ONLY GATORS Get Out Alive » Maurkice Pouncey

Gator Bites for Thursday, January 12th

Adam Silverstein — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:39:32 +0000

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. In these instances, or when stories fall through the cracks, we catch and wrap them all up with Gator Bites.

» In a poll conducted by ESPN and calculated monthly, Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow topped the December list as the United States’ favorite athlete. Tebow is “just the sixth different athlete to finish No. 1 in the monthly rankings since 2007” and, in the 18 years of the poll, only 11 different athletes have ever held that distinction.

» In addition to the Top 10 list OGGOA posted Wednesday from CBS’s the Late Show with David Letterman, Tebow was also brought up on TBS’s Conan. Host Conan O’Brien, claiming he was absent the budget to air actual game footage, had his staff put together a recreation of his game-winning play from Sunday…with peanuts replacing the players.

» While on the topic of Tebow videos, here is the latest Taiwanese animation creation, which depicts Tebow getting crucified by the media, angels helping him score, God taunting Satan, and the entire Pittsburgh team being sent to hell.

» Houston Rockets forward Chandler Parsons has started his NBA career by turning some heads and did just that on Tuesday with a game-high 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting with seven boards in an 82-70 victory over Charlotte. Parsons, who has started three-straight games for Houston and has seen 17 or more minutes in seven of 10 games this season, filled up the stat sheet Wednesday with eight points, six boards, four assists and three steals. Below are highlights from his performance on Tuesday.

» Joining Parsons as an early surprise this NBA season is new Denver Nuggets F Corey Brewer, who was traded to the team this offseason. Brewer played double-digit minutes for the sixth time in 11 games this season on Wednesday and was on absolute fire, scoring 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting in just 16 minutes. Brewer went 3-for-3 from downtown, had a great block and also threw down an exciting dunk on an alley-oop, as you can see below. “This is the first time since my college career that I get to play in a style that I came from in college, so there’s no more slow-down basketball,” Brewer told the Denver Post. “Right now, my role is to spark the team, so whenever I do get a chance to get in, I try to spark the team.”

» Another interesting note about the Nuggets has the team’s mascot (Rocky) recently taking half-court shots during a break in the action at a game. He was unsuccessful at his attempts…until he went Tebowing in the middle of the court and hit his very next attempt.

» Playing in the NFL Playoffs has a lot of advantages – like getting to meet celebrities. Below is a picture of former Florida Gators defensive end Justin Trattou (now a member of the New York Giants) posing with WWE superstar Triple H.

» A number of coaching moves involving former Gators have taken place this week. Florida tight end Mike Mularkey, a professional football coach since 1994, got the second head coaching gig of his career Wednesday with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Also Wednesday, former Gators wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales, who left the program to become passing game coordinator at LSU, was hired by Illinois to be the team’s next offensive coordinator. Finally former Florida QB Brian Schottenheimer, offensive coordinator with the New York Jets since 2006, resigned from his post and is seeking new employment. It was recently reported that Alabama interviewed Schottenheimer for their open position.

» New Kansas Jayhawks head coach Charlie Weis plucked another staffer from the Gators, this time hiring graduate assistant Jeff Blasko as his team’s tight ends coach. Weis has already added Adam Sitter as director of high school relations, Scott Vestal as the assistant director of football operations and Scott Holsopple as director of strength and conditioning.

» Capitalizing on Tebow’s great play recently (and rightfully so), endorsement partner Jockey has a brand new splash page at the front of their website featuring the simple saying: “Playoffs. It’s Tebow Time.” The company is also running a $1 million “super” challenge with that much money on the line should Denver wind up winning the Super Bowl. If the Broncos are victorious, Jockey will award a winner $15,000 and every other entrant a $25 gift card.

» Florida assistant basketball coach John Pelphrey’s name was the first one to come up when Western Kentucky fired their head coach recently, but Pelphrey has recently “respectfully declined” comment on the open position through UF’s sports information department. Though Pelphrey will undoubtedly be interested in returning to a head coaching role with a college program, the comfort factor in Gainesville, FL could lead him to hold on and potentially wait for a more prominent position. Either way, Pelphrey is not going to make a decision until March at the earliest.

» As if fans did not already know Tebow was the most popular athlete in America, the fact that his name is starting to show up in tabloid stories should undoubtedly be proof. Singer-songwriter Katy Perry, who recently divorced actor-comedian Russell Brand, has been connected to Tebow through OK! Magazine, which has Perry’s parents trying to set up the duo. “[Katy's] mentioned on more than one occasion how much she likes Tim,” a “source” told the publication. “Katy’s mom firmly believes the best cure for heartache is to quickly fall in love again. In her mind, Tebow is the perfect guy for her daughter. He’s handsome, charming, intelligent and above all, a good Christian.” Apparently the Perrys have even reached out to Tebow to speak at their church in Huntington, CA (which Katy also attends when in town).

» Florida basketball’s double-overtime loss to Rutgers on the road on Dec. 29 may be looking a bit better now that RU has defeated No. 8 Connecticut (67-60) and Pittsburgh (62-39) in consecutive contests. That being said, Pittsburgh is on a major downswing this season and Rutgers also lost a pair of games to South Florida (65-67) and West Virginia (64-85) in between.

» Tebowing has even reached the NHL as Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jack Johnson did the pose after scoring a goal during his team’s 5-2 victory over Washington on Monday. The opposing team was none-too-pleased with the move.

» In an interview with the Associated Press, Tebow admitted that a number of Republican candidates have asked for his support in their candidacy for the party’s nomination. Though he refused to say which candidates asked him, he did let it be known that he declined all of the offers. “I think you have to have so much trust in who you support, just from product endorsements to endorsing a candidate because if that person or company does something [bad], it reflects on you,” he said. Playing off of that, the International Business Times mocked up what some of those endorsement requests from the candidates might look like.

» Miami Dolphins center Mike Pouncey, with his team out of the playoffs, has spend the last few days breaking some news on Twitter. First was a rather fun item, Pouncey publishing a picture of either him or his brother (Pittsburgh Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey) riding an ATV on Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger’s property. Then on Thursday, Mike announced that Maurkice was indeed under the knife having surgery on his ankle, something that Steleers head coach Mike Tomlin said was a possibility.

» Here’s a picture of Harlem Globetrotters center Tiny Sturgess (7’8″) “Tebowing,” which makes him likely the tallest person in the world to perform the act.

» ESPN will be re-airing both Tebow documentaries the network has the rights to on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, from 11 p.m. through 1 a.m., ESPNU will air Everything in Between and Faces of Sports: Tim Tebow back to back. The former documentary will also air at 7 a.m. (ESPN2) and 8 a.m. (ESPNU) on Saturday with the latteralso being replayed at 9 a.m. (ESPNU) Saturday.

» Gators senior outfielder Michelle Moultrie, a former walk-on with the team, was one of 12 athletes across the country named to the 2012 USA Softball Women’s National Team on Wednesday. This will be Moultrie’s second-straight year earning a roster spot on the team as she was on the squad that won gold medals in 2011 at the Pan American Games and the World Cup of Softball.

» Tebow is not the only player doing good things with the Broncos. According to the Denver Post, defensive tackle Marcus Thomas began doing community service with the National Child ID program in 2007 and it has become something that he has continued through his tenure in Denver, providing “ID kits to every kindergartener in the state of Colorado since 2007.” The Post reports that “Thomas was the first NFL player to become involved in this program and his initiative and work was recognized Tuesday night before 7,000 coaches attending the American Football Coaches Association convention in Florida. “I’m hoping it goes bigger than that. I’m going back to Florida and try to see what I can do to keep it rolling this offseason,” Thomas said.

» Gators redshirt senior defensive tackle Jaye Howard has decided to be represented by Drew Rosenhaus as he prepares for the 2012 NFL Draft. Howard is the second Florida player to sign with an agent since the season ended as redshirt senior running back Chris Rainey picked Joel Segal last week.

» Picture of U.S. soccer star and former Gators striker Abby Wambach acting a fool in a team photo as tweeted by long-time teammate Heather Mitts.

» In one non-Florida item, we tweeted that a funny moment occurred during the Alabama-LSU basketball game Wednesday evening as Alabama fans taunted the LSU basketball team the first time they dribbled the ball across half-court. (LSU’s football team barely crossed midfield against Alabama in the BCS title game on Monday.) Check out the video below for a good chuckle.

4 BITS: Tebow, Starks, Schottenheimer, Speights

Adam Silverstein — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:31:06 +0000

1 » Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow set a number of football records on Sunday, but he also wound up making headlines in some off-the-field statistics, too. According to the Sports Business Journal, the Denver-Pittsburgh games registered a 25.9 overnight rating for CBS, which slates it as the largest-viewed AFC Wild Card game since 1988. Additionally, the final quarter-hour of the game (8-8:15 p.m.) pulled in a whopping 31.6 overnight rating. Tebow also made history on Twitter, setting a new sports tweets-per-second record with 9,420. CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell points out that Tebow’s tweets-per-second on Sunday shattered the previous sports record, which had the 2011 Women’s World Cup final game at 7,196 tweets/second. Other comparisons Rovell provided were Steve Jobs’s death (6,049 t/s), the Osama Bin Laden raid (5,106 t/s) and last year’s Super Bowl (4,064 t/s).

2 » Another happening from Sunday night’s game, albeit an unfortunate one, is that the injury to Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Max Starks knee appears to be a bad one. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Starks has an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament that is believed to be a tear. If he did indeed suffer a torn ACL, Starks will begin the 2012 season like he did this year – unemployed – and will have to try and work his way onto a NFL roster as he begins to heal. Starks was a free agent heading into the 2011 season but was signed by the Steelers as the team’s offensive line became decimated with injuries. Center Maurkice Pouncey, who was named to his second Pro Bowl this year and earned his first Associated Press All-Pro honor, missed Sunday’s game with a high-ankle sprain.

3 » Before NFL action began Sunday, a tweet from ESPN insider Adam Schefter got some Gators fans buzzing: “Brian Schottenheimer never withdrew his name from consideration for the Florida OC job.” Schottenheimer, the current offensive coordinator of the New York Jets, was previously thrown around as a name to consider for UF’s opening. However, the New York Daily News reported last week that he had withdrawn his name from consideration and was not a possibility for Florida. At the time there were no reports that the school had even reached out to him as a potential candidate. A former backup quarterback for Danny Wuerffel with the Gators under head coach Steve Spurrier, Schottenheimer has very little college coaching and recruiting experience (1999-2000). He has worked mostly as a NFL coach since 1997 and has been a quarterbacks coach since 2011, holding the role of offensive coordinator for New York since 2006.

4 » Maybe playing time really will do new Memphis Grizzlies center Marreese Speights well. Traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to Memphis on Jan. 4, Speights saw six minutes of action in his second game with his new team. However, the Grizzlies put Speights in for 29 minutes on Sunday and he responded with 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. It remains to be seen how Speights will perform the rest of the season, but he said last year that consistent minutes are what he needs to take his game to the next level.

FOUR BITS: Bell, tennis, Tebow, The Swamp

Adam Silverstein — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:05:35 +0000

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.

3 » The Beaver County Times recently spoke with Pittsburgh Steelers offensive linemen Maurkice Pouncey and Marcus Gilbert, asking each about their time with Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow while in Gainesville. Both said plenty of kind things about Tebow, though Pouncey took a bit of an issue to only being asked about him and not the other Florida players he faces throughout the year. “How come nobody asked me about Brandon Spikes when we played the [New England] Patriots?” he quipped. “I’m tired of answering all these questions about Tim Tebow.” Fair enough. Pouncey and Gilbert both agreed that Tebow was a great teammate and somebody they liked on a personal level as well. They each also said he was a crazy competitor in the weight room. “They actually had to calm him down at times,” Pouncey told the paper. “He was trying to do things quarterbacks shouldn’t do. He’d go in there and try to bench press all this weight and do stuff quarterbacks shouldn’t’ do, and he’s the guy who was to throw the ball on Saturdays.” “Yeah, he’s an animal in the weight room,” Gilbert added. “He was a big guy with a lot of energy in all aspects of football, whether it was in the weight room, in the meeting room or on the football field. He was so passionate about the game. That’s what you want from your leader. He was the kind of guy you want on your team. Just being around him drove me to become a better player.” Pittsburgh and Denver go head-to-head in the first round of the NFL playoffs on Sunday.

4 » The University of Florida announced Thursday that demolition and renovations to the West Concourse portion of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium began one month ago on Dec. 5, 2011. According to UF, the renovations will provide new features “including enhanced restroom facilities, better overall lighting, improved crowd circulation, and winder concessions with more points of sale, including new food items not previously offered in the stadium.” There will also be “flat screen televisions, new graphics and new way finding signage, redesigned ceilings, and the use of high-end finishes along with brighter colors.” Florida expects the work to be completed before the 2012 season begins, and you can find out more about the project by clicking here.

Pouncey named to second-straight Pro Bowl

Adam Silverstein — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:40:45 +0000

Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey became the third Florida Gators player in as many seasons to be named to the primary NFL Pro Bowl roster.

He was selected as a starter for the AFC this year after being picked as the backup for Nick Mangold of the New York Jets last season.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin and Pouncey earned Pro Bowl nominations 2009 and 2010, respectively. Harvin started for the NFC as a kick return specialist, while Pouncey did not play due to being on a Super Bowl team.

Pouncey is the 20th former Florida player to be picked for the Pro Bowl; his nomination in 2010 made him the fifth to receive the honor in his rookie season (Cris Collinsworth, Jevon Kearse, Emmitt Smith, Harvin). Former Gators have made a total of 57 appearances in the game and have participated in 35 of 42 total Pro Bowls.

The Denver Post reports that former Gators now Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is a second alternate for the AFC. Should two of New England’s Tom Brady, Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger and San Diego’s Philip Rivers not participate in the game, Tebow would get the nod and take the trip to Honolulu, HI.

New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez is the primary alternate behind New England teammate Rob Gronkowski and San Diego’s Antonio Gates.

Photo Credit: Unknown

Former Florida Gators in the NFL: Week 14

Adam Silverstein — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:42:38 +0000

With the 2011 NFL season in full swing, a number of Florida Gators participated in Week 14 action, many 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 14th week of the 2011 campaign.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
QB TIM TEBOW, Denver Broncos: 21/40 for 236 yards, touchdown, interception (QB rating: 68.3); 12 carries for 49 yards (long: 16), fumble [4th quarter & overtime: 18/24 for 191 yards, TD, set-up game-tying and game-winning field goals]

Check out how the rest of the Gators in the NFL played…after the break!

THE REST
LB MIKE PETERSON, Atlanta Falcons: Solo tackle, interception, pass defense
LB ANDRA DAVIS, Buffalo Bills: Active
WR DAVID NELSON, Buffalo Bills: Two receptions for 20 yards (targets: 6, long: 8)
WR ANDRE CALDWELL, Cincinnati Bengals: Two receptions for 10 yards (targets: 3, long: 8)
S REGGIE NELSON, Cincinnati Bengals: Nine tackles (seven solo), interception (23-yard return), two pass defenses
CB JOE HADEN, Cleveland Browns: Eight tackles (five solo)
DT MARCUS THOMAS, Denver Broncos: Six tackles (five solo, two for loss)
DE JEREMY MINCEY, Jacksonville Jaguars: Four tackles (one solo, one for loss), fumble recovery
C MIKE POUNCEY*, Miami Dolphins: Played as a starter
WR PERCY HARVIN, Minnesota Vikings 10 receptions for 69 yards [team-highs] (targets: 15, long: 16), touchdown; four carries for 40 yards (long: 32), kick return for 47 yards
TE AARON HERNANDEZ, New England Patriots: Five receptions for 84 yards (targets: 7, long: 29)
DE JUSTIN TRATTOU*, New York Giants: Active
G COOPER CARLISLE, Oakland Raiders: Played as a starter
DE JARVIS MOSS, Oakland Raiders: Solo tackle
WR LOUIS MURPHY, Oakland Raiders: Four receptions for 70 yards (targets: 9, long: 24); carry for 10 yards
CB LITO SHEPPARD, Oakland Raiders: Three solo tackles
WR RILEY COOPER, Philadelphia Eagles: Reception or 29 yards (targets: 3)
P CHAS HENRY*, Philadelphia Eagles: Nine punts for 419 yards (long: 58, avg.: 46.6, inside 20: 4), punt blocked
C MAURKICE POUNCEY, Pittsburgh Steelers: Played as a starter
OT MARCUS GILBERT*, Pittsburgh Steelers: Played as a starter
OT MAX STARKS, Pittsburgh Steelers: Played as a starter
DE RAY MCDONALD, San Francisco 49ers: Two solo tackles, fumble recovery
SS AHMAD BLACK*, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Active
WR JABAR GAFFNEY, Washington Redskins: Six receptions [team-high] for 92 yards, touchdown (targets: 8, long: 24), Gator Chomp
QB REX GROSSMAN, Washington Redskins: 19/32 for 252 yards (QB rating: 92.2), two touchdowns, interception; carry, fumble
OG MAURICE HURT*, Washington Redskins: Played as a starter

INJURED / INACTIVE
S MAJOR WRIGHT, Chicago Bears: Shoulder
DE CARLOS DUNLAP, Cincinnati Bengals: Hamstring
DE DERRICK HARVEY, Denver Broncos: Inactive
LB BRANDON SILER, Kansas City Chiefs: Torn Achilles (season)
LB JERMAINE CUNNINGHAM, New England Patriots: Hamstring (season)
LB BRANDON SPIKES, New England Patriots: Knee
DT GERARD WARREN, New England Patriots: Inactive
RB EARNEST GRAHAM, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Torn Achilles (season)

NOTES
- Maurkice Pouncey suffered a high-ankle sprain on his left leg.
- Black, Tampa Bay’s fifth-round pick, was signed off the practice squad this week and active or the first time this season. He suffered a high-ankle sprain during the preseason.

PRACTICE SQUAD PLAYERS
OT Phil Trautwein (New Orleans)

NOTABLE FREE AGENTS
DE Alex Brown, DE Bobby McCray

* Rookie

2011 WEEK: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13

Former Florida Gators in the NFL: Week 13

Adam Silverstein — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:31:41 +0000

With the 2011 NFL season in full swing, a number of Florida Gators participated in Week 13 action, many 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 13th week of the 2011 campaign.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
QB TIM TEBOW, Denver Broncos: 10/15 for 202 yards, two touchdowns (QB rating: 149.3); four carries for 13 yards, two-point conversion [game-tying]

WR PERCY HARVIN, Minnesota Vikings Eight receptions for 156 yards [team-highs] (targets: 9, long: 52), two touchdown; five carries for 19 yards

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Mike Peterson, Riley Cooper

Check out how the rest of the Gators in the NFL played…after the break!

THE REST
LB MIKE PETERSON, Atlanta Falcons: 10 tackles (seven solo, two for loss), pass defense
LB ANDRA DAVIS, Buffalo Bills: Active
WR DAVID NELSON, Buffalo Bills: Three receptions for 34 yards (targets: 8, long: 17), tackle
S MAJOR WRIGHT, Chicago Bears: Five tackles (four solo), QB hit
WR ANDRE CALDWELL, Cincinnati Bengals: Active
S REGGIE NELSON, Cincinnati Bengals: Six tackles (three solo, one for loss), QB hit
CB JOE HADEN, Cleveland Browns: Three solo tackles, pass defense
DT MARCUS THOMAS, Denver Broncos: Three tackles (two solo)
DE JEREMY MINCEY, Jacksonville Jaguars: Two solo tackles (one for loss), QB hit
C MIKE POUNCEY*, Miami Dolphins: Played as a starter
LB JERMAINE CUNNINGHAM, New England Patriots: Active
TE AARON HERNANDEZ, New England Patriots: Seven receptions for 43 yards (targets: 9, long: 43)
DT GERARD WARREN, New England Patriots: Two tackles
DE JUSTIN TRATTOU*, New York Giants: Active
G COOPER CARLISLE, Oakland Raiders: Played as a starter
WR LOUIS MURPHY, Oakland Raiders: Two receptions for 15 yards (targets: 5), two carries for 16 yards
CB LITO SHEPPARD, Oakland Raiders: Three tackles (two solo)
WR RILEY COOPER, Philadelphia Eagles: Five receptions for 94 yards [team-highs] (targets: 10, long: 47)
P CHAS HENRY*, Philadelphia Eagles: Four punts for 185 yards (long: 54, avg.: 46.3, inside 20: 1)
C MAURKICE POUNCEY, Pittsburgh Steelers: Played as a starter
OT MARCUS GILBERT*, Pittsburgh Steelers: Played as a starter
OT MAX STARKS, Pittsburgh Steelers: Played as a starter
DE RAY MCDONALD, San Francisco 49ers: Three solo tackles (one for loss), sack
WR JABAR GAFFNEY, Washington Redskins: Three targets
QB REX GROSSMAN, Washington Redskins: 19/46 for 221 yards, interception (QB rating: 47.5)
OG MAURICE HURT*, Washington Redskins: Played as a starter

INJURED / INACTIVE
DE CARLOS DUNLAP, Cincinnati Bengals: Hamstring
DE DERRICK HARVEY, Denver Broncos: Inactive
LB BRANDON SILER, Kansas City Chiefs: Torn Achilles (season)
LB BRANDON SPIKES, New England Patriots: Knee
DE JARVIS MOSS, Oakland Raiders: Hamstring
RB EARNEST GRAHAM, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Torn Achilles (season)

NOTES
- Peterson had a pick-six called back due to a defensive holding penalty.
- Cooper started for the third consecutive week.

PRACTICE SQUAD PLAYERS
OT Phil Trautwein (New Orleans), SS Ahmad Black* (Tampa Bay)

NOTABLE FREE AGENTS
DE Alex Brown, DE Bobby McCray

* Rookie

2011 WEEK: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

Former Florida Gators in the NFL: Week 12

Adam Silverstein — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:00:13 +0000

With the 2011 NFL season in full swing, a number of Florida Gators participated in Week 12 action, many 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 12th week of the 2011 campaign.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
WR PERCY HARVIN, Minnesota Vikings Eight receptions for 95 yards [team-highs] (targets: 8, long: 39), touchdown; five carries for 11 yards; kick return for 104 yards

HONORABLE MENTIONS
David Nelson, Major Wright, Reggie Nelson, Tim Tebow, Rex Grossman (see below)

Check out how the rest of the Gators in the NFL played…after the break!

THE REST
LB MIKE PETERSON, Atlanta Falcons: Solo tackle
LB ANDRA DAVIS, Buffalo Bills: Active
WR DAVID NELSON, Buffalo Bills: Five receptions for 47 yards (targets: 8, long: 18), touchdown
S MAJOR WRIGHT, Chicago Bears: Seven tackles (six solo, one for loss) [team-highs], pass defense
WR ANDRE CALDWELL, Cincinnati Bengals: Three receptions for 24 yards (long: 16)
S REGGIE NELSON, Cincinnati Bengals: Four tackles (one solo), interception, two pass defenses, QB hit
CB JOE HADEN, Cleveland Browns: Five tackles (four solo)
QB TIM TEBOW, Denver Broncos: 9/18 for 143 yards, touchdown (QB rating: 95.4); 22 carries for 67 yards (long: 12)
DT MARCUS THOMAS, Denver Broncos: Tackle, pass defense
DE JEREMY MINCEY, Jacksonville Jaguars:Two QB hits
C MIKE POUNCEY*, Miami Dolphins: Played as a starter
LB JERMAINE CUNNINGHAM, New England Patriots: Active
TE AARON HERNANDEZ, New England Patriots: Six receptions for 62 yards (targets: 7, long: 18)
DT GERARD WARREN, New England Patriots: Active
DE JUSTIN TRATTOU*, New York Giants: Active
G COOPER CARLISLE, Oakland Raiders: Played as a starter
WR LOUIS MURPHY, Oakland Raiders: Two receptions for 53 yards (targets: 4, long: 47)
CB LITO SHEPPARD, Oakland Raiders: Five solo tackles, pass defense
WR RILEY COOPER, Philadelphia Eagles: Three receptions for 71 yards (targets: 5, long: 71)
P CHAS HENRY*, Philadelphia Eagles: Five punts for 199 yards (long: 51, avg.: 39.8, inside 20: 1)
C MAURKICE POUNCEY, Pittsburgh Steelers: Played as a starter
OT MARCUS GILBERT*, Pittsburgh Steelers: Played as a starter
OT MAX STARKS, Pittsburgh Steelers: Played as a starter
DE RAY MCDONALD, San Francisco 49ers: Seven tackles (five solo)
WR JABAR GAFFNEY, Washington Redskins: Five receptions for 72 yards [team-high] (targets: 7, long: 18)
QB REX GROSSMAN, Washington Redskins: 26/35 for 314 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions (QB rating: 96.6); five carries for -1 yard
OG MAURICE HURT*, Washington Redskins: Played as a starter

NOTES
- Trattou was signed off the practice squad by the Giants and made active for just the second time this season.
- Cooper started for the second consecutive week.
- Maurkice Pouncey left the game early due to an illness.

PRACTICE SQUAD PLAYERS
OT Phil Trautwein (New Orleans), SS Ahmad Black* (Tampa Bay)

NOTABLE FREE AGENTS
DE Alex Brown, DE Bobby McCray

* Rookie

2011 WEEK: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

Former Florida Gators in the NFL: Week 11

Adam Silverstein — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:46:21 +0000

With the 2011 NFL season underway, a number of Florida Gators participated in Week 11 action, many 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 11th week of the 2011 campaign.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
QB TIM TEBOW, Denver Broncos: 9/20 for 104 yards (QB rating: 61.2); eight rushes for 68 yards [team-high], 20-yard, game-winning rushing touchdown

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Andre Caldwell, Riley Cooper, Percy Harvin, Jabar Gaffney, Rex Grossman (see below)

Check out how the rest of the Gators in the NFL played…after the break!

THE REST
LB MIKE PETERSON, Atlanta Falcons: Active
LB ANDRA DAVIS, Buffalo Bills: Active
WR DAVID NELSON, Buffalo Bills: Reception (four targets)
S MAJOR WRIGHT, Chicago Bears: Three tackles (two solo), interception, pass defense
WR ANDRE CALDWELL, Cincinnati Bengals: Three receptions for 63 yards (targets: 9, long: 49), touchdown
DE CARLOS DUNLAP, Cincinnati Bengals: QB hit
S REGGIE NELSON, Cincinnati Bengals: Tackle
CB JOE HADEN, Cleveland Browns: Four solo tackles, three pass defenses
DT MARCUS THOMAS, Denver Broncos: Two tackles
DE JEREMY MINCEY, Jacksonville Jaguars: Five tackles (four solo)
C MIKE POUNCEY*, Miami Dolphins: Played as a starter
WR PERCY HARVIN, Minnesota Vikings Six receptions for 73 yards [team-highs] (targets: 8, long: 26), touchdown; five rushes for 21 yards; kick return for 14 yards

LB JERMAINE CUNNINGHAM, New England Patriots: Active
TE AARON HERNANDEZ, New England Patriots: Four receptions for 44 yards (targets: 7, long: 13)
DT GERARD WARREN, New England Patriots: Two tackles (one solo), QB hit
G COOPER CARLISLE, Oakland Raiders: Played as a starter
DE JARVIS MOSS, Oakland Raiders: Active
WR LOUIS MURPHY, Oakland Raiders: Active
CB LITO SHEPPARD, Oakland Raiders: Six solo tackles (one for loss), sack, pass defense, QB hit
WR RILEY COOPER, Philadelphia Eagles: Five receptions for 75 yards [career-highs], (targets: 12, long: 23), touchdown [game-winner]

P CHAS HENRY*, Philadelphia Eagles: Six punts for 261 yards (long: 60, avg.: 43.5, inside 20: 2)
C MAURKICE POUNCEY, Pittsburgh Steelers: Bye week
OT MARCUS GILBERT*, Pittsburgh Steelers: Bye week
OT MAX STARKS, Pittsburgh Steelers: Bye week
DE RAY MCDONALD, San Francisco 49ers: Solo tackle
WR JABAR GAFFNEY, Washington Redskins: Seven receptions for 115 yards [team-highs] (targets: 10, long: 28), touchdown
QB REX GROSSMAN, Washington Redskins: 25/38 for 289 yards, two touchdowns, interception (QB rating: 95.2); three rushes for 10 yards, touchdown

INJURED / INACTIVE
DE DERRICK HARVEY, Denver Broncos: Inactive
LB BRANDON SILER, Kansas City Chiefs: Torn Achilles (season)
LB BRANDON SPIKES, New England Patriots: Knee
RB EARNEST GRAHAM, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Torn Achilles (season)
OG MAURICE HURT*, Washington Redskins: Knee

NOTES
- Nelson was sick and questionable to return with an illness during the game.
- Wright has interceptions in three-straight weeks.
- Caldwell started Sunday for an injured A.J. Green.
- Moss left the game with a hamstring injury and did not return.
- Cooper started Sunday for an injured Jeremy Maclin.

PRACTICE SQUAD PLAYERS
DE Justin Trattou* (New York Giants), SS Ahmad Black* (Tampa Bay)

NOTABLE FREE AGENTS
DE Alex Brown, DE Bobby McCray

* Rookie

2011 WEEK: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Former Florida Gators in the NFL: Week 10

Adam Silverstein — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:06:35 +0000

With the 2011 NFL season underway, a number of Florida Gators participated in Week 10 action, many 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 10th week of the 2011 campaign.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
DE JEREMY MINCEY, Jacksonville Jaguars: Five tackles (two solo, one for loss), 2.5 sacks, three QB hits
S MAJOR WRIGHT, Chicago Bears: Three tackles (two solo), interception returned 24 yards for touchdown, two pass defenses

WR ANDRE CALDWELL, Cincinnati Bengals: Three receptions for 25 yards (targets: 8, long: 11)
S REGGIE NELSON, Cincinnati Bengals: Five tackles (two solo), pass defense, QB hit
CB JOE HADEN, Cleveland Browns: Four solo tackles, three pass defenses
QB TIM TEBOW, Denver Broncos: 2/8 for 69 yards, touchdown (QB rating: 102.6); nine rushes for 43 yards, touchdown (long: 19)

DT MARCUS THOMAS, Denver Broncos: Two tackles (one solo for loss)
C MIKE POUNCEY*, Miami Dolphins: Played as a starter
WR PERCY HARVIN, Minnesota Vikings Six receptions for 52 yards [team-highs] (targets: 8, long: 12); three rushes for 18 yards (long: 11)
LB JERMAINE CUNNINGHAM, New England Patriots: Active
TE AARON HERNANDEZ, New England Patriots: Four receptions for 41 yards (targets: 5, long: 15)
DT GERARD WARREN, New England Patriots: Active
G COOPER CARLISLE, Oakland Raiders: Played as a starter
DE JARVIS MOSS, Oakland Raiders: Tackle
WR LOUIS MURPHY, Oakland Raiders: Target
CB LITO SHEPPARD, Oakland Raiders: Five tackles (three solo), two pass defenses
WR RILEY COOPER, Philadelphia Eagles: Two targets, solo tackle
P CHAS HENRY*, Philadelphia Eagles: Eight punts for 342 yards (long: 52, avg.: 42.8 inside 20: 4)
C MAURKICE POUNCEY, Pittsburgh Steelers: Played as a starter
OT MARCUS GILBERT*, Pittsburgh Steelers: Played as a starter
OT MAX STARKS, Pittsburgh Steelers: Played as a starter
DE RAY MCDONALD, San Francisco 49ers: Three solo tackles
WR JABAR GAFFNEY, Washington Redskins: Three receptions for 37 yards (targets: 6, long: 20)
QB REX GROSSMAN, Washington Redskins: 21/32 for 215 yards, two interceptions (QB rating: 58.7)
OG MAURICE HURT*, Washington Redskins: Played as a starter

INJURED / INACTIVE
DE CARLOS DUNLAP, Cincinnati Bengals: Hamstring
DE DERRICK HARVEY, Denver Broncos: Inactive
LB BRANDON SILER, Kansas City Chiefs: Torn Achilles (season)
LB BRANDON SPIKES, New England Patriots: Knee
RB EARNEST GRAHAM, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Torn Achilles (season)

NOTES
- Wright has interceptions in consecutive weeks and scored the first touchdown of his career on Sunday.
- McDonald returned after missing a week with a hamstring injury

PRACTICE SQUAD PLAYERS
DE Justin Trattou* (New York Giants), SS Ahmad Black* (Tampa Bay)

NOTABLE FREE AGENTS
DE Alex Brown, DE Bobby McCray

* Rookie

2011 WEEK: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Former Florida Gators in the NFL: Week 9

Adam Silverstein — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 06:26:56 +0000

With the 2011 NFL season underway, a number of Florida Gators participated in Week 9 action, many 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 ninth week of the 2011 campaign.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
QB TIM TEBOW, Denver Broncos: 10/21 for 124 yards, two touchdowns (QB rating: 98.1), 12 rushes for 118 yards, target

Check out how the rest of the Gators in the NFL played…after the break!

THE REST
LB MIKE PETERSON, Atlanta Falcons: Active
LB ANDRA DAVIS, Buffalo Bills: Active
WR DAVID NELSON, Buffalo Bills: Four receptions for 36 yards, touchdown (targets: 7, long: 15)
S MAJOR WRIGHT, Chicago Bears: Four tackles (three solo), interception (returned 36 yards), pass defense
WR ANDRE CALDWELL, Cincinnati Bengals: Five receptions for 22 yards, touchdown (targets: 9, long: 7)
DE CARLOS DUNLAP, Cincinnati Bengals: Three tackles (two solo), two sacks, pass defense
S REGGIE NELSON, Cincinnati Bengals: Four tackles (three solo)
CB JOE HADEN, Cleveland Browns: Seven solo tackles
DT MARCUS THOMAS, Denver Broncos: Two tackles (one solo)

DE JEREMY MINCEY, Jacksonville Jaguars: Bye week
C MIKE POUNCEY*, Miami Dolphins: Played as a starter
WR PERCY HARVIN, Minnesota Vikings Bye week
TE AARON HERNANDEZ, New England Patriots: Four receptions for 35 yards, touchdown (targets: 5, long: 15)

LB BRANDON SPIKES, New England Patriots: Five tackles (four solo)
DT GERARD WARREN, New England Patriots: Active
G COOPER CARLISLE, Oakland Raiders: Played as a starter
DE JARVIS MOSS, Oakland Raiders: Active
WR LOUIS MURPHY, Oakland Raiders: Reception for 23 yards
CB LITO SHEPPARD, Oakland Raiders: Solo tackle
WR RILEY COOPER, Philadelphia Eagles: Target
P CHAS HENRY*, Philadelphia Eagles: Two punts for 71 yards (long: 44), 0/1 on a fake punt pass
C MAURKICE POUNCEY, Pittsburgh Steelers: Played as a starter
OT MARCUS GILBERT*, Pittsburgh Steelers: Played as a starter
OT MAX STARKS, Pittsburgh Steelers: Played as a starter
WR JABAR GAFFNEY, Washington Redskins: Four receptions for 40 yards, touchdown (targets: 5, long: 13)
QB REX GROSSMAN, Washington Redskins: Active
OG MAURICE HURT*, Washington Redskins: Played as a starter

INJURED / INACTIVE
DE DERRICK HARVEY, Denver Broncos: Inactive
LB BRANDON SILER, Kansas City Chiefs: Torn Achilles (season)
LB JERMAINE CUNNINGHAM, New England Patriots: Inactive
DE RAY MCDONALD, San Francisco 49ers: Hamstring
RB EARNEST GRAHAM, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Torn Achilles (season)

NOTES
- Wright grabbed his first career NFL interception.
- Sheppard was signed last week and played his first game of the season.
- Hurt started his first career NFL game.

PRACTICE SQUAD PLAYERS
DE Justin Trattou* (New York Giants), SS Ahmad Black* (Tampa Bay)

NOTABLE FREE AGENTS
DE Alex Brown, DE Bobby McCray

* Rookie

2011 WEEK: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | [/EXPAND]