12 Gator Bites for Friday, May 31

By Adam Silverstein
May 31, 2013

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.

» Despite signing a National Letter of Intent in February and expecting to be a member of the Class of 2013, three-star defensive tackle Jarran Reed (Scooba, MS) will not be joining the Florida Gators this season. Reed was hoping to obtain his associate degree from East Mississippi Community College in one year but fell about 25 credits short. Instead, he will continue playing for EMCC in 2013 with hopes of completing his coursework and departing before the spring semester starts…though he may no longer be heading to Florida. According to The Gainesville Sun, Reed has decided to reopen his recruitment but does have the Gators at the top. “Florida is my favorite school,” he said. “But at the same time, I don’t want to close any doors just in case something crazy happens. I’d like to go on [official] visits. Who doesn’t want to take free trips?”

» South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier was honored Thursday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with the state of Florida’s Great Floridian Award, presented to him by Governor Rick Scott. Also in attendance were Gators head coach Will Muschamp and athletic director Jeremy Foley. Former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow received the honor just one month ago. Check out the local news report by GTN’s Julie Quittner.

» Former Gators cheerleader Caroline Davidson, who concluded her run with the spirit program in 2010, had successful brain surgery to completely remove a tumor on Thursday. Her mother, Kimberly Davidson, posted on Facebook that Caroline was in ICU recovering after the surgery but all signs were positive.

Check out nine more interesting bites of Florida Gators news…after the break!

» Golden State Warriors power forward David Lee underwent surgery Thursday on a torn right hip flexor and will begin rehabilitation in approximately two weeks. According to the Associated Press, Dr. William Meyers of the Vincera Institute performed the surgery in Philadelphia, PA, though no timetable for Lee’s return to the court has been established. He sustained the injury during the first game of the 2013 NBA Playoffs but refused to sit down for the season, dressing out each remaining game and even playing sparingly. Lee led the NBA in double-doubles during the 2012-13 season, averaging 18.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. He was the second player in school history to be named to the All-NBA third team and was chosen as an NBA All-Star for the second time in his career.

» Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan announced Thursday that guard Maurice Hurt was having a scope of his knee performed and would miss some time. The length of his absence is yet to be determined, but he should be fine to play in 2013 as a reserve offensive lineman.

» Former Florida linebacker Byron “Bam” Hardmon, who got his coaching career started as an assistant at Illinois under Ron Zook, spent the 2012 season serving as outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator for Charleston Southern. According to CoachingSearch.com, Hardmon was hired Thursday as the defensive line coach at Idaho under head coach Paul Petrino.

» Linebacker Brandon Spikes has been skipping New England Patriots organized team activities not as a protest over his contract (which expires in 2013) but rather to “prove that he can be a three-down linebacker” and “ensure he’s in optimal physical shape,” according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Spikes is currently in North Miami Beach, FL working out with hopes of improving his strength and conditioning so he can show out in what may wind up being his final season with the Patriots. Rapoport reports that Spikes “plans to attend June’s mandatory minicamp” but will then return to Florida to continue training before going back to New England.

» Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden is still bothered by his four-game drug suspension in the middle of the 2012 season and plans to make amends for his mistake this year. “This year, starting off fresh, I’m just trying to show just a new Joe,” he told 850 WKNR. “I feel with what I’ve been through – what I wanted to do last year and I had a setback – this year’s going to be my year. I just want to bring the team with me.” After nabbing six interceptions as a rookie, Haden did not haul in any during the 2011 season and brought down just three in 2012. He believes he is talented enough to be one of the top cornerbacks in the league and plans to prove it in his fourth season.

» Could the Southeastern Conference be adopting a uniform drug testing and substance-abuse policy? Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity (a former assistant under Foley at Florida) said Wednesday that may very well be the case as the first-of-its-kind concept will be brought to a vote by the league’s presidents on Friday. Each SEC member institution currently enforces its own testing procedures and punishments for recreational drugs with some schools viewed as too soft (Missouri) and others too strict (Vanderbilt). The Gators do not hand down a suspension for a first offense but do for second and third positive tests. If a student-athlete tests positive for recreational drugs a fourth time, they are dismissed from the school.

» Though Jeff Demps has not stepped on a football field in months and is not expected to any time soon, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers still believe he can contribute in 2013 and plan to at least give him the opportunity when his track season comes to an end. “They’re being very supportive about it,” Demps’s agent Daniel Rose told SportsTalk Florida. “We’ll probably sit down and talk about it some more. With him being only an hour away [in Clermont], he can always come visit the facilities and sit and meet with them, which is nice.” New England signed Demps as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and stashed him away on injured reserve before trading him in April.

» TMZ recently pestered future Hall of Fame running back LaDanian Tomlinson with a number of questions while he was leaving an airport. This is what Tomlinson had to say about Tebow: “Tebow can play football, man. He will find a home somewhere. I can’t tell him [to change positions]. If he wants to be a quarterback, that’s his prerogative.”

» Speaking of Tebow, ESPN The Magazine this month takes a look into why Tebow can no longer find a job in the NFL. Some may find the article bothersome but there is a lot of truth in what was written here.

11 Comments

  1. JamDog says:

    The ESPN The Magazine Tebow article is the same garbage that many ESPN “reporters” have been spewing about Tim for a while now. Not exactly a fresh take.

    • VO2max says:

      Spewing? Check yourself. Fleming column is well written.

      The strongest indicator of Tebow’s demise is that he has been reduced to a “Bite” at OnlyGators.com.

      • Michael Jones says:

        That’s brilliant, VO2max. So is that also an indication of Joakim Noah’s demise? And David Lee’s? And Brandon Spikes’? And Bradley Beal’s? And Nick Saban’s? Muschamp? Spurrier? Foley? And everybody else who gets mentioned in a bite? Don’t quite sure that I follow that logic.

        That said, I’ve seen worse written and more unfair treatment of Tebow than the Fleming piece.

        Just wish Tim would sign on somewhere–anywhere–and start playing football. If his throwing motion has really improved, then he needs to get on the field for some Arena or Canadian Football League team and show it. If guys like Kurt Warner and Doug Flutie had enough humility and passion for the game to play in those leagues until they proved to the world that they belonged in the NFL, then I don’t see why Tim can’t do the same thing.

  2. JamDog says:

    Tell me where I said it wasn’t well-written. How well it was written has nothing to do with it, it just doesn’t contain any original opinions and is just in there because ESPN knows Tebow articles get read.

    Your quip about Tebow’s demise just proves you don’t read this site much.

  3. VO2max says:

    Leave it to the knee jerk troll Michael Jones to write a whole paragraph refuting my ONE LINER! There is no “logic” in a one liner Einstein.

    Yeah “JamDog”, I posted the very first comment on this blog in the summer of 2009 but i don’t read this site much. Sorry, “spewing” and “well written” don’t coincide, ever. I’ve never seen someone with “Dog” in their name have a well reasoned opinion and that hasn’t changed.

    Again, it was a ONE LINER. And that obviously sailed right over both of your heads. Dismissed.

    • Michael Jones says:

      Ha. As usual, not much of what you write is true (e.g. you’re all over this site) or makes any sense. Taking a predictably arrogant tone and a petty, cheapshot at someone’s on-line name doesn’t make it any better, either. Got the “no logic” part right, though. That’s usually a safe bet with you.

      You ought to proofread some of your stuff–or at least give some thought to it–before you hit the submit button.

      And I’m out. I don’t think Adam cares much for this sort of thing and I don’t want to disrespect him or this excellent source of all things Gators. GO GATORS!!!

  4. MAR says:

    Calm down fellow Gators. We all bleed orange and blue here!

  5. Mr2Bits says:

    Adam : Have to say I think I’m with you on that article being well written and pointing out allot of facts that us Gator fans don’t want to digest. Tim can certainly win over a team and their fan base but if he is not delivering a high level product at a QB1 level, then he needs to learn to adjust. If football is truly his passion, he needs to give up his QB obsession or maybe move into a coaching/leadership role. His career has gotten to the point that he might be able to will his team to wins through luck and inspiration but no NFL team is going to jump into that boat with him. Sad to say as 2011 was one of the most exciting seasons in the NFL with him but I fear that will be the last time we see Tim as a QB.

    • MAR says:

      It’s tough to admit, but I agree. I still can’t believe there is no team out there that thinks he would improve given the chance. 2011 WAS the most exciting NFL season I have ever witnessed and I doubt I will enjoy pro football that much again. That is, unless Tim gets a chance. His passion, will and rare skills are fun to watch.

    • Don’t get me wrong, Tebow deserves to be in the NFL. He’s talented enough and better than at least 2/3 of the backups in the league. But I also understand why he’s not in the league at this moment, even though it is ridiculous. It may take a year or two, but I think he gets another shot.

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