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

Round 1 – No. 23
Sharrif Floyd, DT
Minnesota Vikings

Height: 6’3″ – Weight: 297 lbs.
Age: 20 – Class: Junior

For someone who did not grow up dreaming of being a professional football player, Florida Gators defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd could not have been smiling any wider when commissioner Roger Goodell announced his name as the No. 23 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft on Thursday evening.

Floyd, projected by many to be the best defensive tackle available and a top-five player in the draft, fell out of the top 10 and behind two other defensive tackles – Sheldon Richardson (Missouri) and Star Lotulelei (Utah).

Nevertheless, while sitting in the greenroom with family, friends, his agent and Florida head coach Will Muschamp, Floyd received a call from the Minnesota Vikings that would change his life. When he hung up the phone and was called on stage, he became the 44th first-round pick in Gators history and the first player selected by the Vikings since Percy Harvin (No. 21, 2009).

“The scenario with Sharrif, that one never really came up. … I don’t think any of us foresaw that he would come down to 23,” head coach Leslie Frazier said. “We all said it would be a no-brainer, and it turned out to be just that. There was no hesitation.”

“I couldn’t be part of a better ball club,” Floyd said. “This has been a goal of mine for a long time and now it’s here. I am excited to get out there and get started.”

A starter at Florida for two seasons, Floyd did whatever the coaching staff asked of him and made the most out of his opportunities. He started out of position at defensive end in 2011 but shined when he moved back to defensive tackle in 2012, recording 46 tackles including a team-high 13.0 for lost yardage. Floyd’s three sacks and six quarterback hurries were each second-most on the Gators, impressive statistics considering he was an interior lineman.

Continue Reading » Vikings select Gators DT Sharrif Floyd with No. 23 overall pick in first round of 2013 NFL Draft

Tags: Draft, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, Sharrif Floyd, Will Muschamp

After four tumultuous years playing for the Minnesota Vikings, former Florida Gators wide receiver Percy Harvin was traded on Monday to the Seattle Seahawks for a compensation package including the team’s No. 25 overall pick in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft and other draft selections.

The trade is contingent on Harvin passing Seattle’s physical and agreeing to a new multi-year contract with the Seahawks. The Vikings also received a 2013 seventh-round pick as well as a 2014 “mid-round pick.”

Harvin, Minnesota’s leading receiver in each of the last three seasons, is scheduled to earn just $2.755 million in the final year of his rookie contract and has made life difficult for the Vikings as of late over demands to be featured more in the offense and paid like one of the top receivers in the league.

He reportedly threatened to walk out on the team last offseason and has gotten into heated exchanges with former head coach Brad Childress and current head coach Leslie Frazier over his four years with Minnesota.

Harvin has missed 10 games in his NFL career including seven-straight to conclude the 2012 season. The injury issues he had with the Gators have continued with the Vikings as he suffered a string of violent migraine headaches in 2010 that are apparently now under control and severely injured his ankle last season.

Despite the red flags, Harvin remains a game-changing player who has scored 29 touchdowns (receiving, rushing, returning) in four seasons while averaging 11.8 yards per reception, 6.4 yards per rush and 27.8 yards per kick return.

Harvin was the consensus 2009 Offensive Rookie of the Year and was selected as both a Pro Bowler and All-Pro (as a specialist) following his rookie campaign. He also holds Minnesota’s single-season record for combined yardage (2,081) and the Vikings franchise record for career kickoff returns (five).

His 104-yard kickoff return in 2011 is the longest non-scoring play in NFL history and no player since Harvin’s rookie season of 2009 has returned more kickoffs for touchdowns.

The trade, which was first reported by FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer, is expected to be completed within 48 hours once Harvin passes his physical and signs a new contract.

Photo Credit: Reuters

Tags: All-Pro, Draft, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, Percy Harvin, Pro Bowl, Rookie of the Year, Seattle Seahawks

1 » In a piece written Thursday focusing on the Minnesota Vikings and the team’s plans at wide receiver, Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports reported some interesting information about Percy Harvin. Cole takes a look at Harvin’s contract demands and reveals that the 2014 free agent is expecting to receive a deal closer to the $16.5 million per season paid to Detroit’s Calvin Johnson rather than the approximately $11 million being earned by guys like Tampa Bay’s Vincent Jackson and Kansas City’s Dwayne Bowe. “The Vikings fear that the strong-willed Harvin may play the absolute minimum required to get to free agency and that he’ll create such a stink that the last thing the Vikings will consider is franchising him,” Cole reports.

Why the concern? “Harvin threatened to walk out on the team last offseason after hearing that former Florida teammate Aaron Hernandez received a contract extension after only two years.” There is no doubt that Harvin is a top-tier talent – if he was not as injury-prone, an elite-level contract is not something he would need to fight to receive – but he is doing himself absolutely no favors from a professional standpoint with the attitude he has displayed since joining the NFL.

Read three more BITS of Florida Gators news…after the break!
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Harvin, Nelson, den Dekker, Moten

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Andrew Moten, baseball, Billy Donovan, Buffalo Bills, David Nelson, Kenny Boynton, Matt den Dekker, Minnesota Vikings, New York Mets, NFL, Percy Harvin, Vernon Maxwell

1 » Florida Gators swimmers brought home four league titles on Thursday during the third night of the 2013 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships, which are being held for the first time in College Station, TX. Junior Elizabeth Beisel started off the title wins by capturing the SEC Championship in the women’s 400-meter individual medley for the third-straight year. She broke the four-minute mark at 3:59.53, which is also a personal record and the best time in the nation this season. Also winning a title for the women’s team was freshman Natalie Hinds, who swam the 100-meter butterfly in 51.70 (also the top time in the country this season) to win her first SEC Championship. Junior Marcin Cieslak matched Beisel with his third-straight SEC title in a single event by winning the men’s 100-meter butterfly in 46.02, a season-best mark. Duplicating Hinds’s accomplishment for the men was freshman Pawel Werner, who swam the men’s 200-meter freestyle in 1:33.82 to win the SEC Championship.

At the close of action on Thursday, Florida (748.0 points) led 16-time defending champion Auburn (630.5) by 117.5 points. The Gators men’s team has won the most SEC team championships in league history (33) but has not brought home the top spot since 1993. On the women’s side, Florida (676.0) trails Georgia (790.0) by 114 points. UF’s women’s team has also won the most SEC team titles in league history (17) but has not come in first since 2009; UGA is looking to win its fourth-straight championship. Two days of competition remain with the event concluding Saturday night.

2 » Tracked down by a St. Paul Pioneer Press reporter at his home in Fleming Island, FL, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin refused comment about his situation with the team. “I’ve got nothing to say about any of that,” he said. At the 2013 NFL Combine on Thursday, Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman reiterated that he has no plans to get rid of Harvin and expects him to be in training camp on time. “We have no intent to trade Percy Harvin,” he said. “Anything related to his contract … will all be kept internally.” This story continues to be interesting.

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Tags: baseball, combine, diving, Draft, Elizabeth Beisel, Marcin Cieslak, Mike Zunino, Minnesota Vikings, MLB, Natalie Hinds, New York Jets, NFL, Pawel Werner, Percy Harvin, Seattle Mariners, SEC, SEC Championship, swimming, 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. When stories like these fall through the cracks, we catch and wrap them all up with Gator Bites.

» Rather than doubling down on disappointment while stuck playing in the state North Carolina, No. 2 Florida Gators women’s tennis (4-1) came from behind on Monday to pick up a huge victory over the No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels (9-1) in Chapel Hill, NC. UNC, which took over for UF as the No. 1 team in the country last week, held a 2-0 advantage over its visitors after winning the doubles point and a singles match to start the contest. The Gators answered by rallying with four consecutive singles match victories to pick up the 4-2 win. First, junior Olivia Janowicz took down No. 79 Tessa Lyons 6-2, 6-1. Freshman Brianna Morgan then picked up a 6-1, 6-1 win over No. 122 Lauren McHale, leaving the match in the hands of Florida’s two best players. No. 4 senior Lauren Embree came through in the clutch once again with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 victory against No. 7 Gina Suarez-Malaguti, and No. 9 junior Sofie Oyen fought hard on court two to defeat No. 30 Zoe De Bruycker 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. UF’s loss on Sunday at No. 4 Duke was its first in over a year’s time. By taking down the Tar Heels on Monday, the Gators avoided falling in consecutive matches for the first time in three years.

» Former Florida guard Matt Walsh, who signed a deal with Spirou Charleroi of Belgium in August 2012, told OGGOA on Monday that his contract has been purchased by Brose Baskets of Bamberg, Germany. The three-time defending German champions play in the Euroleague and are hoping Walsh helps push them to a fourth-straight title.

» Despite multiple reports pointing to the contrary, Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman on Friday said he has “no intent” of trading wide receiver Percy Harvin, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Harvin raised concerns about Minnesota’s offense (and how he was not utilized much) prior to the 2012 season and reportedly got into an explosive verbal argument with head coach Leslie Frazier during the season. While it does look like he and the Vikings will split ways, multiple players have come out in his defense and expressed their desire to see him return to the team. The latest to do so is quarterback Christian Ponder, who said he “obviously” wants Harvin to return because “he’s a tremendous player” and “a heck of a part of this offense and this team in general.” Ponder told KFAN in Minneapolis, MN that he and Harvin have a good relationship and “spent some extra time together” working on their on-field chemistry during the last offseason.

Read 11 more bites of Florida Gators news…after the break!
Continue Reading » 14 Gator Bites for Tuesday, February 19

Tags: Ahmad Black, Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Brianna Morgan, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bulls, Chris Rainey, Chris Walker, David Lee, David Nelson, Detroit Lions, field, Golden State Warriors, Gregg Troy, Ike Hilliard, Jevon Kearse, Joakim Noah, Kasey Hill, Kelvin Taylor, Lauren Embree, Lomas Brown, Matt Elam, Matt Walsh, Maurkice Pouncey, McDonald's All-American, Miami Dolphins, Mike Holloway, Mike Pouncey, Minnesota Vikings, NBA, NFL, North Carolina Tar Heels, Olivia Janowicz, Olympics, Percy Harvin, Ronni Williams, Ryan Lochte, Sofie Oyen, swimming, tennis, Tony McQuay, track, Will Muschamp, women's basketball, World Outdoor Championships

1 » The Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday announced that former Florida Gators punter Chas Henry has received a one-year contract. Henry, signed as an undrafted free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles before the 2011 season, remained the team’s starter heading into 2012 but was replaced at the start of the season with Mat McBriar. He tried out with other teams throughout the year but was not able to find a new job when all was said and done. In Tampa Bay, Henry will start out as training camp competition for incumbent starter Michael Koenen, who is signed through 2016. Henry averaged 44.0 yards per punt during his time with the Eagles; Koenen averaged 45.3 yards per punt during the 2012 season and also handles the Bucs’ kickoff duties.

2 » Florida junior right-handed pitcher Karsten Whitson, expected to enter the 2013 season as the team’s No. 2 starter, will be sidelined indefinitely with shoulder fatigue, the school announced. Whitson, who has missed significant time with multiple injuries during his sophomore season with the Gators, is a power pitcher with a mid-90s fastball and devastating slider. He went 8-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 2011 but pitched just 33.1 innings in 2012 and went 4-0 with a 3.51 ERA. His shoulder has long been an issue, however, and Baseball America reported on Wednesday that he met with Dr. James Andrews for a consultation. As of press time, the results of that meeting are unknown. Whitson originally joined Florida rather than signing a $2.1 million offer from the San Diego Padres, which selected him with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft. “We knew there was a possibility he might not pitch the first two weekends,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “We were kind of prepared for this, so it hasn’t really changed a whole lot in regards to this weekend.”

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

Tags: Abby Wambach, baseball, Chas Henry, Draft, Karsten Whitson, Kevin O'Sullivan, Minnesota Vikings, MLB, NFL, Percy Harvin, Philadelphia Eagles, soccer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, United States

1 » According to Mike Max of Minnesota CBS affiliate WCCO, former Florida Gators wide receiver Percy Harvin is on the Minnesota Vikings’ trading block. As was speculated previously, Max reports that “the No. 1 reason Percy Harvin left the team this season was not his injury, but it was motivated by a blowup he had with Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier.” Harvin, who reportedly got in a verbal argument with former Minnesota head coach Brad Childress and once reportedly attempted to choke former Gators wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales after the two got in an argument during practice, supposedly “had an embarrassing tirade directed towards Frasier, disrespecting the coach during the season when Harvin was sidelined with an injured ankle.” Shortly thereafter, the Vikings put him on injured reserve. A MVP candidate during the 2012 season until he got injured, Harvin is entering the final year of his rookie contract. He will likely command a second-round pick with some additional compensation but not the first-round selection his talent deserves as front offices have concerns about his injury history and demeanor within a team environment. Harvin can be traded when free agency begins for the 2013 league year on March 12.

2 » Two players Florida would love to have in uniform right now while the team’s roster is under siege by injuries are transfers junior center Damontre Harris and sophomore forward Dorian Finney-Smith. Unfortunately for the Gators, the two are sitting out their NCAA-mandated redshirt season; fortunately for UF, the duo is forming a close bond and preparing to contribute in 2013-14. Harris, who is still recovering from surgery he had on a torn labrum, told Florida’s school website that “the worst part” of the whole situation is “put[ting] in the work everybody else puts in, but you don’t get to show or perform or demonstrate all that work.” He added, “I think about it every day…actually wearing a Gator uniform. I’ve even had dreams about it but then I wake up knowing I still have to wait ‘till next year.” Finney-Smith is equally anxious. “I just wish I’d signed with Florida out of high school,” he said. “Can’t do nothing about it now, though, but practice hard and wait for my time to get here.”

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Tags: Baltimore Orioles, baseball, Damontre Harris, Darren O'Day, Dorian Finney-Smith, Eddie Lovett, field, Husky Classic, Marquis Dendy, Minnesota Vikings, MLB, NFL, Percy Harvin, Taylor Burke, track, Virginia Tech Elite Meet