He’s just one of those great guys.”

AS: What kind of relationship did you have with Donovan McNabb? How do you feel about the change in quarterbacks?
CI: “I would say we had a pretty good relationship. Last summer, we had the opportunity to get the skill position guys that were playing out to Arizona because that is where he lives. In the summer, I was able to work out with him for about a week out there and built a little chemistry – nothing big, nothing major. He’s a great guy and a great quarterback. I don’t have any control over what goes on with the players, and I don’t get into it. But he’s a great guy and a great player, and I know he’s going to do some great things in Washington. Even the two quarterbacks we have now – they looked great in mini camp. It’s no secret – of course they can play – and they’re also great guys. I try not to get into it, because it’s not my place. I’m just trying to get my feet wet in this league, and I don’t even have the right to speak about guys who played their dues and stuff like that.

AS: A lot of people don’t know this, but you were born about 20 miles away from Gainesville in Hawthorne. What was it like growing up in such a small town?
CI: “It was cool. Everybody here, you had no choice – you know everybody. The town is small, and it’s a very tight-knit town but, at the same time, they were passionate about their sports here. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I still get asked, ‘So, you’re from Gainesville?’ ‘No, I’m from Hawthorne! It’s right outside of Gainesville.’ My town and everybody here always encouraged me. When I started playing and making plays, I felt like I was playing for my town. I knew I had a lot of kids and a lot of people back in Hawthorne wanting to see me be successful so bad, and I never really wanted to let them down. My family’s here, I always try to come back home and, when I’m out, I always see the people and talk to everybody. They always supported me. I love where I’m from. I love where I’m from. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

AS: Now tell us a little bit about The C.I. Foundation that you have started. Does it relate to you growing up in Hawthorne?
CI: “For the most part, growing up in a small town is hard to get things rolling. When we were coming up with what we were going to do [for charity], I was a little iffy because I wanted to get on the field before I start a foundation and start this kind of stuff. Then I talked to my mom, and she brought it to my attention. She said that what [I] did for Hawthorne High School and the town of Hawthorne and for the University of Florida – [I] can do this now. [She said that] even if I’m not playing professional football, what I did in college and this town and this area – a lot of people will back me up and still be behind what I am doing. We started last week, and we’re getting a lot of great feedback from everybody – everybody. I have a foundation page on Facebook, and we’ll have the official website up by the end of this week. The main target was the young kids. Me being a father and an uncle, kids need to be active and often don’t have the funds for a team or for transportation back and forth. I felt bad. It’s nothing big, and it’s nothing outrageous and it’s nothing I even want credit for…I just want to see people happy and able to have fun and stay out of trouble. When I was coming up, we really didn’t have too many people who came here to talk to us. I was blessed because I have a great, great family that supported me through my entire career. It’s sad to say, but a lot of kids around here don’t have that same family background like I do. It’s not their fault. I just want to be able to help out in any way possible and give everybody the opportunity to stay out of trouble and grow up and be comfortable in what they’re doing. That’s the main target – to try and help out with the small things and also like uniforms. Just being able to help out any way possible was the main target, and I think we’re going to get a lot of things accomplished, and I’m pretty excited about how the foundation is going.”

AS: Has the organization held any events yet or is there anything going on in the future?
CI: “July 24, we’re going to have a free camp at Hawthorne – the website will have all of the information. We’re going to have a free camp and have a ton of Gator players I played with who are in the NFL who are going to come down on that Saturday. Coach Meyer is going to come down and speak. It’s going to be exciting. I know a lot of people might come out and bring their kids just to see the players, and that’s fine. But the main focus is to get the kids active and have them meet [everyone]. It’s going to be a big-time success, I already know. I can hear the buzz – people are asking me every time I am at the grocery store or trying to get gas. It’s going to be really big-time, and I’m happy because half of these kids have never met any [players] besides me. Them being able to see other players, see coach Meyer come out, it’s going to be a fun day that Saturday.”

AS: What should fans and friends do if they want to contribute?
CI: “When the website is up, all of that information will be on there. Probably by the end of the week, we will have it where you can make donations right on the website.”

AS: Looking back on your Gators career…if you could only pick one…what one moment was the highlight for you?
CI: “Phew…um….our first National Championship against Ohio State. I had a great SEC Championship game before that…both of those games…were definitely big. It was my first time winning a championship, and I was feeling great. I had a great game and we won the game – which is the most important thing. It started something special right there. With the talent that our coaches are recruiting, we’re going to have a lot of great players come to the University of Florida for a long time. I know we’re going to be able to compete for a lot of SEC and National Championships.”

AS: If you had to give any advice to a player trying to decide whether to join Florida or go somewhere else – what would be your main pitch? What would you tell them?
CI: “I really think our coaches care about us more off the field than on the field. They did a great job getting guys finishing school, even guys who leave early come back to finish school. That’s the most important thing, because football won’t last forever. When you think about academics, we’re definitely one of the best. I know we’re definitely one of the best as far as graduating our football players. And you can’t even compete with our facilities and our SEC and National Championships that we have right now. It’s a given. When I went there the other day to speak with coach Meyer, I was looking around and a lot of stuff changed just since I was going there. The facilities are phenomenal. Great coaches. Great academics. You know you are going to compete for SEC and National Championships. You can’t turn that down. We’re definitely in the best conference out there right now, too.”

AS: While you still call Hawthorne and Gainesville home, the truth is that you are a Philadelphia guy right now. That being said, I have to put you on the spot: What is your cheesesteak of choice?
CI: “Oh man…you know what…I go to Geno’s a lot more than anything. I think it’s one of those things where I asked some of the players when I first got there what’s the best. I tried all of them – and they’re all actually pretty good – but if I had to choose, I would say Geno’s right now.”

OGGOA will keep you up-to-date with The C.I. Foundation and provide appropriate links to the website and donation pages when they are made available.

» OGGOA Interviews: QB Tim Tebow | WR Percy Harvin | DE Jermaine Cunningham | S Major Wright | LB Earl Everett

1 » The word “dominate” is thrown around a lot, but that is exactly what No. 6/5 Florida Gators softball (39-7, 17-4 SEC) did Wednesday evening, shutting out the North Florida Ospreys (23-27) 22-0 and 8-0 in a doubleheader at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, FL. The Gators won each game in five innings, hitting seven total home runs (six in the first game – tying UF single-game record) and scoring 30 runs. The 22 runs that crossed home plate in the first game of the series (14 in the third inning alone) set a school record. Wins were achieved by junior Stephanie Brombacher (26-5), who began a no-hitter with five strikeouts in three innings, and freshman Ensley Gammel (12-2), who struck out six and only gave up three hits.

Senior outfielder Francesca Enea (18), freshman first baseman Brittany Schutte (14), junior OF Kelsey Bruder (10), junior catcher Tiffany DeFelice (7), senior third baseman Corrie Brooks (8) and freshman OF Kelsey Horton (4) hit the first six bombs, with DeFelice (8) adding a second in the late game. Schutte’s moon shot also broke Florida’s freshman home run record, last set in 2008.

2 » Gators women’s basketball added its sixth 2010-11 commitment Monday when Santa Fe College sophomore point guard Lanita Bartley (Jacksonville, FL) signed a National Letter of Intent to join the University of Florida. “Lanita is a dynamic scoring point guard, who brings experience in the point guard position,” head coach Amanda Butler said. “She’s been in the Florida Junior College system for two years, which is consistently the most competitive in the country.”

3 » Also increasing its talent level is Florida’s track and field team, which added a commitment from Luc Lawrence (Fort Walton Beach, FL), Lawrence, who can run both track and cross country, began running in eighth grade and caught the eye of cross country coach Todd Morgan almost immediately.

4 » As OGGOA first reported on Twitter early Wednesday, Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow officially had the top selling jersey in the month of April according to sales figures from NFLShop.com. Tebow’s new Broncos jersey was only available for eight days of the month (he was drafted on April 22), yet it easily surpassed jersey sales for new Washington Redskins QB Donovan McNabb, who was traded away from the Philadelphia Eagles on April 4 and came in second overall on the list.

“I think it’s an honor for people to want my jersey and want to have it and want to wear it,” Tebow told the Denver Post on Wednesday. “It is somewhat surreal to have it sell more than some of these people I grew up idolizing.”

Photo Credit: University of Florida

Check out much of what Addazio had to say Monday…after the break!

NOTES:
- Momentum from winning the 2010 Sugar Bowl “surged” into recruiting, allowing the team to add to its already talent-filled class.
- Excited about redshirt freshman Jordan Reed‘s athleticism and ability to play both tight end and Wildcat quarterback. Joked that people want the team to re-name it “Gator-cat or something.” Also thinks freshman Gerald Christian made great strides.
- Really excited for the emergence of redshirt junior wide receiver Deonte Thompson.
- Believes that redshirt freshman WR Andre Debose has a “real dynamic ability.”
- Said freshman WR Robert Clark is one of the most competitive players on the team.
- Freshman QB Trey Burton has “that competitive specialness to him.” Said Tim Tebow had “it,” Donovan McNabb had “it” at Syracuse and Burton has “a lot of that going on.”
- Believes new defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has done “a phenomenal job in the spring.” He said head coach Urban Meyer got a glowing recommendation from his “best friend,” Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Billy Davis.
- Mentioned redshirt sophomore Jeremy Brown specifically as the second cornerback across from Janoris Jenkins. Said freshman Josh Shaw impressed but did not mention senior Moses Jenkins at all.
- Plans are for freshman safety Matt Elam to see the field plenty. “Matt [Elam] is something. You will see him game one,” he said.
- Called the linebackers “dynamic” and is really excited to them during games. Singled out sophomore Jon Bostic for his hard-hitting and redshirt freshman Jelani Jenkins as “one of the fastest backers I’ve ever seen. He really goes.”
- The team will use a Wildcat component but certainly not a “two quarterback system” like some have been claiming.
- The fullback will be utilized more this season, especially with the I-formation.
- Redshirt junior WR Chris Rainey is the man when it comes to returning the ball, junior running back Jeff Demps may get a shot as well.
- It’s important to educate the players about new NCAA rules and address them often.
- Team captains: seniors center Mike Pouncey and defensive end Justin Trattou have already been named. Also mentioned senior safety Ahmad Black, Thompson, redshirt senior defensive tackle Lawrence Marsh and, of course, redshirt freshman QB John Brantley as team leaders who could be elevated.

QUOTES:
- On the head coaching situation: “[Urban Meyer] is the head football coach of the University of Florida. He is doing great. […] You have the best head football coach in college football. He just loves this place. He’s doing fantastic.”

- On what he said to the new assistant coaches upon their arrival: “Take it all in. Understand where you are. There are not a lot of places like here.”

- On how the 2010 recruiting class stuck together throughout everything that transpired: “We’re a family. What makes Florida special is not the shovel pass. It looks good. That isn’t it. What makes Florida special is the fact that we’re a family. We believe in each other, take care of each other. It’s not always perfect. We got in a situation where we told our recruits, we got a little issue here in our family, we have to close ranks and take care of each other. I watched a bunch of 17- 18- and 19-year old guys really get that concept. They bought into that and understood that. That recruiting class grew, and it got tight – it got close. Everyone tried to break it apart and splinter it – couldn’t do it. Couldn’t do it! They understood the fact about sticking together, that they were going to a great university. It wasn’t just a great football program. It was a place they are going to be attached to for the rest of their lives.”

- On the offensive line: “Best offensive line in college football this year” even with departure of Pouncey.

- On the running backs: “Best group of running backs in America [...] best combination of backs in America.”

- On Demps: “The fastest man in college football … too fast … I can’t even see [him].”

- On watching Pouncey get drafted No. 18 overall: Maurkice sent him a text that said, “’Coach, I love you. Thank you for everything.’ You say to yourself, ‘Wow, I’m watching a guy reach his dreams.’”

- On junior offensive lineman Matt Patchan‘s future: “Matt Patchan will be ready – absolutely will play tackle and can use him as a blocking tight end in two-tight end sets.”

- On Tebow’s intensity: “Tim Tebow would stare down a bear.”

- On coaching for Syracuse when they lost 31-10 to Florida in a game played in the Orange Bowl in 1999: “We were down at the beach. […] I was with Teryl Austin, [now] our defensive coordinator, we were jumping on jet skis, came back laughing. [Then I saw] Jevon Kearse. I remember Teryl saying, “Oh man…”

- An example of a speech he would give to the offensive unit getting ready to take the field for a walk-through on Friday before a big game: “In the game of football, you got to play with a passion. You have to have an intensity about you and you have to have a passion about you. We’re getting ready to go into the greatest stadium in college football – it’s called The Swamp if you didn’t know. There will be 92,000 people in The Swamp. You get ready to go into The Swamp, you better buckle your helmet a little bit tighter. You better sit you helmet down the top of your head a little bit harder. You wear a helmet that says ‘Gators,’ it’s an orange helmet. And it manes a lot to a lot of people – there has been a lot of history. So when you put it on, make sure you put it on the right way – with a lot of smarts and a lot of heart and a lot of intensity. That’s the way the game is played. And when you go out and play in The Swamp, we are 34-2 in The Swamp, when you go out there and you come back in that locker room, you better be dragged off that field. You better be dragged off the field, you better look in the mirror and say, ‘I left it all on that field. I didn’t leave anything left. There’s nothing in my tank. I laid it on the line for my teammates. I laid it on the line for my school. And I feel great about it. I just had an opportunity to do something people dream about.’ Represent your team with the way you play – how you play the game, your love of the game, how your teammates feel, the passion that you have! Let’s take the field, let’s take down Florida State, and let’s take them down the way it’s supposed to be – with a lot of Gator Pride!”

1 » With new Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb now off the market and Brett Favre still deciding whether or not to return to the Minnesota Vikings, head coach Brad Childress has taken an interest in former Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow. Childress spoke with the Philadelphia Daily News on how much he believes in Tebow. “Aaron Rodgers was a complete re-do in his throwing motion from Cal, where people didn’t like his stroke and how the ball came out. And he’s doing fine,” Childress said. “Can it be done? It can be done. It’s just a matter of if you as a coach and you as a coaching staff feel like you can fix it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It only takes one person to like him, and they’re going to do everything in their power to make it right.”

2 » Now that his work with Tebow is done, Montreal Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman has come to the conclusion that the signal caller will indeed succeed in the NFL if given a chance, as he told The Morning Journal:

Read Trestman’s almost 500-word commendation of Tebow…after the break!

“I believe, in the right environment, Tim Tebow will figure this out. He doesn’t have explosive arm strength, but he has more than adequate arm strength to throw the ball in the NFL and make all the throws. I saw him do something totally different in seven or eight days. I can only imagine what he’s going to do in one year or two years, because he’s going to outwork everybody else and find a way to figure it out.

“[When Tebow asked,] I said I’d be more than happy to help. I didn’t see him play much, but I had heard his throwing motion was too long to get the ball out of his hand and that it would inhibit his ability to be a quarterback in the NFL. That made me wonder who was making the statements, because there are a lot of ways to throw the football. The most important thing for a quarterback to move the football team and complete passes accurately.

“I asked him he wanted me to do for him. What precipitated was a lot of classroom time. I spent maybe eight to 12 hours with him on the field if that working with his footwork, working under center and trying to accelerate every part of his footwork, hand position on the ball to deliver it quicker without so much of a windup. He has a beautiful throwing motion, but he was getting there in a longer amount of time than you would like to see based on the speed of the NFL game.

“I had a chance to not only be on the field with Tim, but to coach him, to say to him ‘take this type of footwork and do this with the ball.’ I never had to tell him more than once, and I really tried to grind him from a coaching standpoint and demand a lot of different things very quickly. He was able to assimilate it very fast.

“We spent some time slowing his motion down frame-by-frame comparing the way he throws it now to the way he did it two weeks earlier. There was a marked difference in the time of the release.

“If you’re a coach and you love coaching quarterbacks, you’d love the opportunity to develop Tim Tebow. That’s going to be the question. Guys are going to be asking themselves, ‘Wouldn’t I love to go to work every day and coach this kid? Is there enough there I can work with to make this happen in our system?’ When I go into that room with him he’s going to demand of me all the help I could give him, and he’s going to want me to demand of him everything he can give us. It’s a beautiful thing, because it all begins in the quarterback room.”

Photo Credits: Getty Images, CFL

1 » Sunday night, the Philadelphia Eagles traded star quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins for two draft picks. Monday, Florida Gators fans are trying to connect the dots to Tim Tebow and the 2010 NFL Draft. Here is what you need to know: (a) The Redskins acquiring McNabb makes it unlikely they draft Tebow, even after paying him plenty of attention. (b) The Eagles, with two QBs on one-year deals, are more likely to consider Tebow or any available passer for that matter – but not likely until the second round. (c) Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen may fall in the first round, potentially pushing Texas’ Colt McCoy and Tebow into later draft selections.

2 » Looking to salvage a road season in which they already lost the first two games, No. 20/17 Vanderbilt Commodores baseball (24-6, 5-4 SEC) shutout the No. 8/11 Gators (20-7, 5-3 SEC) 7-0 on Sunday in the series finale at McKethan Stadium. Starter Jack Armstrong (4-0) tossed six innings of four-hit ball for Vanderbilt, which also benefited from a pair of solo home runs by third baseman Jason Esposito (2-5, three runs). Freshman Hudson Randal (2-3) earned the loss for Florida, giving up two earned runs and seven hits in 5.2 innings with six strikeouts.

Two more BITS on Gators softball and tennis’ weekend sweeps…after the jump!

3 » Unlike baseball, No. 6/9 Gators softball (27-4, 9-2 SEC) pulled off a 7-1 win Sunday over the No. 12/12 LSU Tigers (29-7, 8-3 SEC) to sweep the weekend series. Junior Stephanie Brombacher started the game with three innings of one-hit ball and four strikeouts, allowing freshman Ensley Gammell (7-0) come in and earn the win on the final four innings with four strikeouts of her own. Gammell also hit well Sunday, going 2-2 with an RBI. Junior second baseman Aja Paculba (2-3) and freshman catcher Brittany Schutte (1-3) each tallied two RBI.

4 » No. 3 women’s (18-2, 8-0 SEC) and No. 6 men’s (15-2, 7-0 SEC) tennis each took down the Kentucky Wildcats at home and on the road, respectively, on Sunday. The women blanked the Wildcats (2-16, 0-8 SEC) 4-0 at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex, while the men squeaked by Kentucky (16-7, 5-3 SEC) 4-3 on the road at the Hillary J. Boone Tennis Center. The doubles pairs of No. 35 freshman Lauren Embree / senior Anastasia Revzina and No. 12 redshirt senior Antoine Benneteau / junior Alexandre Lacroix were both victorious. In singles action, No. 7 Lacroix and No. 79 senior Marrit Boonstra fell while No. 14 Embree was the sole singles winner.

Photo Credit: GatorZone.com

2 » Freshman guard Kenny Boynton has the star power, sophomore point guard Erving Walker is hitting daggers from downtown, junior forward Chandler Parsons is nailing remarkable buzzer-beating game-winners and junior transfer center Vernon Macklin brings the size…so what exactly is junior F Alex Tyus’ role? Tyus is, simply put, the most consistent player on the team. He has scored double figures in 11 straight games with 15+ points in six of those contests all while being a terror in the paint and averaging almost eight rebounds per game. Through the ups and downs of the season, Tyus has been the constant either keeping the Gators in games or helping them pull off routs. He’s even been hitting three-pointers. “I feel like I’m understanding my role a little more,” Tyus told Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun. “I’m more comfortable.” If Tyus continues playing at this level, a triumvirate of himself, Boynton and Walker could very well propel Florida to its first March Madness birth in three seasons.

Four more BITS on Corey Brewer, Tim Tebow and more after the jump!

3 » The transition to the NBA has been relatively easy for former Gators F/Cs Al Horford and Joakim Noah with the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls, respectively. The same cannot be said about G/F Corey Brewer of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Brewer began his professional career hitting only 23 of 102 attempted three-pointers (22.5 percent) through 130 games. However, since nailing a thrilling trey a few weeks ago and following it up with a buzzer-beater, Brewer has been on a tare. Over his last 10 games, he has taken 42 shots from downtown and converted 22 of them (52 percent). By all accounts, Brewer is finding his shooter’s touch, something he wondered if he would ever recover after missing the majority of the 2008-09 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. The reference article claims that a shooter has been born, but in Brewer’s case, it is more like a shooter was resurrected.

4 » The upcoming Super Bowl XLIV advertisement from Focus on the Family featuring former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is still causing controversy – even former Vice Presidential candidate and noted Republican Sarah Palin weighed in on it. Tebow still doesn’t understand what the fuss is about. “[The ad is] just me and my mom showing our love for each other, and that’s pretty much what it’s about,” Tebow said. “I don’t think it’s anything that’s negative or anything like that. I think [the Super Bowl is] a good time and place when there’s a lot of people watching, and I think it’s a great opportunity to show something very happy and a special story and my mom fighting for me. I think there are a lot of great things in that. I think, if anything, [teams will] like that I took a stand on what I believe. If that’s something that would hesitate them from bringing me on, then it probably wouldn’t be a good fit for me in the first place because I’m never going to deny what I believe in just for a game.”

5 » Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb offers Tebow some advice:

6 » Gators baseball has earned a No. 7 ranking in Baseball America’s NCAA Division I baseball preseason poll. The team plays its first game of the 2010 season against the South Florida Bulls on Feb. 19 at McKethan Stadium.