1 » The Florida Gators’ top 2013 baseball commitment, right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers, is unlikely to ever step on the field at McKethan Stadium as he is projected to be a top selection in the 2012 MLB Draft on Monday. Though he is not yet officially a member of the orange and blue, the slim chance that McCullers spurns pro baseball and decides to spend three years playing in the college ranks should give Florida fans something extra to watch for Monday evening. McCullers was named the 2012 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year on Thursday after posting a perfect 13-0 record with a 0.18 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 77.1 innings during his senior season (he also batted .280 with two homers, 21 RBIs and 10 stolen bases as a shortstop). He is widely considered to be the best high school baseball player in the country and has received tons of positive press but could very well not wind up going in the first round due to new collective bargaining rules that limit the amount of bonus money teams can pay out to their top picks. Teams may feel that McCullers, represented by agent Scott Boras, would require a certain high-dollar figure in order to sign on the dotted line and not be a wasted pick (he could always choose to go to college instead). This could have him fall out of the first round and perhaps steer him more toward the Gators. “It’s frustrating, the whole draft thing is frustrating,” McCullers told the Tampa Bay Times. “I’ve done nothing than get better since I’ve been ranked No. 1 forever, and no one in the country had a better year than me on the hill. If Major League Baseball wants to undervalue me, then I’ll show them what I’m really about three years from now.”

Other Florida commitments that could be picked high in the draft and spurn the Gators for minor league contracts include outfielder Lewis Brinson, infielder Avery Romero, OF Max White and OF Jesse Winker.

2 » Former Florida offensive tackle Max Starks is a free agent hoping to sign with an NFL team while coming off a major injury for the second-straight season. Starks hurt his neck two years ago while playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers and was unsigned at the start of 2011. As Pittsburgh’s depth along the offensive line took severe blows early in the season, Starks got a call, immediately returned as a starter and played out the rest of the year until tearing his ACL in the team’s season finale against Denver in the playoffs. Now trying to make another go of it while recovering from an injury, Starks will likely find a destination at some point though FOX Sports’ Len Pasquarelli reports that it will not be with the Steelers. “A few teams have stayed in contact with veteran offensive tackle Max Starks – who basically rescued the Pittsburgh line last season… – to keep tabs on his rehabilitation. Starks could be a July signing, or a safety net for a club that either suffers an injury or lacks depth at tackle. But he isn’t likely to return to the Steelers again.” Instead Pittsburgh will move second-year tackle Marcus Gilbert to the left side and hope that 2012 second-round pick Mike Adams will be ready to start for the team. Then again, the Steelers also thought that they would not need Starks in 2011 until they desperately needed his services. He has not played for any other team but Pittsburgh, knows the offense and has a great relationship with the rest of the line as well as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Read four more BITS of Florida Gators news…after the break!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: McCullers, Starks, Davis, Hurt, Pouncey

Tags: baseball, Charlie Weis, Cleveland Browns, Draft, Lance McCullers, Marcus Gilbert, Maurice Hurt, Maurkice Pouncey, Max Starks, McKethan Stadium, MLB, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Reggie Davis, Washington Redskins, William Green

Running back Chris Rainey signed a four-year, $2.282 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, making him the first former Florida Gators player picked in the 2012 NFL Draft to sign with the team that selected him.

The No. 159 overall pick in the fifth round of the draft, Rainey was chosen later than his talent might have demanded due to concerns about his size (5’8” 180 lbs.) and durability despite proving over his five-year college career that he can be a major playmakers when given the opportunity.

Pittsburgh believes they got a steal with Rainey, who posted the fastest 20-yard shuttle (3.93 seconds), 60-yard shuttle (11.06 seconds) and three-cone drill (6.50 seconds) times at the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine. He also finished with the second-fastest time in the 40-yard dash at 4.45 seconds.

Rainey will likely be a kick returner, special teams performer and offensive specialist (though his official role remains to be determined) for the Steelers, where he joins former Gators teammates center Maurkice Pouncey and left tackle Marcus Gilbert.

Pittsburgh has selected a Florida player in three-straight and four of the last nine NFL Drafts and could have four former Gators on their team in 2012 should they re-sign injured tackle Max Starks closer to the season.

Rainey received a $181,000 signing bonus as part of his contract along with base salaries of $390,000 (2012), $480,000 (2013), $570,000 (2014) and $660,000 (2015).

Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Steelers

Tags: Chris Rainey, Draft, Marcus Gilbert, Maurkice Pouncey, Max Starks, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers

Round 5 – No. 159
Chris Rainey, RB
Pittsburgh Steelers

Height: 5’8″ – Weight: 180 lbs.
Age: 24 – Class: Senior

Arguably the Florida Gators’ most valuable offensive starter in 2011 and one of the most naturally explosive players in team history, running back Chris Rainey was selected Friday afternoon by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 24th pick in the fifth round (No. 159 overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Chosen later in the process due to concerns about his size (5’8” 180 lbs.) and durability, Rainey has proven over his five-year college career that he can be a major playmaker when used correctly and provided with an opportunity.

He posted the fastest 20-yard shuttle (3.93 seconds), 60-yard shuttle (11.06) and three-cone drill (6.50) times out of the entire field at the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine and also finished with the second-fastest time in the 40-yard dash at 4.45 seconds.

“Chris Rainey is an exciting player,” general manager Kevin Colbert said after making the selection. “He is a small guy but when you watch him run against SEC competition, he was really impressive. He doesn’t run people over but week-in and week-out the kid showed up in probably one of the toughest conferences in the country as a running back. In addition to that, he can do punt returns and kick returns.”

“Chris is a guy that we’re real excited to bring into the mix,” offensive coordinator Todd Haley added. “I think he is a very versatile player that is obviously fast and explosive. He can catch the ball, he can run with it and he can return it. That’s a commodity and we’re really excited to bring him aboard and work with him and put him into the mix.”

Rainey is the first Florida running back to be drafted since DeShawn Wynn was picked with the No. 228 overall selection in the seventh round by Green Bay in 2007. He is the third Gators player to be selected by Pittsburgh in as many years following in the footsteps of center Maurkice Pouncey (2010) and tackle Marcus Gilbert (2011).

He will now join his two former teammates on the Steelers and is the 24th Florida player selected all-time by the franchise (most of any team in the league.

The Gators have had multiple players picked in the draft 32 years in a row.

ADDITIONAL DRAFT CONTENT
» Rainey Conference Call (audio)
» Haley Press Conference on Rainey (video)
» Colbert on if there were any character concerns with Rainey: “Chris Rainey, everybody knows about the texting situation and we were well aware of it as well. We had some unique background on this kid because of his relationship with the Pouncey family. Knowing Maurkice’s mother and father, for them to take a kid in and provide him a home in high school said a lot to us. Those people are great folks they provided a great home for their own children. For them to endorse this kid by letting him live with them for part of his high school career while he went to Lakeland High School as the Pouncey brothers did. It said something to us. Of course Maurkice spoke highly of him as well, but he is a teammate and a friend, so we took that with a grain-of-salt even though we trust his opinion. When his family reached out to provide this kid with an opportunity and he takes that opportunity to go on and graduate, that says something to us.”

Tags: Chris Rainey, combine, Draft, Marcus Gilbert, Maurkice Pouncey, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers

1 » Former Florida Gators forward/center Vernon Macklin was recently set down to the NBA Development League for no other reason than that the Detroit Pistons wanted to see him get some in-game action rather than sit stationary on the end of the team’s bench during NBA games. According to M Live, Macklin has been playing for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and has been dominating. In his first five games with the team, Macklin is averaging 16.6 points and 17.2 rebounds (10.6 on the defensive glass) in more than 36 minutes a game. He will remain with the team through April 7 before returning to the Pistons. “He’s playing with a lot of energy and effort. He’s gotten better each and every game,” Detroit coach Lawrence Frank said. “It’s great for him to get that experience. We see continued development. We see progress in Vernon.”

2 » No. 4 Florida lacrosse (11-2) hit two major milestones on Wednesday, recording their first-ever shutout while registering the highest goal total in school history in a 29-0 beat down of the Fresno State Bulldogs (2-6) at Donald R. Dizney Stadium in Gainesville, FL. Freshman midfielder Nicole Graziano scored a game-high and career-high six goals on seven shots, and freshman attacker Nora Barry joined her in dominating on offense with five goals on six shots. The duo also combined for six ground balls and six draw controls in the contest. Junior As Ashley Bruns and Gabi Wiegand combined for six goals and three assists with Bruns becoming the first player in team history to eclipse 200 career goals. In addition to scoring the most goal sand allowing the fewest in team history, the Gators set or tied a number of other records. Florida had the most points (41), assists (12) and draw controls (24) in team history, tied their records for shots (44), first-half points (17) and second-half points (12) and also committed a record five fouls, the fewest in team history. The Gators accomplished all of this without Juniors A Kitty Cullen and M Brittany Dashiell, two of the team’s leading scorers.

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Tags: Ashley Bruns, Brittany Dashiell, Chris Leak, D1 Sports Training, Denver Broncos, Detroit Pistons, Dizney Stadium, Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Fresno State Bulldogs, Gabi Wiegand, Kitty Cullen, lacrosse, Lauren Haeger, Marcus Gilbert, Maurkice Pouncey, NBA, NBA D-League, NFL, Nicole Graziano, Nora Barry, Pittsburgh Steelers, Pressly Softball Stadium, SEC, softball, South Florida Bulls, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Vernon Macklin

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 Florida Gators participated in Wild Card action during the first round of the 2011-12 NFL Playoffs over the weekend. A total of 11 former Florida players were on the rosters of five of six teams that played, but a number were either inactive or 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.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
QB TIM TEBOW, Denver Broncos^: 10/21 for 316 yards, two touchdowns (QB rating: 125.6); 10 carries for 50 yards, touchdown

Continue Reading » Former Florida Gators in the NFL: Wild Card

Tags: Atlanta Falcons, Carlos Dunlap, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Marcus Gilbert, Marcus Thomas, Max Starks, New York Giants, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Playoffs, Reggie Nelson, Tim Tebow

1 » With Jacksonville Dolphins head coach Kerwin Bell a hot name amongst fans to fill the offensive coordinator role with the Florida Gators, The Florida Times-Union reports that he is mulling an offer from the team but not to serve in that capacity. According to the paper, “multiple sources familiar with Florida’s interest” in Bell says the former Gators quarterback is being offered the quarterback coach role with the team. OGGOA was told weeks ago by a person close to Bell that he would only leave Jacksonville if Florida offered a role more substantial than position coach (such as passing game coordinator or co-offensive coordinator at a minimum) because the move would otherwise come with a great reduction in responsibilities and no increase in pay. If he was hired for one of the other positions, Bell would still have fewer responsibilities but could offset that with a return to Gainesville, FL and a higher salary.

2 » The ITA on Tuesday released its preseason national rankings and the defending national champion Gators can be found all over the organization’s lists. Florida as a team comes in at No. 1 to start the season while Stanford, the squad UF defeated for the title, will begin 2012 in the No. 2 spot. The Gators also have five singles competitors in the top 41 nationally: junior Allie Will (No. 3), senior Joanna Mather (No. 4), junior Lauren Embree (No. 25), sophomore Sofie OyenAlex Cercone (No. 41). Stanford’s Mallory Burdette, who Embree defeated in the final match of the national title event, is listed as the preseason No. 1 player in the country. Burdette, along with Nicole Gibbs, also holds recognition as the No. 1 doubles team. Two Florida pairings, however, are ranked in the top 15: Oyen/Will (No. 10) and Embree/Mather (No. 15). The men’s team is ranked No. 8 preseason with three singles competitors and three doubles pairs also listed.

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Tags: Allie Will, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Denver Broncos, ITA, Jacksonville Dolphins, Joanna Mather, Kerwin Bell, Lauren Embree, Mallory Burdette, Marcus Gilbert, Maurkice Pouncey, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Sofie Oyen, tennis, Tim Tebow, University of Florida

For as much as the Florida Gators accomplished on the field in 2011 (check out Saturday’s post), the Gator Nation was making plenty of news off of it as well. From former players ending their accomplished careers to coaches and current players being part of some of the biggest news stories this year, Florida was spread all over the sports landscape in 2011. Below are OGGOA‘s Top 11 Off the Field Stories of the Year.

11 » LEGAL ISSUES/EMBARRASSMENTS HANG OVER PROGRAM
Like 2009 and 2010, Florida could not escape its share of unfortunate arrests and embarrassing incidents in 2011. It started simply enough early in February when a pair of Gators swimmers – Lily Ramirez and Daniela Victoria – were arrested and indefinitely suspended from the team after being accused of shoplifting from Nordstrom at the Orlando Mall. Next up was Florida senior outfielder Bryson Smith, who was picked up on March 13 for driving under the influence. Oakland Raiders wide receiver Louis Murphy was arrested in Gainesville, FL three weeks later and charged with a trio of misdemeanors for failing to obey a police officer, possession of a drug (Viagra) without a valid prescription and resisting arrest without violence. The month of April was a tough one for the basketball team. Forwards Erik Murphy and Cody Larson were arrested in St. Augustine, FL and charged with third-degree felony burglary charges after allegedly breaking into a car, and team manager Josh Adel was also arrested for principal to burglary for allegedly serving as a lookout. Charges against the players were eventually reduced and each settled their respective case, while Adel had all charges against him dropped. Additionally, former Florida F Dan Wener was charged with a DUI even though he blew below the legal limit (0.08) on the Breathalyzer twice. The State Attorney’s Office eventually dropped his charges due to insufficient evidence to sustain a conviction.

Unfortunately the year of brushes with the law was just getting started for the Gators. It surfaced on April 24 via a news report that both linebacker Chris Martin and defensive end Kendric Johnson were cited with misdemeanors for possessing approximately two grams of marijuana each in their respective vehicles on separate occasions. Former Florida WR Reche Caldwell was arrested one month later for possession of marijuana and driving with a suspended license. Gators runner Andries Dumisane Hlaselo had the darkest arrest of the year, being picked up in June after being accused of rape and sexual assault. He was immediately dismissed from the team. The Florida football team had the remainder of the year’s arrests. Sophomore safety Matt Elam was cited for underage drinking for the second time in as many years in July, and an August report noted that freshman defensive back De’Ante Saunders was cited for misdemeanor possession of marijuana in May. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Dee Finely was arrested on Sept. 13 on a first-degree misdemeanor for driving a scooter with a suspended license as well as a third-degree felony for resisting arrest without violence, and freshman cornerback Marcus Roberson was served with a written arrest for underage drinking just one day later. Sophomore defensive tackle Dominique Easley had the last brush with the law of 2011 as he was accused of attacking a former Alabama player early in October but was cleared of the charges one month later. All-in-all, for every positive thing accomplished by the Gators in 2011, there always seemed to be something negative about the program just around the corner.

10 » SIX BECOME A PART OF THE GATOR NATION IN THE SKY; THREE SUFFER SERIOUS MEDICAL ISSUES DURING THE YEAR
It would be difficult to recount everything that Gator Nation has gone through in 2011 without remembering those close to the University of Florida who left us for a better place or suffered through serious medical issues in the past year. Young and old, these Gators departed too soon or had plenty to deal with as the year went on. Jimmy Carnes (76), a former Gators track and field coach, passed away in March after losing a four-year battle with prostate cancer. Former linebacker/safety and three-time Super Bowl winner Godfrey Myles (42) suffered a massive heart attack in June and, while in the hospital on life support, had a stroke that took his life. Former punter and 12-year NFL veteran Don Chandler (76) also lost a long battle with cancer in August. Mike Heimerdinger (58), who was diagnosed with cancer early in the year, passed away in October. He was a former graduate assistant and wide receivers coach at Florida and won consecutive SEC titles with the team from 1984-85. Ending the year on a sad note, beloved Gainesville, FL businessman and former Gators long snapper Harold Monk III (42) died suddenly in December. OGGOA once again sends our deepest condolences to the families and friends of these men.

Florida freshman linebacker Neiron Ball was the first of three members of the Gators family to suffer serious health issues during the year. He was rushed to the hospital in February after a blood vessel in his brain ruptured as part of a congenital vascular condition. The doctors were able to stop the bleeding and Ball was released from the hospital four days later, but he was forced to miss the entire season for recovery purposes. In the middle of the year, Miami Heat guard/forward Mike Miller was lucky enough to have his wife give birth to a daughter named Jaylen. Unfortunately for the family, she was forced to spend two weeks in a pediatric intensive care unit after doctors found that she had five holes in her heart upon being born. The Millers eventually brought Jaylen home with them in a bit of a coincidence considering they actually donated $1 million to a pediatric intensive care unit at children’s hospital in his home town in 2007. Later that month, former Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, which he is currently still recovering from and will continue to do so over the next few months.

Continue Reading » Top 11 for 2011: Off the Field Stories of the Year

Tags: Ahmad Black, Alex Panteliodis, Alex Tyus, Anthony DeSclafani, arrest, baseball, Ben McMahan, Bob Emrick, Bryson Smith, Capital One Cup, Carlos Alvarez, Chandler Parsons, Charlie Weis, Chas Henry, Cholet Basket, Chris Dunkley, Chris Martin, Cody Larson, College Football Hall of Fame, Dan Werner, Daniela Victoria, Danny Wuerffel, David Young, De'Ante Saunders, Dee Finley, Detroit Pistons, Dominique Easley, Don Chandler, Draft, Dumisane Hlaselo, Erik Murphy, ESPN, Fred Taylor, Gerald Christian, Godfrey Myles, Harold Monk, Heisman Trophy, Houston Rockets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Janine Hillier, Janoris Jenkins, Jason Williams, Javares McRoy, Jeremy Foley, Jim Tressel, Jimmy Carnes, John Brantley, Josh Adams, Josh Adel, Joshua Shaw, Judd Davis, Justin Trattou, Kansas City Chiefs, Kendric Johnson, lacrosse, Lily Ramirez, Louis Murphy, Lynden Trail, Maccabi Ashdod, Marcus Gilbert, Marcus Roberson, Matt Campbell, Matt Elam, Maurice Hurt, Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, Michael McFarland, Mike Blakely, Mike Heimerdinger, Mike Miller, Mike Peterson, Mike Pouncey, MLB, NBA, NCAA, Neiron Ball, New York Giants, NFL, Nick Maronde, Oakland Raiders, Ohio State Buckeyes, Orange & Blue Debut, Outback Bowl, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Reche Caldwell, Robert Clark, SEC, SEC All-Sports, Steve Spurrier, Super Bowl, swimming, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tim Tebow, Tommy Toledo, University of Florida, Vernon Macklin, Washington Redskins, Will Muschamp