1 » Florida Gators redshirt senior linebacker Neiron Ball recovered from the arteriovenous malformation (AVM) that forced him to miss the entire 2011 season, registering 10 tackles (0.5 for loss), two fumble recoveries and an interception last year. In this special feature produced by GatorVision, Ball, his family, doctors, trainers and coaches discuss his recovery and resurgence.

2 » Gators guard Michael Frazier began working with USA Basketball on Friday as one of 25 players trying out for 12 spots on the Men’s U19 National Team that will compete in the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship from June 27-July 7 in Prague, Czech Republic. Along with head coach Billy Donovan, who is serving in the same role for Team USA, Frazier is in Colorado Springs, CO, competing during a five-day training camp; the final roster will be decided on June 19. “Very excited to have the opportunity to get invited and have the opportunity to go play against very talented players and just have the opportunity to be able to represent my country,” Frazier told The Gainesville Sun’s Kevin Brockway. “It’s just really fun when I learned the news.”

CLICK TO EXPAND and read two more BITS in this post.

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Billy Donovan, FIBA, FIBA World Championship, Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow, Matt Elam, Michael Frazier, Neiron Ball, NFL, USA, USA Basketball

1 » Former Florida Gators catcher Mike Zunino earned his first career MLB start on Wednesday for the Seattle Mariners, opening the game behind the plate and batting sixth. Zunino went 1/4 with a strikeout in the game, registering his first big-league hit during his second at-bat. Had Nick Franklin not held up at third base, Zunino also would have registered his first career RBI.

2 » Billy Horschel is the only former Gators golfer competing in the 2013 U.S. Open this weekend and plans to make a statement with his attire. Should Horschel make it to Sunday, which is likely considering he is fourth in the FedEx Cup standings at this time, he will don a dark pair of pants featuring octopi. Really. See here.

3 » Though no further information was provided, U.S. Women’s National Team star striker Abby Wambach on Wednesday tweeted out this picture of her hanging out with New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes. “Hey @BrandonSpikes55 nice chillin’ with you. Gators nation forever. No doubt! #newpatsfan,” she wrote on Twitter.

Check out three more BITS of Florida Gators news…after the break!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Zunino, Horschel, Wambach, Elam

Tags: Abby Wambach, Baltimore Ravens, baseball, Billy Horschel, Brandon Spikes, Elfi Schlegel, golf, gymnastics, Matt Elam, Mike Zunino, MLB, New England Patriots, NFL, Olympics, PGA, Seattle Mariners, soccer, Sugar Bowl, U.S. Open, University Athletic Association

1 » San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner hopes to win his second professional championship as his team begins participating in the 2013 NBA Finals on Thursday. Chances are, while Bonner is in Miami, FL, he will also have a bit of fun eating. As pointed out by OGGOA reader Malik Grady, Bonner loves sandwiches and chronicled his tasty treats for the Spurs website back in 2010. Titled “The Sandwich Hunter: The Quest for the Hoagie Grail,” Bonner’s feature includes 26 sandwiches that he has reviewed that year. You can check out his favorites by clicking here. Additionally, Bonner recently discussed (through his brother) his favorite all-time sandwiches with the Deli Fresh Threads blog. He religiously eats a sandwich for lunch on game day.

2 » Safety Matt Elam seemed like the perfect fit for the Baltimore Ravens heading into the 2013 NFL Draft, and the team obviously felt the same way, using its only first-round selection on the Florida Gators product. Speaking with veterans inside the Ravens’ locker room, The Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson uncovered that Elam is already drawing rave reviews from his peers. “Matt looks good. You can tell he’s a young, hungry rookie. He just wants to run around and make plays. He’s a smart guy, tough and physical. He’s definitely going to make plays,” said position-mate Michael Huff.

CLICK TO EXPAND and read two more BITS in this post.

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Billy Donovan, DeVon Walker, Draft, Matt Elam, NBA, NBA Finals, NFL, San Antonio Spurs

1 » While sophomore guard/forward DeVon Walker changed his mind about his decision to transfer and returned to the Florida Gators basketball program, sophomore point guard Braxton Ogbueze remained steadfast in his desire to leave and officially transferred this week. Ogbeuze, who committed to Florida out of Charlotte, NC, decided to return to his local community and play for the Charlotte 49ers. He will sit out the 2013-14 season due to NCAA transfer rules but will have three years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2014-15.

2 » Gators head basketball coach Billy Donovan sat down for a wide-ranging interview with former long-time NBA coach Brendan Suhr on his Coaching U LIVE podcast. The interview, which is reminiscent of a conversation with Inside the Actors Studio’s James Lipton, covers a variety of topics including why Donovan is a coach, how he describes himself as a coach, if he would play for a coach like himself and how college basketball players have changed over the years.

3 » Baltimore Ravens rookie safety Matt Elam met and spoke with Dwyer High School’s current football players recently, telling the members of his former team that using life’s difficulties to propel them on the football field can benefit their lives in the long run. “I feel like with me going [in the draft], it was a big motivation for the kids because they come from the same neighborhoods, the same program,” Elam told the Palm Beach Post. “I got the chance, and I took advantage of the chance. That makes the kids feel like they’ve got the chance. That’s what it’s all about.”

CLICK TO EXPAND and check out three more BITS of Florida Gators news.

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Billy Donovan, Bradley Beal, Braxton Ogbueze, Cleveland Browns, DeVon Walker, Draft, Eric Banks, golf, Matt Elam, NBA, NFL, Washington Wizards

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.

» The relationship between Dwyer High School head coach Jack Daniels and the Florida Gators has soured. According to ESPN 106.3 out of West Palm Beach, FL, Daniels is angry that two former Dwyer players who committed to Florida but have since left the program (quarterback Jacoby Brissett and tight end Gerald Christian) did not get the opportunities they were promised with the team. “I’ve said all along, I don’t think he’s been given the fair shot which was said was going to happen,” Daniels said in regards to Brissett. “It was made clear to him, and to everybody else, that it didn’t matter what Jeff Driskel did, it was [Driskel’s] job and going into next fall, it’s going to be the same way. I think he had no choice. If I was quarterback on that team last year, I might have been able to get some wins, the way their defense was playing.” He continued: “The way Jacoby was handled and the decision that was made…if it was my kid, I wouldn’t expect anybody to treat my kid like that, and I don’t think anybody should treat anybody like that. I think it was a complete lie about how he was going to be given a fair chance and I don’t think there’s anything to dispute that there wasn’t a lie.”

Despite all of this – including similar comments about how Christian “was frustrated and felt like the coaches were lying to him” – Daniels (a Florida alumnus) said he will not dissuade his students from playing for the Gators. “I can’t hold a grudge forever and I still talk to Coach [Will] Muschamp,” he said. “I would never steer a kid away.”

» Former Florida wide receiver Stephen Alli was selected with the second pick in the sixth round of the 2013 CFL Draft by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers over the weekend. Alli, who would have been chosen higher had he committed to playing in the CFL next season, will instead attend graduate school and continue his education at UF.

» He may currently be a free agent hoping for the opportunity to continue his NFL career, but former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow received a shred of good news this week when Forbes named him the most influential athlete in the United States. “A unique set of QB strengths and weaknesses and an affinity for wearing his Christian faith on his sleeve combine to make Tebow a compelling public figure, even as an NFL backup,” staff member Tom Van Riper wrote.

Check out 14 more interesting bites of Florida Gators news…after the break!
Continue Reading » 17 Gator Bites for Tuesday, May 7

Tags: ALC, ALC Tournament, Baltimore Ravens, Billy Donovan, CFL, Corey Brewer, Denver Nuggets, Draft, Eli Carter, ESPN, Gerald Christian, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacoby Brissett, Jelani Jenkins, Jordan Reed, Josh Evans, lacrosse, Matt Elam, Miami Dolphins, Mike Gillislee, NBA, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, NFL, Playoffs, Stephen Alli, Tim Tebow, Vernon Macklin, Washington Redskins, Will Muschamp, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Round 1 – No. 32
Matt Elam, S
Baltimore Ravens

Height: 5’10″ – Weight: 208 lbs.
Age: 21 – Class: Junior

It took longer than expected for the first Florida Gators player to be picked on Thursday during the 2013 NFL Draft, but safety Matt Elam got picked exactly where he was projected – late in the first round – when he was selected No. 32 overall by the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday.

Elam, arguably Florida’s best playmaker in 2012 and one of the top safeties available in the draft, was ranked No. 3 on most boards due to concerns about his height (5’10”). In every other aspect, Elam is a prototypical strong safety who hits hard, tackles well, forces turnovers, makes game-changing plays and can intimidate opposing pass catchers (and their quarterbacks).

“I just feel like my size won’t matter because when you turn on the film I’m a great competitor, I’m flying around, I’m hitting guys bigger than me. Size doesn’t matter,” Elam said. “I’m going to make receivers be scared when they come my way the next time. That’s in my job description.”

His versatility as nickel cornerback who that can blitz from the backfield or at the line of scrimmage made him a must-draft player for Baltimore, which lost both of its starting safeties at the conclusion of the 2012 season. The Ravens see Elam as a replacement for strong safety Bernard Pollard – not free safety Ed Reed – but he is talented enough to alternate between both positions in Baltimore’s defense.

“I’ve never been so excited,” general manager Ozzie Newsome said of Elam. “It was fun watching him play. To watch a player on tape and play after play you say, ‘Oh wow.’ The way he played on tape is the way you have to play in the AFC North.”

“He definitely has a chance to [start at strong safety],” said head coach John Harbaugh. “He’ll have to earn it. We have one veteran safety in there and some young guys that will be competing for it as well. But we always play the best guy, and that’s the guy that’s playing the best. Matt Elam will be right in the middle of that fight.”

Continue Reading » Ravens end first round by picking Gators S Matt Elam No. 32 overall in 2013 NFL Draft

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Draft, Matt Elam, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, Sharrif Floyd

OGGOA LIVE COVERAGE – April 25-27 – Florida Gators in the 2013 NFL Draft

Former Florida Gators are expected to come off the board quickly and often during the 2013 NFL Draft with the team assured of having at least eight players drafted over the three-day event for the first time since 2010. Florida has a legitimate chance to set a new school record with 10 or more players chosen from April 25-27.

As fans of the 32 NFL teams look on nationwide, those supporting the Gators are just as excited to see where the players they used to watch on Saturdays will be playing on Sundays in the fall.

The fact of the matter is that few things are certain when it comes to the NFL Draft. Trades can occur at any moment and each team views its most pressing needs and what each player on its board brings to the table differently than analysts do. Rather than try to predict the unknown variables and tell you what could happen, OGGOA is here to set your expectations for what should go down Thursday-Saturday.

» Defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd will be the first Florida player selected but may fall short of being the highest-drafted player in program history.

Over the last few months no first-round player has seen more hype as it relates to his rise in the draft than Floyd, who started the process as a pick in the teens or early 20s and is now believed to be a consensus top-10 selection and the top player at his position in the draft. Most mock drafts heading into Thursday have Floyd slotted at No. 3 overall to the Oakland Raiders; a selection there would make him the highest-drafted player in Gators history, tying him with DT Gerard Warren (No. 3 – 2001), wide receiver Wes Chandler (No. 3 – 1978) and quarterback Steve Spurrier (No. 3 – 1967). However, there is no guarantee that Oakland will stay at No. 3 overall; in fact, multiple reports on Thursday have the Raiders preferring to trade back in the draft because the front office has so many holes to fill on its roster. Should Oakland move out of its spot, Floyd could still go No. 3 overall (to a different team) or may even fall to the bottom half of the top-10 depending what other moves are made. The only thing known for sure is that Floyd will be the first (and possibly only) Florida player drafted on Thursday and will be the first Gators defensive lineman selected in the first since Derrick Harvey (No. 8 – 2008).

Continue Reading » Florida Gators 2013 NFL Draft viewer’s guide

Tags: Caleb Sturgis, Draft, Earl Okine, Frankie Hammond, James Wilson, Jelani Jenkins, Jon Bostic, Jordan Reed, Josh Evans, Lerentee McCray, Matt Elam, Mike Gillislee, NFL, Omar Hunter, Omarius Hines, Sharrif Floyd, Will Muschamp, Xavier Nixon

1 » Golden State Warriors All-Star forward David Lee was ruled out for the season on Saturday after he tore his right hip flexor during Game 1 of his team’s first-round playoff series. “I knew [Saturday] night when I did it. I felt it pop,” Lee told a group of reporters before his team’s Sunday practice. “I went to run back on defense and had absolutely no sensation in my leg. It wasn’t even painful as much as it was just [numb].” Though Lee is unlikely to need surgery on the tear, he is expected to remain off the court for at least three months. He led the NBA in double-doubles this season and was ranked top-10 in the league in a number of other categories including defensive rebounds, total rebounds, efficiency, field goals made and triple-doubles. “We can’t replace him, and we know that,” head coach Mark Jackson said. “We have some guys on our bench that can do some things to cover up his absence, but we cannot replace David Lee.”

2 » FORBES contributor Darren Heitner penned an article that took a look at Florida Gators safety Matt Elam as the only top prospect set to enter the 2013 NFL Draft without an agent. Though Elam at some point will need to at least hire a contract advisor or lawyer to help him sort out a deal after he is drafted, he has been able to go through the process up to this point without one because of the financial backing and experience of his brother (NFL safety Abram Elam). “Not to discredit any agent, but Matt has done the things to put himself in a position to have a high draft grade without an agent,” Abe Elam told FORBES. “There is no contract right now to be evaluated because he hasn’t been drafted yet. At some point we will have to address whether Matt should hire an agent or an attorney. We are not biased against agents; we have just been able to delay the process because of the resources he has.”

3 » Quarterback coach Steve Clarkson spent much of last week praising quarterback Tim Tebow, claiming he fixed problems with the player’s mechanics after spending three days working with him earlier this offseason in Scottsdale, AZ. And while Clarkson’s evaluation of Tebow may very well be correct, not much about his statements appears to be accurate. According quarterback coaches Dennis Gile and Mike Giavondo, who spoke with SB Nation over the weekend, Clarkson only spent a single day working with Tebow while they worked with him for three months in Scottsdale. “We put in a lot of time and effort for [no pay] to really help [Tebow],” Gile told the website. How much did Gile and Giavondo actually help Tebow improve? “Steve Young’s mouth was hitting the floor,” said Gile after noting that both Young and Jim Zorn watched Tebow throw. “’Wow, you got it!’ is what he said exactly.”

Check out one more BIT on Sharrif Floyd…after the break!
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Lee hurt, Elam, Tebow, Floyd doubted

Tags: David Lee, Golden State Warriors, Matt Elam, NBA, NFL, Sharrif Floyd, Tim Tebow