ESPN'S GameDay headed to Gainesville

The Florida-Miami game may not be your average "traditional'' rivalry, but it's garnering national attention this week.

ESPN's GameDay will originate from Gainesville on Saturday.

No. 5 Florida (1-0) will host Miami (1-0) at 8 p.m. Saturday. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

GameDay will be broadcast from the grass outside the North End Zone of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.  The two-hour program with host Chris Fowler and analysts Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard airs live on ESPN Saturday at 10 a.m.

Florida will be making its 28th appearance on GameDay, the most of any school in the nation. The Gators are 16-10 (.615) when they are featured in the on-site game and last appeared on the program on April 12, when ESPN covered the "Orange & Blue Debut" Spring Scrimmage.

This will be the program's first regular-season appearance in Gainesville since Oct. 7, 2006, a 23-10 Florida victory over No. 9 LSU. UF's most recent regular-season appearance on the program was a 45-37 win over No. 8 Kentucky in Lexington on Oct. 20, 2007.

Stamper undergoes surgery for broken thumb

After playing a portion of Saturday's game against Hawaii with a broken thumb, redshirt junior LB Ryan Stamper underwent surgery Sunday morning and is questionable for this week's game against Miami.

Stamper, who had two tackles in the game, continued to play after injuring his hand.

"He had surgery on his thumb this morning,'' UF coach Urban Meyer said. "He's a tough guy, he went in and actually played after injuring it right before the first half. I didn't even really know about it. And then they wrapped it up. And our medical staff was good enough to come in and operate on it Sunday so his chances of playing will actually go up.''

Stamper had pins inserted in his thumb and will be in a cast for about the next four weeks.

OL Jim Tartt's shoulder is still bothering him, but Meyer said he'll most likely play this week. WR Percy Harvin (heel) and LB Brandon Spikes (foot) are both probable, Meyer said.

Hernandez benched for Saturday's game

No, it wasn't your imagination. And you didn't miss him while getting a drink during the commercials.

Aaron Hernandez's debut as the starting tight end has been delayed at least one week.

Hernandez was benched by coach Urban Meyer for some unknown disciplinary reason. He stood on the sidelines Saturday.

"If he's ready to play,he'll play next week,'' Meyer said. "He wasn't ready to play this week.''

Translation: Hernandez did something to tick Meyer off and he sat him down to remind him they can survive without him.

 

No. 5 Gators rout Hawaii 56-10

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Hawaii started this season the same way it ended the last one - getting blown out by a Southeastern Conference power.

Fifth-ranked Florida scored on offense, defense and special teams and routed the Warriors 56-10 in the season opener for both teams Saturday.

Even without injured speedster Percy Harvin (heel) and linebacker Brandon Spikes (toe), the Gators dominated every aspect of this one and handed Greg McMackin a lopsided loss in his debut as Hawaii's head coach.

Florida makes trip worthwhile for Hawaii

Okay, so Hawaii had to travel more than 5,000 miles and several time zones to get to Gainesville, but the Warriors won't leave empty-handed.

According to Florida athletic officials, Hawaii will receive $600,000 for agreeing to play the Gators in Gainesville. It is the largest single-game payoff in school history. 

Spikes, Harvin officially out

As expected, junior WR Percy Harvin and junior LB Brandon Spikes will not play in today's game against Hawaii.

Both are on the sidelines in shorts.

Your Gator questions answered

Florida ’s 2008 season kicks off on Saturday, and since I haven’t seen the team practice in two weeks, I’m as eager to see them play as you fans are. Actually, I just want to know if the coaches have been honest with us all this time. What I can tell you is that there seems to be a sense of unity among this group that wasn’t evident last season. Ask a guy about himself, and he immediately starts talking about “the team.’’ As for Tim Tebow (pictured above), carrying the title of Heisman Trophy winner doesn’t seem to have affected him. He remains as genuine as he was last year this time when he hadn’t started one game.

Here are, hopefully, some decent answers to questions you’ve asked.   
 
Q: How is our tight end situation coming along?  -- Glenn Savell

A: Urban Meyer is absolutely in love with sophomore Aaron Hernandez, which is probably all you need to know. With the loss of Cornelius Ingram ( ACL ) a lot more will be required of Hernandez, who had nine receptions for 151 yards last season. Problem is, the coaching staff had plans to use the two-tight end offense, which they believed would create some unbelievable mismatches. So the reality is while the staff insists it hasn’t bagged the plan, Meyer is the master of mismatches and this isn’t much of a mismatch anymore. No offense to fifth-year senior Tate Casey, but he’s just not nearly as athletic at Cornelius Ingram who was big, strong and had good speed. Casey has gained weight and strength, but he isn’t Ingram.

Q: I would like to know what the status of the defense is. They were horrible last year, especially the secondary. Who will start on the defensive line, and how is the secondary progressing? -- Mike

A: There’s no way of telling the true status of this defense until they actually play somebody. It’s no secret how bad Florida’s secondary was last season, but according to the coaches, the addition of assistant coach Vance Bedford has made Wondy Pierre-Louis (left), Joe Haden and Ahmad Black remarkably better than they were last year. What that actually means remains to be seen. Here’s Meyer’s take: “Coach Bedford has done a good job and I like what he’s doing, but there will be challenges in the first game coming up.’’

As far as the defensive line: Carlos Dunlap and Jermaine Cunningham will start at end, Lawrence Marsh at nose, Terron Sanders at DT. However, expect to see a lot of Tampa ’s own Matt Patchan at tackle as well. After just three full days of contact in practice, the coaches, particularly Dan McCarney, are raving about Patchan. McCarney said Wednesday afternoon he is hoping to rotate between seven and nine players, to keep the line fresh. And he believes he has the players to successfully do that.

Spikes, Harvin remain doubtful for Hawaii game

Florida coach Urban Meyer said after Wednesday's practice that LB Brandon Spikes and WR Percy Harvin most likely won't play this Saturday.

"At this point, I don't think so,'' Meyer said.

Harvin continues to struggle with recovery from heel surgery last spring and Spikes is nursing a foot injury. OL Maurice Hurt is questionable with a shoulder stinger.

Former Armwood standout Torrey Davis practiced for the third day, but will not play Saturday and former Zephyrhills safety Bryan Thomas will miss the game still recovering from surgery to remove a cyst from his knee.

Also, Ronnie Wilson, who returned to the team three weeks ago and moved to defense, has moved back to offense. Assistant coach Dan McCarney said the move indicates the depth the defense has, and the fact Wilson is more comfortable on the offensive line.

Florida has no plans to travel to Hawaii

Don't expect to the Gators play in Hawaii any time during Urban Meyer's tenure.

The Gators' coach said Wednesday morning that while he's excited about the opportunity to play the Warriors in the Swamp, he has no intention of traveling across the country to play in Hawaii.

"There's no chance the University of Florida will ever go to Hawaii and play while I'm here,'' Meyer said. "And that's not a knock. I'll go visit Hawaii, but the reality is we won't play out there because we don't recruit Hawaii and we have a challenging enough schedule. I know what they are like over on that island.''

Meyer said he was directly involved with UF athletic director Jeremy Foley in scheduling the Warriors for this year's season opener, saying the prospect of playing a team that went to a BCS bowl last season was a plus for his team during the offseason.

"I did it (put them on the schedule) for a lot of reasons,'' he said. "I wanted to make sure our guys had a good first game. I think any time you schedule a team like Hawaii, it makes your offseason that much more productive and focused. Because when you face a smaller school's team, I can't say I-AA because of what Appalachian State did and there are so many good teams out there. But our focus has been much greater than it has been because of who we're playing in this first game, what they did last year and the way we speak about them. And the bottom line is the football on the film when you see them. But our focus has been real good this year.''

If you're going to the game, wear white and bring cans

If you're attending Saturday's season opener against Hawaii, Florida has two initiatives that involve asking fans to wear a certain color and bring food.

UF coach Urban Meyer is urging all fans to wear white to the game instead of Orange and Blue in recognition of the University of Florida  and Shands HealthCare's commitment to cancer research by focusing on treatment, prevention, control and education.

"We want Gator fans to enjoy the excitement of outdoor activities like
football games, but we also want them to be safe from the dangers that come with overexposure to the sun," said Jill Varnes, professor in the College of Health and Human Performance.

TRANSLATION: With a 12:30 kickoff, it'll be so hot that white may be the only thing you can wear to keep from passing out at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Also on Saturday, the UF Student Advisory Committee will kick off the inagural Gators Canned Goods Challenge for Kids, a season-long food drive to benefit the Bread of the Mighty Food Bank in Gainesville.

Fans are asked to bring as many canned goods as possible to every home game. The drop off location is the Alltel Wireless FanFest located outside of Gate 2 of the O’Connell Center, which opens
three hours prior to kickoff.

Florida’s goal is to break the world record for most food collected
in a single day to help hungry children in the community. Collections
will be distributed to over 150 local organizations.

Meyer: Don't let Hawaii personnel changes fool you

Hawaii may be without Heisman finalist Colt Brennan and former coach June Jones, but UF coach Urban Meyer said the Gators are preparing for the Warriors as if there have been no personnel changes.

That, he said, is how much respect he has for them.

They are a really good team,'' Meyer said. "A team that, they are like an Air Force, they are like Utah when we were there. I wish they would come in here and stand with two backs and hand the ball off in the C-gap and go play, but that’s not going to happen. They’ll throw the ball 50 times or more. They'll come in and they’ve got those big Polynesian players. I think you guys know how I feel about them. I love the Polynesian players. They are going to come in here ready to go. I think they’ve got a great team.''

Meyer said you can always tell how well a team is prepared by its special teams. And from tape he's seen of last season, both the kickoff and punt return teams are solid.

As for former coach Jones, who last season called Tebow a "product of the system,'' he's now at SMU.

Tebow said on Monday he's a little disappointed he won't get to play against a Jones-coached team, then jokingly added: "I'm sure they've got a nice system at SMU.''

Moody finally feels at ease in Gator offense

When Emmanuel Moody takes the field Saturday afternoon, it will be the first time he's played football in more than a year. So expect him to be among the most excited people on Florida Field Saturday afternoon.

"Oh, man, it's been a year-and-a-half since I played in an actual game,'' said Moody, the transfer running back from USC. "In the spring game, I had a little taste of it, somewhat of a football game. But I've really been waiting patiently until this week.''

Moody said he's an entirely different player than he was in the spring game, when he was still trying to adapt to Florida's offense.

"It was tough,'' he said. "In the spring, I was still rusty in the offense, but now I feel like it's second nature to me. I'm starting to play like I play and not really thinking about what the schemes are the steps I have to take. It comes naturally to me now.''

UF coach Urban Meyer said he's expecting big things from the running backs this season.

"Our group this season is a very productive group,'' he said.

SEC, ESPN agree to milestone contract

Calling it a "milestone'' agreement, ESPN and the SEC have entered into a new 15-year agreementm, beginning next season, which will mark the longest national rights agreement in the network's history.

Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal reported the deal is worth $2.25 billion over the life of the deal. The SEC will get about $150 million a year. CBS reached a 15-year deal with the conference in mid-August that is also worth about $55 million per year. The two deals mean each SEC school will get close to $20 million a year from the two contracts.

As part of the new deal, ESPN entities (ESPN, ESPN on ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Regional Television, ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN GamePlan, ESPN FULL COURT, ESPN International, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Classic) will carry more than 5,500 SEC events – including football, men’s and women’s basketball, Olympic sports and SEC championships.

The deal ends any chance the conference will develop its own television network similar to the Big Ten. SEC commissioner Mike Slive  said the deal has been in the works for the past  year. The
contract allows the 12 schools to maintain local multimedia contracts. UF  recently reached an $80 million agreement with Sun sports for 10 years, starting in 2009.

ESPN has been televising the SEC since 1982. As part of the new agreement:

- ESPN and ESPN2 will continue to offer premier SEC games, including Saturday night and two primetime Thursday football games, three nights (instead of one) of men’s basketball and present SEC championships in women’s basketball, baseball, softball and gymnastics.

- ESPN Regional Television will become the new over-the-air syndication home for SEC football and basketball games. In addition, ESPN and the SEC will work together to offer multi-sport packages (including football, men’s and women’s basketball, Olympic sports and conference championships) of SEC content for regional cable syndication.

-ESPNU will now offer exclusive SEC telecasts, including football and basketball and selected conference championships. In addition, the network will present a weekly, hour-long program on SEC sports throughout the academic year as well as sport-by-sport previews, reviews and specials.

- The semifinals and championship of the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament will be televised nationally for the first time on ESPN on ABC.

- All SEC championship games, except football, will be aired on either ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN on ABC, ESPNU or ESPN Classic.

Nagging injuries aside, Gators ready for Hawaii

GAINESVILLE - Florida coach Urban Meyer said Monday that despite a rash of injuries that have hampered preparations somewhat, his team is ready for Saturday's season opener against Hawaii.

"This has been one of the more concerning training camps as far as lingering injuries,'' Meyer said. "Jim Tartt, (Matt) Patchan, Percy (Harvin), we still have a variety of players who will be game-time decisions. However, I met with the trainer this morning and I think we're going to see a lot more activity (in practice) than we've seen. But overall, it's one of the best training camps we've had. We're ready to go play a game.''

Harvin has missed most of the preseason still recovering from spring heel surgery. Asked if he expects Harvin to play Saturday, Meyer said: "I don't know. I'll know more during the week. He practiced on Saturday, and he was not the full practice. He still has a reaction where once he goes for a little bit, he has to watch it, it gets sore on him.''

Patchan (strained pectoral muscle) is expected to be cleared today for full contact for the first time since fall practice began, and Tartt has a shoulder injury.

Junior linebacker Brandon Spikes has also been hampered by a nagging foot injury for more than a week, Meyer said. Spikes is questionable for Saturday's game.

Harvin participates in limited practice

Junior receiver/running back Percy Harvin participated in limited practice for the first time Saturday, but his status is still questionable for the season opener.

Harvin is still trying to recover from heel surgery he underwent last April, which caused him to miss all of spring practice.

"Percy went today,'' UF coach Urban Meyer said. "He didn’t do the full practice, but he went.''

Meyer said there's a possibility Harvin could play when the Gators play Hawaii on Aug. 30.

"We'll make that determination next week,'' Meyer said.

Tebow, Murphy among 11 team captains

Eleven players, including St. Pete native Louis Murphy and quarterback Tim Tebow, have been named captains for the 2008 season.

The players will make up a captain's pool from which captains for each game will be selected throughout the season.

The other captains are: redshirt senior DT Javier Estopinan; redshirt senior TE Cornelius Ingram; senior RB Kestahn Moore; redshirt senior long snapper James Smith; junior LB Brandon Spikes; redshirt junior LB Ryan Stamper; redshirt senior OL Jim Tartt; redshirt senior OL Phil Trautwein and redshirt senior OL Jason Watkins.

No. 5 Florida will kick off the season one week from today against Hawaii.

Finch cleared to play for IU this season

Florida's loss is Indiana's gain.

Former safety Jerimy Finch, who left UF for academic and personal reasons, has received clearance from the NCAA to play football this fall at Indiana University.

Here's the story.

Leave a question for Antonya

Are you concerned about the loss of tight end Cornelius Ingram? Do you want to know more about Chris Rainey's dustup with Percy Harvin? Do you stay awake at night worrying about the Gators' long list of injuries?

We want to hear from you. Leave us a question in the 'Comments' area below, and Gators beat reporter Antonya English will answer them. We'll post a full transcript next week, in preparation for the start of the college football season.

(Pictured: Chris Rainey. Times photo -- Brian Cassella. Click to enlarge.)

Meyer pleased with running back situation

For the first time since he arrived four years ago, Urban Meyer is looking forward to seeing his running backs open the season.

Emphasis on the plural.

With a roster that finally includes quality depth, Meyer and his staff insists this will be the year the Gators will feature their running game.

"They are doing a good job,'' Meyer said. "The running backs are having a solid, solid camp. I can’t wait to play them. There were times before when we said, "Ooh, I guess we’ve got to play with one.'  And, well, no we didn’t. For two years now, we didn’t have to play with one. You can lead the SEC in offense without a guy playing running back, watch the film from last year.

"But this year, Kestahn Moore is having a tremendous camp, and (Chris) Rainey and Jeff Demps is a really good player,'' Meyer added. "(Emannuel) Moody is doing good and Mon Williams is doing good. We’ve got some guys going.''

Gators close out fall "camp''

The Gators ended preseason "camp" on Tuesday, with players moving out of the hotel and returning to their normal living routines.

PRACTICE TIDBITS:
- UF coach Urban Meyer continues to be disappointed with Will Hill’s development, saying he thought he’d be further along and he’s currently sitting behind Ahmad Black on the depth chart.

-   Junior receiver Percy Harvin continues to be condition-only during practice, but Meyer there's still a chance he’ll play against Hawaii.

- There is still no separation between Cameron Newton and John Brantley in the backup QB race.

- Freshman Matt Patchan still didn’t practice, but defensive line coach Dan McCarney said there’s still a chance he could play against Hawaii when he comes back, they’re just being cautious with his strained pectoral muscle.

- Receivers coach Billy Gonzales said Louis Murphy is feeling the effects of the rust from the four days he missed last week with a sprained ankle.

- Meyer is concerned about the second DT spot (next to Lawrence Marsh). Florida will use some three down lineman packages both he and McCarney said. McCarney said the second DT starting spot was Patchan’s coming out of camp but they won’t name him the starter since he’s still not practicing.
Freshmen who lost rookie stripes on Tuesday: Troy Epps, Byran Jones (who’s lost 20 lbs in 20 days according to Meyer) and T.J. Pridemore. That brings the total to nine. Here are the previous six:  WR Carl Moore, OL David Young, WR Frankie Hammond Jr., DE William Green, RB Jeff Demps and CB Janoris Jenkins.

Hornsby charged with four misdemeanor counts

Former Gator safety Jamar Hornsby on Monday was charged with four misdemeanor counts of unauthorized use of a credit card by the Alachua County State Attorney's Office.

The 21-year-old was arrested last May after police alleged he charged approximately $3,000 on the BP credit card of Ashley Slonina, a Florida student that was killed in an Oct. 2007 motorcycle accident, along with UF walk-on Michael Guilford.

Hornsby is being charged with using the card on Nov. 2, 2007, Jan. 14, 2008, March 6, 2008 and April 24, 2008.

According to the State Attorney's Office, each count is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Hornsby was dismissed from the team immediately after his arrest. Court records initially claimed Hornsby used the card nearly 70 times, 33 of those in Alachua County.

But his attorney, Huntley Johnson, said Hornsby did not steal the card, and insisted Slonina, before her death, had given him permission to use the card. Hornsby is said to have believed the card was a prepaid card that would cease to be approved once it reached its limit.

State Attorney Bill Cervone said there was no evidence to prove Hornsby stole the card, which police never recovered from Hornsby. The four charges are based on instances when the card was used for several purchases within minutes of each other, suggesting it may have been used by Hornsby for someone else, who had not been given permission.

Tebow, Harvin named to Walter Camp Watch List

Percy Harvin's heel may still be hampering him in preseason practice, but that apparently hasn't altered the national expectation for the kind of year Harvin could have.

The junior receiver and junior quarterback Tim Tebow were among 35 athletes named as “players to watch” for the Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year award, announced today.

It is the nation’s fourth-oldest individual college football accolade, which recognizes the best college football player in the nation.

Tebow is one of five players on the watch list that were named to last
year’s Walter Camp All-America First Team.

The watch list will be narrowed to 15 semi-finalists in early November.
The 2008 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 119 NCAA Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information
directors, will be announced on the ESPN/Home Depot College Football
Awards Show in December.

Here is the full 2008 watch list:

Travis Beckum, TE, Senior, Wisconsin !
Arrelious Benn, WR, Sophomore, Illinois
Sam Bradford, QB, Sophomore, Oklahoma
Tom Brandstater, QB, Senior, Fresno State
Joe Burnett, DB, Senior, Central Florida
Rudy Carpenter, QB, Senior, Arizona State
Michael Crabtree, WR, Sophomore, Texas Tech !
Chase Daniel, QB, Senior, Missouri %
James Davis, RB, Senior, Clemson
Nate Davis, QB, Junior, Ball State
Jarett Dillard, WR, Senior, Rice #
Max Hall, QB, Junior, Brigham Young
Percy Harvin, WR, Junior, Florida
P.J. Hill, RB, Junior, Wisconsin
Malcolm Jenkins, DB, Senior, Ohio State
Ian Johnson, RB, Senior, Boise State
James Laurinaitis, LB, Senior, Ohio State @
Marlon Lucky, RB, Senior, Nebraska
Dan LeFevour, QB, Junior, Central Michigan
Sen’Derrick Marks, DT, Senior, Auburn
Ray Maualuga, LB, Senior, USC
Colt McCoy, QB, Junior, Texas
LeSean McCoy, RB, Sophomore, Pittsburgh
Scott McKillop, LB, Senior, Pittsburgh
Knowshon Moreno, RB, Sophomore, Georgia
Nick Reed, DL, Senior, Oregon
Todd Reesing, QB, Junior, Kansas
Javon Ringer, RB, Senior, Michigan State
George Selvie, DE, Junior, South Florida !
Alphonso Smith, DB, Senior, Wake Forest %
Rusty Smith, QB, Junior, Florida Atlantic
C.J. Spiller, RB, Junior, Clemson
Tim Tebow, QB, Junior, Florida !
Chris Wells, RB, Junior, Ohio State
Pat White, QB, Senior, West Virginia

Gators in full preparation for Hawaii

Florida will begin full preparation for Hawaii on Tuesday with a game-situation scrimmage.

UF coach Urban Meyer said the team's second string will emulate Hawaii in Tuesday's second, and possibly final scrimmage, as the Gators get ready for the Aug. 30 opener.

Meyer said last week that because the team has more veterans returning this season, the Gators are able to begin game preparations sooner than was possible last season when the team had so many new players.

IN OTHER NEWS
- Freshman DT Omar Hunter practiced for the first time on Monday. He has had limited contact since practice began due to muscle spasms in his back.
- Freshman Matt Patchan is still unable to have full contact in practice as he recovers from a pectoral muscle strain.
- The Gators have gotten in one extra practice, which Meyer said may come in handy if inclement weather from tropical storm Fay forces the cancellation of practice sometime later this week. For now, Meyer has no plans to change the week's practice schedule.

Rainey says no hostility with Harvin

Always prone to give an honest answer when asked, redshirt freshman running back Chris Rainey said Saturday that internet reports about a smackdown between he and star receiver/running back Percy Harvin are true, but insists it's no big deal.

The fight broke out last week (during a closed practice) after the two spent time in  "the pit'' - the area where injured players go through drills when they aren't allowed to practice.

"It's like a football thing,'' Rainey said. "When two football players fight they go back and mind their business but be friends again. I didn't start it. both of us were mad because we were in the pit. Nobody wants to be in the pit because you have to do a lot of work and that kind of stuff.''

"We just got into it,'' Rainey added. "We both were mad. . . . the defense, offense  always gets into it. We both were in the pit and we were just mad. every time we looked out on the field, we weren't playing and you just get frustrated.''

Rainey said there are no hard feelings between he and Harvin.

Gators No. 5 in AP poll; Georgia tops poll for first time

The Associated Press preseason poll was released today, and Florida is ranked No. 5 in the annual preseason Top 25 rankings. The Gators received six first-place votes.

Its arch-enemy, Georgia, is riding high right now, earning its first No. 1 preseason ranking in school history. The Bulldogs received 22 first-place votes and 1,528 points from a panel of 65 media members in the poll released Saturday.

Following Saturday morning's practice, the Gators insisted they couldn't care less about where anybody is ranked, including themselves.

"It's not how you start, it's how you finish,'' senior receiver Louis Murphy said. "That's our whole theme this year.''

Here are the Top 10: 1) Georgia; 2) Ohio State; 3) USC; 4) Oklahoma; 5) Florida; 6) Missouri; 7) LSU; 8) West Virginia; 9) Clemson; 10) Auburn.

The SEC leads the nation with six teams ranked in the Top 25.

Meyer's Gators get visit from Doc Rivers

As part of its annual "Champions Day'', the Florida football team was honored with a visit and motivational speech from Doc Rivers, head coach of the NBA champion Boston Celtics.

Rivers spoke to the team Thursday night at the request of coach Urban Meyer.

"Just think, the NBA champion Doc Rivers took time out of his own personal time to come here and speak to the Florida Gators,'' Meyer said after Friday morning's practice. "Just think about that for a minute. The video was phenomenal and it was one of the best nights I’ve ever witnessed.''

Meyer said Rivers' message was similar to other speakers: have passion and intensity for what you do and chemistry is a key ingredient for any championship team.

Meyer first implemented the event after the Gators won their first basketball ncational championship, on the premise that players respond much better when champions speak.

"If you’ve never won a championship, I’m not sure you play football, it’s too hard,'' Meyer said. "And so we started this three years ago. On the way back on the airplane from Indianapolis, I thought this would be a great opportunity to do something in the summer. And our video staff puts together about a 15 minute video of locker room celebrations, of champions speaking. When you look at a champion speaking, they look different in the eyes than a non-champion. So I wanted our players to really, instead of me screaming at them all the time and yelling about that, let’s see one (a champion), let’s witness one.''

Previous guest speakers are UF basketball coach Billy Donovan and former NFL star receiver Cris Carter.

Incidentally, Rivers' daughter, Callie, is a sophomore on the Gator volleyball team.

Billy Donovan to visit Bay area next week

The Pinellas County Gator Club will host a Gator Gathering with basketball coach Billy Donovan on Aug. 20, at Matheos Hall in Clearwater, 409 S. Old Coachman Road.

Doors open at 5 p.m., and the program will begin at 6 p.m. 

There will be a one-hour autograph session limited to one item per person.

Tickets at the door are $45, and $15 for children 12 and under. Proceeds go to the Pinellas County students attending UF and club activities.

For more information, call the club hotline at: (727) 741-5486.

CBS, SEC agree to new 15-year deal

"The SEC on CBS" is a slogan that will remain an integral part of its television broadcasts for more than the next decade, CBS announced today.

In what CBS is labeling an "historic'' deal, the network and the SEC have agreed to a 15-year contract extension, which will include telecasts of SEC football and basketball games.

In the new agreement, beginning with the 2009-10 season, CBS Sports will continue to be the exclusive national network broadcaster of SEC home football games, including the SEC Championship Game. CBS Sports will also showcase the top conference matchups each week of the package with the “SEC Game of the Week”.

The agreement also includes a prime time game and doubleheader opportunities.  In addition, CBS Sports continues its coverage of SEC regular-season basketball.

The deal includes broadcast, digital, Internet, wireless, Video-on-Demand and Enhanced Highlight Rights with all CBS Sports Properties.

"The Southeastern Conference is extremely pleased to extend its long-standing relationship with CBS Sports,” SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said in a statement. "THE SEC ON CBS enables the conference to continue its unique full, national network exposure.  We have enjoyed working with CBS Sports over the past 13 years and we are excited about our long-term future."

Sorry Florida fans, but Nick Saban's the man

Urban Meyer may have brought you a national championship in just his second season at UF and he may have talked some guy into donating $7 million to help build a new state-of-the art football facility, but according to one national, influential magazine, he's not the king of coaches.

Alabama's Nick Saban is.

Forbes magazine has crowned Nick Saban the most powerful coach in sports.

Saban is featured on the cover of the magazine's upcoming issue, which will be out Sept. 1.

In the article, according to the Associated Press, no other coach comes close to Saban's "combination of money, control and influence.''

He is the first college football coach to make the Forbes cover since the magazine was started in 1917.

Alabama gave Saban an eight-year, $32 million contract last January.

The article also credits Saban for having had a positive influence on the university's capital campaign and the quality of applicants for enrollment.

Defense shows signs of marked improvement; trying to stay healthy

After a dismal year that defensive coordinator Charlie Strong admits was both "frustrating" and "disappointing", Wednesday's scrimmage proved what the coaching staff expected: the Gator defense will be much better this season.

"Defensively, we made a lot of plays out there,'' Strong said. "The thing that was good was to see Lawrence Marsh making a play, Brandon Spikes making plays, our defensive backs making plays. Overall we were pleased with the effort.''

Strong said a year of experience has helped the formerly inexperienced players learn how to better play the game.

"We played so many young guys last season, it was more of us trying to tell them, hey you've got to fit here on this   block,'' Strong said. "And now, it's fit that block and go make a play. Last year, it was more they fit the block and when they got there, they didn't know what to go do. And that's why I always tease Spikes, I said you made a lot of plays because these guys wouldn't come off and go make a tackle. But we had a lot of young guys, and it happened because they just  didn't know how to play the game.''

Florida's biggest concern right now is surviving a rash of injuries.

"Duke (Lemmens) has a hamstring,'' Strong said. "Every time you look, there's another injury. Here are the guys that are completely healthy: (Lawrence) Marsh is healthy, (Brandon) Spikes is healthy, (Carlos) Dunlap is healthy, Ahmad Black, Joe Haden and Wondy Pierre-Louis are healthy. A.J. (Jones) and (Dustin) Doe and Major Wright have hamstring injuries, (Justig) Trattou had a sickness. (Jermaine) Cunningham has an injury. That's five starters right there.

"This is very unusual, I've never experienced anything like this. It's very unusual.''

Meyer pleased with first scrimmage

Despite the rash of recent injuries to the Gators' football team, Florida coach Urban Meyer said Wednesday he was quite pleased with the team's first scrimmage.

"It was a very good scrimmage,'' Meyer said. "I was looking for some guys to make some plays and a couple of guys I think are doing well. Justin Williams went out and intercepted two balls today at safety. Good things happen to good people, he's a good person and good things happened today.''

Myer said the safeties also played well, as did the defense as a whole.

"They really kind of controlled things for awhile,'' he said. "We didn't play Tim a whole lot, we let the two young quarterbacks (Cameron Newton and John Brantley) run the show. We did do a situational 2-minute drill at the end and Tim did very well in that.''

Tough week for Ingram

Talk about a bad week.

On Monday, redshirt senior Cornelius Ingram underwent surgery to repair his torn ACL - an injury that ended his Gator career.

Now he has a legal issue to deal with.

According to Alachua County court records, Ingram was served an eviction notice last week by the Oxford Manor apartments on SW Archer Road in Gainesville for failing to pay rent in July and August.

Ingram is a native of Hawthorne, some 20 miles outside of Gainesville, where his parents still reside.

The apartment staff declined to comment on the matter, citing confidentiality, and Ingram could not be reached for comment.

Florida athletic officials said Ingram is working to resolve the matter.

Coaches eager to see Patchan at full speed

When spring practice ended in April, freshman Matt Patchan had impressed the coaching staff enough to be considered a serious contender for a starting position.

But after recovering from a gunshot wound and now nursing a sprained peck muscle, Patchan has been limited in practice, frustrating the former Armwood star and the coaching staff.

"I haven't gotten a chance to do much right now, and that's hard,'' Patchan said. "Hopefully, when I get a chance to get back, I'll be ready to do, give great effort on every play and help elevate the play of our d-line. I'm not sure (when he'll be cleared), but I know I'll be on the field soon. It's very frustrating. I hate watching practice and not being able to do anything. It's the worst feeling. You want to help your teammates out through the hard practices and you're not able to do much.''

Whenever Patchan is cleared for full contact, coach Urban Meyer is eager to see what he can do.

“Patchan is a guy I’m anxious to see,’’ Meyer said after Tuesday's practice.  “He’s up over 270 now, We’re just being cautious with him. Getting him to play hard is not an issue, he’s a little like (OL) Jim Tartt right now. Tartt is doing all the drill work, we’re just not pounding the shoulder.’’

Gators postpone scrimmage after new set of injuries

A new set of injuries and the need for time to heal several other players caused Florida coach Urban Meyer and his staff to postpone Tuesday's scheduled scrimmage, moving it to Wednesday.

Each day, the injuries continue to mount.

Tampa native and backup offensive lineman Jim Barrie (photo at left) and freshman linebacker Brendan Beal both have a  torn ACL, the fourth and fifth such injuries to the Gator squad since July. Freshman receiver T.J. Lawrence injured his right shoulder on Monday and is out indefinitely, and freshman safety Will Hill returned to practice on Tuesday after missing two days with a concussion.

Sophomore defensive back Moses Jenkins is also recovering from a concussion. Defensive back Jeremy Brown has missed the last two days of practice due to muscle spasms in his back.

"We've followed pretty  much the same routine but we're going to research everything we do,'' Meyer said." Last year was a high ankle sprain (rash of injuries). Two years ago was the shoulder issues. Five ACL's, that's a tough deal.''

Carl Moore finally making anticipated impact

When he arrived at Florida as a heralded junior college transfer, many expected receiver Carl Moore to be the next great in a long line of talented Florida receivers.

But during spring practice, Moore showed little of the skill that helped him grab 73 catches for 1,068 yards at Cordova/Sierra Community College.

Things have changed.

After spending the summer working individually with quarterback Tim Tebow, Moore has advanced to the point that coach Urban Meyer is calling him one of the most improved players since the spring.

"Things are starting to click for Carl Moore,'' Meyer said after Tuesday's practice. "I told him I was crushed in the spring because he wasn’t very good. An athlete that’s thinking instead of reacting looks slow, and he looked very slow.  And now he’s one of Tim’s favorite targets right now. They worked all summer and you can tell they worked hard all summer.''

All Tebow, All the Time

The publicity machine that is Tim Tebow continues to roll as he makes his debut on the cover of Men's Fitness next week and had a stint Monday on ESPN's First Take.

On Monday's show, Tebow said his favorite Tebowism is the one about Superman wearing Tebow pajamas and that he was more nervous singing "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy'' on stage with Kenny Chesney than he has ever been stepping onto Florida Field.

Asked a true/false question about whether he'll become the second person to win the Heisman Trophy more than once, Tebow said: "I would have to say false. Not because I don’t want to, but because I’m focused on other things right now.''

As for the magazine cover out Aug. 18, Tebow said it was just one of many he was asked to do it and decided it might give him a chance to influence a group of people who might not normally be Florida fans.

In case you're wondering, it's just an interview. He's not actually giving any fitness tips. Or so he says.

Here are a few things incorporated into the upcoming article:

Florida director of strength and conditioning Mickey Marotti on his work out plan for Tebow:
"I try to be more metabolic with him.  During a game he not only uses his power, but also his endurance.  He may run 50 yards on one play and come back and do it again. "

Georgia head coach Mark Richt his his athletic prowess...
"He's different from anybody I've ever seen.  He stands apart like Michael Vick did at Virginia Tech, like Vince Young did [at Texas], like Charlie Ward did when I was at Florida State.  Some guys stand apart and they're just different from everybody else." 

Tebow on last season's finale with Florida State where he scored two touchdowns with an injured shoulder and broken bone... 
"It's not what you do when you're up.  It's what you do when you're down  That's what guys look at you for--how you handle it when something goes wrong.  That's everything. That's playing through adversity, that's perseverance, that's determination.  That's all the character qualities you want.  Coming back from those hard times, that's what makes you who you are."

Tebow on his last trip to the Philippines where traveled with a group to perform minor surgical procedures...
"After a while, doctors get tired. It's tiring, over and over again, and we're doing the same thing, the same problem with so many people.  You can only do so much.  They were teaching us how to do things, so I really was performing surgeries.  I couldn't do that here, but I really did it there."

Davis won't be part of season-opener

Torrey Davis, the struggling UF defensive tackle and former Armwood standout, will miss at least the season-opener, and possibly more games due to academic and disciplinary reasons.

UF coach Urban Meyer declined to elaborate on specfics, but said Davis won't be on the field when the Gators play Hawaii on Aug. 30.

"We’re going with the guys who are going to play in the first game,'' Meyer said. "He will not play in that first game. He’s got to take care of some business, that’s as far as I want to go with that. He’s got a multitude of things.''

Davis has been hampered by academic problems since before his arrival. The No. 1-rated Florida prospect by Rivals.com coming out of high school, Davis was a backup defensive lineman as a freshman last season, where he played in 11 games. He had eight tackles, including six solo.

[Photo:Times files]

Murphy joins the growing injury list; Ingram has surgery

Senior receiver Louis Murphy sprained his ankle during Monday morning's practice and is expected to miss several days.

Murphy is among a growing number of Gators who are nursing injuries as Florida heads into the second week of fall practices.

Junior receiver Percy Harvin did not practice Monday morning, but coach Urban Meyer said Harvin, who is still recovering from heel surgery four months ago, could return to practice midweek. Tampa DL Matt Patchan (peck) and DL Omar Hunter also sat out Monday morning's practice. CB Markihe Anderson has a sprained right wrist.

Safety Bryan Thomas, of Zephyrhills, will miss the season-opener after having a cyst removed from his knee last week, but could return to practice late next week.

Meanwhile, redshirt senior tight end Cornelius Ingram underwent surgery Monday morning to repair his career-ending torn ACL. Meyer said Ingram's spirit is "tremendous'', but admitted the mounting injuries are difficult to take.

"I think we’re all frustrated, we’re all angry, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do and that’s fight through these little nagging injuries,'' he said. "But we've had four ACL’s in one period. That’s not good.''

Harvin still slowed by heel surgery

GAINESVILLE - Florida receiver Percy Harvin’s recovery from heel surgery last spring is an ongoing issue as the Gators prepare for the season opener on Aug. 30.

Harvin has participated in limited practice drills all week, and is non-contact at this point.

He has not talked with the media all week (UF policy doesn’t allow players who don’t practice to be interviewed) and he was a no-show at Florida’s team media day on Friday.

Florida coach Urban Meyer said he’s concerned about Harvin’s recovery, but confident that when he returns he’ll be ready to play.

“Percy took a little bit of a step back, there’s still some pain there,’’ Meyer said. “He had a great three weeks of progress, but these last few days have been so-so. It’s a concern.’’

Several players spoke about Harvin on Friday, referring to when he’s finally healthy what he’ll mean to the team.

Receivers coach Billy Gonzales also said that Harvin’s recovery has hampered him.

"His ankle obviously is still an issue, Gonzales. "Every morning, he's getting up, he's rehabing with his trainers, he's doing all of his conditioning inside the aqua runner inside the swimming pool.

It's going to be based on a comfortability level (when) to get him back.''

For now, the consensus seems to be Harvin’s talent will compensate for the practice he’s missing now.

“We're just taking it slow and being smart about it,'' quarterback Tim Tebow said. "There’s no reason to push him back too soon.''

Ingram out for the season with torn ACL

Florida coach Urban Meyer just confirmed what has been suspected since Wednesday night's practice: redshirt senior tight end Cornelius Ingram is out for the season with a torn ACL and his Gator career is over.

"He's going to have surgery sometime next week,'' a solemn Meyer said.

Ingram injured his left knee during non-contact drills during Tuesday's practice. It is the third non-contact season-ending injury for a Gator player this preseason. Safeties Dorian Munroe and John Curtis were also injured in the same manner.

"It's hard to imagine,'' Meyer said. "Three non-contact injuries. That's a tough deal.''

The injury is a tough blow to the Gator offense, particularly since the staff spent much of the summer working on potential two-tight end sets involving Ingram and sophomore Aaron Hernandez. Now the Gators could be forced to scrap that idea, or rely on redshirt senior Tate Casey, who showed promise in his freshman season, but has played sparingly since.

A large group of players visited Ingram at his home Wednesday night to offer comfort.

"We wanted to let him know that everything's going to be okay,'' quarterback Tim Tebow said. "He's got a good perspective about it.''

While talking with the media Thursday night, Meyer seemed visibly upset.

"He's such a great leader, a  great kid, one of my favorite players of all time,'' he said of Ingram.

He said the Gators' practice improved over Wednesday's lackluster effort and he's hoping the team will rebound from the devastating loss of Ingram.

"I'm hoping that  the chemistry on this is so strong that they, when a guy goes down you have to
play a little harder,'' he said. "The national championship year, we had an offensive lineman  break his leg and two others get  hurt realy in the same practice. Brandon James missed the first three or four games and one of our best players got thrown off the team (Marcus Thomas). If you have a good team obviously you have some good players, it's a little tighter and you go a little harder.''

Gators make SI cover

Is there a Sports Illustrated cover jinx?

The Gators better hope not.

In the magazine's college football preview issue, which hits newsstands this week, the Gators are on the cover (several regional covers were printed, with different teams on each). The headline reads "Florida ... Loading up for Another Title Run."

In the issue, Florida is ranked No. 5. The magazine predicts the Gators will finish second in the SEC East behind Georgia, but believes the Gators will still make it to a BCS Bowl. Their best bet? Florida vs. Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl.

USF checks in at No. 21, Florida State at No. 41, Miami at No. 46, Florida Atlantic at No. 56, Central Florida at No. 68 and Florida International at No. 118. Georgia is No. 1 (complete list HERE).

Here are some past Gator football covers ...

<--Jan. 15, 2007: The Gators beat Ohio State in a stunning blowout for the national title in Arizona. The day after the issue to the left was on newsstands, the magazine released its commemorative national title issue, which also -- as you might expect -- had the Gators on the cover.

<--Sept. 25, 1995: Florida routs Tennessee at the Swamp. In one of the season's most highly anticipated games, Florida wins big as Gator QB Danny Wuerffel out-gunned the Vols and Peyton Manning. Much of the game was played in a driving rainstorm. At one point, Florida scored 48 straight points.

<--Sept. 13, 1982: QB Wayne Peace leads Florida past Miami. In a thrilling game at Florida Field, the Gators won largely because of a one-handed touchdown catch by running back James Jones. Today, Jones' son is a standout safety at Tampa's Wharton High School. And he is being recruited by the Gators.

Florida Fan Day is Aug. 17

Haven't been able - or had absolutely no desire - to make it to Gainesville  one of the Gators' practices, but still hoping for a glimpse of your favorite Florida player before the season begins?

Fan Day may be your best bet.

The Gators will hold their annual fan day on Sunday, Aug. 17, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Admission is free and doors open at 12:30 p.m.

Fans will be able to meet and get autographs from players and coaches. The University Athletic Association will supply the 2008 Gator team posters for player autographs and cannot allow outside items to be brought in to the event due to NCAA compliance issues.

"Unfortunately when players have signed various autograph items such as helmets and footballs, they have on occasion been sold to the general public," said Senior Associate Athletics Director for Compliance Jamie McCloskey."This practice could put the eligibility of some of our
student athletes into question. We want to be proactive in this area and are asking our fans to cooperate with our policy of requesting an
autograph on our team poster only. The poster should be for personal use only and not intended for sale."

Due to the high demand for many of the players' and coaches'
autographs (read: Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin), the lines will be monitored and closed to ensure that fans are not waiting for autographs with no chance of reaching the signing table by the event's conclusion.

And if you miss this event, you can always stand outside the practice gates with the throng of fans that are there on a daily basis these days and take your chances there.

Gators pick up four-star QB

Four-star Connecticut senior quarterback Jordan Reed joins the list of players who have orally committed to play for the Gators next season, according to the Norwich Bulletin.

Check it out here.

Ingram misses practice due to injury

Senior tight end Cornelius Ingram was not at practice Wednesday, but reports that he is out for the season with an ACL injury may be premature.

Coach Urban Meyer said after practice that Ingram has a strained left knee, and is awaiting MRI results. Meyer said Ingram was injured in one-on-one drills on Tuesday.

"I don't know much more than that right now,'' Meyer said.

Meyer said he expects to know tonight or Thursday morning more about the seriousness of Ingram's injury. Ingram was a projected second or third round NFL draft pick who decided to remain for his senior season, and is expected to be an integral part of the Gators' offense. He is on the preseason Mackey Award watch list for the nation's best tight end.

Receiver/running back Chris Rainey also practiced sparingly, nursing a groin injury he suffered during track season, Meyer said. Freshman DT Omar Hunter is still ailing with a back injury, but participated in everything but contact drills. Meyer said he could be "cut loose'' for full practice by Friday.

Gators unveil 2008-09 basketball schedule

The 2008 Florida men's basketball schedule will include at least 11 teams that made NCAA appearances last year, and an unusual January out of conference contest against North Carolina State (Jan. 3).

Florida will remain in the state of Florida all of the month of December. Those games include home dates with Florida A&M (Dec. 2), Florida Gulf Coast (Dec. 10), Georgia Southern (Dec. 22) and Stetson (Dec. 30).

The annual Florida-Florida State game will be played on Dec. 7 in Tallahassee and the Gators will play UCF at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on Dec. 20. The annual MetroPCS Orange Bowl Classic on Dec. 28 will include a game against Winthrop.

The Gators will have 19 home dates – 17 regular season and two exhibition games.

Florida opens SEC play at home against Ole Miss on Jan. 10, then play four of their next six on the road traveling to Auburn (Jan.14), South Carolina (Jan. 21), Vanderbilt (Jan. 25) and Tennessee (Jan.
31) around home dates with Arkansas (Jan. 17) and Georgia (Jan. 28). The Vanderbilt game will be televised by CBS, while the Gators’ trip to Tennessee will be a Saturday night 9 p.m. tip on ESPN. Four of the six teams played in the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

Four of the Gators’ six games in February will be nationally televised.

Patchan thankful for "second chance''

Former Armwood standout Matt Patchan is capable of playing two positions, but he has just one goal during Florida’s fall preseason practices: perfect the one that will get him a starting position.

Patchan is working out at defensive tackle and defensive end. Which does he prefer?

“Wherever I start,’’ he said following Tuesday’s practice. “Whichever one gets me on the field. It’s all about helping the team, wherever the coaches want me.’’

Patchan has fully recovered from the gunshot wound he received May 12 at a Tampa-area park by an unknown assailant, but is nursing an injured peck muscle. After everything that’s happened, he’s just happy to be on the field.

“I feel grateful for a lot of things and I know God was watching me and giving me a second chance, so I’m going to make the best of it and work as hard as I can,’’ he said. It’s great so far. Everybody’s out here working hard, we’re all trying to get better. We’re off to a good start with how everything’s going.’’

Florida coach Urban Meyer said he remembers vividly the day he got the call from Patchan's father saying his son had been shot.

"You start hearing the word shot and his dad was on the phone with me,'' Meyer said. "I remember it very well. I was thinking: Is he alive? Is he going to be okay? Will he be functional? He (his father) said, yes, yes, yes. He’s very fortunate that he is.''

Will Hill working towards becoming a starter

His nickname is "The Thrill'' but so far freshman safety Will Hill is just another  young guy trying to find his way in the early days of fall practice with the Gators.

"Nothing yet, coach Urban Meyer responded when asked after Tuesday's practice what he's seen that makes Hill so special. "Other than he's a great athlete. He's still trying to learn. He's a great kid. And he's a very intelligent player. But it's so early.''

Two practices, in fact. But Hill still has his sights set on seeing significant playing time, if not starting. And with the Gators decimated at the safety position, that may not be too far-fetched.

"That's (starting) is what I'm fighting for right now,'' Hill said."With the two guys going down (John Curtis, Dorian Munroe),  I knew I was going to play early but the opportunity just came at hand very quick.''

Defensive coordinator Charlie Strong said he's not putting a lot of pressure on Hill, despite the Gators' need at the position, instead wanting him to work hard enough to earn regardless of who is hurt.

"With Dorian going down and Curtis going down there's a big-time need for us at  that position,'' Strong said. "He's a guy that can cover a lot of ground and he's a guy that  he's going to be able to fit our system well.

And soon as he learns the college game.

"I got to get the defense down to (be ready) to come out and play,'' he said. "I'm picking it up. The tempo, the speed, you've got all these fast guys out here. You've got to move quick.''

 

 

Spurrier comments about Reaves arrest

In today's issue of The State (Columbia, S.C.), South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier commented on the Monday arrest of former Gator great and Robinson High legend John Reaves. Spurrier not only coached Reaves in the USFL but was his boss with the Gators. Reaves' son, David, is the Gamecocks’ quarterbacks coach. Said Spurrier: “It’s sad. We knew he had some problems, but it’s very sad, disappointing. But it’s no reflection on his children. They’re all good people.”

Major Wright says concern over safety position overblown

Okay, so the Gators have lost two starting safeties to graduation and another four to injuries, transfers and legal problems since January.

Sophomore safety Major Wright believes even with all those issues, people are making too much about the Gators' "dire" situation at that position.

"I'm not really worried because I know the guys that we do have, they are going to work hard and go out there and compete,'' Wright said. "We have a couple of freshman that came in and they are doing pretty good. And we have a couple of guys that were already here that know (the position) and they are doing good, too.''

Still, Wright acknowledged that with so little depth and experience at the position, he's having to mature quickly.

"It's a very big change, because it's gone from me being yound (a freshman last season), to me having to grow up a lot sooner than I (should) have to. But I have trust in all the safeties we have back there right now.''

Zephryhills' Bryan Thomas injured; Torrey Davis out

Former Zephyrhills standout Bryan Thomas, who has been hampered by injuries much of his Gator career, had a cyst removed from his knee, and could miss at least three weeks. 

Thomas, a redshirt sophomore, was one of the players the coaching staff was hoping would finally be healthy enough to show the talent he exhibited in high school. He has been bothered by knee problems since his arrival.

“He’s a guy we’d really like to take a look at,’’ assistant defensive coordinator Chuck Heater said. “But he’s just been hurt all the time.’’

Meanwhile, Armwood defensive tackle Torrey Davis’ academic troubles continue. He was not at practice and there's no telling when he'll return.

“Torrey is dealing with some academic and other issues,’’ Florida coach Urban Meyer said. “There is no timetable (for his return).’’

Gator legend arrested

The Times' Thomas Kaplan is reporting today that John Reaves, a former University of Florida star quarterback who graduated as the all-time passing leader in NCAA history, has been arrested on a cocaine possession charge. Details of his arrest were not immediately available, but jail records show the 58-year-old was taken into custody by the Tampa Police Department on Wednesday night.

Reaves, a former first-round NFL draft pick who went to Robinson High School and was an All-American at UF from 1969 to 1971, has battled drug problems in the past. By the time he was in the NFL, his life, he once recalled to Sports Illustrated, "was literally saturated with drugs and alcohol."

But the former standout would turn his life around, getting treatment and counseling and embracing religion.  He found life beyond football, too, building a successful real estate business in Tampa.

Reaves, a former Florida high school player of the year, was a first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1972.  But while he would play professionally for more than a decade, including a three-year stint in the United States Football League with the Tampa Bay Bandits, Reaves would never achieve the stardom he gained in high school and college play.

Reaves coached under Steve Spurrier at UF in the 1990s and also worked at South Carolina and Cornell.  His son David is now the quarterbacks coach under Spurrier at South Carolina, and his daughter Layla is the wife of Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin.

Florida practice opens early; Ronnie Wilson returns

Florida's early morning kickoff to fall practice, actually began even earlier than expected as the Gators opened fall camp just after 5:30 a.m. Monday.

Among the highlights was the return of Florida defensive lineman Ronnie Wilson, who was among the mostly-freshman players participating in the drills. Wilson has been allowed back on the team as a walk-on after he was dismissed last season following charges of battery and discharging a firearm in the spring of 2007.

Wilson received deferred prosecution, and was placed on probation as part of the agreement. He also had a marijuana possession charge in January that was eventually dropped.

While in Tampa this past May, Florida coach Urban Meyer said there was a chance that Wilson could return to the team. He had not been allowed to work out with the team during the past year, and attending school in the spring and summer - paying his own way.

Wilson was among the nation's top recruits out of high school, but broke his ankle during the 2006 preseason, and then came his legal problems.

Meyer said following Monday evening's practice that Wilson is not officially back with the team, and is still being evaluated. But he will practice with the team while that evaluation is ongoing.

"In his attempt to rejoin the team, Ron has passed 20 hours since January 2008 (and is on schedule to add six more from Summer B) while not on scholarship,'' Meyer said. "He is on track to graduate in May 2009 and if he follows University and team guidelines, he will have the opportunity to achieve this goal.''

Meyer reiterated he has always been a coach who believes in second chances if a player proves he's determined to turn things around.

In a statement, Wilson apologized for his past behavior.

"I'm sorry that I caused so much embarrassment for my family, the school and the football program,'' he said. "I'm thankful for the opportunity to be out here. It was very difficult being away from the school and the football team that I care so much about. I'm blessed to have this chance.''

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS FROM MONDAY'S PRACTICE

- Freshman DB Adrian Bushell was at practice, but did not dress and participate in drills.

- WR T.J. Lawrence was working out at safety.

- Returning players Brandon Hicks, and John Brown worked out among the rookies.

- Former Armwood standout Matt Patchan was going full speed, obviously fully recovered from his spring gunshot wound. New UF coach Dan McCarney had to tell Patchan at one point to "be smart'' during early drills, because he was going so hard.

- WR Frankie Hammond, Jr. had several big-time receptions, including a finger-tip grab while diving to keep his toes inbounds.

- DT Omar Hunter is listed as 6-foot, 315 pounds. He looks MUCH bigger.

- T.J. Pridemore showed his strength by manhandling Ronnie Wilson during several drills.

- The players ended the morning session by singing the Gators' fight song. It's mandatory they learn it because it's part of the postgame ritual the players participate in during the season.

FUNNIEST LINE OF THE DAY: Former Michigan secondary coach Vance Bedford was a little surprised by the number of people who showed up for Monday morning's practice (Michigan practices are generally closed). Actually, by Florida standards it wasn't a large crowd at all, but that didn't stop Bedford from saying this as he left the practice field: "It's good to see you all out here. You got no life, but you love football.  And we love you.''

Pouncey clears up legal trouble

Projected starting center Maurkice Pouncey has paid the $94 fine for his traffic citation from two weeks ago, and is in no further legal trouble, Alachua County court records show.

Pouncey received a traffic citation on July 20 for holding or consuming an alcoholic beverage when
the 2003 Chevrolet sedan he was riding in was pulled over by an officer because it did not have a tag light.

The 19-year-old Lakeland native had possession of an open can of Natural Light beer when the officer approached the car.

He paid his fine on Thursday, and traffic court records show the case as resolved. Florida coach Urban Meyer has not said whether Pouncey will face any disciplinary action.

Pouncey played in 13 games as a freshman last season, starting 12 at guard. Florida begins fall practice on Monday.