With Miami Dolphins center Mike Pouncey agreeing to a four-year, $9.3 million deal with the team late Saturday evening, all four former Florida Gators selected in the 2011 NFL Draft have officially been signed by their respective clubs.

Pouncey, who missed the first two days of practice while his agents and Miami’s brass were working out his deal, was pleased to announce to fans that he would finally be lacing up his cleats on Sunday.

“Thanks for all the support,” he wrote on Twitter around midnight, “the deal is done see you all at practice tomorrow.”

Due to the brand new collective bargaining agreement, Pouncey’s rookie contract is significantly less than his brother’s was one year ago even though the former was selected three slots higher. Center Maurkice Pouncey was chosen with the 18th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and signed a five-year, $17.96 million deal. Mike’s contract is fully guaranteed while Maurkice’s included $10.35 million of guaranteed money.

Also signing with his team this week was Pittsburgh Steelers tackle Marcus Gilbert, who agreed to a $3.227 million deal including an $847,000 signing bonus. A second-round pick, Gilbert hopes to join Maurkice on Pittsburgh’s starting offensive line this season and spent the lockout getting tips from him while learning about the offense.

“It’s been pretty straightforward,” Gilbert told the Beaverton County Times late in the week. “It’s just trying to switch over the language of the offense and little stuff here and there that I never ran in college. The older guys are taking me under their wing and showing me how to do it the right way.”

Florida’s two late round picks – safety Ahmad Black (fifth round) and guard Maurice Hurt (seventh round) – each signed four-year deals with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins, respectively.

Black told the New York Times that he knows he has his work cut out for him and is still getting acclimated to the professional game. He is willing to start from the bottom and work is way up to a starting role.

“It’s a little bit different than college,” Black said on Friday. “Coming from Florida with coach [Urban] Meyer, he always stressed special teams so it’s nothing new to me. A lot of guys think since they started in college, they will start here. That’s definitely not the case. I’m going to earn my role on special teams to work my way on the defense.”

OGGOA will keep you up-to-date with all four rookies (as well as all of the undrafted free agents who signed with teams) through training camp and the 2011 regular season.

Tags: Ahmad Black, Draft, Marcus Gilbert, Maurice Hurt, Maurkice Pouncey, Miami Dolphins, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Urban Meyer, Washinton Redskins

On Tuesday, Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey and soon-to-be-official Miami Dolphins center Mike Pouncey visited the ESPN studios in Bristol, CT to participate in the famed “car wash,” which consists of making appearances on nearly every live and taped program to air on television and radio during the course of the day.

The twins and former Florida Gators offensive linemen began the day by appearing on First Take before heading over to the main studio for SportsCenter. They also dropped by the Scott Van Pelt Show, ESPN Rise, the Doug Gottlieb Show, SportsNation and NFL Live (among other shows) before departing.

Being interviewed on the Scott Van Pelt Show: Listen

Playing a game on First Take:

Talking about a number of topics on SportsCenter:

Meeting U.S. women’s soccer stars goalkeeper Hope Solo and striker Alex Morgan:

Planking on the set of NFL Live:

Tags: Alex Morgan, ESPN, Hope Solo, Maurkice Pouncey, Miami Dolphins, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers

Celebrating a decade of presenting high school recruiting rankings, Rivals.com released a special feature on Tuesday detailing the 10 best recruiting classes since 2002. The Florida Gators, under former head coach Urban Meyer, earned two spots on the list including the No. 1 overall ranking.

Florida’s 2006 recruiting class, which featured five-stars quarterback Tim Tebow, wide receiver Percy Harvin and linebacker Brandon Spikes, came away as the clear leader even after being ranked as the second-best class that year.

“What makes this group stand out above the rest was the number of prospects who panned out: 16 members of the class were starters at one time,” writes Rivals. “Beyond Tebow and Harvin, there were guys such as LBs Brandon Spikes, Dustin Doe and A.J. Jones, DE Jermaine Cunningham, T/G Marcus Gilbert, DTs Lawrence Marsh and Terron Sanders and WR Riley Cooper. The group helped Florida win two national championships, and Tebow won the 2007 Heisman as a sophomore and was a finalist as a junior and senior.”

Two of those players (Tebow and Harvin) wound up being first-round picks in the NFL Draft; three more (Spikes, Cunningham and Gilbert) were selected in the second-round and one other (Cooper) was a fifth-round pick. Other prominent names in the 2006 class include kick returner Brandon James and offensive lineman Carl Johnson.

The Gators’ 2007 recruiting class, ranked No. 1 the year it was signed, closes out the list at No. 10. One of the reasons it is lower on the list is the fact that three of its most prominent members – five-stars quarterback Cameron Newton and defensive tackle Torrey Davis as well as four-star DT John Brown – had off-the-field issues that did not allow them to conclude their careers in Gainesville, FL.

However, Florida’s 2007 signings also included a trio of first-round picks (cornerback Joe Haden and centers Maurkice and Mike Pouncey), safeties Ahmad Black and Major Wright, DE Carlos Dunlap, tight end Aaron Hernandez and punter Chas Henry. Players remaining on the Gators include redshirt seniors QB John Brantley, DT Jaye Howard, running back Chris Rainey and WR Deonte Thompson.

Check out Rivals at 10: Ten best recruiting classes for the rest of the rankings.

Tags: A.J. Jones, Aaron Hernandez, Ahmad Black, BCS, BCS National Championship, Brandon James, Brandon Spikes, Cameron Newton, Carl Johnson, Carlos Dunlap, Chas Henry, Chris Rainey, Deonte Thompson, Heisman Trophy, Jaye Howard, Jermaine Cunningham, Joe Haden, John Brantley, John Brown, Lawrence Marsh, Major Wright, Marcus Gilbert, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, Percy Harvin, Riley Cooper, Terron Sanders, Tim Tebow, Torrey Davis, Urban Meyer

Updated on July 1 at 12:45 a.m.

OGGOA is now on day three of our planking watch as Florida Gators student-athletes try to up the ante and take the game to another level. On Thursday, some Florida softball, soccer and women’s basketball players joined in on the fun, but redshirt freshman defensive end Lynden Trail continues to steal the show. Will someone catch up to him or overtake him? Only time will tell…

If you still need to catch up, here are the posts containing the pictures of what Trail and some other football players did Tuesday and Wednesday. Here are Trail’s newest submissions for Thursday as he takes it up a notch:

Even Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden got in on the fun…

The ladies’ efforts are more than respectable with sophomore pitcher/utility player Ensley Gammel and shortstop Cheyenne Coyle representing softball; junior forward Jennifer George, redshirt senior guard Jordan Jones and frosh G Carlie Needles featured for basketball; and sophomore F Taylor Travis taking a seat for soccer. Leading the way here, of course, are ladies from the gymnastics team.

Click to expand and view the remainder of the post.

Tags: Carlie Needles, Cheyenne Coyle, Ensley Gammel, gymnastics, Ian Silberman, Jennifer George, Jordan Jones, Leon Orr, Lynden Trail, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, planking, Robert Clark, soccer, Taylor Travis, women's basketball

Updated at 10:45 p.m.

After posting pictures Tuesday of Florida Gators redshirt freshman defensive end Lynden Trail planking throughout the University of Florida campus, OGGOA is back with a second edition featuring more from Trail along with pictures from redshirt freshman defensive tackle Leon Orr, sophomore cornerback Jaylen Watkins, redshirt freshman quarterback Tyler Murphy, sophomore tackle Ian Silberman, sophomore CB Cody Riggs and NFL centers Maurkice and Mike Pouncey.

Orr and the Pounceys kicked it off early in the afternoon…

Murphy, Watkins, Riggs and Silberman joined Trail in a pyramid…

Murphy, Watkins and the Pounceys get some extra planking in…

But Trail remains king of the castle… Click to expand and see Trail's new pictures.

Tags: Jaylen Watkins, Leon Orr, Lynden Trail, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, planking, Tyler Murphy

Long-time OGGOA reader Jennifer contacted us last week and offered to share with our readers her experience at the Florida Gators’ annual Women’s Football Clinic hosted this year for the first time by new head coach Will Muschamp. Below is her account from the exciting day (pictures included).

I heard about this event about a year ago and always thought it sounded interesting. After rounding up a couple of friends, we registered and were off to Gainesville. The day started in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom. After checking in, where we were given a t-shirt and small goodie bag, we were free to roam around the ballroom and meet the coaches. Even though I am a huge sports and Gators fan, with all of the new coaching changes, the only coaches I could recognize at first were Coach Muschamp, [linebackers/special teams coach] D.J. Durkin and [defensive coordinator] Dan Quinn. As we walked around we got autographs, took pictures and briefly chatted with the assistant coaches and grad assistant coaches. All were very friendly and seemed pumped up about the day’s activities.

One coach stood out among our favorites for his personality and friendliness, which only got better throughout the day. That was tight ends coach Derek Lewis. He was funny, saying a few times to the ladies throughout the morning and during some of the presentations that “tight ends” really are a football position. Another of our favorites was [wide receivers coach] Aubrey Hill, who when we took pictures with him, told us to “bring it in tight” and pulled us close for a picture with a huge smile on his face.

After mingling with the coaches in attendance, we proceeded to buy some raffle tickets and then moved over to the longest line, which was the opportunity to get a professional picture take with Coach Muschamp. We weren’t allowed to get his autograph or take our own pictures here, but many had the opportunity to do so later in the day as he was walking around. Also in attendance were Muschamp’s two boys and his wife, though they weren’t introduced to the crowd.

Everyone took their seats and the crowd got to listen to Coach Muschamp. It was similar to what you reported from the local Gator Gatherings. Then the crowd was given the opportunity to ask questions. He said why a few of the coaches couldn’t make it that day including [offensive coordinator] Charlie Weis, who he said had knee replacement surgery on Wednesday, and Mickey Marotti, who had a family obligation and “family comes first.” Coach Muschamp said he finished moving to Gainesville on Thursday and jokingly added that he still had lots of extra boxes, if anyone had extra time.

Read the rest of Jennifer’s story from the clinic including a few interesting details related to the football team…after the break!
Continue Reading » Women’s football clinic was one for the books

Tags: Aubrey Hill, Brian White, Carlos Dunlap, Charlie Weis, Chris Rainey, D.J. Durkin, Dan Quinn, Derek Lewis, Florida Field, Heavener Football Complex, Jeremy Foley, Maurkice Pouncey, Mickey Marotti, Mike Pouncey, Riley Cooper, Steve Spurrier, Steven Wilks, Terry Jackson, The Swamp, Will Muschamp, Women’s Football Clinic

1 » No. 8 Florida Gators men’s tennis advanced in the 2011 NCAA Tournament on Friday, shutting out the South Carolina State Bulldogs 4-0 in opening round action. Florida will move on to face Miami at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville, FL.

2 » A source close to the player told OGGOA on Friday that former Gators cornerback Janoris Jenkins has already visited North Alabama and does indeed have them as a leader for his services though he has yet to officially begin the transfer process. Jenkins would be able to play immediately as transferring to a Division II program would not require him to sit out a year.

3 » Former Florida centers Maurkice and Mike Pouncey will be appearing at a charity event benefiting victims of the Alabama tornadoes on Friday from 5-8 p.m. Hosted by the Legacy Entertainment and Arts Foundation in Orlando, FL, the event is free to the public, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

4 » Gators senior decathlete Gray Horn captured the Southeastern Conference Championship in the decathlon for the third-consecutive year on Friday, making him only the second athlete in SEC history to accomplish that task. Horn’s 7,828 points in the event was a school record.

Tags: decathlon, Gray Horn, Janoris Jenkins, Linder Stadium, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, Ring Tennis Complex, SEC, SEC Championship, South Carolina State Bulldogs, tennis

1 » Combining the accomplishments of football and basketball teams nationally thus far during the BCS era, Rivals.com has listed the Florida Gators as the top overall program in the country. With 81 total points (44.5 from football and 36.5 from basketball based on their specific scoring system), Florida is 12 points ahead of the runner-up (Ohio State, 69) and out in front by 16 points over No. 3 overall (Texas, 65).

2 » Working his way up draft boards, Gators forward Chandler Parsons is currently training on the West Coast in preparation for the 2011 NBA Draft. ESPN Insider’s Chad Ford recently got to watch him practice along with a number of other prospects and came away impressed, bumping him up to potential first-round pick status.

Parsons really surprised me. I knew he was skilled and athletic for a 6-foot-10 player. But he showed aggressiveness that I just hadn’t seen at Florida. […] He showed the ability to take [Paul] George off the dribble to the rim, rise up and hit jumpers over George’s freakishly long arms and most importantly he made a number of spell-binding passes to [Malcolm] Thomas. Parsons’ decision-making in the sets was fantastic. So was his shooting. He was hitting just about every shot he took and showed range out to the NBA 3-point line.

3 » Taking a look at players who are “soon to be stars” in the AFC East, Scouts Inc.’s Matt Williamson thoroughly discussed New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes’s future in a blog post on ESPN on Thursday:

Brandon Spikes is the perfect fit as the heavier take-on inside linebacker in Bill Belichick’s 3-4 scheme. Pass coverage — particularly man coverage against tight ends and swifter running backs — will probably always be a problem for Spikes, but what Spikes does, he does very well. This guy stops the run. And he stops the run very well. Spikes is a downhill player who is very quick to react. He does his best work between the tackles and as a fantastic take-on linebacker. He is also the ideal complement to Jerod Mayo, who is more of the athletic free-lancing type. Spikes rarely plays a bad game and is a model of consistency — even at such a young age (23).

4 » Choosing to workout up north with his brother and some of his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates, Miami Dolphins center/guard Mike Pouncey is trying to get in shape so he is read if/when the lockout is lifted. “I’m just doing offensive line drills with the guys, and I’ll be going down to Miami in two weeks to do that stuff with my offensive line,” Pouncey told the Palm Beach Post’s Ben Volin. “But I’ve been talking to Jake [Long], [Richie] Incognito and Vernon [Carey]. I can’t wait to get down there and learn from them.” Volin also spoke with his mother, Lisa Webster, who noted that her son is fueled by some of the shots he’s taken from NFL Draft analysts like Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, who say he is not the same caliber player his brother center Maurkice Pouncey has become. “It pisses him off. They’re so competitive,” she said.

Tags: Bill Belichick, Brandon Spikes, Chandler Parsons, Jake Long, Jerod Mayo, Lisa Webster, Maurkice Pouncey, Miami Dolphins, Mike Pouncey, Pittsburgh Steelers, Richie Incognito, Vernon Carey