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

Round 1 – No. 25
Tim Tebow, QB
Denver Broncos

Height: 6’3″ – Weight: 236 lbs.
Age: 22 – Class: Senior

For the first time since 1989, three former University of Florida student-athletes were picked in the first round of a NFL Draft. Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow completed the trifecta for the 2010 NFL Draft, being chosen by the Denver Broncos with the No. 25 overall selection.

Tebow becomes the fourth Florida quarterback drafted in the first round and the first since Rex Grossman was picked by the Chicago Bears in 2003. Denver made four trades in the draft before eventually winding up with the opportunity to select the Heisman Trophy winning signal caller.

Months of debate about whether or not he was worthy of a first round selection were only fueled Thursday by the Broncos’ decision. Now the story changes to whether or not Tebow will be able to live up to the slot in which he was picked.

Things got rolling between the two parties early in the process but intensified this Monday when general manager Brian Xanders and head coach Josh McDaniels visited Tebow for a private meeting in Gainesville, FL.

He will join former Florida wide receiver Jabar Gaffney and defensive linemen Jarvis Moss and Marcus Thomas who are already on Denver’s roster. The team, which happens to use orange and blue as its two primary colors, recently made the No. 15 jersey available after trading wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins for two second round picks.

Should Tebow get a chance to play in week one of the 2010 NFL season, he will take the field at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in his hometown of Jacksonville, FL, against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

WHAT TEBOW SAID
Press Conference Transcript
“A lot of people said it was going to be a hard process or a long process and that it was going to be very frustrating for me but I loved it and I enjoyed the working process. All the critics and negativity only pushed me that much more and made me work that much harder and made me better. I think that was a positive thing for me, to be honest with you. I believed in myself and the people that were around me and supporting me. I thank my quarterback coaches for the work that they put in and trying to constantly get better. Not only get better but show that I was coachable, to be humble and learn to do what someone says and I think that is something that I tried to show and I think I showed that to Coach McDaniels and the staff there.”

WHAT THEY SAID
Press Conference Transcript
Press Conference Video
Head coach Josh McDaniels: “The player obviously has all the traits that you’re looking for in terms of toughness and competitiveness. He’s intelligent and he’s won a lot of games. He’s a leader, he works hard and he’s got all the intangibles that you look for in a player at that position. He’s produced a lot of numbers and statistically – I’m not even going to talk about that because he’s one of the best in a long, long time. We need that player in that position to be a good player, a real good player. If we can make him a special player, that’s what we’re looking for. Now we have a deep group of quarterbacks and we expect the competition to be incredible. It hasn’t changed anything in terms of our depth chart right now. We’re looking for that position to be the best player on our team if we can make it that way. Competition is only going to make each one of those players better and that’s what we expect him to come in and provide us with.”

Head coach Urban Meyer: “I’m sure Tim and his family are glad the process is over. The Denver Broncos are getting a winner. Tim will show on the field what he is capable of doing and more than anything Tim has a competitive fire that will constantly push him to get better and do whatever he can to help his team win.”

THINGS TO READ
- ESPN: The wait is worth it for Tebow
- ESPN: Josh McDaniels’ legacy is Tim Tebow
- SI: Tebow’s Mile High landing, a sour night for Clausen
- AP: Tebow taken in Round 1 by Broncos, joins QBs Orton, Quinn
- FOX: Round 1 shows character counts
- CBS: Broncos’ McDaniels can kiss job goodbye with Tebow pick
- CBS: Broncos will regret falling for Tebow’s good-guy reputation

- Denver Broncos: Broncos Pick Two in Primetime
- Denver Post: Broncos pick QB Tim Tebow at No. 25 in NFL draft
- Denver Post: By Josh, McD got it right
- Gainesville Sun: Broncos make first-round pick Tebow feel a mile high
- A lot of Gator fans just became Broncos fans

VIDEO

NFL Network interview with Tim Tebow

ESPN interview with Tim Tebow

Gainesville Sun interview with Tim Tebow

Broncos coach McDaniels’ press conference



OGGOA will continue updating this story.

Tags: Brandon Marshall, Brian Xanders, Chad Jackson, Chicago Bears, Heisman Trophy, Jabar Gaffney, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jarvis Moss, Josh McDaniels, Marcus Thomas, Miami Dolphins, Rex Grossman, Tim Tebow, University of Florida, Urban Meyer

1 » With just over two days to go until the start of the 2010 NFL Draft, 17 eligible players have already accepted invitations to join the league for the event at Radio City Music Hall in New York, NY. The 18th slot is seemingly reserved for former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow, who continues to keep the NFL in limbo in regards to whether or not he will attend. Tebow was supposed to make a decision last Friday but has yet to choose one way or another.

2 » Perhaps one of the reasons Tebow is going back-and-forth on his draft day decision is because he has been keeping busy with speaking engagement and private workouts/interviews. A contingent from the Denver Broncos – including head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Brian Xanders – visited Tebow in Gainesville, FL, Monday in what is believed to be his last meeting of the kind before the big day.

3 » And while Tebow is the subject, who better to give him a ringing endorsement than…ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale? Vitale points out that teams “shouldn’t overlook [Tebow’s] heart and desire” because “people don’t understand what is in the heart of a competitor.” Read the rest of his musings for yourself.

4 » One former Florida football player who will be in attendance at the draft Thursday is cornerback Joe Haden – expected to be a top-15 pick. As Haden moves on to the NFL, his younger brother Josh Haden is still a topic of conversation with Gators fans who hope he chooses UF as his transfer destination out of Boston College. Expect a decision to made shortly after the draft as the attention moves away from Joe. Josh will pick between Florida, Louisville (head coach Charlie Strong) and other undisclosed schools.

5 » Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah has been the star of the 2010 NBA Playoffs…that is if special recognition was given to players’ mouths. Noah has been running his plenty recently, calling Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett a “dirty player” and saying quite simply that “Cleveland sucks.” (Noah’s Bulls are playing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.) Garnett’s response? “Tell Joakim Noah to keep it in Cleveland and worry about Shaq,” he said. Noahdid back up his tough talk Monday, grabbing a double-double while leading his team in points (25) and rebounds (13). The effort fell short as Chicago is now down two games to none to Cleveland after losing game two 112-102.

6 » Special congratulations to offensive coordinator Steve Addazio, whose son and tight end recruit Louie Addazio announced his commitment to Syracuse to play college football. Louie also had an offer from South Florida but decided to become the Orange’s first commitment of the 2011 recruiting cycle instead.

Tags: Boston Celtics, Brian Xanders, Charlie Strong, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Broncos, Draft, Joakim Noah, Joe Haden, Josh Haden, Josh McDaniels, Kevin Garnett, Louie Addazio, Louisville Cardinals, NBA, NFL, Playoffs, Steve Addazio, Syracuse Orange, Tim Tebow

1 » As OGGOA has reported twice previously, former Florida Gators defensive end Jermaine Cunningham hopes to turn some heads at the team’s second Pro Scout Day on Wed., April 7 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Speaking with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Cunningham said he feels “100 percent” and is optimistic about his future. “To me, [playing DE or linebacker] is all the same,” Cunningham said. “I see myself as a football player. As long as I get on the field, when the ball is snapped, I’m going for the person with the ball. I’m very comfortable with both [positions].” As far as his decision to attend Florida (being a Georgia native)? “I felt it went pretty good,” he said. “Coming out with two National Championship rings, two SEC championship rings and a college degree. It was more than I expected.” He has received interest from nearly 20 teams in the league and has a private workout scheduled with the St. Louis Rams.

2 » The Denver Post reports that former Gators center Maurkice Pouncey could very well end up a member of the Denver Broncos if head coach Josh McDaniels decides to address its shallow offensive line in the first round. “He’s one of the youngest players on the board – he won’t be 21 until July – so the upside is still plenty big,” Jeff Legwold writes. “It’s just a matter of whether the Broncos would want to use the 11th pick of the draft on a center, even one of Pouncey’s skill level.”

3 » Former Florida safety Major Wright has accepted an invitation to work out for the Miami Dolphins in South Florida on Friday. Wright, who has been steadily climbing draft boards after his respective performances at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine and Pro Day, could be picked as high as the third round according to some scouts.

4 » Two more teams talking about quarterback Tim Tebow are the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles, both of whom plan to take a closer look at the former Heisman Trophy winner. Mike Wobschall, on the Vikings’ official Web site, believes the team would draft him with their second-round pick if he was still available. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King reports that the Eagles will “join the parade of teams working [Tebow] out and spending time with him” leading up to the 2010 NFL Draft.

Tags: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, combine, Denver Broncos, Draft, Heisman Trophy, Jermaine Cunningham, Josh McDaniels, Major Wright, Maurkice Pouncey, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, National Championship, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Pro Day, SEC, St. Louis Rams, Tim Tebow