1 » Former Florida Gators running back Fred Taylor, a 13-year NFL veteran who spent the majority of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, will sign a one-day contract with the team on Friday and officially announce his retirement. Taylor – who has rushed for 11,695 yards and 66 touchdowns while catching 290 passes for 2,384 yards and eight touchdowns – was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro in 2007 who is only one of 30 players in league history to have rushed for more than 10,000 yards. He was a three-time Southeastern Conference champion (1994-96) and one-time national champion (1996) at Florida and was named as a first-team All-American and first-team All-SEC member in 1997. A member of the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame, Taylor spent his first 10 years in the NFL with Jacksonville before playing his final two seasons with the New England Patriots. The No. 9 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, he is Jacksonville’s all-time leader in rushing attempts, yards and touchdowns.

OGGOA will have more on Taylor’s retirement on Friday. Stay tuned.

2 » Looking to avenge a come-from-behind victory by the Gators in the Sweet 16 of the 2010 NCAA Tournament, No. 25 Florida State Seminoles volleyball strode into the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on a mission Tuesday evening. Fortunately for No. 9 Florida (3-0), the Gators were able to push back their opponents and sweep the Seminoles 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-22) in front of a school-record 1,901 students (total attendance: 4,631). Florida has won all nine sets in which they’ve played this season and continues to claw their way to victory each match. Senior right-side/setter Kelly Murphy notched a triple-double in the contest with 12 kills, 10 digs and 17 assists. The trio of senior middle-back Cassandra Anderson (eight), senior outside hitter Stephanie Ferrell (seven) and senior OH Kristy Jaeckel (six) combined for 21 kills on the evening as the Gators improved to 28-2 against FSU under head coach Mary Wise.

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1 » In a surprising move on Tuesday, the New Orleans Saints released former Florida Gators defensive end Alex Brown. A nine-year NFL veteran who spent the first eight years of his career with the Chicago Bears, Brown was signed by New Orleans as a free agent in 2010 and notched 39 tackles (32 solo) with a forced fumble and two sacks as a 16-game starter. He held the same position through the first three preseason games and worked with the first-team defense in every practice this offseason. “It saddens me to say that I have been released from the Saints because [they're] a first class organization and I will miss it,” he wrote on Twitter. “Good luck to the guys and Who Dat Nation keep roaring… My family and I had a blast here.. Thanks.” Brown joins DE Bobby McCray and offensive tackle Max Starks as big-name free agents currently available with Florida ties.

2 » Also receiving bad news was former Gators linebacker Duke Lemmens, an undrafted free agent who found out Tuesday that his contract with the Arizona Cardinals had been terminated. Lemmens played in the team’s first three preseason games and made a number of tackles but was one of many players the team released in this round of cuts.

3 » New England Patriots LB Brandon Spikes had not practiced or played with the team since Aug. 4 but finally returned to the field on Tuesday according to reports from numerous media outlets. Spikes has been dealing with a nagging ankle injury but is expected to see some time in the team’s preseason finale at home on Thursday. He played in 12 games with eight starts during his rookie season and was fifth on New England with 71 tackles (41 solo) and an interception. He was suspended for four games in 2010 for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

4 » Another player out for an extended period of time was former Florida safety Ahmad Black, a fifth-round selection of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2011 NFL Draft. Black suffered a high ankle sprain in the team’s preseason opener and has missed numerous practices and both subsequent preseason games since. There are rumors that Black could be cut soon because the team is only planning to keep four safeties and he has not had much of a time to make an impression, but head coach Raheem Morris has said previously that he believed Black was one of the steals of the draft. “I know he’s going to try to go this week,” Morris said, according to the St. Petersburg Times. “But it’d be hard right now for him to go out there and do some things, especially with the way Larry Asante’s playing, and Corey Lynch. Those guys played their butts off this preseason, not to mention our starters. It’ll be tough. You’d like to see him out there.” Black could always be a candidate for the practice squad in a worst-case scenario.

The end of the NFL lockout sent the league into a frenzy Monday evening as teams were officially allowed to contact and agree to contracts with undrafted free agents who were not selected in the 2011 NFL Draft. With only four Florida Gators picked in the seven-round draft back in April, a number of well-known players remained available heading into one of the most questionable offseasons in pro football history.

With contracts now being signed as names continue to roll in, a number of former Gators have already been picked up to join NFL squads this year.

Everything started Monday evening as linebacker Duke Lemmens chose to stay out west and play for the Arizona Cardinals, defensive tackle Terron Sanders got a call from the Baltimore Ravens, and running back Emmanuel Moody decided to join 2010 undrafted free agent wide receiver David Nelson with the Buffalo Bills.

On Tuesday, punter Chas Henry chose to team up with wide receiver Riley Cooper and tight end Cornelius Ingram on the Philadelphia Eagles, defensive end Justin Trattou decided to play close to home with the New York Giants, and offensive lineman Carl Johnson joined up with DE Alex Brown on the New Orleans Saints.

Wednesday brought two more signings as LB A.J. Jones found a spot with the Denver Broncos and LB Brandon Hicks [unconfirmed] signed with the Bills. Jones joins quarterback Tim Tebow in Denver, while Hicks teams up with Moody and Nelson in Buffalo.

Safety Will Hill was originally reported to have agreed to a deal with the Washington Redskins; however, it surfaced Tuesday that those reports were premature and the two sides have not spoken about a contract.

OGGOA spoke with Sanders early Tuesday morning, and he related to us that former Florida defensive coordinator now Baltimore defensive backs coach Teryl Austin had a lot to do with him getting this opportunity with a top-tier franchise.

“Coach Austin, he’s up there now, and he put in a good word for me and told them that I can plug the hole and knock people back,” Sanders said. “He convinced them to take a shot at me. They called my agent, my agent called me and asked me if I’d be interested in going to Baltimore. I told them, ‘Yeah,’ and the deal is done.”

Though he has been hoping the lockout would end and has been keeping in shape, Sanders also kept himself busy with a regular job until his future was known.

“I haven’t put on a pair of shoulder pads in a while,” he said. “I’ve been working out, doing some running, and I started working at U-Haul about two weeks ago just to get some money in my pocket until this was decided.”

Other players who could be signed include WR Carl Moore and defensive lineman Brandon Antwine and Lawrence Marsh.

OGGOA will update this post as additional signings are announced.

However, services like Twitter and Facebook can also be used for other things. Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden sponsored a little league team because a fan asked him to. He has also taken groups of fans out to lunch and happy hour simply because he can. Other former Gators have raised money for charity (Buffalo Bills wide receiver David Nelson), given away free stuff to fans (Atlanta Hawks power forward Al Horford) and even had open discussions about Florida’s Ring of Honor qualifications (New Orleans Saints defensive end Alex Brown).

So when Florida Gators redshirt freshman defensive end Lynden Trail started tweeting pictures of himself planking on various surfaces and objects late Monday evening, Gator Nation undoubtedly noticed – and laughed.

“Planking,” for those of you uninitiated to the recently popular practice, is defined by Wikipedia as “an activity […] consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location. The hands must touch the sides of the body, and having a photograph of the participant taken and posted on the Internet is an integral part of the game.”

Trail, who himself was subject of what turned out to be false claims about his persona due to picture uncovered on the Internet during his recruitment, has been an active tweeter for quite some time. He took his game to another level on Monday with the planking pictures you can view by expanding the post.

Click to expand and view the remainder of this post.

DE ALEX BROWN, New Orleans Saints: Six tackles (five solo, two for loss), pass def.
RB DeSHAWN WYNN, New Orleans Saints: Played but did not record statistics.
WR RILEY COOPER, Philadelphia Eagles: Two receptions for 18 yards (targets: 4)
DE BOBBY MCCRAY, Philadelphia Eagles: Played but did not record statistics.

NOTES
- Wynn was released by San Francisco and signed with New Orleans on Monday.
- McCray, a free agent this season, was signed by Philadelphia on Dec. 30.
- Both teams featuring former Gators lost this weekend in the wild card round.

ACTIVE FOR REMAINDER OF PLAYOFFS
Linebacker Mike Peterson (Atlanta Falcons); safety Major Wright (Chicago Bears); LB Jermaine Cunningham, tight end Aaron Hernandez, LB Brandon Spikes, running back Fred Taylor, defensive tackle Gerard Warren (New England Patriots); center Maurkice Pouncey (Pittsburgh Steelers)

REGULAR SEASON: Week 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17

McCray was initially cut because he was due a $1.25 million roster bonus even though he wrecked havoc on then-Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner and Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre in 2009 and compiled 59 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three defended passes and a forced fumble in his two years in New Orleans. The team re-signed him in July but cut him just a month later; he has yet to play in 2010.

On Thursday, the Philadelphia Eagles decided to release DE Derrick Burgess and tabbed McCray for their playoff run. He is expected to join the team immediately and could play as soon as Sunday at home against Dallas.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
LB MIKE PETERSON, Atlanta Falcons: Six tackles (four solo), interception
RB FRED TAYLOR, New England Patriots 14 rushes for 71 yards (avg: 5.1, long: 24), two receptions for six yards (targets: 2, long: 7)

LB ANDRA DAVIS, Buffalo Bills: Eight tackles (two solo)
WR DAVID NELSON, Buffalo Bills: Three receptions for 22 yards (targets: 6, long: 9)
S REGGIE NELSON, Cincinnati Bengals: Two solo tackles
CB JOE HADEN, Cleveland Browns: Two solo tackles, pass defended
WR JABAR GAFFNEY, Denver Broncos: Three receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown (targets: 7, long: 15)
QB TIM TEBOW, Denver Broncos: Two rushes for two yards
DT MARCUS THOMAS, Denver Broncos: Two solo tackles
DE DERRICK HARVEY, Jacksonville Jaguars: Two solo tackles, pass def., QB hit
DT JEREMY MINCEY, Jacksonville Jaguars: Pass defended
WR PERCY HARVIN, Minnesota Vikings: One reception for 12 yards, one rush for two yards, two kickoff returns for 41 yards (avg.: 20.5, long: 22)
CB LITO SHEPPARD, Minnesota Vikings Three solo tackles, three passes defended
TE AARON HERNANDEZ, New England Patriots: One reception for 45 yards
LB BRANDON SPIKES, New England Patriots: Three tackles (one solo), pass defended, QB hit
DE ALEX BROWN, New Orleans Saints: Tackle
WR LOUIS MURPHY, Oakland Raiders: Four rec. for 28 yards (targets: 7, long: 16)
FB EARNEST GRAHAM, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Six carries for 10 yards (avg.: 1.7, long: 6), one reception for eight yards

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN — NO STATISTICS / DID NOT PLAY
C Maurkice Pouncey (Pittsburgh Steelers), LT Max Starks (Steelers), G Cooper Carlisle (Raiders) — DE Jarvis Moss (Broncos), S Major Wright (Chicago Bears), DT Joe Cohen (Detroit Lions), LB Jermaine Cunningham (Patriots), DT Gerard Warren (Patriots), RB DeShawn Wynn (Saints), WR Riley Cooper (Philadelphia Eagles), DE Ray McDonald (San Francisco 49ers), QB Rex Grossman (Washington Redskins), LB Brandon Siler (San Diego Chargers)

INACTIVES
WR Andre Caldwell (Bengals), DE Carlos Dunlap (Bengals), LB Channing Crowder (Miami Dolphins)

NOTES
- D. Nelson, Haden, Tebow, Hernandez and Spikes all recorded their first NFL statistics.
- Starks suffered a high ankle sprain during the Steelers game and will miss a month.

2 » Facing a top-15 opponent for the third time in their first five matches of the 2010 season, No. 4/6 Florida volleyball (5-0) defeated the No. 13/15 Colorado State Rams (5-1) in four sets – 25-22, 25-19, 25-27, 25-21. The victory, which won the Gators the Campus USA Credit Union Invitational emanating from the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, FL, featured another brilliant performance from junior right-side/setter Kelly Murphy. She, along with senior middle blocker Lauren Bledsoe, recorded 13 of Florida’s 10 kills. One day prior, in matches that took place earlier in the invitational, volleyball swept the both the Bowling Green Falcons (25-12, 25-11, 25-16) and Albany Great Danes (25-8, 25-21, 25-14) in three sets.

The Gators will host another tournament, the Nike Big Four Classic, beginning Friday. The other three teams participating in the event are No. 1 Penn State, Texas and Stanford, and all game information is available via OGGOA’s Upcoming Schedule table at the top right of your screen.

3 » Also running through the competition this year is No. 7 Florida soccer (5-0), which had six different players score while shutting out the Jacksonville Dolphins (2-3) 6-0 on Friday at James G. Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, FL. Junior forward Lindsay Thompson (27’), junior F/midfielder Tahnai Annis (30’), freshman F/MF Maggie Rodgers (45’), redshirt sophomore MF McKenzie Barney (50’), freshman defender Mary-Ann Krlin (80’) and sophomore F/MF Natalia Torosian (90’) all punched goals through. As a team, Florida had 30 shots on Jacksonville, 14 of which were on goal. UF is set to face Florida State next on the road Friday at 7 p.m.

4 » Though he missed most of training camp grieving two deaths and suffering from another severe bout of migraine headaches, former Gators wide receiver Percy Harvin says he is “ready to play ball” for the Minnesota Vikings beginning Thursday night in the NFL’s 2010-11 season opener against the New Orleans Saints (including former Florida defensive end Alex Brown and running back DeShawn Wynn). Harvin, who will be on of quarterback Brett Favre’s primary pass catchers along with the team’s kick returner, believes he is finally getting his migraines under control with the help of numerous doctors. “There’s no miracle solution for them,” he told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “The people I talked to had them for 40-plus years. My mom had them for 35 years and is just now growing out of them. It’s just something you got to hope to maintain. [...] I think we have a great plan.”

GOOD NEWS

» As expected, all nine Gators selected in the 2010 NFL Draft made it through training camp and the preseason.

» Former Florida wide receiver David Nelson, who signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills after the draft, was told Saturday afternoon that he made the team. “Officially a Buffalo Bill,” Nelson wrote to his Twitter account. “Thanks to everyone for the support and prayers through this long but rewarding process!”

» Though it is not believed he was in complete danger of making the cut, former Gators safety Reggie Nelson got what he will likely consider his own form of good news Saturday, as the Jacksonville Jaguars decided to trade him to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals, in need of safety help after losing Gibril Wilson to a season-ending injury, decided to trade cornerback David Jones and a conditional draft pick to the Jaguars. Nelson will be reunited with wide receiver Andre Caldwell and defensive end Carlos Dunlap in Cincinnati.

BAD NEWS

» Tight end Cornelius Ingram has faced plenty of adversity since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during his senior season with Florida. Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 153 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, Ingram proceeded to tear the same ACL again as a rookie during training camp. Finally back at near full speed, he had been playing well for the Eagles this offseason until a baker’s cyst in his knee kept him out of action. Ingram was released by Philadelphia on Saturday but will be a candidate to land on the team’s practice squad should he go unclaimed.

» Even though he scored three touchdowns in the Indianapolis Colts‘ final preseason game, former Gators kick returner Brandon James did not make the cut with one of the top teams in the AFC. Instead, the team elected to sign Devin Moore for that job. James did muff a punt that was returned for the touchdown during the preseason and will likely be picked up as a practice squad player with either the Colts or another team.

» One of the team’s most valuable defensive players throughout the 2009 playoffs, former Gators defensive end Bobby McCray was cut by the New Orleans Saints on Saturday, just over a month after the team brought him back (they originally let him go on June 21). In the offseason, the Saints signed fellow former Florida DE Alex Brown, who will be a starter for New Orleans this season.

When most college football fans think about the Florida Gators 1996 season, two names in particular come to mind: head coach Steve Spurrier and starting quarterback Danny Wuerffel. Winner of seven individual awards in 1996 including the Heisman Trophy (and another Davey O’Brien Award in 1995), Wuerffel led the Gators to their first National Championship in his final effort after a four-year career in which he threw for an astounding 10,875 yards and 114 touchdowns.

A first-team All-America selection in 1995 and 1996, many of Wuerffel’s numbers remain the best in Southeastern Conference history and the second-best in national history. In 1995, his efficiency of 178.4 set a single-season collegiate record, and in his Heisman year of 1996, his 3,625 yards (SEC record), 39 TDs (led nation, SEC record) and efficiency rating of 170.6 made him the first QB to ever post a rating of 170 or more in back-to-back years. Wuerffel led the Gators in passing in each of his four seasons (1993-96) and still holds Florida records for most career passing touchdowns and most passing touchdowns in a season (in which he also holds second place). In fact, one out of every 9.74 passes Wuerffel threw in his career would be scored for a touchdown.

Enshrined in the team’s Ring of Honor in 2006 and set to be immortalized in a statue outside of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in 2010, Wuerffel is now the executive director of Desire Street Ministries, which works to revitalize impoverished neighborhoods through spiritual and community development.

OGGOA spoke to Wuerffel on Tuesday and, even though our interview was feared lost by a technical difficulty, it was recovered at the end of the day. How lucky are we?

ADAM SILVERSTEIN: Coming out of Fort Walton Beach, was attending the University of Florida an easy choice for you – something you always knew you wanted to do?
DANNY WUERFFEL: “Actually, we were living close to Florida State and my sister was attending Florida State. By default, I was more of a Seminole fan in high school. I took three visits – one to Alabama, one to Florida State and one to Florida. At the end of the day, the two things that drew me to Florida were, firstly, the quality of the education with so many different directions – I wasn’t centered or decided on a major and Florida just had so many highly respected colleges and majors to choose from – I was really impressed with the school, and then secondly, the opportunity to play for coach [Steve] Spurrier – too much to pass up.”

AS: When deciding on Florida, did you know your high school coach wanted to eventually go back to the Gators, or did that happen afterward?
DW: “Coach [Jimmy Ray Stephens] – he played at Florida and had coached at Florida and he was always hoping to get back there – I think that was one of his goals. It was a year or so after I got signed, a year or so after that, coach Spurrier gave him the opportunity to come.”

AS: You played four years at Florida – which is not something a lot of quarterbacks really get the chance to do – but obviously broke out in your final two seasons in 1995 and 1996. Was there a particular switch that turned on for you, was it a measure of the talent around you – what was the difference?
DW: “Practically what happened – both my freshman and sophomore year I was splitting time with Terry Dean – so in terms of snaps and reps, [I] didn’t get as much. For both the 1995 and 1996 team[s], there were some really, really dynamic players and folks that came along and we had two really good teams those two years. And it just happened those were the two years I was in the driver’s seat. When you’re in the right place at the right time with the right coaches and the right players, a lot of cool things can happen, and those were definitely some good years.”

Read the rest of our exclusive interview with Danny Wuerffell…after the break!

AS: One thing we like to look at here is trends. In the Gators’ last two championship seasons – there was a definable moment or catalyst that seemed to turn everything around. In 2006 many point to Jarvis Moss’ blocked field goal against South Carolina; in 2008 it was Tim Tebow’s now famous “The Promise” speech after losing to Ole Miss. What was it for you guys in 1996?
DW: “I think a couple of things. One is, after we lost to Florida State, there was a serious [drop] in the morale. When you lose at the end of the year in college football, you are pretty much out of it. We were undefeated, ranked No. 1 and then we lost. To me, the following Monday [and] Tuesday, when there was that painful spirit of many of your dreams seemingly lost, there was a group of seniors – I think of James Bates, Lawrence Wright, myself and several others – that I really felt rallied the team back and said, ‘Hey, we need to get our head up. We have a chance to win the SEC.’ As that happened, and as the coaches helped [the team] believe that, we got the chance to go in. The other things that happened were things we couldn’t control – Texas beat Nebraska the same day that we won the SEC Championship, which no one thought could happen. And then the night before the Sugar Bowl, Ohio State beat Arizona State – so all the other undefeated teams got beaten which then gave us the opportunity to go out there and beat Florida State for the National Championship. So the quick answer would be the rallying after the Florida State loss, and then the opportunities that we just kind of fell into with the other teams losing.”

AS: Obviously you’re a very moral guy – I doubt you truly have or feel legitimate hatred for anybody…but do you hate Florida State?
DW: “[Laughing] No…um… [Laughing] I do, you know… At the time, I didn’t think about it that much, but looking at some of the hits now especially as football has evolved and how they’re protecting the quarterback more and more – if you watch an NFL game now, if they touch the quarterback at all after the ball is gone you’ve got flags and fines. If you compare what’s happening now in the NFL to what happened to me in 1996 against Florida State – it’s pretty amazing.”

AS: Throughout your Gators career, you won a bunch of championships, awards, trophies and titles, most of them in 1996, but what separates you from many other legendary college passers is the fact that you are the only player in history to win the Heisman Trophy and the Draddy Trophy in the same year [Tebow won the Heisman in 2007 and the William V. Campbell Trophy in 2009]. What did it feel like to be recognized as a scholar in addition to everything you accomplished on the playing field?
DW: “I feel very fortunate that I was able to do well not just in football but also to focus and do well in school. Looking back, sometimes you wonder how you can balance so many things going on at one time there. I think we had a great academic support system at Florida and a lot of folks that helped. [It was] just a great honor to have the opportunity to do well in both and be recognized for it.”

AS: Coming out of Florida as decorated as you were, were you surprised to be selected in the fourth round? Did you feel that your talents were discounted by scouts/coaches?
DW: “No, I think by the time the draft happened, I had heard enough from folks to not expect to be drafted higher than that. That’s so far out of your control. I was thankful that [head coach] Mike Ditka and the [New Orleans] Saints drafted me, and I had a chance to go there and play. I really wasn’t disappointed with that, I was thankful to get the chance. When I was in 9th grade, Adam, I remember writing down a goal sheet – things we wanted to accomplish. My goal was to get a college scholarship and, actually at the time, I thought it might be in basketball – I didn’t know. But it ended up being in football. Really, to me, the opportunity to play in college was just phenomenal. And then the NFL was just an extra bonus – living an extra dream that I didn’t count on or plan or expect but just got the opportunity, and it was a blessing.”

AS: After being drafted by the Saints and playing there for a few seasons, you spent a year in NFL Europe and won the World Bowl while capturing the MVP of the game award. You would come back for three more years, the last of which was spent with the Washington Redskins under your old coach Spurrier. What was that phone call like?
DW: “I was playing for the [Chicago] Bears, and the Bears put me on the supplemental draft list for the Houston Texans. I remember my agent called me and said, ‘Look, we don’t think there’s really any chance the Texans are going to draft you, so you should be fine.’ And then he called me back and said, ‘I think they may be drafting you.’ And then they drafted me. And then shortly after that, I got a cal from coach Spurrier saying, ‘Don’t get too comfortable, I think they’re trying to work out a trade with us.’ He was trying to get me, and I think Houston snatched me up because they figured they could trade me [to] Spurrier, which is what ended up happening.”

AS: You were coached by Spurrier for five years and have gotten to see a little bit of Urban Meyer now. First talk to me about the type of coach Spurrier is…but also how does he compare and contrast to Meyer.
DW: “I think coach Spurrier, to me, he’s a strange combination of a precise technician who everything – the passing routes, the timing of the passing game is so precise – it’s like he’s a mechanic or engineer, combined with your old fashioned gunslinger – a cowboy. ‘Well, you run down there and turn left and I’ll hit ya.’ He’s got these two unique combinations. Most people are either too by the hip or too by the book, and he can really bring those two things together. Coach Spurrier is fiercely competitive in all things. He has a really funny sense of humor and really likes to laugh. I think he’s just, in particular, an offensive genius. Thinking of coach Meyer, I think of coach Meyer as kind of like the general of the entire operation. I see him being just involved in all aspects of the game and leading the whole army – leading his troops. Very efficient; everything they do is impactful. I think he manages the games very well, and I think he’s just a complete wonderful head football coach.”

AS: Throughout your time at Florida, you stood out not only athletically and academically, but also morally – a lot of kids really looked up to you. One of them was obviously Tebow, who has followed in your footsteps in all three of those areas and is now a role model himself for kids. What has it been like for you to see him – someone who idolized you – follow such a similar path?
DW: “It is ironic how it goes full circle – my son now wears a Tim Tebow jersey and we can talk about what it means to be a fine young man. I think all of us – whether we know it or not, whether we won a Heisman Trophy or not – we’re impacting people everyday. And you just never know who you are going to impact and how their life is going to impact others. To have stayed an extra couple of minutes to sign an autograph for Tim, for that to impact him and then for him to grow up and think about his life as impacting other people, and to know I played a small part in that is incredibly fulfilling and rewarding. I just hope that people don’t think you have to be a Heisman Trophy winner to have that kind of impact.”

AS: Another thing Tim and you will have in common is that you will be immortalized right outside The Swamp in two of three bronze statues going up this year. What did you think when you first found out about that?
DW: “It was a huge, huge honor to think that they would be interested in putting those up. And certainly to be next to those two guys even makes it even more special for me – my coach and a friend. Hopefully we’ll have room for many more in the next few years.”

AS: Speaking of that, let’s move on to this year. A lot of people are throwing some high praise on redshirt junior QB John Brantley and comparing him to guys from your era – pro-style drop back passers who can really move the ball down the field. What are your thoughts on him as a player and his potential with the program?
DW: “I’ve known Johnny for several years. He attended camp [that] me and Kerwin Bell and Shane Matthews used to [run]. You could tell, even when he was just a real young man, that he had some really special skills throwing the ball and really developed physically – he’s just really a good size and a good athlete. Additionally, the way that he develop[ed] his mind as a quarterback both in high school and college – having the years to develop, watching Tim play – I think he’s in a great, great position. I think he’s a very solid, very capable quarterback, and I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if he has a great year.”

AS: Since retiring you have been focusing much of your time and efforts on Desire Street Ministries. Talk to us a little about your main mission with the organization when you first started with it.
DW: “I actually got involved right after I got drafted by the Saints, so I’ve been working with Desire Street since 1997. Originally, the goal from 1990 – when it was started – was always to revitalize the Desire neighborhood, which was one of the worst neighborhoods in New Orleans. We would do that through a lot of different initiatives including we started a health clinic, started a church, started a school, started doing some housing renovations and job training and lots of youth development. At the same time, the secondary goal was to help other people in other cities develop similar types of community development ministries that would impact and change their own communities. We’re still working very diligently in New Orleans, and our vision for the next five years is to develop 12 thriving and sustainable urban ministries. We’re working in several cities in the Southeast now – raising awareness and funding and impacting inner cities and the lives of the kids. I look forward to doing that for years to come.”

AS: How has that focus shifted since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the area?
DW: “The biggest difference was, prior to the hurricane, we were focused on just the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Post-Katrina, we’re still very much focused there, but at the same time we are working in several other communities and other cities as well.”

AS: What is going on right now with DSM and how can Florida fans get involved?
DW: “Right now, kicking off the fall, in all of the locations one of the main thrusts is the after school program. We take kids after school and, instead of being on the streets, they’ll come in and do a combination of reading, arithmetic, different bible studies. There will probably be about 500 or so kids in all the different neighborhoods where we work starting this fall. So we’re definitely looking for support so we can keep these kids off the streets. Funding for the after school program is a great need right now.”

AS: One of the things Tim became famous for on a game-to-game basis was writing Bible verses on his eyeblack. If you were still playing and were going to do that, what verse would you put on there?
DW: “[Laughing] It’s a good question. I think I might do a different one each week, but one of my favorite verses in Second Corinthians, Chapter 4, Verse 18 [2COR 4:18]: ‘So we fix our eyes not on just what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, what is unseen is eternal.’ I think that sums up a lot of the way I live my life. We look at an inner city community and we see brokenness, but we also try to see something deeper, something broader, something more eternal and then try to see that come to fruition before our eyes.”

» OGGOA Interviews: ESPN’s Erin Andrews | DE Alex Brown | QB Tim Tebow | WR Percy Harvin | F/C Al Horford | TE Cornelius Ingram | DE Jermaine Cunningham | S Major Wright | LB Earl Everett | F/C Chris Richard