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
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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

1 » In a surprising move on Tuesday, the New Orleans Saints released former Florida Gators defensive end Alex Brown. A nine-year NFL veteran who spent the first eight years of his career with the Chicago Bears, Brown was signed by New Orleans as a free agent in 2010 and notched 39 tackles (32 solo) with a forced fumble and two sacks as a 16-game starter. He held the same position through the first three preseason games and worked with the first-team defense in every practice this offseason. “It saddens me to say that I have been released from the Saints because [they're] a first class organization and I will miss it,” he wrote on Twitter. “Good luck to the guys and Who Dat Nation keep roaring… My family and I had a blast here.. Thanks.” Brown joins DE Bobby McCray and offensive tackle Max Starks as big-name free agents currently available with Florida ties.

2 » Also receiving bad news was former Gators linebacker Duke Lemmens, an undrafted free agent who found out Tuesday that his contract with the Arizona Cardinals had been terminated. Lemmens played in the team’s first three preseason games and made a number of tackles but was one of many players the team released in this round of cuts.

3 » New England Patriots LB Brandon Spikes had not practiced or played with the team since Aug. 4 but finally returned to the field on Tuesday according to reports from numerous media outlets. Spikes has been dealing with a nagging ankle injury but is expected to see some time in the team’s preseason finale at home on Thursday. He played in 12 games with eight starts during his rookie season and was fifth on New England with 71 tackles (41 solo) and an interception. He was suspended for four games in 2010 for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

4 » Another player out for an extended period of time was former Florida safety Ahmad Black, a fifth-round selection of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2011 NFL Draft. Black suffered a high ankle sprain in the team’s preseason opener and has missed numerous practices and both subsequent preseason games since. There are rumors that Black could be cut soon because the team is only planning to keep four safeties and he has not had much of a time to make an impression, but head coach Raheem Morris has said previously that he believed Black was one of the steals of the draft. “I know he’s going to try to go this week,” Morris said, according to the St. Petersburg Times. “But it’d be hard right now for him to go out there and do some things, especially with the way Larry Asante’s playing, and Corey Lynch. Those guys played their butts off this preseason, not to mention our starters. It’ll be tough. You’d like to see him out there.” Black could always be a candidate for the practice squad in a worst-case scenario.

Tags: Ahmad Black, Alex Brown, Arizona Cardinals, Bobby McCray, Chicago Bears, Draft, Duke Lemmens, Max Starks, New Orleans Saints, NFL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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
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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

With the 2011 NFL preseason officially underway, a number of Florida Gators participated in Week 2 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.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
TE AARON HERNANDEZ, New England Patriots: Three receptions for 42 yards, touchdown (long: 16)

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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, David Nelson, Derrick Harvey, Duke Lemmens, Earnest Graham, Gerard Warren, Jabar Gaffney, Jarvis Moss, Jason Watkins, Jeremy Mincey, Jermaine Cunningham, Joe Haden, Justin Trattou, Louis Murphy, Major Wright, Marcus Gilbert, Marcus Thomas, Maurice Hurt, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Peterson, Mike Pouncey, NFL, 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 1 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 first exhibition week of the 2011 campaign.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
QB REX GROSSMAN, Washington Redskins: 19/26 for 207 yards and a touchdown (QB Rating: 109.0)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES
FS MAJOR WRIGHT, Chicago Bears: Team-high five solo tackles
QB TIM TEBOW, Denver Broncos: 6/7 for 91 yards (QB Rating: 118.8), two rushes for 15 yards (long: 13)
TE AARON HERNANDEZ, New England Patriots: Six rec. for 68 yards (long: 20)

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

Updated July 27 at 3:30 p.m.

The end of the NFL lockout sent the league into a frenzy Monday evening as teams were officially allowed to contact and agree to contracts with undrafted free agents who were not selected in the 2011 NFL Draft. With only four Florida Gators picked in the seven-round draft back in April, a number of well-known players remained available heading into one of the most questionable offseasons in pro football history.

With contracts now being signed as names continue to roll in, a number of former Gators have already been picked up to join NFL squads this year.

Everything started Monday evening as linebacker Duke Lemmens chose to stay out west and play for the Arizona Cardinals, defensive tackle Terron Sanders got a call from the Baltimore Ravens, and running back Emmanuel Moody decided to join 2010 undrafted free agent wide receiver David Nelson with the Buffalo Bills.

On Tuesday, punter Chas Henry chose to team up with wide receiver Riley Cooper and tight end Cornelius Ingram on the Philadelphia Eagles, defensive end Justin Trattou decided to play close to home with the New York Giants, and offensive lineman Carl Johnson joined up with DE Alex Brown on the New Orleans Saints.

Wednesday brought two more signings as LB A.J. Jones found a spot with the Denver Broncos and LB Brandon Hicks [unconfirmed] signed with the Bills. Jones joins quarterback Tim Tebow in Denver, while Hicks teams up with Moody and Nelson in Buffalo.

Safety Will Hill was originally reported to have agreed to a deal with the Washington Redskins; however, it surfaced Tuesday that those reports were premature and the two sides have not spoken about a contract.

OGGOA spoke with Sanders early Tuesday morning, and he related to us that former Florida defensive coordinator now Baltimore defensive backs coach Teryl Austin had a lot to do with him getting this opportunity with a top-tier franchise.

“Coach Austin, he’s up there now, and he put in a good word for me and told them that I can plug the hole and knock people back,” Sanders said. “He convinced them to take a shot at me. They called my agent, my agent called me and asked me if I’d be interested in going to Baltimore. I told them, ‘Yeah,’ and the deal is done.”

Though he has been hoping the lockout would end and has been keeping in shape, Sanders also kept himself busy with a regular job until his future was known.

“I haven’t put on a pair of shoulder pads in a while,” he said. “I’ve been working out, doing some running, and I started working at U-Haul about two weeks ago just to get some money in my pocket until this was decided.”

Other players who could be signed include WR Carl Moore and defensive lineman Brandon Antwine and Lawrence Marsh.

OGGOA will update this post as additional signings are announced.

Tags: A.J. Jones, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Brandon Antwine, Brandon Hicks, Buffalo Bills, Carl Johnson, Carl Moore, Chas Henry, Cornelius Ingram, David Nelson, Denver Broncos, Draft, Duke Lemmens, Emmanuel Moody, Justin Trattou, Lawrence Marsh, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Riley Cooper, Terron Sanders, Teryl Austin, Washington Redskins, Will Hill