Florida Gators thread

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August 11. 2006 6:01AM
In SEC, UF alone clears all signees


By the numbers
Number of incoming players who failed to qualify academically (some players are still awaiting word):

# 0: Florida
# 1: Ole Miss, South Carolina, Vanderbilt

# 2: Georgia, Mississippi State
# 3: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Tennessee

# 4: LSU
# 7: Kentucky

By PAT DOOLEY
Sun sports writer

The waiting, according to the great Gainesville philosopher Thomas Earl Petty, is the hardest part. College football programs know that all too well.
Around the Southeastern Conference, there are more than two dozen 2006 signees who are either waiting to be cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse or on a junior college class result. Some will make it, some will not.
The only thing that is known for sure is that Urban Meyer's class is the only one to bat a thousand.

All 26 of Meyer's '06 recruits have been cleared for their freshmen seasons at UF and all are practicing.
"Our assistant coaches and our support people work extremely hard. They're bulldogs," Meyer said. "Everyone signs a class with the intent of getting them on campus. Ours didn't happen by accident."

At the other 11 schools, there were 30 signees who failed to qualify to make it to their respective campuses. So far. There are another 16 who are hoping the red flags sent up by the NCAA won't trip them up or are waiting on a junior college test result.
# Alabama: The Tide had three players who failed to qualify, getting 23 of 26 signees on campus.
# Arkansas: Three players failed to qualify out of 26 signees and another is awaiting word from the NCAA Clearinghouse.
# Auburn: Three players out of 25 signees didn't make the grade, another is waiting on a junior college result and one is waiting for word from the Clearinghouse.
# Georgia: Of 27 signees, Georgia had a pair of linemen that failed to make the grade.
n Kentucky: The Wildcats oversigned on purpose taking a chance that several players who were high risk would eventually end up at Kentucky. Of the 32 players signed, 25 made it while the other seven will attend prep schools or junior colleges.
# LSU: The Tigers signed 29 players and four of them failed to qualify. They are still waiting on four others to receive word from the Clearinghouse including their two top prospects.
# Mississippi: Ed Orgeron put together a surprisingly good class of 31 players and recently welcomed quarterback Brent Schaeffer to campus after he passed a junior college course. One player failed to make it and five more are waiting for clearance.
# Mississippi State: Of the 27 players signed, two failed to make the grade and two more are waiting to be cleared.
# South Carolina: Steve Spurrier's class of 28 included only one player who failed to make the grade.
# Tennessee: The Vols signed 22, but three were turned away and two more are waiting to be cleared.
# Vanderbilt: The class of 26 players included one player in Chris Bush who didn't meet Vandy's requirements and will instead attend Washington State.

If you ask the coaches, they believe most of their players waiting for clearance will eventually be on campus. But with the NCAA Clearinghouse, one never knows.
These classes are hardly an aberration. Florida's, on the other hand, is unusual.

Contact Pat Dooley at 374-5053 or dooleyp@gvillesun.com.

[azuquita8]

Meyer urges Tebow to take things easy

By Nick Zaccardi

Special to The Palm Beach Post

Saturday, August 12, 2006

GAINESVILLE — It is taught that running through first base is faster than diving headfirst into it.

Apparently, Tim Tebow didn't remember that instruction from his prep baseball days.

The UF freshman quarterback's story of diving headfirst onto a hardwood floor in a race highlighted Florida's Media Day on Friday.

During an off-season sprinting exercise on a basketball court, Tebow gave a failed last-ditch effort to win the event.

"I dove headfirst. It's the only way to do it," said Tebow, who should spell starter Chris Leak for snaps during his first season in Gainesville. "I probably rolled into (the wall). ... It was fun."

Freshman wide receiver Percy Harvin said Tebow had no chance to win the race.

That toughness and Tebow's strong work ethic have his teammates thinking the highly touted recruit may be too overzealous.

"He always does extra," Harvin said. "If you tell him to run 10, he'll run 12. Running stadiums, he's always the first one. He'll dive across the line on concrete. You'll just be like, 'Tim, what's wrong with you?'"

But too much work could doom Leak's heir apparent.

Although it's not serious, Tebow has been limited in training recently because of tendinitis.

"Tim Tebow's worst problem is Tim Tebow," coach Urban Meyer said. "He doesn't know how to rest his arm a little bit. We've got to teach him how to rest."

A new face: With three weeks left until the season opener, Meyer has not found a replacement for departed cornerback Vernell Brown.

Brown's cover skills are not what the team's missing, rather it's his face.

Meyer has yet to name captains for the upcoming season and is also looking for the successor to Brown as the face of Florida football.

"I have a couple of ideas," Meyer said. "Some people may think that's funny, but it's a great deal. You represent what this university and football team are about."

In a poll of players and coaches, linebacker Brandon Siler, cornerback Reggie Lewis, wide receiver Dallas Baker and fullback Billy Latsko came up as candidates.

Offensive coordinator Dan Mullen did not name Leak because he expects the quarterback to have a great work ethic and to "bring it every day."

Jackson relives losses: Safety Kyle Jackson had a self-evaluation in the off-season, watching film from Florida's losses to Alabama, LSU and South Carolina.

The junior said he will spend extra time on tackling after practice, particularly in the open field.

"You've got to grow up at some point," Jackson said. "This off-season helped me realize that."

Receiver breaks hand: Louis Murphy, a sophomore receiver, broke his hand and will be out five to six days.

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In pressure cooker, UF is better off with Meyer

By Greg Stoda

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Steve Spurrier has his comfort zone, and Urban Meyer has his.

That those working environments are very, very, very different was on clear display this summer in Birmingham, Ala., when Spurrier and Meyer, in that order, showed up on consecutive days at the SEC pre-season mediafest.

Let's just say it was revelatory, and more than a little odd.

What it amounts to, really, is that Meyer is willing to deal with the discomfort of possible grand disappointment whereas it seems Spurrier no longer wants any part of such unrelenting pressure. One guy is just getting immersed in the cauldron; the other guy has had quite enough of that life, thanks.

It's the difference between Stevie Superior being long secure in his reputation while the verdict - in these parts, anyway - remains out on Meyer as Urban legend or myth.

Which is why Meyer is a better man for the job as coach at Florida than is Spurrier, who at this stage of his career is a real nice fit for the same gig at, oh, yeah, South Carolina.

My guess is Spurrier wouldn't be the UF boss today even if he hadn't quit the Gators after the 2001 season and even if the Washington Redskins - he calls it "that NFL deal" - hadn't happened. Spurrier grew weary of the Gator Nation's great expectations, which is a constant tension that Meyer embraces.

"Our goal is simple," Meyer said. "We need to become a great football team."

Now, there's a simple yet powerful declaration of purpose.

Spurrier?

He's embracing the notion that South Carolina winning more games than it loses "would be a good year." The Gamecocks went 7-5 with an Independence Bowl loss last season, by the way, and Spurrier was crowned King Palmetto in his first season on the grounds. It won't take anything appreciably better for him to remain glorified this season, either.

Spurrier, of course, won a national championship and a passel of SEC titles during his dozen seasons at Florida in a previous coaching incarnation, but doesn't seem interested in that kind of competition now.

"No. Noooo," Spurrier replied when asked if he thought South Carolina was being disrespected after beating Tennessee and Florida and finishing in a second-place tie with the Gators in the SEC East last year. "We deserve to be (picked) fourth until we prove we can hang with the big boys."

That's nothing if not handy cover, and also happens to serve the useful purpose of allowing Spurrier to be smug.

"That doesn't mean we have to lose to them ... as you know," he added.

Meyer, indeed, knows. South Carolina, rollicking on its own field, slapped a stinging 30-22 loss on the Gators last season, which was the low point of Meyer's first Florida season. Spurrier, who was a Gators hero as a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback long before he was their hero as a coach, nevertheless happily reminds everyone about how it was the Gamecocks' first win against Florida since just this side of forever.

The Gators recovered nicely from the defeat with a rout of Florida State and an Outback Bowl win to get to 9-3 (Spurrier, by comparison, was 9-2 in his first Florida season). But the loss to the Gamecocks still documents Meyer's introductory season with the Gators as much as a sweep of Tennessee, Georgia and the Seminoles does.

Meyer's second schedule at Florida begins Sept. 2 and - how's this? - Spurrier will be among the honored guests in celebration of the 10-year anniversary of UF's national championship.

"I feel a responsibility to come back and see the players," Spurrier said.

He just doesn't plan on sticking around past the middle of the first quarter. So much for romance.

"I did my thing there," Spurrier said. "It's history."

And a glorious history it is.

But the 61-year-old Spurrier isn't who the Gators need as leader, and he knew it before anyone else did back when he left them behind in the first place. He's happier building something new at South Carolina than he would be trying to maintain what he built at Florida.

It's the hungrier 42-year-old Meyer - he's succeeding Spurrier more than he's succeeding Ron Zook in every manner other than chronological order -who better suits the Gators these days.

"We play the best and expect to be the best," Meyer said. "I think we're going to have a hell of a team."

Never mind comfortable.

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Gators' recruit always believed

By Edgar Thompson

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Sunday, August 13, 2006

GAINESVILLE — The soft, sad voice broke the news to Buddy Quarles on the phone in June.

Wondy Pierre-Louis, a Haitian-born Florida Gators recruit from Naples-Lely High School, wouldn't be coming back to the United States.

Pierre-Louis' dream to go to college was buried in a tangle of red tape hundreds of miles away in Haiti.

Denied a new student visa by the American embassy so he could return to the United States, Pierre-Louis turned to Quarles, who is his legal guardian and special teams coach at Lely High.

Four years ago, Pierre-Louis, now 18, could not speak English and had never played football. So Quarles wasn't about to give up now.

"I told him, 'You have worked too hard to get this scholarship. You can't give up,' " Quarles said. "I said, 'If you don't get your visa, I'll come there and get you.' I was going to get a plane. Somehow I'd get President Bush involved. I didn't know how I'd do it."

In the end, Pierre-Louis' determination paid off. Stuck in Haiti, where he took a chance to return and visit his family, he found a way out.

Three days after hearing from his heartbroken player, Quarles' phone rang again.

Pierre-Louis had a visa. He had showed embassy officials another batch of paperwork, and Pierre-Louis' mother had assured them the rest of the family planned to stay put.

Last month, the 6-foot, 176-pound cornerback arrived at Florida to play on a scholarship.

Happy and free, Pierre-Louis, exhibiting the selective memory of a teenager, said he expected nothing less.

"I knew it was going to happen," he said.

It's easier to believe when so many people believe in you.

People had lined up to help Pierre-Louis get to Gainesville, from 10-year-old girls to grandmothers, from a hard-working high school counselor to highly paid football coaches.

The generosity of time, energy and spirit surprised Pierre-Louis.

"I didn't know that many people were going to get involved," he said. "I was shocked."

Pierre-Louis had touched the lives of a lot of people who believed no dream should be abandoned.

Mary Ellen Cash, a counselor at Lely, needed two weeks to fill out 15 pages of immigration papers Pierre-Louis needed with him in Haiti.

Mothers and players on Quarles' AAU girls basketball team started a prayer chain, asking for Pierre-Louis' deliverance.

In the most dangerous recruiting assignment of his 30-year career, Florida secondary coach Chuck Heater flew to Haiti for two days to lend Pierre-Louis moral support. Before he arrived, he'd done a little research on the war-torn Caribbean island nation, but Heater learned when he arrived that 20 Americans had been kidnapped in May.

"I had no idea what I was dealing with," Heater said.

Neither did Quarles.

The man who had felt an immediate bond with Pierre-Louis on the football field realized he needed to save him off of it.

A ride home from practice in September opened Quarles' eyes and touched his heart.

Quarles watched Pierre-Louis approach a duplex with a door hanging off the hinges. Inside, a mattress was on the floor of a dimly lit room, with no air-conditioning and no food in the refrigerator. Roaches crawled around everywhere.

"It wasn't condemned but should have been," Quarles said. "I wouldn't let my dog stay there.

"I said, 'Wondy, you can't do this.' I loaded up his stuff and took him home with me."

Pierre-Louis arrived in Naples in August of 2002 with his mother, Dessece, and older brother, John. Dessece returned to Haiti and left her sons behind so they could go to school.

The brothers lived together for three years until John left for New York before the summer of 2005. Pierre-Louis, who had no work visa, was left to support himself on a meager monthly check from family members in Haiti.

"I don't know how he made it, to be honest with you," Quarles said.

When asked about his remarkable story, Pierre-Louis offers few details, even to his new teammates at Florida.

"He says he won't talk about it," said Jacques Rickerson, a freshman cornerback from St. Augustine. "Or he doesn't want to talk about it."

Quarles didn't care how Pierre-Louis ended up in a roach-infested apartment. He just wanted him out of there.

"I called my wife and said, 'Please trust me on this,''" Quarles said of his decision to have Pierre-Louis move in with his family.

That move came on the night Quarles first saw where his player was living.

Within hours, Quarles, his wife Marisa and his three children welcomed Pierre-Louis into their home.

Within three months, Pierre-Louis had gained 15 pounds, mostly off of Marisa's hamburger pie - the new family member's favorite.

Quarles gave him a curfew and a cellphone.

Last January, Pierre-Louis joined the Quarleses on a trip to Disney World, where he rode his first roller coaster with Marisa's mother.

"He told my wife, 'This is the best time I've ever had in my life,''" said Quarles, 39. "That was neat.

"I raised the kid. When they talk about Wondy, that's my kid."

Still, a long road remained for Pierre-Louis.

When he first arrived in the United States, he spoke only Creole. Placed in a two-year program to learn English, Pierre-Louis was communicating better within a year, but he fell behind in the core courses needed for a football scholarship. Pierre-Louis needed to pass seven core classes last spring. Few, including a number of college recruiters, believed he could do it.

"A lot of naysayers were out there," Lely head coach Chris Metzger said. "They were saying, 'It ain't going to happen. He can't get it done.' "

Pierre-Louis couldn't hear the skeptics. His head was buried in the textbooks.

"He studied even going down the road. He'd be studying, reading," Quarles said. "It was hard for him. Sometimes, he couldn't sleep because he was so nervous."

Pierre-Louis also needed two shots at the ACT before he received a score that qualified him to play at Florida.

When he passed the test, Pierre-Louis celebrated with his new family at Carrabba's Italian Grill. But he knew one more major hurdle remained.

Pierre-Louis' student visa had expired and he needed to return to Haiti to obtain a new one for college. The risk factor was that he might not be able to come back.

"If you leave, there's no guarantee you'll have an opportunity to come back," Heater said. "There were a lot of unknowns there."

Pierre-Louis knew one thing: He couldn't remain in Haiti. The all-district wide receiver/cornerback had a scholarship waiting and he cherished the freedom of his new home.

"You have security. No one does anything to you if you don't do anything to them,'' he said. "I'm happy to be here."

Pierre-Louis has seen people shot and killed in the streets of Port-au-Prince. During the most recent civil war, in 2004, his family's clothing business was burned down.

"If you go outside," he said, "you have to know where you're going and just get there."

Now, his ability in the game of football gave him a chance to live a better life. Before arriving in Naples, he had never heard of the game. After his first experience on the field, it's a wonder he ever wanted to play again.

"I still remember the first hit,'' he said. "I was knocked out for, like, five minutes."

True to his persona, he got up and kept playing.

Blessed with speed and agility he said he developed as a kid while releasing and catching goats for fun, Pierre-Louis became the state 4A champion as a junior in the long jump (23 feet, 11 inches) and triple jump (48 feet). Quarles was most impressed with the teen's determination.

"Whatever he did, he never gave up," Quarles said. "If you ran a sprint, he'd be the first guy in line. If he got burned, he'd make up for it.

"He had that extra thing about him."

Two seasons ago, college coaches began to notice that Pierre-Louis, now listed at 6 feet, 176 pounds, had the potential to be special.

He just as easily could have become a casualty of the system. Florida coach Urban Meyer said he was told the odds were against Pierre-Louis getting back to Florida.

"One out of 10 get out of there," Meyer said. "He's the one."

Back in Naples, the saga of Wondy Pierre-Louis is one in a million. It won't soon be forgotten.

"Most people live a lifetime and don't see something like this," Metzger said. "It's a real American success story - about our school system, about the future of our country, about what kids can do if they put their minds to it."

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Florida seeking return to elite spot
By Josh Kendall
TELEGRAPH STAFF WRITER

Coach: Urban Meyer 9-3, second season; 48-11 overall, sixth season

Gators in 2005: 9-3 (5-3 in SEC East, tied 2nd); Beat Iowa 31-24 in Outback Bowl.

Starters returning: 6 offense, 6 defense 2 specialists

Preseason question mark: How much will freshman quarterback Tim Tebow play and how will starter Chris Leak handle it? Tebow will play in the first game, Meyer already has announced.
Alumni will be happy if: The Gators win the East. Nothing less will do because Georgia and Tennessee both are expected to have down years, and Florida is considered the most talented in the league.

Florida quarterback Chris Leak needs 2,604 more passing yards to pass the exalted Danny Wuerffel as the Gators' career leader.

His biggest roadblock in that quest won't be any of the SEC's powerful defenses. Instead, it will be the guy sitting next to him in the film room every day, true freshman quarterback Tim Tebow.

Tebow, a consecutive all-state quarterback in Jacksonville, Fla., is the perfect run-pass combination for Urban Meyer's spread offense. Tebow will play this season, the Gators' second-year coach said.

That must leave Leak, who has played in all 37 games of his college career, including 33 straight, wondering what he did wrong, right? Not so, Leak says publicly.

"Coach said this is my team," Leak said. "I can't think about (the fuss surrounding Tebow). I have to think about making my team better."

The Gators were 9-3 a year ago and return 14 starters (six on offense, six on defense and two specialists) from a team that had impressive wins over Florida State and Iowa to end the season.

There is no quarterback controversy in Gainesville, Meyer insists, even though Leak's skill set clearly doesn't jibe with the coaches' offense.

"I keep hearing (Leak is) a square peg in a round hole," Meyer said. "It's our job to make it a square peg in a square hole. We're going to make that happen."

Meyer is more concerned about his running backs, which were a constant source of aggravation for him last year.

"We had three running backs that really were not anywhere what the University of Florida should expect," he said. "Markus Manson and Deshawn Wynn are back. They have a completely different attitude and work ethic. I think Kestahn Moore is very responsible for that. He came from a high school program where if you don't work, you don't play. That's the kind of program we have in Florida."

The Gators will add the nation's No. 1 recruiting class, and "quite a few" of those 26 players will see action this year, Meyer said.

That will leave the Gators bottom and top heavy. There are 20 seniors on Florida's roster, and Meyer projects 15 of them as starters.

"The teams I've been fortunate enough to be around and have great success are driven by seniors," he said. "I'm anxious to get around these guys and see if they can provide the leadership we expect."

His only goal for the season, he said, is to become "a great team," which has become his catchphrase.

"We were not a great team a year ago," he said. "We were a team near the end of the year that I would put very close to being a great team. That team in the locker room after the Outback Bowl was close. The University of Florida needs to get back to a championship game at some point. The last nine years we've been (to the SEC title game) twice. It's time to get back there."

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Tebow draws Leak out of his shell

By Edgar Thompson

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Friday, August 18, 2006

GAINESVILLE — In case you didn't notice, there's been a recent quarterback change at the University of Florida.

Fourth-year starter Chris Leak has become a different player - and person.

The long-reserved senior speaks up in meetings. He commands the huddle. The notorious homebody even hangs out with his teammates in public once in awhile.

For the first time since his freshman year, Leak also has competition.

Leak had no choice but to change entering his final season. The powerful presence of freshman Tim Tebow forced Leak's hand.

"The past three years, Chris Leak has been the quarterback - period, end of discussion, let's talk about something else," coach Urban Meyer said. "Now there seems to be discussion about this other young kid.

"He's not outperforming Chris. But I think Chris knows right where he is in the rearview mirror at all times."

Tebow, Florida's 2005 Mr. Football from Ponte Vedra Beach-Nease and one of the headliners in one of the nation's top recruiting classes, has been hard to miss since he enrolled in January.

The 18-year-old stepped onto Leak's turf and didn't tread lightly.

Every Florida fan now knows Tebow outplayed Leak during April's Orange and Blue game to conclude spring drills. But behind the scenes, Tebow has made an even bigger impact.

Tebow begged coaches to push him harder more during off-season mat drills. He bugged them in their offices about the nuances of the offense. The 6-foot-3, 229-pound left-hander from outside Jacksonville brought energy and enthusiasm to a group lacking personality.

With Tebow in the mix, Meyer said he no longer receives the silent treatment during quarterback meetings.

"He's forcing conversation," Meyer said. "Last year, no one liked to speak. You'd walk into the room, 'Hey guys how you doing?' and they'd look at you like, 'Why are you asking me that?'

"You ask Tebow how he's doing and you get a 3 1/2 -hour dissertation."

Leak, with 33 straight college starts and several school records in sight, watched the freshman and listened.

In the process, Leak, 21, picked up a few things.

"Tim's personality has brought Chris out of his shell and made him more comfortable around everybody," offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Dan Mullen said. "It makes him a better player and makes him happier coming out to practice.

"He's realized that he can laugh and joke and do some things and share things with someone and he doesn't always have to turn to the coach."

A climate ripe for tension between two talented quarterbacks instead has been downright harmonious.

One reason is because there's a clear pecking order: Leak is the established veteran, Tebow the eager pupil.

"There's no heated competition - 'Don't talk to me. I don't like you,''" said junior wide receiver Andre Caldwell, one of Leak's freshman-year roommates.

Tebow, a Gators fan since he was a child, looks forward to his time with Leak. Sometimes, he finds himself in awe of him.

"There's not too many people in the world that can throw a prettier pass than Chris," Tebow said. "I think since I've been here, he's throw two balls that haven't been spirals. Every day it's awesome to come out and work with a quarterback like that."

But don't mistake Tebow's deference for submission.

He might be 18, he might be new to college football, but Tebow came to Florida to play football - now.

"I don't think Chris Leak was a factor in the decision," Bob Tebow, Tim's father, said. "(Tebow) is out here to compete to play quarterback. When he's good enough, they'll play him."

Considered a better fit for Meyer's spread-option offense because of his running ability, Tebow has shown flashes since he arrived.

He caught everyone's attention during the spring game. Tebow finished 15-of-21 for 197 yards and a 16-yard touchdown. Leak was 17-of-33 for 145 yards and an interception.

Late last month, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden even weighed in on Florida's quarterback situation.

"I've just been reading his comments about him saying 'Leak is my quarterback,' and 'he's the guy,'" Bowden said of Meyer. "But, boy, he better hope when he puts Tebow in there Tebow doesn't have a great day."

Leak, with 65 touchdowns and 22 wins at Florida, doesn't sound concerned. He said he enjoys working with Tebow, but also makes it clear who's boss.

"Tim's a try-hard guy and done a great job, but he knows his role," Leak said.

"That's one of the reasons I came here, I knew I was going to have great players behind me that are going to learn from me."

No one around the program really expects the roles to reverse.

"Chris knows his spot on this team and Tim knows his," said junior tight end Tate Casey, one of Tebow's closest friends on the team.

"I don't think anybody had a question; if they did, they don't know football too well."

Noteworthy: Sophomore linebacker Jon Demps, who missed more than half of his freshman year with a left knee injury, hurt the knee again Wednesday and could be out for the season.

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August 19. 2006 6:01AM
Donovan addresses team

By ROBBIE ANDREU
Sun sports writer

The Florida Gators have been talking since the end of last season about being championship contenders again in 2006. On Thursday night, they experienced a little bit of that championship feeling.

The team had what head coach Urban Meyer called Championship Night. Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan addressed the team, and the Gators watched a highlight tape that included the UF basketball team's NCAA title run, the 2006 Miami Heat's title and UF's 1996 national championship season in football.

"We had a great evening last night," Meyer said Friday. "It's called Championship Night. We showed a video of the Miami Heat and the 1996 championship team here and the basketball team (this past season). Our guys did a great job of putting together a really good videotape. Then we had a cookout together. It was a great night. It was one of the best evenings I've been a part of."

Meyer would not go into specifics about what Donovan told his players.
"He told them what he's told the public, how you win championships," Meyer said.

Meyer had hoped to have some of the UF basketball players address the team, but they are between semesters and not on campus.

C.I. keeps coming Former quarterback Cornelius Ingram continues to impress at wide receiver. Meyer said Ingram definitely will play a role in UF's opener on Sept. 2.
"He was one of the stars of practice today," Meyer said. "He'll play in the first game. It's not going to be a role where it's 50 or 60 plays. He's just not ready to do that, but he had an excellent day today.
"There aren't many guys who can do the things he can do. You just wish he was a little more physical because he's just never really played football before. His attitude is terrific and he's a big, skilled athlete."

Stripes be gone Three more true freshmen had the black stripe removed from their helmet Friday - defensive end Lawrence Marsh, linebacker Dustin Doe and wide receiver Justin Williams.

Meyer said Doe and Williams made plays in Friday's scrimmage.
"Williams had a good day, made a couple of plays," Meyer said. "Doe had a couple of big hits."
Even though Doe's stripe came off, Meyer said the former Suwannee star is a little behind schedule at this point.
"I thought he'd be further ahead than he is," Meyer said. "Today he moved up. All three (true freshmen linebackers) will play this year. There is not a miss there. Sometimes you look at a recruit and say, 'He's not what we thought he would be.' All three of those kids (Doe, Brandon Spikes and A.J. Jones) are going to play for us."

Young CB update Of the newcomers at cornerback, Meyer said former Utah starter Ryan Smith and true freshman Markihe Anderson are the most advanced at this stage.
"Ryan Smith is ahead because he's played college football," Meyer said. "Markihe is next. Wondy (Pierre-Louis) has a lower back problem and he hasn't practiced as much. Jacques Rickerson needs to learn how to practice at this level. He's talented, but he doesn't understand the speed of the game."

This and that Freshmen wide receivers Jarred Fayson (shoulder) and Percy Harvin (hip flexor) practiced some Friday, but were not quite at full speed, Meyer said. "Harvin took part in about half the practice. We're expecting him to be full speed Monday. ... The team's annual fan day will be held Sunday at 1 p.m. at the O'Connell Center. ... The Gators will practice twice today, have Sunday off, then practice twice again Monday, the final day of two-a-days.

... Chris Leak was named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation 2006 Player of the Year watch list.

Robbie Andreu can be reached at 352-374-5022 or andreur@gvillesun.com

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Meyer looks to fix Florida's Leak

* Gators head coach Urban Meyer insists quarterback Chris Leak can succeed in his spread offense.

David Hale

Last year, Urban Meyer was the new kid on the block. He came to Florida with a newfangled brand of offense and a track record of success wherever he had been, replacing a head coach who could never escape the shadow of the Gators' past success.

Of course, for all that Meyer had accomplished in his career, none of those stops along the way were in the SEC. They were places like Utah and Bowling Green and Illinois State. As far as folks in SEC country were concerned, he still had a lot to prove.

It wasn't just fans who seemed to wonder if Meyer's spread offense would meet with the same success in the SEC that it did in Mountain West, either. The question had to be asked: would Florida's players, who had been recruited by former head coach Ron Zook, buy in to the hype?

"Young people, in my opinion, don't really buy in," Meyer said. "I think there's enough respect amongst their teammates, you're at the University of Florida, your job is to go win games. Your job is to perform. Your job is to get a degree. Your job, if you're blessed enough, is to go play professional football. We say that very serious."

Of course, when the Gators struggled to a 5-3 finish in the SEC, including a loss to former head coach Steve Spurrier and South Carolina, Meyer's tactics seemed even more questionable, and the first piece of evidence in the case against the spread offense was his quarterback, Chris Leak.

"I keep hearing the No. 1 issue that comes up is Chris Leak," Meyer said. "Chris Leak, in my opinion, had a very good year in the spread offense. He won more games than he's ever won. His completion percentage was higher. He threw half as many interceptions."

Leak also watched his touchdown total fall from 29 to 20, his yardage drop from nearly 3,200 to about 2,600, and his head coach net one of the country's top quarterback recruits, Tim Tebow, as his eventual replacement.

Now the question being bantered about most among Gators fans is, just how soon will Tebow be replacing Leak?

"Coach, from day one, said that he wanted to build this system around me and strong players like me," Leak said. "I just have to go out and think about my teammates and be their leader."

Meyer has become downright surly at the notion that Leak is not the right player to lead Florida's offense, an has made his defense of his starting quarterback a vocal one.

"I will fight for players that I believe deserve being protected and stood up for," Meyer said.

Meyer has continuously thrown his support behind Leak, saying Tebow is the student, not the ready-made replacement, and constantly reminding critics that learning from a senior is an opportunity Leak never had.

"Your obligation as an older football player in college football is to take care and teach a younger player how to play," Meyer said. "That's been done for a hundred years, 150, history of college football. When a freshman comes in, he learns from upperclassmen. Chris Leak learned how to play college football from Chris Leak. He never had that luxury."

But while Meyer continues to tout Leak as a leader, a teach and a warrior, fans and media still whisper about Leak, the question mark. If Leak and the spread offense didn't mesh in 2005, fans can't help but wonder what will be different this year, particularly with Tebow waiting in the wings.

"I keep hearing a square peg, a (round) hole," Meyer said. "It's our job to make it a square peg in a square hole. We're going to make that happen. We did make that happen at times last year."

It was those moments that everything seemed to click that inspire Meyer to stay the course this season, and those moments when the offense slogged along like a Gator making its way through the swamps of central Florida, and Leak's confidence wavered with each booing fan that inspire Meyer's vocal support of his senior signal caller.

"Coach said this is my team," Leak said. "To be the leader and the captain, I know the responsibilities to lad the team and to be prepared. It gives me great confidence to know that the guys are ready."

One thing that everyone seems to agree on, however, is that Leak can quell all his vocal critics in one fell swoop if he leads Florida to another championship. The successes of the past – and past quarterbacks – weigh heavily against the backdrop of an other season in the middle of the SEC standings. And for all the passing records and touchdown throws, the only comparison Meyer or Leak are concerned with involves rings on their fingers.

"The reason Rex Grossman, Shane Matthews, (Danny) Wuerffel are great quarterbacks, in my opinion, is the fact they have a ring that said they were the best at what they do, not because they threw for some yards," Meyer said. "The objective is not to throw for yards.

"Chris' jo is to win a championship. The est thing going, Chris agrees with that. That's all that matters, is fid a way to win that championship."

[azuquita8]

August 26. 2006 6:01AM
UF FOOTBALL
Meyer works Tebow into opener plan

BY ROBBIE ANDREU
Sun sports writer

Clearly, this is senior quarterback Chris Leak's offense, his team, but there's also going to be room for true freshman Tim Tebow.

Florida coach Urban Meyer said Friday the coaches are formulating a plan to play Tebow in next Saturday's opener against Southern Miss, possibly even early in the game.

"He'll play. We don't know exactly when; we have an idea," Meyer said. "We'd like to get him in the game as early as possible. We haven't set the exact time or play, but it won't be the whole gamut because, to be honest with you, he can't run the whole gamut.
"But there are going to be some plays (he can run). It's a Tebow plan. We haven't finalized it yet. We'll probably do that Sunday."

Tebow's work ethic has been impressive and he's improved his game since the spring. He's also the No. 2 guy behind Leak and the only other scholarship quarterback on the roster. The coaches are looking to get him game experience should he be needed this season.
"We've just got to get him ready to play," Meyer said. "He's our backup quarterback."

Meyer said he will not be putting Tebow in the game to create a change of pace the way he did last year with running quarterback Josh Portis, also a true freshman. Tebow can run and throw and the offense will not change much, if at all, when he's in the game, Meyer said.
"It's not that much of a difference," Meyer said. "(Tebow) just doesn't have the knowledge Chris has. Chris has been in the system for a year. We're going to pick the plays (Tebow) does well with in practice."

Junior wide receiver Andre Caldwell said Tebow deserves some playing time.
"With all the work he's put in, he's earned a chance to be out there a little bit," Caldwell said. "Plus, he's got to get used to the game. It's going to be a coaches' move.

"Tebow brings a lot of leadership. He's a great runner, he's got a strong arm and he knows how to run a team. He's probably more advanced than most true freshmen coming into college. I just praise him because he did a great job coming in here at quarterback."

Last spring and during summer workouts, Tebow had a tendency to throw the ball too hard at times and lacked touch on his passes that required touch.
"He's a gorilla playing quarterback is what he is," Meyer said. "We're trying to make him a quarterback. He really wants it. We're trying to get him to relax and play the game, which he has. He's done a really good job. Chris has been really good for him in a couple of areas and that's one of them."

Caldwell said Tebow is throwing a much more catchable ball now.
"He's come a long way," Caldwell said. "He's learned how to have touch at the right time and when to fire it in there. The coaches have done a good job with him. He throws a nice ball and he knows how to read a defense."

Haslem at practice Former UF basketball star and current Miami Heat player Udonis Haslem attended practice Friday and addressed the team at the end.
"He's a football fan. It's great to have him," Meyer said. "We admire what he did and what his team did (winning the NBA title). He's a Gator.
"I've got a phone call into coach (Pat) Riley asking him if (Haslem) could play for us (at tight end) and he's not calling back for some reason."
Meyer said Haslem told the UF players that great teams fight through adversity, like the Heat did after encountering difficulties early in the season.
"It was a great message," Meyer said.

Focused freshmen Meyer praised the work ethic of his true freshmen, many of whom will contribute this season.
"Last year's freshman class for some reason came in with a little chip on their shoulder and expected things they didn't deserve," Meyer said. "This class came in and said 'I'm going to go to work.' I think we made it clear when we recruited them there are no promises made.
"You get a chance to play in the finest stadium in college football, go earn it. Shut the mouth, and go earn it and, boy, they've done a good job of doing that. I'm proud of that class. They're good people."

Gilbert a player Speaking of the freshmen, offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert is one of the most impressive, Meyer said.
"He's another guy who's really come on," Meyer said. "He's the best (offensive) lineman in the class. He's got a lot of talent. I thought he was really good (coming out of Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas), but this kid is much better than I thought he would be. He's going to be a premium player for us."

Hurt returns Freshman offensive guard Maurice Hurt, who injured his knee two weeks ago, saw some practice time and is expected to return full time on Monday.
"He'll play in the first game, I really believe," Meyer said.

Contact Robbie Andreu at 374-5022 or andreur@gvillesun.com.

Coming Sunday Face it, Gator football is fast approaching. Look inside
Sunday's paper for a preview of Gator, Southeastern Conference and national college football.

[azuquita8]

Under Meyer, Gators Chomping at Bit


By MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer
August 25. 2006 6:00AM

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Urban Meyer's offense made huge strides between his first and second seasons at Bowling Green and Utah. He's counting on similar progress at Florida.

Meyer begins his second year amid even higher expectations than what he faced in 2005, especially with a senior quarterback, a trio of solid receivers and what he hopes will be an improved running game.

Although the Gators have a brutal schedule that includes games against Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee and rival Florida State, Meyer's history of offensive improvement could be the difference between returning to the Southeastern Conference championship game for the first time since 2000 and playing in yet another second-tier bowl.

"You have to keep adapting," said Meyer, whose team opens the season Sept. 2 against Southern Miss. "The Year 1 offense at Utah was significantly different from Year 2. They were far different from Bowling Green. You have to look at who you're playing. You have to look at what you have."

The Gators certainly have talent.

Quarterback Chris Leak struggled with some aspects of Meyer's spread-option offense in 2005, but the senior has little apprehension about fitting in this fall. He said his goal for 2006 was to throw 50 touchdown passes, which would shatter Danny Wuerffel's single-season mark of 39 set in 1996 and eclipse Wuerffel's career record of 114.

Although some might scoff at Leak's ambition, he realizes that for the first time in his college career he heads into the season with the same offense and under the same coordinator as he did the year before.

"I'm very comfortable, especially being around the same guys for two years and being around the same coaches," Leak said. "You have a higher comfort level with everybody."

It also helps that he has receivers Dallas Baker, Andre Caldwell and Jemalle Cornelius.

Baker and Cornelius combined to catch 81 passes for 1,080 yards and six touchdowns last season. Caldwell missed the most of the year with a broken leg, but is back at full speed and eager to provide a much-needed deep threat in the offense.

"I think a lot of this offense comes down to the ability for our guys to make plays," offensive coordinator Dan Mullen said. "If you're going to be an explosive, high-scoring offense, you have to make a lot of big plays and have a lot of big playmakers. If we get some guys that step up into that role and can do those things, that's when you'll see the offensive explosion."

Mullen and Meyer witnessed the offensive surge at Bowling Green and Utah.

Meyer's 2002 Bowling Green team averaged 10 more points and 65 more yards per game than the previous year. The Falcons ranked ninth in the nation in total offense in 2002 (448.9 ypg), third in scoring offense (40.8 ppg) and - most importantly - improved by a game in the win column.

Meyer had even more success at Utah. His 2004 Utah team averaged 16 more points and 125 more yards per game than the previous year. The Utes ranked third in the nation in total offense (499.7 ypg) and third in scoring offense (45.3 ppg) in 2004. They also won two more games, capping a perfect 12-0 season with a victory against Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.

"We've had some success, which I think is extremely overrated at the previous programs," Meyer said. "Success is player-driven. The fact that we've had success is because we've had some experienced players coming back. This year is no exception."

The Gators may have experience, but they also have room for improvement.

Florida averaged 28.6 points and 373.4 yards per game last season - the second-lowest scoring average in the last 13 years and the lowest yardage average since 1988.

The running game, considered a key to the spread-option offense, was mostly inconsistent and prompted Meyer to call the unit "trash." He has been much kinder lately, even praising senior DeShawn Wynn during fall practice. Wynn could emerge as the starter after three disappointing years.

How well Wynn and the other backs perform, though, might depend on the offensive line, which lost four starters from a group that struggled last year.

Nonetheless, the Gators expect to improve in Meyer' second season.

"If I gave you a chance to do something twice, you would expect that you're going to do it better the second time around," Baker said. "We have a chance and we plan to make the most of it."

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