FOUR BITS: Meyer, Cooper, Whitson, Demps

1 » Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer, speaking at the 40th annual UF Joint Civic Club Luncheon alongside president Bernie Machen, paid tribute to longtime Gainesville, FL, police officer Johnny Hornes who died last week of cancer at 67. Speaking about Hornes, Meyer noted that he helped change his players’ perceptions of law enforcement and even taught redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Rainey how to tie a neck tie. During the tribute, Machen happened to say something of note regarding Meyer’s future. “And after [the Meyers] finish working, they’re going to stay in Gainesville as members of the community. So they’ve chosen this as their home, and they’ve chosen you as their friends and neighbors, and I think we’re all better for that.”

2 » According to the Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News, former Gators wide receiver Riley Cooper has firmly taken control of the Philadelphia Eagles’ No. 4 receiving role from veteran Hank Baskett. He has been a standout during training camp and has performed well while some of the team’s starters have been out with a variety of injuries.

Three more BITS including thoughts from baseball star Whitson, an honor for Demps and a photo spread featuring a Florida cheerleader…after the break!

3 » Contrary to rumors that he was considering going to a community college in order to reenter the MLB Draft next year, No. 9 overall draft pick pitcher Karsten Whitson will indeed be attending Florida and plans to enroll on Monday. When he and his agent failed to reach an agreement with the San Diego Padres on a few nights ago, Whitson called Gators head coach Kevin O’Sullivan to let him know what his plans were. “I said, ‘Hey coach, I have some bad news for you – you have to put up with me for the next three years,” Whitson said. “I’m really excited about going to college and pitching for UF. It has been a dream of mine before pro ball. […] It’s a big deal to me. They went to the World Series this year and hopefully I’ll be able to make a big impact.”

4 » Gators junior running back Jeff Demps has been nominated for the 2010 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which honors “dedicated and hard-working student-athletes for their off-the-field achievements and selfless contributions to their communities.” Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Tim Tebow made the team in 2009.

Extra BIT » Florida cheerleader Tarin Moses has been honored as the cover girl [cover | photo spread] for the August 2010 issue of American Cheerleader magazine – a publication that reaches 1.2 million readers and is the largest of its kind in the nation, according to The Tampa Tribune. “Cheering for UF is one of the most exciting things about college for me,” she says in the article. “Everyone knows who you are. And leading over 90,000 people in a chant of “orange and blue” is incredible.”

Photo Credit: Richard Graulich/The Palm Beach Post