1 » No. 1 Florida Gators women’s tennis (22-1, 11-0 SEC) shutout the South Carolina Gamecocks (12-9, 4-7 SEC) 7-0 on Saturday to capture the outright 2011 Southeastern Conference Championship for the regular season at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville, FL. The victory not only won Florida the SEC title and a No. 1 seed (including a bye) in the upcoming 2011 SEC Tournament, it was also the team’s 102nd consecutive regular season victory and 93rd-straight at home. The No. 8 doubles team of sophomore Allie Will and freshman Alex Cercone took down their No. 32-ranked opponents 8-4. No. 7 Will and No. 51 Cercone each won their singles matches, as did No. 20 sophomore Lauren Embree, No. 37 junior Joanna Mather, No. 49 freshman Olivia Janowicz and No. 104 freshman Sofie Oyen. The No. 43 duo of Embree and Oyen also won their doubles match earlier in the day.

2 » No. 5 Gators gymnastics was not as successful over the weekend, failing to advance to the 2011 NCAA Super Six team final by finishing fourth in Session II of the 2011 NCAA Championships semifinals. Florida finished with 196.125 points behind Alabama (197.05), Nebraska (196.85) and Utah (196.20). Fortunately for the Gators, three of the ladies advanced to the NCAA individual event finals on Sunday. Freshman Alaina Johnson will compete in vault, uneven bars and floor exercise; sophomore Marissa King will try her hand at vault and floor exercise; and senior Maranda Smith will participate in the floor exercise. All three were named to the All-American First Team.

3 » Florida 2012 running back commitment Mike Davis (Stone Mountain, GA) won a Most Valuable Player award for his group at the Nike Football Training Camp in Athens, GA on Friday. “Mike did some incredible things,” Jake Campbell, running backs coach at the camp, told ESPN. “He has great lateral movement and change of direction. He’s terrific in the open field. He’s a true running back where things come so natural to him. He’s versatile and has soft hands. He’s also a strong ball carrier who really seems to understand the position.”

4 » Gators safety Will Hill, waiting to find out who will take a chance on him in the 2011 NFL Draft, participated in a local prospect day for the New York Giants on Thursday. The Newark Star-Ledger’s Mike Garafolo says Hill “has the Giants intrigued” to the point that they have “look[ed] into the personal side of things” regarding his character.

Tags: Alaina Johnson, Alex Cercone, Allie Will, Draft, gymnastics, Joanna Mather, Lauren Embree, Linder Stadium, Maranda Smith, Marissa King, Mike Davis, MVP, NCAA, NCAA Championship, NCAA Super Six, New York Giants, NFL, Olivia Janowicz, Ring Tennis Complex, SEC, SEC Championship, Sofie Oyen, tennis, Will Hill

OGGOA Related: Gators at the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine – Part 1

ONLY GATORS Get Out Alive has covered the seven former Florida Gators players who were officially invited to participate in the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine (National Invitational Camp) in Indianapolis, IN, at Lucas Oil Stadium each day.

Two Florida Gators safeties – Ahmad Black and Will Hill – have now been measured, completed exams, met with the media, been interviewed by teams, undergone psychological tests and completed their full combine workout. The duo was on the same schedule throughout the week; they arrived Saturday and departed Tuesday. Below is how each player measured in and performed at the NFL Combine.

Strong safety Ahmad Black (Group 10, DB3)
Height: 5’10″
Weight: 184 lbs.
Arm Length: 31 in.
Hand Size: 9 7/8 in.

40-Yard Dash: 4.74 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.20 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: 11.25 seconds
Bench Press: 18 reps
Broad Jump: 9’11″
Vertical Jump: 35.5
3-Cone Drill: 6.85 seconds

Overview: When discussing Black’s future, analysts usually say something along the lines of, “He was great in college, but…” and conclude the sentence referencing the fact that he is undersized for a NFL safety. This is a known obstacle, but Black has proven over a four-year college career that he has every other attribute needed to succeed at the next level. He is tough, durable, smart and can sniff out passes with the best of them. His stature will prevent him from lining up one-on-one against more physical receivers, but he makes up for that in athleticism, tackling ability and overall football intelligence. Black can blitz and cover and should be an immediate starter on special teams who works himself into a starting safety role on the next level.
Strengths: Athleticism, instinctive, awareness, intelligence, tackling ability, leadership
Weaknesses: Size, speed, backpedaling

Free safety Will Hill (Group 10, DB22)
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 202 lbs.
Arm Length: 32 in.
Hand Size: 9 1/2 in.

40-Yard Dash: 4.65 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.19 seconds
Broad Jump: 10’3″
Vertical Jump: 31.0
3-Cone Drill/60-Yard Shuttle/Bench Press: ? / DNP

Overview: Coming out of high school as a five-star recruit, Hill was expected to be a world beater at Florida. He possesses all of the physical tools necessary to make it in the NFL but has struggled with his awareness and football IQ. Hill’s best trait on the field is his ball skills and ability to stop the run, but he did not prove to be especially productive in the former area with the Gators. As a special teams player, Hill could start right away as a rookie; as a safety it will probable take a while for him to develop, if he ever does.
Strengths: Athleticism, size, speed, strength
Weaknesses: Instinctive, consistency, awareness, intelligence

Touching down in Indianapolis, IN, last Wednesday were five other Gators. You can check out how their participation in the combine went by clicking here.

The event, which was held for six days from Feb. 23 to March 1, consisted of more than 300 players being put through a series of drills, tests and interviews while more than 600 NFL personnel in attendance including coaching staffs, executives, player personnel and medical staff look on and evaluate each of them. It amounts to the final job interview these athletes will participate in before the 2011 NFL Draft commences on April 28.

Tags: Ahmad Black, combine, NFL, Will Hill

1 » Florida Gators center Mike Pouncey has heard the doubters, but he is steadfast in believing a few things: (1) he’s better than his brother, (2) staying another year at UF had a positive affect on him and (3) he will be drafted higher than No. 18 overall [where the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Maurkice Pouncey in 2010]. “I think I block in the open field better, but like I said, we’re the same player,” Mike quipped during the media session at the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine. He also told CBS’s Len Pasquarelli that not being picked before his brother would cause him great anxiety. “I won’t sleep, man, if I don’t go higher than he did,” he said. “I mean, I came back to [the Gators] for a reason. It’s not like we have a bet or anything. He keeps saying, like, ‘OK, you can go 19th [overall]. That would really be good.’ But I want to be higher, if possible. That would be good, too.” Pouncey also discussed his early season struggles. “There was a lot of [focus] on the bad shotgun snaps at the beginning of the year,” he noted. “But things got a lot better as the year went on. And people were looking at one or two snaps out of the 70 that I played, and making a judgment on them. Scouts, they’re looking at all 70 plays and grading them. Judge me on a whole game. I think I can play.”

2 » Florida safety Ahmad Black is sick of having his size criticized, especially when scouts only have positive things to say about all of his other attributes. Nevertheless, he has not let the insults get him down and continues to push ahead toward his goal of starting in an NFL secondary sooner than later. “It’s frustrating,” he said, according to the Sun-Sentinel. “At the end of the day, it’s about making plays, You’ve got the big guy that’s fast and can make plays and you just want to make more plays than that guy. I get to the ball, I’m fast. At the end of the day, I get what they’re saying. But can he make plays or can he not? That’s how I live. Teams may pass on me because of my size, but the team that picks me up will definitely have something good.”

3 » Black was not the only Gators safety to depart this season; junior Will Hill left a year early to pursue his dream of playing football professionally while providing for his family. Before the combine, Hill was the subject of a feature story by the Newark Star-Ledger. In it he noted that he was concerned with how teams perceived his character. “How are they going to judge me as a person, see me as a person?” Hill said. “Character issues are a big thing in the NFL and that can make or break you, so that’s the biggest pressure.” The writer speaks with a number of people close to Hill to get a fuller picture about the type of person he is both on and off the field. The paper also spoke with ESPN’s Todd McShay, who had this to say about Hill’s future:

“He’s going to be asked a lot of questions. He’s going to have to answer them sincerely and NFL teams are going to have to feel comfortable with him. When you’re one of the top 30, 40, 50 players, teams are going to overlook more than when it comes to guys who are somewhere in the 100s, 150-250 overall — it’s like anything in life. And with Will Hill, obviously, there are some of those questions.”

4 » Florida soccer, which finished the 2010 season ranked No. 12 in the country and No. 1 in the SEC, announced Monday that 13 players will be joining the team as part of the 2011 recruiting class. Joining the Gators in the fall are forwards Tessa Andujar (San Clemente, CA) and Jillian Graff (Medina, OH); defenders Savannah Berry (Encinitas, CA), Annie Bobbitt (Fleming Island, FL), Kim Sapienza (Gainesville, FL), Lauren Silver (Delray Beach, FL) and Taylor Thigpen (Jacksonville, FL); midfielders Lindsey Cooper (Seminole, FL), Katrina Gutsche (Valrico, FL), Jennifer Larrick (Westford, MA), Havana Solaun (Gainesville, FL) and Annie Speese (Augusta, GA); and goalkeeper Taylor Burke (Medina, OH). Cooper is the sister of former Gators star wide receiver Riley Cooper, and Burke signed her National Letter of Intent with the track & field team so she will not count against soccer’s scholarship limit. For more information on the newest Florida student-athletes, click here.

Tags: Ahmad Black, Annie Bobbitt, Annie Speese, combine, Havana Solaun, Jennifer Larrick, Jillian Graff, Katrina Gutsche, Kim Sapienza, Lauren Silver, Lindsey Cooper, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Savannah Berry, SEC, soccer, Taylor Burke, Taylor Thigpen, Tessa Andujar, Will Hill

ONLY GATORS Get Out Alive will be covering the seven former Florida Gators players who have been officially invited to participate in the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine (National Invitational Camp) in Indianapolis, IN, at Lucas Oil Stadium each day.

Five Florida Gators – center/guard Mike Pouncey, tackle Marcus Gilbert, guard Carl Johnson, guard Maurice Hurt and punter Chas Henry – have already been measured, completed exams, met with the media, been interviewed by teams, undergone psychological tests and completed their full combine workout. The quintet was on the same schedule throughout the week; they arrived Wednesday and departed Saturday. Below is how each player measured in and performed at the NFL Combine.

Center/guard Mike Pouncey (Group 02, OL39)
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 303 lbs.
Arm Length: 32 ¼ in.
Hand Size: 9 ¾ in.

40-Yard Dash: 5.12 seconds
Bench Press: DNP
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.64 seconds
Broad Jump: 8’0”
Vertical Jump: 25.0
3-Cone Drill: 7.66 seconds

Overview: The consensus top interior offensive lineman in the draft, Pouncey has been touted for his outstanding footwork, hand speed and overall football IQ. His work ethic is unquestionable and many teams look at his brother’s early success as an indicator of his future ceiling. Pouncey is determined to be selected earlier.
Strengths: Size, quickness, experience, awareness, discipline
Weaknesses: Shotgun snap issues, can improve run blocking

Tackle Marcus Gilbert (Group 02, OL27)
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 330 lbs.
Arm Length: 33 ½ in.
Hand Size: 9 ¾ in.

40-Yard Dash: 5.46 seconds
Bench Press: 30 reps
20-Yard Shuttle / Broad Jump / Vertical Jump / 3-Cone Drill: DNP

Overview: The measurables are all there for Gilbert, and he has shown proficiency both in pass and run blocking. Not the most explosive offensive lineman, Gilbert is projected as an NFL starter down the road.
Strengths: Size, length, athleticism, mobility, instinctive
Weaknesses: Quickness, tenacity, awareness

Quote: “I just want to show that I’m one of the best tackles out there. Come out here and compete and have fun. Just showcase my skills and try to elevate, show them that my game is higher than what most people realize.”

Check out how the other five Gators performed in Indianapolis…after the jump!
Continue Reading » Gators at the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine – Part 1

Tags: Ahmad Black, Carl Johnson, Chas Henry, combine, Draft, Lucas Oil Stadium, Marcus Gilbert, Maurice Hurt, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Will Hill

ONLY GATORS Get Out Alive has learned that seven former Florida Gators players have been officially invited to participate in the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine (National Invitational Camp) in Indianapolis, IN, at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The event, which is held for six days from Feb. 23 to March 1, consists of more than 300 players being put through a series of drills, tests and interviews while more than 600 NFL personnel in attendance including coaching staffs, executives, player personnel and medical staff look on and evaluate each of them. It amounts to the final job interview these athletes will participate in before the 2011 NFL Draft commences on April 28.

The seven former Gators student-athletes participating in the combine include:

Strong safety Ahmad Black – Group: 10; Camp: DB3
Offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert – Group: 02; Camp: OL27
Kicker Chas Henry – Group: 01; Camp: PK7
Free safety Will Hill – Group: 10; Camp: DB22
Guard Maurice Hurt – Group: 02; Camp: OL24
Guard Carl Johnson – Group: 01; Camp: OL16
Center/guard Mike Pouncey – Group: 02; Camp: OL39

Read about each player’s day-to-day schedule in Indianapolis after the jump!
Continue Reading » Seven Gators invited to 2011 NFL Combine

Tags: Ahmad Black, Chas Henry, combine, Draft, Maurice Hurt, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Will Hill

1 » Former Florida Gators safety Will Hill, making an appearance on The Pat Dooley Show on Monday, claimed that recent criticism he received over messages from his Twitter account were not his but instead the work of someone else. “The Twitter thing just came up to me. I haven’t been on Twitter for the last five or six months. I called my people to see what was going on. I deleted everything but some blogger cut and pasted some things. Somehow, my thing has been hacked,” he said. “That was really hard on me. I would never want to disrespect the Gator Nation or Coach [Will] Muschamp or Urban Meyer. I don’t want people to think of me as a bad person.” Hill also said academics, not behavioral issues, were the reason he was suspended the first two games of the season and played sparingly in the 2011 Outback Bowl. He chose to clarify his decision to declare for the 2011 NFL Draft as well. “Coach Meyer always talks about family and when he decided to step down he talked about how important his family was and I was thinking the same way,” Hill said. “I have three beautiful sons and a beautiful wife. I thought it was best for me to leave the university. I know I didn’t have the best year, but I know I’m a great athlete. There was a lot going on this year. I had a few injuries and I couldn’t perform to the best of my abilities. I felt I let people down.”

2 » Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who cut-down Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler on Sunday via his Twitter account by claiming he “quit” like former Gators head coach Urban Meyer, decided to back-off a portion of that statement Monday…the part about Cutler. “I never attacked him, called him soft or a sore loser,” Jones-Drew said about Cutler. “I never questioned his toughness. I think people took my joke out of context.” So what exactly was his joke? “I was taking a shot at Florida fans,” he quipped. Smart move for someone playing in a metropolitan area with arguably the largest collection of Florida fans outside of Gainesville, FL. Editor’s note: Jones-Drew attended UCLA.
 

Tags: Chicago Bears, Draft, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jay Cutler, Maurice Jones-Drew, NFL, Outback Bowl, Urban Meyer, Will Hill, Will Muschamp

1 » Florida Gators four-star running back Mike Blakely (Bradenton, FL), an early enrollee already on campus at the University of Florida, is scheduled to have shoulder surgery this week that will keep him out of spring practice but hopefully allow him to be available in the summer. It is not known how Blakely injured his shoulder except that it occurred before he enrolled in January.

2 » Three-star offensive lineman commitment Chase Hounshell (Kirkland, OH), originally scheduled to join some of his future teammates as an early enrollee this month, instead decided to return to high school and take his time making his final decision. Hounshell announced Sunday that he received an in-home visit from Gators head coach Will Muschamp and offensive line coach/running game coordinator Frank Verducci, men he described as “first class” and “just great people.” He will be visiting Florida this upcoming weekend in what appears to be a reaffirmation trip.

3 » The Gators coaching staff, barring a packed suitcase and plane ticket to Gainesville, FL, is now complete. New defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the defensive line coach of the Seattle Seahawks until they lost to the Chicago Bears in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs on Sunday, has now fulfilled his commitment to his team and should be ready to hit the ground running any day now. A Scout.com report from Friday noted that Quinn’s assistant DL coach at Florida, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Bryant Young, was already hard at work recruiting. He was in the home of five-star DT Tim Jernigan (Lake City, FL), convincing him to take a trip and give UF some serious consideration.

4 » Though former Gators safety Will Hill decided to leave school early and declare for the 2011 NFL Draft, his classmate and teammate in the secondary, junior cornerback Janoris Jenkins, chose to stick around for his senior season. Hill was shocked by this occurrence, especially considering Jenkins was expected to be a first-round selection, and told the Orlando Sentinel his thoughts on the subject. “He was talking about leaving,” Hill said. “I haven’t heard or spoke to him for two months. Last time I spoke to him, he said he was leaving. That he’s coming back is kind of a surprise.”

5 » After meeting with four-star quarterback recruit Jacoby Brissett (West Palm Beach, FL) at his high school on Friday, new Florida offensive coordinator and QB coach Charlie Weis invited him to take an unofficial visit to campus over the weekend. Brissett obliged, watched most of the game with Weis and met up with some of his former Dwyer High School teammates including freshman S Matt Elam. Brissett, also a high school basketball player who could be in a unique position to play both sports at UF, reportedly came away from the visit impressed though he still has plenty of thinking to do. Muschamp extended a scholarship offer to Brissett after Weis left on Friday, something he had not been given under former head coach Urban Meyer.

6 » The Gators’ two basketball programs have had a pretty rough go of it this week. In addition to the men falling 72-69 at home to South Carolina, the women lost a pair of gut-wrenching games on Thursday and Sunday. Routed 83-40 at home by the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers on Jan. 13, Florida blew a 16-point lead with 14:17 remaining in the game to fall 70-64 to the Georgia Bulldogs on the road in Athens, GA on Jan. 16. After getting out to a good start this season, the women have lost three of their last four games including a 73-56 throttling by Auburn on Jan. 6.

Tags: Bryant Young, Charlie Weis, Chase Hounshell, Chicago Bears, Dan Quinn, Draft, Dwyer, Frank Verducci, Georgia Bulldogs, Jacoby Brissett, Janoris Jenkins, Matt Elam, Mike Blakely, NFL, Playoffs, Pro Bowl, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Volunteers, Tim Jernigan, University of Florida, Urban Meyer, Will Hill, Will Muschamp, women's basketball

The Florida Gators officially announced on Friday that junior safety Will Hill has decided to forgo his final year of eligibility and declare for the 2011 NFL Draft.

OGGOA first reported Hill’s decision on Jan. 5.

“Although I didn’t have a chance to coach Will Hill, we certainly wish him the best of luck in the NFL,’’ head coach Will Muschamp said in a statement. “Like all of our players, we hope he understands the value of his education and returns to get his degree.”

OGGOA RELATED 1/5: Will Hill to forgo senior season, enter NFL Draft

Photo Credit: Stephen Morton/Associated Press

Tags: Draft, NFL, Will Hill, Will Muschamp