Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2015 10:17:07 GMT -5
Commits and prospects visiting for the Orange & Blue Game today:
Commits comming into town
The Gators have eight commits for the class of 2016 and five of those eight plan to be in attendance this weekend.
Those commits that plan to be in Gainesville on Saturday are cornerback Chauncey Gardner (5-11, 190, Cocoa, FL High), receiver commit Isaiah Johnson(6-3, 190, West Palm Beach, FL Dwyer), linebacker commit Vosean Joseph (6-2, 210, Miami, FL Norland), defensive end Jaquan Bailey (6-3, 235, Jacksonville, FL Raines) and safety Spencer Perry (6-3, 202, Bradenton, FL IMG Academy) all of the five commits will be helping the Gators do some recruiting this weekend.
Receiver commit Rick Wells (6-0, 187, Jacksonville, FL Raines) and athlete Tyrek Tisdale (6-0, 198, Orlando, FL Oak Ridge) are both scheduled to play in 7-on-7 tournaments so that’s why they will not be in town. Tisdale has said that he plans to visit Florida on Friday since he won’t be on campus on Saturday but the Gators have solid commits in both prospects.
Receivers coming to town
It’s no secret that Florida needs to land some playmakers at the receiver position this year and they will certainly have the opportunity to impress several of them on Saturday.
The biggest one is probably Miami receiver commit Sam Bruce (5-8, 185, Fort Lauderdale, FL St. Thomas Aquinas) who will visit with his best friend and Gator signee, Jordan Scarlett. Florida has the best chance at flipping the athlete slot receiver.
Receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe (6-2, 202, Suwannee, GA North Gwinnett) will be in town on Saturday to watch his brother tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe compete in his first spring game. The younger Imatorbhebhe is a top target for the Gators during the class of 2016.
Another name that Florida fans should recognize is receiver Josh Hammond (6-0, 180, Hallandale, FL High), who is the younger brother of Frankie Hammond. The younger Hammond has no leaders right now but says he likes Florida. This will be his first to Gainesville since receiving a Gators offer.
Much needed linemen visiting
Florida needs bodies on the offensive line and the Gators will host three prospects this weekend for visits. Two of the three prospects, however, are still looking for a Gators offer.
Offensive lineman Marcus Tatum (6-6, 254, Daytona Beach, FL Mainland) has Florida offer and says that Florida, Miami and Auburn are standing out to him right now. The Gators are trying to get the lead after his third visit to Florida this spring.
Offensive linemen Jawaan Taylor (6-4, 345, Cocoa, FL High) and Stone Forsythe (6-7, 331, Winter Garden, FL West Orange) will both arrive in Gainesville on Saturday looking for Florida offers. Offers from the Gators would put Florida in good shape for both of these prospects.
Two familiar prospects visiting
Defensive end Jordan Woods (6-3, 240, Ocala, FL Trinity Catholic) has visited Florida several times this spring and he will be back on campus for the second time this week on Saturday. Woods has yet to name a leader but the Gators appear to be the team to beat right now.
Tight end Jacob Mathis (6-4, 212, Tampa, FL Berkeley Prep) was on Florida’s campus numerous times last year and he will return again on Saturday.
2017 prospects visiting
Head coach Jim McElwain is trying his best to get ahead of the game on a lot of 2017 prospects and he will see several of them on Saturday.
2017 Ohio State athlete commit Bruce Judson (5-9, 184, Cocoa, FL High) grew up a fan of the Gators and he will be on campus for the second time this spring and he will be joining Florida commit Chauncey Gardner this weekend.
2017 quarterback Jake Allen (6-2, 195, Fort Lauderdale, FL Cardinal Gibbons) is looking for a Florida offer and one is likely to come this spring as Allen is one of the top 2017 prospects in the country.
2017 offensive lineman Tony Gray (6-5, 265, Lawrenceville, GA Central Gwinnett) has a Florida offer and he will make his first visit to Florida on Saturday.
|
|
Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2015 17:24:10 GMT -5
Rod Johnson (OL) was injured in the final week of practice and his career is in jeopardy. This from Gator Country:
Written by Nick de la Torre, April 11, 2015
The Florida Gators coaching staff entered spring with their fingers crossed and bated breath. The numbers at key positions were low and they knew that needed everyone to stay healthy if they were going to be able to make it out of spring camp alive.
For 90 percent of spring practice that was the case. Then, last Friday, Rod Johnson went down with a stinger — a common football injury, but one that is exacerbated in Johnson’s case due to previous injuries.
“They went in and found out there were some things that he might have had well before from that area,” Jim McElwain said a week ago.
It turns out to be more serious than just a common injury and the look of worry, change of demeanor and seriousness that came over McElwain when asked about Johnson following the Orange and Blue Debut was telling.
“We actually should get the final doc probably on Monday there,” he said. “Doesn’t look great and one thing I’ll tell you this about any player. I will never, ever put him out there in harm’s way.”
Johnson was scratched from the last week of practice while the medical staff continued to run tests and X-Rays on him. McElwain said the process would be thorough and that Johnson would seek several opinions.
“We’ve got a medical staff that looks at everything. We send the things all over the country to specialists and I’ll have more on that probably Monday,” said McElwain. “Life’s too short, man. Ain’t gonna do it, ain’t gonna do it to a young guy.”
His teammates were less grim. Treon Harris noted that losing Johnson on the right side of the line was a big loss to the team and that they need him back.
“I expect him to be back,” said Harris. “I pray every day that he comes back. We need him. Whatever happens, happens, but I hope he can come back.”
McElwain was asked directly if the injury could end Johnson’s career. “Well, every injury can.”
Losing Johnson would be a devastating blow to the offensive line unit. Florida will know more on Monday about the future, but McElwain’s demeanor on Saturday didn’t sound like he was expecting good news.
|
|
Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2015 10:13:31 GMT -5
Saturday April 11, 2015 Gators End Spring with Culture Shift in High Gear
Scott Carter By SCOTT CARTER GatorZone.com Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Over a span of 1 hour, 46 minutes on Saturday, the Florida football team was on display in a public venue for the first time since head coach Jim McElwain took over the program.
A longtime offensive coordinator hired to inject, well, some offense back into the Gators, McElwain came to UF after a successful three-year stint as head coach at Colorado State where his versatile offensive philosophy rejuvenated the Rams.
For those Florida fans who showed up at the Orange & Blue Debut spring game on Saturday expecting to see 80-yard touchdown runs and 500 yards of passing, they probably left disappointed. The fans who had been keeping tabs on the Gators this spring – you know, the ones who knew UF had only six healthy scholarship offensive linemen available -- they saw what they probably should have expected.
Not a lot of fireworks, but a lot of new faces.
The Orange defeated the Blue 31-6. It’s doubtful many will remember that score in a few months.
Instead, the more likely memories will be redshirt freshman quarterback Will Grier making his first appearance for the Gators, finishing 8 of 11 for 136 yards. Little-used receiver Alvin Bailey stretching to make a 42-yard grab on a flea-flicker pass from Grier. Treon Harris throwing the game’s only touchdown pass to redshirt freshman tight end C’yontai Lewis, who caught four passes for 54 yards in his college debut.
There were more highlight moments.
Junior running back Kelvin Taylor scored on runs of 2 and 4 yards, and walk-on receiver-turned-running back Case Harrison, a product of Gainesville High just a couple of miles away, scored on an 11-yard run late in the game. Kicker Austin Hardin made a pair of field goals and walk-on kicker Jorge Powell connected on a 34-yarder to end the first half.
All in all, considering the lack of bodies up front – the second-team offensive line featured four walk-ons – Saturday’s outing resembled your typical spring game.
Some good, some bad, and a lot of unknowns heading into the offseason.
McElwain did give a pointed answer when asked if he was pleased with the progress of the offense this spring. He has installed only a fraction of what he hopes to eventually have in place.
“No. There’s so much more to do,’’ he said. “There’s so many lost opportunities and getting your guys to understand the attention to detail, the focus of the communication and the mindset to go win this play. That’s what we’ve got to get.”
The Gators dropped too many passes. They made too many mental mistakes and unforced errors. Harris needs to improve his sense of urgency in the red zone.
Those were observations McElwain reeled off in his postgame press conference.
What stood out is that they were all offensive observations.
McElwain’s expertise is on offense and it shows. No different than former head coach Will Muschamp, whose expertise clearly was defense; he often voiced similar concerns after games or practices, but more often than not they focused on missed tackles, shedding blocks and coverage failures.
In other words, defensive stuff.
Grier has noticed the change in tone from the top man since McElwain arrived.
“I think he’s more involved with us a little bit more than Muschamp was just because I think he knows the offense very well and you know, he’ll kind of tell us stuff on the field and off the field,’’ Grier said. “Muschamp didn’t have as much [offensive] knowledge. He had some but not as much as McElwain has in this one.”
The real change McElwain is chasing and Florida fans want to see happen is on Saturdays in the fall. The Gators are five years removed from their last trip to the SEC Championship Game.
If the defensive talent returning stays healthy and performs as expected, the Gators should be fine on that side of the ball.
The offense needs work. That was the case before Saturday’s exhibition, and nothing changed afterward.
“As I said, when we get the roster back to balance we’ll, you know, juice this thing up,’’ McElwain said. “But I did the best I could, we did the best we could, our O-line did the best they could and I’m proud of them."
McElwain said that while Grier had the advantage this spring, the quarterback battle between he and Harris will continue throughout the offseason and into fall camp.
“That’ll be a really good competition moving forward,’’ McElwain said.
Meanwhile, the Gators have six offensive linemen arriving over the summer to provide much-needed depth up front. As for the backfield, Taylor and Adam Lane are the two most-experienced running backs, but true freshmen Jordan Scarlett and Jordan Cronkrite join the mix before next season.
Everyone is invited to audition as playmakers. They will not be turned away.
McElwain envisions spring games in the future much different than his first at Florida.
“As this program grows, that game will become a draftable game that will become competitive,’’ he said.
On offense. On defense. And on special teams.
The Gators have been above-average in two of those three phases in recent years.
But Harris, who started five games as a true freshman last season, hit on the biggest difference this spring compared to his first season on campus.
It’s the man in charge and his approach.
“He knows offense,’’ Harris said. “He knows what is going on in the offense.”
That’s as good a start under McElwain as any for the Gators as they enter the offseason.
|
|
Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2015 12:37:56 GMT -5
For our resident bucknuts, this is a career ending injury and how it is handled. Rod Johnson's playing days at UF are over.
This from the Gainesville Sun:
By Robbie Andreu Staff writer
Published: Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at 1:12 p.m.
Florida offensive tackle Rod Johnson's UF career is over, the school announced Tuesday.
Johnson was diagnosed with congenital cervical stenosis, or narrowing of the spine, according to the school.
Johnson, a redshirt sophomore, was injured in a scrimmage on Florida Field on April 3 and ruled out for the remainder of the spring by UF coach Jim McElwain, who initially described Johnson's injury as a “stinger” of some sort.
McElwain said after Saturday's spring game that the prognosis did not appear good for Johnson, and the expected bad news was revealed Tuesday.
With Johnson out, the Gators were down to six scholarship offensive linemen for the spring. UF is still waiting to hear if starting center Trip Thurman will be cleared at some point this season. He's been out with a chronic shoulder injury.
The Gators will likely have to rely on true freshmen for playing time and depth this season. UF signed six offensive linemen, led by five-star prospect Martez Ivey.
This from Gatorzone:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The promising career of Gators offensive lineman Roderick Johnson is over at UF.
Florida’s medical staff has diagnosed Johnson, a redshirt sophomore who started three games last season, with congenital cervical stenosis. The condition is a narrowing of the spinal canal enveloping the spinal cord, preventing enough fluid to gather around the spinal cord to properly protect it from injury.
Cervical stenosis ended the career of New York Giants running back David Wilson last year and forced Cooper Manning, the brother of NFL quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning, to retire from football during his college career at Ole Miss.
Johnson did not report or show signs of any previous episodes of the condition prior to suffering a “stinger” on April 3 during a scrimmage. Johnson experienced numbness in his fingers and hands and did not participate in the final week of spring camp or Saturday’s Orange & Blue Debut.
Jim McElwain
Following an MRI and consultation with outside specialists and team physicians, it was recommended Johnson retire from the sport.
“One thing I'll tell you this about any player: I will never, ever put him out there in harm's way," Gators coach Jim McElwain said Saturday following the spring game when asked about Johnson's status. “Life's too short, man. Ain't gonna do it, ain't gonna do it to a young guy."
Johnson began to blossom last season as a reserve and part-time starter. He was expected to be a full-time starter this season on a Florida offensive line that had just six scholarship players available for the spring game.
Listed at 6-foot-6, 296 pounds, Johnson signed with the Gators in 2013 out of American Heritage High in Delray Beach, Fla. He made his first career start last season against Kentucky and started at right tackle against Alabama and in Florida’s victory over East Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl.
|
|
Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
Solid Member
|
Post by mscott59 on Apr 14, 2015 13:15:56 GMT -5
For our resident bucknuts, this is a career ending injury and how it is handled. Rod Johnson's playing days at UF are over. This from the Gainesville Sun: By Robbie Andreu Staff writer Published: Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at 1:12 p.m. Florida offensive tackle Rod Johnson's UF career is over, the school announced Tuesday. Johnson was diagnosed with congenital cervical stenosis, or narrowing of the spine, according to the school. Johnson, a redshirt sophomore, was injured in a scrimmage on Florida Field on April 3 and ruled out for the remainder of the spring by UF coach Jim McElwain, who initially described Johnson's injury as a “stinger” of some sort. McElwain said after Saturday's spring game that the prognosis did not appear good for Johnson, and the expected bad news was revealed Tuesday. With Johnson out, the Gators were down to six scholarship offensive linemen for the spring. UF is still waiting to hear if starting center Trip Thurman will be cleared at some point this season. He's been out with a chronic shoulder injury. The Gators will likely have to rely on true freshmen for playing time and depth this season. UF signed six offensive linemen, led by five-star prospect Martez Ivey. right.... the 'coach' says it looks like a stinger. the 'experts' (ie the doctors) gave a different diagnosis. which is why listening to doctors makes more sense re: injuries than it does coaches. no different than what the docs told meyer at osu... no matter how much you or the uf-grad hs coach in cocoa try to paint it otherwise.
|
|
mark scott tosu 81
|
Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2015 14:01:52 GMT -5
For our resident bucknuts, this is a career ending injury and how it is handled. Rod Johnson's playing days at UF are over. This from the Gainesville Sun: By Robbie Andreu Staff writer Published: Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at 1:12 p.m. Florida offensive tackle Rod Johnson's UF career is over, the school announced Tuesday. Johnson was diagnosed with congenital cervical stenosis, or narrowing of the spine, according to the school. Johnson, a redshirt sophomore, was injured in a scrimmage on Florida Field on April 3 and ruled out for the remainder of the spring by UF coach Jim McElwain, who initially described Johnson's injury as a “stinger” of some sort. McElwain said after Saturday's spring game that the prognosis did not appear good for Johnson, and the expected bad news was revealed Tuesday. With Johnson out, the Gators were down to six scholarship offensive linemen for the spring. UF is still waiting to hear if starting center Trip Thurman will be cleared at some point this season. He's been out with a chronic shoulder injury. The Gators will likely have to rely on true freshmen for playing time and depth this season. UF signed six offensive linemen, led by five-star prospect Martez Ivey. right.... the 'coach' says it looks like a stinger. the 'experts' (ie the doctors) gave a different diagnosis. which is why listening to doctors makes more sense re: injuries than it does coaches. no different than what the docs told meyer at osu... no matter how much you or the uf-grad hs coach in cocoa try to paint it otherwise. You posted at the same time as I added the Gatorzone report to the post above. Try again. The difference between what UF did and what tOSU did is UF used a both outside specialists and team physicians to make the decision. There is no brooding over the decision. Rod Johnson is done with football. The same cannot be said for Jamel Dean's playing days any where other than tOSU where there is reported disagreement between the team physicians and the outside consultant, Dr. James Andrews of the Andrews Institute.
|
|
Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2015 11:54:35 GMT -5
In the long run, I doubt much comes of this: By Robbie Andreu Staff writer Published: Thursday, April 9, 2015 at 3:25 p.m. Last Modified: Thursday, April 9, 2015 at 3:46 p.m. Gainesville Police have filed a sworn complaint against Florida wide receiver Chris Thompson, charging the former Gainesville High standout with misdemeanor simple battery/dating violence on April 1. The complaint has been forwarded to the State Attorney's Office, which is investigating the case and will determine whether to formally charge Thompson. According to the GPD complaint, Thompson and his ex-girlfriend got into an argument over a text message Thompson received from another female. While attempting to physically retrieve his phone from the alleged victim, Thompson scratched and bruised her arms and scratched her neck, leaving lacerations, according to the complaint. Thompson has been “excused” from the team until the legal issue is resolved, UF coach Jim McElwain said after Thursday's practice. “Chris, obviously, had an incident here sometime last week,” McElwain said. “He's dealing with that. He's been excused from what we're doing right now until it's resolved. That's kind of how we deal with it. We'll find out as it goes forward, find out what goes on. “He's excused from the team, and been dealing with the matter.” Thompson was not taken into custody. According to the GPD complaint, Thompson and the alleged victim had been in an “intimate dating relationship” that ended about four months ago. Thompson, a true junior, had been battling for a starting role at wide receiver this spring. He's played sparingly in the past, catching just four passes for 30 yards over the past two seasons. That didn't take long to get resolved - UF will most likely reinstate Thompson to the team: By Robbie Andreu Staff writer Published: Wednesday, April 15, 2015 at 10:18 a.m. After investigating a misdemeanor simple battery/dating violence charge against Florida wide receiver Chris Thompson, the State Attorney’s Office has elected not to pursue the case, citing a lack of evidence and the alleged victim’s decision not to prosecute the case. Gainesville Police filed a sworn complaint against Thompson on April 1, charging that the junior from Gainesville scratched his former girlfriend on the arms and neck attempting to retrieve his cell phone from her. State Attorney Bill Cervone said Wednesday that Thompson had the legal right to attempt to get his phone back from the alleged victim, who found a text message from another female on Thompson’s phone. “He was legally entitled to make what is called defense of his property, which in this case was his phone,” Cervone said. “That’s what he was doing, and the injuries that resulted were in inconsequential.” Cervone said the alleged victim also did not wish to pursue the case against Thompson. Thompson was “excused” from the team by UF coach Jim McElwain following the incident and did not play in last Saturday’s spring game. Thompson, a Gainesville High School graduate who is expected to contend for a starting role at wide receiver, likely will return to the team now that his case has been dropped, although UF has not confirmed that yet.
|
|
Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2015 8:56:00 GMT -5
The District Attorney in Athens, Georgia:
Meet Ken Mauldin, District Attorney in Athens, Georgia:
Ken Mauldin is seeking a second term as District Attorney of the Western Judicial Circuit, covering Oconee and Athens-Clarke Counties. He has been a practicing attorney here for more than 24 years. Before his current position, he served 10 years as Solicitor-General of Athens-Clarke County, the prosecuting attorney for misdemeanors. For the 10 years prior, Ken served in Oconee and Athens-Clarke Counties as an Assistant District Attorney from 1980-88, and then as a public defender with the Legal Aid Clinic. In 1987 he was the recipient of the “Assistant District Attorney of the Year” Award for the state given by the District Attorneys’ Association of Georgia. Since 1990, Ken has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of Georgia School of Law, teaching a course in Trial Practice two semesters a year.
Ken received both his bachelor and law degrees from the University of Georgia; A.B. in Political Science in 1977, graduating Magna Cum Laude and selected Phi Beta Kappa, and J.D. in 1980. Subsequently, he earned an LL.M. (Master of Laws) in Litigation degree from Emory Law School in 1989.
This from University of Georgia Law:
Kenneth W. Mauldin
Adjunct Professor of Law
A.B., University of Georgia J.D., University of Georgia LL.M., Emory University
Courses:
Trial Practice
Biographical Information:
Kenneth W. Mauldin has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Georgia School of Law for a number of years (1990). A 1980 law alumnus of UGA, he served as solicitor of the State Court of Athens-Clarke County until 2000 when he was elected district attorney for the Western Judicial Circuit, covering Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties. He earned his LL.M. in 1989 from Emory School of Law and has taught Trial Practice at UGA for a number of years. He has served as president of the Solicitors' Association of Georgia.
|
|
Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2015 10:58:18 GMT -5
Robbies Playbook QB battle far from over Thursday, April 16, 2015 at 3:55 by Robbie Andreu
Now that spring football is in the rearview mirror, here are some final observations:
•The consensus among the sports writers in the press box Saturday was that redshirt freshman Will Grier was the better of the two quarterbacks in the spring game and likely will be the starter for the Gators this fall. I don’t agree. Not yet. To me, there was very little difference in the play of Grier and Treon Harris. They looked about the same and put up similar numbers. What helped Grier is the fact he got to open the game with the No. 1 offense, while Harris was saddled with the No. 2 group and that cast of walk-ons on the line in the first quarter. No quarterback was going to look good with that second-team offense, and Harris didn’t. But once he had a chance to get with the No. 1 group, he played much better and threw some really nice balls. Grier is slightly ahead at the moment, mainly due to the four practices Harris missed. These two will carry over their competition to August. One big thing in Harris’ favor is the fact that he’s faster and more elusive than Grier. Grier is also a good athlete who can buy some time with his ability to scramble, but he can’t do the same things Harris can running the football. With the line so suspect, the Gators may need to go with the QB who can do more with his legs. That would be Harris. We’ll see how it plays out. I don’t see Jim McElwain naming a starter until deep into camp in August, maybe even as late as the Monday before the opener.
•I’m kind of tired of writing about (and talking about) the decimated offensive line. It is what it is — a mess. It will look a little better when six freshmen come on board this summer, but it’s going to be a huge area of concern throughout the 2015 season. Playing freshmen appears to be the only option. McElwain basically has ruled out moving a defensive lineman or two to offense. He said earlier this week that the coaches probably don’t want to mess with the playing rotation on the defensive line, which appears to be a solid two-deep, by moving someone to the offensive line. So, it will be sink or swim with the freshmen on the O-line.
•The quarterbacks may not have enough time to find them, but the Gators do appear to have more playmakers on offense. Kelvin Taylor had a breakout spring at tailback. Brandon Powell was having the same kind of spring before he was sidelined by a foot injury. Demarcus Robinson appears poised to take his considerable game to the next level. And then there are the tight ends. Even with likely starter Jake McGee sitting out the spring game, it was obvious the TE position is going to be a big part of the passing game. C’yontai Lewis and DeAndre Goolsby both had a chance to show off their running and receiving skills in the spring game. The same position that produced nothing (except for some killer drops) last season could put up some huge numbers in 2015. Depth at tailback was an issue in the spring, but true freshmen Jordan Scarlett and Jordan Cronkrite will take care of that in the fall.
•McElwain said Tuesday night that he’s early in the process of one-on-one meetings with all of his players, and that it’s too early to determine who might transfer. One player who may be looking to leave is defensive tackle Jay-nard Bostwick, who was excused from spring practice to take care of some personal issues. Bostwick has also struggled on the field since he’s been here. Now, he’s clearly fallen behind some of the other young defensive linemen, including Joey Ivie, Caleb Brantley, Taven Bryan and Khairi Clark. He’s one of the players who could be looking for a fresh start somewhere else.
•The secondary is the antithesis of the offensive line — deep, talented, experienced, the strength of this football team. The Gators may have the best collection of cornerback talent in the nation with Vernon Hargreaves III, Quincy Wilson, Brian Poole, Jalen Tabor and J.C. Jackson. The coaches are also high on redshirt freshman cornerback Deiondre Porter. The Gators also look really deep and talented at safety with Keanu Neal, Marcus Maye, Duke Dawson and Marcell Harris, who really came on this spring. Overall, this secondary has a chance to be the best in school history.
EDIT: Scratch JC Jackson off the CB list. He was arrested for his participation in an armed robbery on 4/18.
•The kicking part of UF’s special teams could be very good with Austin Hardin and punter Johnny Townsend. The only concern is the fact Hardin does not seem capable of knocking kickoffs into the end zone. So, getting touchbacks may not be an option for the kickoff cover team this season. “I was hoping that we had a kicker that could just bang it through the end zone. For whatever reason, we couldn’t (in the spring game),” McElwain said. “We’ve got to find somebody who can get the ball through the end zone on kickoffs.”
|
|
Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2015 11:01:13 GMT -5
I don't think Bill Cervone will have the opportunity to fix this one. What JC Jackson did if true is extremely serious. He'll be off the team and out of UF: www.gatorsports.com/article/20150419/ARTICLES/150419599?p=1&tc=pgWhat a dumbass to waste his God-given talent and his opportunity to improve himself at Florida. It looks like JC Jackson was a budding Aaron Hernandez.
|
|
Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2015 10:00:25 GMT -5
Rod Johnson To Serve As Student Assistant:
Monday April 20, 2015
Roderick Johnson Reflects on Past, Focuses on Future with Gators
Scott Carter By SCOTT CARTER GatorZone.com Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- This is not the plan Roderick Johnson had in mind when the Gators started spring practice last month.
A redshirt sophomore offensive lineman, Johnson envisioned playing in the Orange & Blue Debut and then spending the next several months preparing for his first season as a full-time starter on Florida’s retooled offensive line.
Johnson emerged as a promising young talent and emotional leader for the Gators last season. He played in every game and started three, including the Gators’ victory over East Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl.
However, in a message to Gator fans provided to GatorZone.com from Johnson, he describes how his world turned upside down on a Friday afternoon earlier this month. Johnson lined up for a play as he has done countless times in his young life.
However, he didn’t get up for several minutes afterward, experiencing what in football parlance is usually referred to as a “stinger.” Johnson saw white light and felt numbness in his hands and fingers.
The Gators immediately shut down Johnson for the rest of camp as team doctors and outside specialists reviewed his case.
The final diagnosis for the 21-year-old Johnson? Congenital cervical stenosis -- often referred to as spinal stenosis as well -- a narrowing of the spinal canal enveloping the spinal cord, preventing enough fluid to gather around the spinal cord to properly protect it from injury.
The Gators’ medical staff and those outside experts advised Johnson to retire from the sport.
In Johnson’s own words: “Spinal stenosis -- April 3 2015 -- the day that changed my life. It’s hard to walk away from this game, and it's dearly easy to fall In love with when you have the right mindset and the dedication.”
A favorite among coaches and players, Johnson’s enthusiasm for the game was impossible to miss when you watched him play.
Simply put, the 6-foot-6, 296-pound Johnson felt at home on the football field and playing for the Gators.
“I enjoyed my time as a Gator from the first day I got that call from Coach Muschamp. I instantly fell in love with a school I didn't like since I was a kid (lol). I had a tough time trying to enroll due to my grades. I pulled through with the love and support from the UF staff.”
Johnson signed with the Gators in 2013 and redshirted his first season on campus. However, under the tutelage of offensive line coach Mike Summers, Johnson blossomed as a key reserve behind a veteran offensive line that loses five regular starters from last season.
In Johnson’s statement, he describes the journey.
“Taking the redshirt my first year was rough, so going into my freshmen redshirt year I took it more serious. Listening to Coach Summers coach and trusting his technique made me a great offensive linemen and I always had heart, of course.”
Seventeen days ago when Johnson took the field for that Friday afternoon scrimmage, he had a plan. Football was the focal point. His new plan still includes football but from a new perspective.
Gators head coach Jim McElwain said Johnson will serve as a student assistant and continue to contribute his positive energy to a team that finished spring camp with just six scholarship offensive linemen available.
Johnson concluded his statement by looking ahead.
“It's a tough time as I try to move forward, but I still have some positives on the situation. I get to stand and talk to you instead of being in a wheelchair. I would like to say thanks to the coaching staff from Coach Mac all the way down to the graduate assistants.
“Being in a highly powered offense, I wanted to prove I was a great athlete even when my knee bothered me sometimes. In looking forward to what the future brings, I look to be a great assistant coach and make sure these 2015 offensive linemen know what it takes to be a Gator, and for that, I love Gator Nation. You turned me from a boy to a man. I want to see my teammates be great because it can be taken away from you in just one play.”
|
|
Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
Now THIS here...is a member
|
Post by canefan on Apr 22, 2015 7:25:45 GMT -5
right.... the 'coach' says it looks like a stinger. the 'experts' (ie the doctors) gave a different diagnosis. which is why listening to doctors makes more sense re: injuries than it does coaches. no different than what the docs told meyer at osu... no matter how much you or the uf-grad hs coach in cocoa try to paint it otherwise. You posted at the same time as I added the Gatorzone report to the post above. Try again. The difference between what UF did and what tOSU did is UF used a both outside specialists and team physicians to make the decision. There is no brooding over the decision. Rod Johnson is done with football. The same cannot be said for Jamel Dean's playing days any where other than tOSU where there is reported disagreement between the team physicians and the outside consultant, Dr. James Andrews of the Andrews Institute. Not familiar with the case. Is Dean's injury related to cervical stenosis as well? If so, perhaps the degree of his stenosis is borderline, ie, not as severe and therefore dangerous as the Gator player. Contraindications to return to play is considered still controversial, especially in cases where the stenosis is borderline.
|
|
Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2015 8:01:51 GMT -5
You posted at the same time as I added the Gatorzone report to the post above. Try again. The difference between what UF did and what tOSU did is UF used a both outside specialists and team physicians to make the decision. There is no brooding over the decision. Rod Johnson is done with football. The same cannot be said for Jamel Dean's playing days any where other than tOSU where there is reported disagreement between the team physicians and the outside consultant, Dr. James Andrews of the Andrews Institute. Not familiar with the case. Is Dean's injury related to cervical stenosis as well? If so, perhaps the degree of his stenosis is borderline, ie, not as severe and therefore dangerous as the Gator player. Contraindications to return to play is considered still controversial, especially in cases where the stenosis is borderline. Darrell, the supposed career ending injury Dean has is his knee. He injured his knee in his junior season, played a full senior season, and then reinjured the knee at a December all-star game. Dean's high school coach publically stated that Dr. Andrews said he could be ready as early as the start of fall practice. The tOSU team physician claims he didn't pass his physical so Dean's athletic scholarship was withdrawn and a medical scholarship was offered him after he had been enrolled early at tOSU. Based on what Dean heard from Dr. Andrews, he rejected tOSU's offer. He is going to rehab and seek a chance to play with another program. There is a possibility that the move by tOSU was made to reduce their oversigned roster from 88 to 85 rather than doing what is right for the player. If Dean, a 4 star CB out of Cocoa Beach so maybe you've heard of him, lands with another program, it would appear that tOSU wasn't committed to a player that was committed to them for over a year and was allowed to enroll early. Nick Saban used to pull this crap all the time before the SEC stepped in to review and approve all SEC athletic scholarship converting to medical scholarships. Changing the subject, the canes and nolies square off in Coral Gables this weekend. Both are very good teams so it should be an outstanding weekend of baseball. Your Miami baseball thread is on page 2 of the baseball board if you want to document the action.
|
|
Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
Now THIS here...is a member
|
Post by canefan on Apr 22, 2015 18:12:02 GMT -5
Not familiar with the case. Is Dean's injury related to cervical stenosis as well? If so, perhaps the degree of his stenosis is borderline, ie, not as severe and therefore dangerous as the Gator player. Contraindications to return to play is considered still controversial, especially in cases where the stenosis is borderline. Darrell, the supposed career ending injury Dean has is his knee. He injured his knee in his junior season, played a full senior season, and then reinjured the knee at a December all-star game. Dean's high school coach publically stated that Dr. Andrews said he could be ready as early as the start of fall practice. The tOSU team physician claims he didn't pass his physical so Dean's athletic scholarship was withdrawn and a medical scholarship was offered him after he had been enrolled early at tOSU. Based on what Dean heard from Dr. Andrews, he rejected tOSU's offer. He is going to rehab and seek a chance to play with another program. There is a possibility that the move by tOSU was made to reduce their oversigned roster from 88 to 85 rather than doing what is right for the player. If Dean, a 4 star CB out of Cocoa Beach so maybe you've heard of him, lands with another program, it would appear that tOSU wasn't committed to a player that was committed to them for over a year and was allowed to enroll early. Nick Saban used to pull this crap all the time before the SEC stepped in to review and approve all SEC athletic scholarship converting to medical scholarships. Changing the subject, the canes and nolies square off in Coral Gables this weekend. Both are very good teams so it should be an outstanding weekend of baseball. Your Miami baseball thread is on page 2 of the baseball board if you want to document the action. Thanks for the info. Seems unusual that there would be such a disagreement between anyone and someone with Andrews reputation. I assume it was more than a simple ligament tear. I will be following the baseball series this weekend but really haven't gotten into the whole reporting thing for a few years now, seeing as I appear to be the only Cane on board here. Miami has been playing exceptionally well lately, winning nine straight before losing a couple at Virginia last week.
|
|
Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2015 14:19:24 GMT -5
Update on JC Jackson:
By Robbie Andreu Staff writer
Published: Thursday, April 23, 2015 at 11:07 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, April 23, 2015 at 11:21 a.m.
Florida defensive back J.C. Jackson entered a written plea of not guilty to three counts of first-degree felony armed robbery Thursday morning at the Alachua County Courthouse.
Jackson, a redshirt freshman from Immokalee, was represented in court by Gainesville attorney Stephen Stanfield, who is co-counsel for Jackson. His lead attorney is Chris Brown, who is based in Naples.
Jackson was arrested Sunday after turning himself into police. He was charged with three counts of robbery with a deadly weapon. He was released from jail Tuesday on $150,000 bond.
Jackson is alleged to have been one of three men involved in the Saturday afternoon robbery at the Canopy apartment complex at 4400 SW 20th Ave. Police allege he went to an apartment to smoke marijuana and brought two other men with him.
Once inside, Jackson went outside to make a phone call and did not return, according to police. After he left, one of the other two men pulled a gun and held it to the head of one of the victims. The two men stole $382 and two video game systems.
“At this point, he's not in school, and we're trying to get some things, for him, where he might be able to finish up and get some grades for this semester,” Florida coach Jim McElwain said Wednesday.
|
|