1 » Former Florida Gators center Maurkice Pouncey had a great rookie year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Earning the starting job from day one, Pouncey helped his team advance all the way to the Super Bowl, which he ended up missing due to injury. He had another unique opportunity this past Saturday as he and 12 of his Pittsburgh teammates worked as actors for the third installment of the new group of Batman films, The Dark Knight Rises. Pouncey and the rest of the Steelers were cast as football players and went through some motions on Heinz Field while surrounded by thousands of extras in the stands as fans. They are on the field against a Gotham team coached by Bill Cowher. “From what I’ve heard, it’s going to be like a pregame, warming-up type thing,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette before the filming. “I don’t know the whole concept. There’s a Gotham team, a football game. We’ll be wearing uniforms. It will be fun.”

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Tags: Chris Rainey, Doak Walker Award, Hornung Award, Jeff Demps, Maurkice Pouncey, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, Percy Harvin, Pittsburgh Steelers, Rookie of the Year, Super Bowl

Updated at 9 p.m.

With NFL training camp finally underway after an extended lockout cancelled organized team activities and mini camps, more than three dozen former Florida Gators are working out and trying to earn their keep this year. Below is a comprehensive look at each player in the league as well as those still looking for work.

Continue Reading » Florida Gators report to NFL training camps

Tags: A.J. Jones, Aaron Hernandez, Ahmad Black, Alex Brown, Andra Davis, Andre Caldwell, Billy Latsko, Brandon Hicks, Brandon Siler, Brandon Spikes, Carlos Dunlap, Chanel Brown, Channing Crowder, Chas Henry, Cooper Carlisle, Cornelius Ingram, David Nelson, Derrick Harvey, DeShawn Wynn, Duke Lemmens, Earnest Graham, Emmanuel Moody, Fred Taylor, Gerard Warren, Jabar Gaffney, Jarvis Moss, Jason Watkins, Jeremy Mincey, Jermaine Cunningham, Joe Haden, Justin Trattou, Keiwan Ratliff, Lito Sheppard, Louis Murphy, Major Wright, Marcus Gilbert, Marcus Thomas, Maurice Hurt, Maurkice Pouncey, Max Starks, Mike Peterson, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Percy Harvin, Phil Trautwein, Ray McDonald, Reggie Nelson, Rex Grossman, Riley Cooper, Terron Sanders, Tim Tebow

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 » Hobbled by migraine headaches throughout his life, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin believes that – finally – the nagging issue is behind him. “This is the best I’ve felt, probably, since I’ve been in kindergarten,” he told Ed Miller of The Virginian-Pilot. “I met a couple of doctors. There were a couple of things they found in my neck that I won’t get into – some things they found and fixed, along with diet and the rest of the things that can cause them. It’s been great, and knock on wood, it’ll continue.” Harvin, who had a scary episode during practice in Minnesota last year, has visited dozens of doctors and specialists and received even more explanations and treatments the migraines than he can count. He believes it has been five or six months since he last experienced one and hopes this streak continues permanently.

2 » Cleveland Indians first baseman Matt LaPorta, one of the best baseball players ever to wear a Florida Gators uniform, was placed on the 15-day disabled list by the club on Saturday after he severely sprained his ankle on Friday while caught in a rundown. LaPorta is currently hitting .242 with eight homers and 31 RBI.

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Tags: baseball, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Billy Donovan, Cleveland Indians, Draft, Jeremy Foley, Matt LaPorta, Minnesota Vikings, MLB, NBA, NFL, Percy Harvin, Vernon Macklin

1 » Outspoken Miami Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder told the Sun-Sentinel Tuesday that the current NFL lockout could “mess up integrity of the game” if it continues. “There’s going to be more injuries, it’s going to be real simple football,” he said. “It’s going to mess up the integrity of the game because we’re used to having those OTA’s, minicamps, off-season workouts […] it’s hurting the NFL now and as long as the owners won’t let us go to work it’s going to continue to hurt the game we love.” Crowder has been participating in private workouts with teammates in the offseason and hopes to be in top-notch condition when the season begins…whenever (if ever) that occurs.

2 » In a pairing that may make some Florida Gators fans cringe, Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback Christian Ponder has reached out to wide receiver Percy Harvin to begin working out together. The former Florida State Seminoles QB and Florida WR could be connecting for touchdowns for quite some time considering Harvin’s impressive athleticism and Ponder being selected with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

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Tags: Channing Crowder, Chicago Bulls, Christian Ponder, Corey Brewer, Dallas Mavericks, Joakim Noah, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, NBA, NFL, Nick Calathes, Panathinaikos, Percy Harvin

1 » Due to his migraines and a coaching change mid-season, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin did not end up performing up to where he did when he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie one year earlier. When If the 2011 season begins, Harvin will be more involved in the offense, according to head coach Leslie Frazier. “I still think there are more things that can be done with Percy [Harvin],” he told the Minnesota Star Tribune. “We did some things toward the end of the year where we definitely tried to isolate him, and that’s one of the reasons I pulled him off kickoff at times. I wanted to feature him more than we were. I wanted him to be a featured part of our offense. There’s different things we can do with him, and hopefully, Sidney [Rice is] in the fold and he’s healthy and there’s some things that we can do with him. Because of Adrian [Peterson], there are opportunities that we can do on the perimeter that a lot of teams can’t. But you still have to account for him on every single play. So, we have to be able to exploit in that sense and I think what we’re trying to do is build to be able to do that. Adrian creates a lot of good situations for our perimeter people.”

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Tags: Atlanta Braves, Billy Bullock, Draft, Fred Taylor, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings, MLB, NFL, Percy Harvin, Pro Bowl, Vernon Macklin

Though center/guard Mike Pouncey ended up choosing not to attend, three players representing the Florida Gators arrived in Mobile, AL to begin practice for the 2011 Under Armour Senior Bowl. Weigh-ins and the first day of practice took place on Monday with little news coming out of Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

Safety Ahmad Black, named by NFL Network’s Mike Mayock over the weekend as his No. 2 safety in the country, checked in at 5’9 3/8” and 183 lbs. with 9 5/8 in. hands, 29 1/2 in. arm length and a 73 1/4 in. wingspan. As expected, Black’s size was a topic of conversation amongst scouts who otherwise were impressed with his ability and tenacity.

He has signed with Joel Segal of Lagardere Unlimited, the agency that also represents both Pouncey twins and NFLers including Gerard Warren (New England), Alex Brown (New Orleans), Percy Harvin (Minnesota), Channing Crowder (Miami) and Riley Cooper (Philadelphia).

Without Pouncey in attendance, Marcus Gilbert was the sole representative of Florida’s offensive line. He came in at 6’6 1/2” and 329 lbs. with 9 7/8 in. hands, 34 in. arm length and an 81 1/8 in. wingspan. It is rumored that Gilbert, who is receiving a second-day projection, has signed with agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Punter/kicker Chas Henry, a first-team All-American and 2010 Ray Guy Award winner, is the third former Gators player on the South team. Though Henry’s representation is currently unknown, he will likely be selected during the second day of the 2011 NFL Draft even though most punters are signed as undrafted free agents or picked toward the end of the third day. At 6’3 3/8” and 220 lbs. with 9 3/8 in. hands, 33 in. arms and a 77 1/8 in. wingspan, scouts believe his talent is worth an early selection.

Tags: Ahmad Black, Alex Brown, All-American, Channing Crowder, Chas Henry, Draft, Drew Rosenhaus, Gerard Warren, Joel Segal, Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Marcus Gilbert, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Percy Harvin, Ray Guy Award, Riley Cooper, Senior Bowl, Under Armour

With the 2010-11 NFL regular season having come to a close, a number of Florida Gators participated in Week 17 action, some of whom had an impact on their team’s performance.OGGOA has checked and re-checked the box scores to bring you a summary of what these Gators accomplished during the final week of the regular season.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
DE CARLOS DUNLAP, Cincinnati Bengals: Four tackles (two solo, one for loss), 1.5 sacks, two QB hits, fumble recovery, Gator Chomp

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES
WR ANDRE CALDWELL, Cincinnati Bengals: Seven receptions for 94 yards (targets: 11, long: 39)
S REGGIE NELSON, Cincinnati Bengals: Four solo tackles, two passes defended, interception (56-yard return)
QB TIM TEBOW, Denver Broncos: 16/36 for 205 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions (QB rating: 58.2); 13 carries for 94 yards; touchdown (long: 30)
DL JEREMY MINCEY, Jacksonville Jaguars: Eight tackles (five solo, two for loss)
WR PERCY HARVIN, Minnesota Vikings: Eight receptions for 69 yards [team-highs] (targets: 14, long: 20); two rushes for -4 yards
DE ALEX BROWN, New Orleans Saints: Three solo tackles, sack, forced fumble

LB MIKE PETERSON, Atlanta Falcons: Solo tackle (for loss), fumble recovery
CB KEIWAN RATLIFF, Cincinnati Bengals: Two solo tackles
CB JOE HADEN, Cleveland Browns: Six solo tackles, pass defended
WR JABAR GAFFNEY, Denver Broncos: Rec. for 12 yards (targets: 3), solo tackle
DE DERRICK HARVEY, Jacksonville Jaguars: Solo tackle
LB CHANNING CROWDER, Miami Dolphins: Four solo tackles
CB LITO SHEPPARD, Minnesota Vikings: Three tackles (two solo)
RB FRED TAYLOR, New England Patriots: 10 carries for 35 yards
DT GERARD WARREN, New England Patriots: Two tackles (one solo)
DE JARVIS MOSS, Oakland Raiders: Three tackles, three QB hits, sack
WR LOUIS MURPHY, Oakland Raiders: Two receptions for 29 yards (targets: 4)
WR RILEY COOPER, Philadelphia Eagles: Reception for five yards (targets: 4)
FB BILLY LATSKO, San Diego Chargers: Solo tackle
LB BRANDON SILER, San Diego Chargers: Four solo tackles
QB REX GROSSMAN, Washington Redskins: 26/44 for 336 yards, two touchdowns, interception (QB rating: 88.8); carry for two yards; two fumbles lost

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN — NO STATISTICS / DID NOT PLAY
C Maurkice Pouncey (Pittsburgh Steelers), G Cooper Carlisle (Raiders) – WR David Nelson (Buffalo Bills), S Major Wright (Chicago Bears), DT Marcus Thomas (Broncos), DE Ray McDonald (San Francisco 49ers), FB Earnest Graham (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

INACTIVES
LB Andra Davis (Bills); LB Jermaine Cunningham, TE Aaron Hernandez, LB Brandon Spikes (Patriots); LT Max Starks (Steelers); RB DeShawn Wynn (49ers)

NOTES
- Tebow started his third consecutive game for Denver but posted his worst QB rating even though he scored three touchdowns.
- After being held without a reception in eight of Cincinnati’s first 13 games (due to his spot on the depth chart), Caldwell has posted 89, 87 and 94 yards, respectively, in the last three games.
- Dunlap has registered at least a partial sack in seven of his last eight games. He has now earned 9.5 over the course of his rookie season.
- Latsko was signed as a free agent this week and registered his first – and only – playing time of the season.
- In one play during the Denver-San Diego game, Tebow completed a pass to Gaffney who was tackled by Siler. Siler also got some good shots on Tebow during the contest.
- Injuries: Pouncey suffered a neck stinger during the Steelers game, and Thomas left the Broncos game with a right groin injury and did not return.
- Wynn was released by the 49ers and signed by the Saints on Monday.

OGGOA RELATED: Week 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

Tags: Alex Brown, Andre Caldwell, Brandon Siler, Carlos Dunlap, Channing Crowder, Derrick Harvey, Fred Taylor, Gator Chomp, Gerard Warren, Jabar Gaffney, Jarvis Moss, Jeremy Mincey, Joe Haden, Keiwan Ratliff, Lito Sheppard, Louis Murphy, Mike Peterson, NFL, Percy Harvin, Reggie Nelson, Rex Grossman, Riley Cooper, Tim Tebow