1 » According to The Gainesville Sun’s Pat Dooley, Florida Gators defensive coordinator Dan Quinn interviewed for but turned down the same position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Quinn, who has been at Florida for just one season, was a NFL assistant with four different teams from 2001-10.

2 » The 2011-12 season may now be in the books but that does not mean Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow‘s name is out of the news. Tebow, who sat down for a 30-minute interview with ESPN’s Hannah Storm last week, will be featured on ESPN2 in “SportsCenter Special: Face to Face with Tim Tebow” on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 10:30 p.m. Tebow’s recent ESPN rounds included an interview with Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo, which you can view below.

Four more BITS on Crowder, Demps, the Oh Fours and Wambach after the break!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Quinn, Tebow, Crowder, Demps, Green’s new team, Brewer’s dad, Wambach’s idea

Tags: Abby Wambach, Atlanta Falcons, Channing Crowder, Corey Brewer, Dan Quinn, Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Jeff Demps, Miami Dolphins, Mike Holloway, Mike Peterson, MLS, NBA, NCAA, NCAA Indoor Championships, NFL, Olympics, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Taurean Green, Tim Tebow, Tofaş, Virginia Tech Elite Meet, World Cup, WPS

Three-star defensive end Bryan Cox, Jr. (Fort Lauderdale, FL) has decided to stay in-state for college, committing to the Florida Gators during his official visit Saturday.

The son of three-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro and Super Bowl champion linebacker Bryan Cox, Sr., the younger Cox transferred from Avon High School in Avon, OH to St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, FL for the 2011 season after his father took a job as pass rush coach with the Miami Dolphins (where he spent the first five years of his storied NFL career).

A one-time Miami commitment, Cox at 6’3” and 240 lbs. will likely be groomed for the Buck linebacker position, an important part of head coach Will Muschamp and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s defensive unit.

Though he is ranked as the No. 36 player at his position and No. 88 within the state of Florida according to Rivals.com (with similar placements from ESPNU), Cox very well could be a diamond in the rough for the Gators, who have had their collective eye on him since he participated in Friday Night Lights in July.

Not only does he have the pedigree, he is also coming off a season in which he was unable to amass a lot of reps as he missing the majority of his team’s games due to being sidelined six weeks with a wrist injury.

Cox chose Florida over offers from Clemson, Louisville and Miami among others. He was originally planning to head to Clemson on Jan. 28 for an official visit but cancelled the trip after learning that defensive coordinator Kevin Steele was fired.

The seventh Gators commitment in the defensive front seven for 2012, Cox is Florida’s 19th pledge overall and just the 10th from within the state. The Gators have now received a commitment out of St. Thomas Aquinas three years in a row with cornerbacks sophomore Cody Riggs (2010) and freshman Marcus Roberson (2011) as the most recent players to join the program from the Fort Lauderdale powerhouse.

ESPN first reported Cox’s commitment Saturday afternoon.

Tags: Bryan Cox, Cody Riggs, Dan Quinn, Friday Night Lights, Marcus Roberson, Miami Dolphins, NFL, St. Thomas Aquinas, Will Muschamp

1 » Florida Gators incoming junior defensive tackle Damien Jacobs, joining the team as a JUCO transfer out of East Mississippi Community College, had minor but successful surgery on a finger Thursday but should be available for the start of spring practice. He enrolled early at Florida and is expected to make an impact on the team right away considering his size (6’3” 295 lbs.) and experience.

2 » Miami Dolphins center Mike Pouncey was a featured guest on Thursday at a fundraiser for the Guadalupe Center, which helps impoverished and underprivileged children in Southwest Florida. “We sponsored a couple games for the guys to come to and gave away tickets,” he said. “I love giving back to kids. I remember growing up in their shoes always wanting somebody to look up to.” While at the event, Pouncey spoke to the News-Press about a number of topics including his team’s coaching search, his brother’s recovery from ankle surgery and the fact that both of them own a condo together in Tampa, FL where they are currently spending time together. Pouncey is working out and staying in shape while his brother is doing post-surgery rehab work.

Click to expand and read three more BITS in this post.

Tags: baseball, Bobby McCray, Damien Jacobs, Denver Broncos, Draft, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jeremy Mincey, Matt den Dekker, Miami Dolphins, Mike Pouncey, MLB, New York Mets, NFL, Nike, Tim Tebow

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.

Continue Reading » Gator Bites for Thursday, January 12th

Tags: Abby Wambach, Adam Sitter, Billy Gonzales, Brian Schottenheimer, Chandler Parsons, Charlie Weis, Chris Rainey, Corey Brewer, Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Heather Mitts, Houston Rockets, Jack Johnson, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jaye Howard, Jeff Blasko, John Pelphrey, Justin Trattou, Kansas Jayhawks, Los Angeles Kings, Marcus Thomas, Maurkice Pouncey, Miami Dolphins, Michelle Moultrie, Mike Mularkey, Mike Pouncey, NBA, New York Giants, New York Jets, NFL, NHL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Playoffs, Scott Holsopple, Scott Vestal, soccer, softball, Tim Tebow, U.S. National Team, World Cup of Softball

For as much as the Florida Gators were in the news off the field in 2011 (check out Friday’s post), the Gator Nation was making plenty of headlines on it as well. From breathtaking moments, game-changing and game-winning plays to winning championships and setting world records, Florida accomplished some unique athletic feats in 2011. Below are OGGOA‘s Top 11 On the Field Moments of the Year.

11 » JOHNSON, BRANTLEY, KITCHENS SUFFER SCARY INJURIES
Plenty of Florida student-athletes suffered injuries in 2011 but three in particular caused fans to gasp and remain worried about the future of said player. Participating in the semifinals of the 2011 SEC Tournament, Gators baseball wound up dropping a close game 4-3 to Georgia, a loss that forced an elimination game which Florida would later win. However, UF sophomore right-handed pitcher Brian Johnson was taken off a stretcher in the top of the first inning after giving up two earned runs and accidentally being beaned in the back of the head with the baseball by sophomore catcher Mike Zunino. Trying to pick off a runner stealing second, Zunino got his leg tangled with the batter, tripped and flung the ball into the head of a crouching Johnson. He was quickly stabilized, brought to the hospital and deemed responsive though he had a massive headache and was diagnosed with a minor three concussion (no skull fractures or bleeding). Johnson missed the entire Gainesville Regional but returned to action in the Super Regional after being sidelined for more than two weeks.

Redshirt senior quarterback John Brantley was in the middle of playing the best game of his collegiate career (despite throwing a costly pick-six) when he went down with an ugly lower leg injury at the end of the first half against Alabama. Brantley had thrown a pretty 65-yard touchdown pass to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Andre Debose on the first play of the game and was in the middle of driving Florida in for another score before being sacked twice and having his lower leg contorted the second time. Brantley was nearly immediately ruled out of the team’s next game against powerhouse LSU with a high-ankle sprain, and UF was forced to start a true freshman who had not even taken a snap in the team’s first five games in consecutive road contests against LSU and Auburn. Needless to say, the Gators lost both of those contests.

Brantley was never the same after the injury. He nearly helped Florida beat Georgia but was pretty much immobilized in the pocket and threw three interceptions in the team’s first five possessions against Florida State before being knocked out of the game with a head injury that was equally painful to watch. However, that was not the Gators’ only major injury in that game. Perhaps the scariest incident of the year came on kickoff coverage when sophomore linebacker Darrin Kitchens was hit hard from his blindside and laid motionless on the field while trainers attended to him. To this day Kitchens does not remember anything about being hit. Lucky for him, he was cleared that evening with “just” a concussion, released from the hospital and allowed to return to practice with the team just before Christmas. He is expected to play in the 2012 Gator Bowl.

10 » LACROSSE WINS FIRST CONFERENCE TITLE, REACHES ELITE EIGHT

The Florida lacrosse program has been making history since the day it signed the nation’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class prior to the team’s inaugural season in 2010. The Gators were a young but talented group and won over the school even if falling short of some of their goals one year ago. Florida took the next step in 2011, ending the regular season with an 11-0 record at home and on a 13-game winning streak. The Gators capped their stellar regular season by defeating Northwestern for the 2011 ALC Championship just 419 days after the team played its first game in school history. Florida would fall to Northwestern just over three weeks later in the finals of the 2011 ALC Tournament, splitting the season’s conference title down the middle, but took home a number of awards from the league. Sophomore midfielder Kitty Cullen won Player of the Year honors while head coach Amanda O’Leary was named Coach of the Year in just her second season. Two more players were All-ALC first team selections and three others earned spots on the second team. The ladies made it all the way to the Elite Eight of the 2011 NCAA Tournament as well before being taken down 13-9 by Duke, their only loss at home on the season. The Gators were the first program in the history of the sport to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament in only their second year of existence and defeated some of the top teams in the country on the way to an unforgettable season that sets Florida up as a favorite heading into 2012.

Continue Reading » Top 11 for 2011: On the Field Moments of the Year

Tags: Abby Wambach, Ahmad Black, ALC, ALC Championship, ALC Tournament, Alex Tyus, All-ALC, All-Defensive, All-Freshman, All-SEC, baseball, Billy Donovan, Brian Johnson, Chandler Parsons, Christian Taylor, Coach of the Year, College World Series, Daniel Pigott, Darrin Kitchens, Denver Broncos, Dumisane Hlaselo, Erving Walker, ESPY, field, Gainesville Regional, Gator Bowl, Gray Horn, Heather Mitts, Heisman Trophy, Ian Lockwood, Jeff Demps, John Brantley, Kelsey Bruder, Kenny Boynton, lacrosse, Lauren Embree, Marrit Boonstra, Miami Dolphins, Mike Zunino, Most Valuable Player, MVP, NCAA, NCAA Indoor Championship, NCAA Tournament, NFL, Olivia Janowicz, Outback Bowl, Player of the Year, Ryan Lochte, SEC, SEC Championship, SEC Tournament, Shands Hospital, soccer, softball, Stephanie Brombacher, Sun Life Stadium, Super Regional, tennis, Tim Tebow, Tim Walton, track, Urban Meyer, USA, USA Swimming, Vernon Macklin, Women's College World Series, World Cup

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

1 » The NCAA announced Tuesday that former Florida Gators outfielder Kelsey Bruder will be honored with the NCAA Top VIII Award, a distinction that recognizes student-athletes for “their success on the fields and courts, in the classroom and in the community.” Bruder and the other recipients will be recognized on Jan. 13 during the NCAA Convention in Indianapolis, IN. Below is the NCAA’s write-up on Bruder:

Kelsey Bruder helped lead the Gators to four consecutive Women’s College World Series appearances, including two appearances in the national championship series. She was named to the 2011 Women’s College World Series all-tournament team and set a Women’s College World Series record for runs scored. Bruder, who received the 2011 Honda Award for softball, was also the 2011 SEC Player of the Year and a two-time All-American. In 2011, Bruder led the SEC in runs, doubles, slugging percentage, hits and RBI, and she was tied for first in home runs. In all, she set eight SEC records. Bruder completed her collegiate career with 15 school single-season records and nine single-game marks. Bruder was a 2011 Capital One Academic All-America honoree and was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll three times. She participated in Shands Hospital visits, fundraising events and volunteered at an after school program. After her successful 2011 season, Bruder was the fifth overall pick in the 2011 National Pro Fastpitch Senior Draft to the USSSA Florida Pride.

2 » Miami Dolphins center Mike Pouncey injured his neck on Sunday against the New York Giants and was forced to sit out the second half because he felt tingling up and down his body and tests had to be done on the injury before he could return to play. Pouncey underwent a MRI on Monday and it was found that no significant damage occurred, the Sun-Sentinel reports. That being said, Pouncey may still miss next Sunday’s game depending how he feels and how much he is able to do practice-wise this week. Pouncey has been a rookie starter at center in every game his team has played.

Click to expand and read two more BITS in this post.

Tags: Chris Herren, Denver Broncos, Erik Murphy, John Fox, Kelsey Bruder, Miami Dolphins, Mike Pouncey, NCAA, NCAA Top VIII Award, softball, Tim Tebow

Inefficient for three-and-a-half quarters on Sunday in South Florida, Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow engineered two touchdowns drives in just over five minutes to tie the Miami Dolphins 15-15 and force an overtime that saw Denver complete an improbable comeback 18-15 victory.

Miami scored the first 15 points of the contest and led late in the fourth quarter before punting the ball away with just over five minutes left in the game.

Though Tebow struggled mightily for most of the game save a few dynamic runs, he engineered an eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that cut the Broncos’ deficit nearly in half with over two minutes remaining.

Denver recovered an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, and Tebow once again led his team on a 10-play, 56-yard drive that ended in his second-straight passing touchdown and a two-point conversion that he ran in on a quarterback draw.

Tebow combined to go 9/13 for 121 yards on those two drives for and also ran the ball twice for nine yards not counting his game-tying conversion. He finished 13/27 for 161 yards with eight carries for 65 yards and a quarterback rating of 91.7.

All of this occurred as the Dolphins hosted Gator Day at the stadium, a special celebration that honored the 2008 national championship team at halftime of the game. Former Florida head coach Urban Meyer was in attendance and spoke during the celebration, calling his team “one of the greatest in college football history.”

The occasion also featured a performance from the Pride of the Sunshine marching band and an appearance by more than two dozen former players. Miami handed the University of Florida a $25,000 check for their scholarship fund, and the band even played the Dolphins’ fight song as halftime was coming to a close.

Meyer was on Denver’s sideline before the game and stood on Miami’s sideline for the duration of the game, including in the waning minutes of the contest.

Following the contest, Tebow, Meyer, Dolphins center Mike Pouncey and the other former UF players in attendance had the opportunity to meet briefly on the field and exchange pleasantries (picture).

Tebow and the Gators got a mixed reception throughout the course of the afternoon. He was booed early by the crowd but chants of “Tebow, Tebow” were audible both late in the fourth quarter and at the end of the game. Meyer and the former Florida players were booed heavily during the halftime celebration, which lasted approximately six minutes.

While the crowd was obviously made up of mostly Dolphins fans, thousands of Tebow jerseys could be spotted in the stands. There were, of course, other fans wearing non-Tebow Broncos jerseys and others donning non-Tebow Gators jerseys.

Click to expand for some photos and post-game quotes

Tags: Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Mike Pouncey, Tim Tebow, University of Florida, Urban Meyer