1 » Here is Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah dancing outdoors at a house party.

2 » The Baltimore Ravens are searching for a new No. 2 receiver, and it appears as if former Florida Gators pass catcher Denote Thompson “has the inside track” on the job, according to The Baltimore Sun. “[Thompson] could sneak in there, he looks different, is fast and catches everything,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “I’ve always said, the best player will play.” Thompson thinks his athleticism and speed mean the “sky is the limit” for what he can accomplish with the Ravens. He also discussed why he struggled with the Gators and how things have changed for him. “We had a new offensive coordinator and new coaches at Florida my last year and the whole offense didn’t play well,” he said. “We were just trying to find a rhythm. But here, I think I have adjusted and I can play outside or in the slot, it doesn’t matter. A year ago, I didn’t know what to expect, but now I know what it is going to take. One of the hardest things was learning defenses, the audibles and the different coverages.”

3 » Gators forward Erik Murphy participated in the 2013 NBA Combine late last week. He measured 6’8.75” without shoes, 6’9.5” with shoes and had a 6’10.5” wingspan and 9’0” reach. Murphy also checked in at 239.8 lbs. with eight percent body fat, 8.75” hands and 9.75” hand width. Here are his on the court results: three-quarter time (3.57 seconds), lane agility time (12.19 s), modified time (2.96 s), standing leap (24.5”), maximum leap (29.5”). Murphy will check in with OGGOA later this week with his second “Path to the Draft” blog post to recap the combine, but the Orlando Sentinel reports that he had a one-hour workout with the Orlando Magic last Thursday.

4 » Greg Luca of The Alligator penned this piece back in April on Ron “Moose” Davis, the fan who can always be found behind the basket at Florida basketball games wearing a moose hat and waving a neon Speedo in hopes of distracting opposing foul shooters. Plenty has been written about Davis over the years, but this piece provides great background and a thorough look at one of the Gators’ biggest fans.

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bulls, combine, Deonte Thompson, Erik Murphy, Joakim Noah, NBA, NFL, Orlando Magic

1 » If Chicago point guard Derrick Rose did not have enough motivation to come back and play well next year, comments from Washington Wizards rookie guard Bradley Beal may give him that extra kick in the butt. Beal this week told 106.7 The Fan that he might lose respect for a teammate who was cleared by doctors but chose to sit out and not try and help his team in the playoffs. “He might have to give it a go,” he said. “If you’re practicing for two months, and then everybody in practice is saying you’re practicing well, I mean, I think you have to give it a shot in the game. Look at David Lee. You don’t have to play significant minutes, but the fact that you’re out there and that you’re actually giving it a go, I think people will respect that.” He continued: “Because I know the type of player he is, and the mentality and the competitiveness that he has, I think he would have gave it a go.”

2 » Quarterback Tim Tebow was back in Jacksonville for the weekend – not for a tryout with his hometown’s NFL team but rather to speak at New Life Christian Fellowship. During his speaking engagement, a fan asked Tebow to pinpoint his most memorable moment was from his breakout 2011 season. Tebow self-deprecatingly replied: “One of my favorite stories, ironically, was against the New York Jets…and probably my greatest Jets highlight, I guess.” Tebow was also on NBC’s All-Star Celebrity Apprentice finale over the weekend as he donated $300,000 to charity on behalf of Trace Adkins, one of the two finalists competing to win the show.

3 » New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes is entering the final year of his rookie contract and undoubtedly hopes to remain with his team long-term. Not only does Spikes have a tremendous personal relationship with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick also values the player’s contributions on defense. Nevertheless, Spikes is only set to earn $630,000 in salary in 2013 (along with $240,000 as part of a prorated signing bonus) and undoubtedly feels like he deserves to get paid. New England has a history of getting its players to sign below-market-value contracts before they hit free agency, so keep an eye out for Spikes to get something done soon. According to ESPNBoston.com, he “hasn’t been seen much at Gillette Stadium since the offseason program begin in mid-April,” an approach that could be productive in letting the team know he is wanting to get a deal done before the season.

Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Beal, Tebow, Spikes, Leak, Francis

Tags: Billy Donovan, Bradley Beal, Brandon Spikes, Brandone Francis, Chris Chiozza, Chris Leak, NBA, New England Patriots, NFL, Tim Tebow, Washington Wizards, Will Muschamp

Former Florida Gators running back Mike Gillislee agreed to a four-year rookie contract with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, officially becoming the fourth player out of Florida on Miami’s roster for the 2013 season.

He signed for $2.322 million with a $162,800 fully guaranteed signing bonus and will average $580,700 per season, becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2017.

Gillislee is the fourth of Florida’s eight draftees to come to terms with the team that selected him in April’s draft. Chicago signed LB Jon Bostic on May 9. Linebacker Jelani Jenkins and kicker Caleb Sturgis inked deals with the Dolphins on Tuesday.

Gillislee was chosen by Miami with the No. 164 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, two spots ahead of Sturgis at No. 166 overall. The Dolphins will have an open competition at running back with Gillislee competing primarily against Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas.

Though not a starter until his senior season, Gillislee made the most of the opportunity by racking up 1,152 yards while becoming the Gators’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Ciatrick Fason in 2004. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry and scored 10 touchdowns.

Being selected by Miami was the realization of a dream for Gillislee, who grew up rooting for the Dolphins. He also gets to play close to home in front of his family.

“The Dolphins were always my favorite team. It was always a dream, and now my dream came true,” he said. “I’m going to be closer to my family and I’m just ready to play football. It’s good weather to play football and everything.”

All three new Miami players will join former Florida center Mike Pouncey, who is entering his third year with the franchise.

Tags: Caleb Sturgis, Draft, Jelani Jenkins, Mike Gillislee, Mike Pouncey, NFL

Two days after Florida Gators offensive line coach Tim Davis jokingly referred to Alabama’s Nick Saban as “the devil himself” during a Gator Gathering with boosters in Melbourne, FL, the four-time national championship-winning head coach responded.

“It really is a little terribly disappointing,” said Saban, according to AL.com.

Davis on Tuesday was discussing how pleased he was to be working for Florida head coach Will Muschamp when he decided to make light of the differences between Muschamp and Saban in order to entertain the crowd.

“Will and I go back to the Miami Dolphins,” Davis began. “I’ve always wanted to work with Will. Will’s got a plan. Will coached under the devil himself for seven years. I only did three. He did seven. And his DNA is not any different than Nick.”

He soon continued, laughingly referencing and juxtaposing Saban with Muschamp while coaxing repeated laughter from his audience.

“[Muschamp’s] like the other guy, only he’s got a personality,” Davis added. “He’ll smile at you. He’ll talk to you. You understand? That’s what he’s all about. That’s Will. I’m proud to work for him.”

Like many members of the media – notably ESPN’s Mark May, who referred to Davis as “a classless backstabbing coward” despite noting the two had never even met – Saban did not find Davis’s words the least bit comical.

Continue Reading » Saban: Davis’s “devil” comment “disappointing”

Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, Miami Dolphins, NFL, Nick Saban, Tim Davis, Will Muschamp

1 » While sophomore guard/forward DeVon Walker changed his mind about his decision to transfer and returned to the Florida Gators basketball program, sophomore point guard Braxton Ogbueze remained steadfast in his desire to leave and officially transferred this week. Ogbeuze, who committed to Florida out of Charlotte, NC, decided to return to his local community and play for the Charlotte 49ers. He will sit out the 2013-14 season due to NCAA transfer rules but will have three years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2014-15.

2 » Gators head basketball coach Billy Donovan sat down for a wide-ranging interview with former long-time NBA coach Brendan Suhr on his Coaching U LIVE podcast. The interview, which is reminiscent of a conversation with Inside the Actors Studio’s James Lipton, covers a variety of topics including why Donovan is a coach, how he describes himself as a coach, if he would play for a coach like himself and how college basketball players have changed over the years.

3 » Baltimore Ravens rookie safety Matt Elam met and spoke with Dwyer High School’s current football players recently, telling the members of his former team that using life’s difficulties to propel them on the football field can benefit their lives in the long run. “I feel like with me going [in the draft], it was a big motivation for the kids because they come from the same neighborhoods, the same program,” Elam told the Palm Beach Post. “I got the chance, and I took advantage of the chance. That makes the kids feel like they’ve got the chance. That’s what it’s all about.”

CLICK TO EXPAND and check out three more BITS of Florida Gators news.

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Billy Donovan, Bradley Beal, Braxton Ogbueze, Cleveland Browns, DeVon Walker, Draft, Eric Banks, golf, Matt Elam, NBA, NFL, Washington Wizards

Former Florida Gators linebacker Jelani Jenkins and kicker Caleb Sturgis agreed to four-year rookie contracts with the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday.

OGGOA has learned that Jenkins signed for $2.632 million with a $472,688 signing bonus and Sturgis inked his deal for $2.304 million with a $144,560 signing bonus. Signing bonuses for draft selections are fully guaranteed.

Jenkins and Sturgis are the second and third of Florida’s eight draftees to come to terms with the team that selected them in April’s draft. Chicago signed LB Jon Bostic on Thursday.

Jenkins was chosen by Miami with the No. 104 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Sturgis was selected at the bottom of the fifth round with the No. 166 overall choice.

The Dolphins believe that Jenkins’s speed, coverage ability, athleticism and upside were worth using their first third-day pick to acquire. At the time of his selection, he was the 11th former Gators player to be selected by the team and the first Florida linebacker picked by Miami since Channing Crowder (No. 70 overall) in 2005.

Sturgis became the 13th former Gators player selected by the Dolphins as he was picked just two spots after the team chose running back Mike Gillislee at No. 164 overall in the fifth round. Gillislee remains unsigned as of press time but should ink his deal with the team soon.

While Jenkins will compete for field time as a back-up linebacker, Sturgis will be in starter-or-bust mode as he goes up against veteran Dan Carpenter for the kicking job. Most NFL teams only carry one kicker on their roster. Though Carpenter had success early in his career, he struggled in 2012 and is set to earn $2.7 million in 2013, meaning Sturgis will have every opportunity to win the gig this summer.

All three new Miami players will join former Florida center Mike Pouncey, who is entering his third year with the franchise.

Tags: Caleb Sturgis, Draft, Jelani Jenkins, Mike Gillislee, NFL

1 » Is former Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow being “blackballed by NFL teams because of [his] cult-like following [and the] media frenzy” that follows him? That’s the headline of Yahoo! Sports writer Mike Silver’s most recent article, one that is perhaps not that far off from reality. Silver spoke to an NFC head coach who said as much. “He seems like a great guy to have on a team, and I’d be tempted to bring him in as our backup, but it’s just not worth dealing with all the stuff that comes with it,” he said. Silver also learned that New England head coach Bill Belichick, believed to be a fan of Tebow’s, “hates” Tebow as a player, that according to an “organizational source.” “No chance. Plus they wouldn’t like the circus that comes with it,” the source added.

If the fans and media are legitimately the reasons that Tebow is unemployed at this moment, the absurdity of that fact cannot be understated. In the NFL – and most professional leagues – talent is supposed to win out. If you are talented enough to play the game – and smart enough to stay out of the gutter off the field – coaches say you deserve a spot in the league or at the very least a chance to compete. The school you attended, spot you were drafted (if you were drafted at all), race, religion and sexuality are not supposed to matter. Now the message is that if fans like you and the media cover you (too much), you are not welcome. Even if one does not believe Tebow is a starting-caliber quarterback at this time, there are 32 NFL teams, which means there are 64 backup quarterback spots in the league. Try making an argument that Tebow is not talented enough to be a top-32 backup in the league or even deserving of tryouts with teams to showcase his abilities while second-round bust John Beck – a colossal bust of a second-round pick entering his seventh year as a professional with a 3-7 record and QB rating of 67.6 – is working with New Orleans this weekend.

2 » The WNBA may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the Los Angeles Sparks have been one team that Gators fans have been able to pay attention to over the years. In this picture taken on Thursday, former Florida head women’s basketball coach Carol Ross (now Los Angeles’ head coach), current Gators assistant coach Murriel Page (UF alumna and former Sparks player) and former Florida guard Bridget Pettis all pose for a picture while doing the Gator Chomp.

Read three more Florida Gators news BITS…after the break!
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Tebow, WNBA, Muschamp, Embree

Tags: Bridget Pettis, Carol Ross, Lauren Embree, Los Angeles Sparks, Murriel Page, NFL, Steve Spurrier, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Will Muschamp, WNBA, women's basketball, women's tennis

Updated: May 10 at 11:00 p.m.

Former Florida Gators linebacker Jon Bostic has signed a four-year, $3.941 million contract with the Chicago Bears.

The rookie’s agreement was officially announced by the team on Thursday, making Bostic the first of Florida’s eight draftees to come to terms with the team that selected him in April’s draft.

Bostic was chosen by the Bears with the No. 50 overall pick in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He was the third overall Gators player selected during the event and the first to have his name called (coincidentally by former Florida and Chicago running back Neal Anderson) on the second day of the three-day draft.

Bostic is the first Gators linebacker selected since Brandon Spikes (No. 62, 2010) and the 24th UF player drafted by the Bears in the history of the event.

He is the first Florida player to be picked by Chicago since safety Major Wright (No. 75, 2010), who is entering his fourth year with the franchise.

Bostic’s four-year rookie deal includes a $1.246 million signing bonus and $405,000 in first-year salary. He will earn $584,127 in 2014, $663,254 in 2015 and $842,381 in 2016 and will also be eligible for $100,000 workout bonuses in both 2015 and 2016.

Expected to compete immediately for the starting middle linebacker job, Bostic will be counted on to have a major impact on the Bears’ defense in 2013 even if he does not win the position. Chicago believes he can line up and start at all three linebacker spots.

“It’s really starting to sink in now,” Bostic told the team’s website. “It’s hard to believe that it’s all here. It’s something you dream about all your life as a kid and then all of a sudden you open your eyes this morning and it’s right in front of you.”

Tags: Chicago Bears, Draft, Jon Bostic, NFL