I want to share this video with all Gator fans. It really gets me ready for the season as we are less than 80 days away. There are several parts in the video that give me chills and gets me very excited to see what Tebow and the rest of the Gators have in store for us this season coming up.
So take a minute and check out the video. The song is Song Is Rooftops by Lostprophets just incase if anybody is wondering. Enjoy.
Teddy Foster played four great seasons for the University Of Florida’s baseball team and will not just be remembered as an athlete but as a great kid. Teddy is probably one of the greatest guys I have ever met and his love for the game of baseball is amazing.
Foster played in 39 games in the 2009 season that fell a hair short of the college world series. Teddy batted .321 with 25 RBI’s and 7 home runs. He’s one of the main reasons why I loved to attend the baseball games. Teddy always had great commitment and worked hard all four years as a Gator. I got a chance to catch up with Teddy to ask him a few questions.
What were your fondest memories at UF?
“The bond I had with all the guys, all the different guys I became close with, I still talk to a lot of the older guys. Anytime we beat Miami or FSU was always a good memory haha, the walk off hit this year against Bethune will always stay with me.”
Did anybody ever give you any nicknames while at UF?
“Some of the fans call me wheels because I was 4-4 at stolen bases last year and 3-4 this year.”
What was the point behind your intro/walk up song?
“I didn’t think I was going to play much last year, so I picked a song I thought would be funny if I actually got up to bat a lot, and sure enough I played a lot last year so i just kept it for this year. I actually changed it the last series of the year (Kentucky) and I got booed my first at bat, haha. I was shocked when I came up my 2nd at bat with the new walk out song I got booed again I hit a HR my first at bat with the new song.”
How did it feel reaching the super regionals this year?
” obviously that was a great accomplishment, not having done that since my freshman year, but we still feel like we let a golden opportunity go. we got outplayed, no doubt about it.”
What do you plan on doing now since you graduated from UF?
” I enrolled in grad school this past spring and i’ll finish that up next summer and then look to get into baseball somehow, either working for a MLB club or coaching or something.”
Who was the most influential person in your life?
” Gotta be my parents, they supported me in baseball and paid for travel/AAU ball, made it easy for me to be successful.”
The Florida Gators pushed their commitment total up to 15 with the commit of Travon Van, out of San Diego, California.
Following in pursuit of the Gators last commit, Stephen Alli, Travon is also a bit of an unknown, only carrying a two star status on the Rivals.com database. But don’t let the number of stars by his name fool you, Van put up serious numbers playing for Helix High, with 139 carries totaling 1237 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging over 37 yards per kickoff return with 1 touchdown, and add in another 311 yards receiving with another touchdown.
“I know about the Gators from coach Starr talking them up,” said Van. “That’s how I first got involved with Florida. He introduced me to them when he came here my senior year. He just really put it in my mind that I need to play for Florida.”
This next season Van will be playing in New Berlin, New York at the Milford Academy. In his 11th grade year Travon got injured and ended up pulling out of school for a semester to set his injury and mind strait.
“When I was a junior I was injured in the spring and it caused me to have to pull out of school. I missed a semester in my junior year. We knew I wasn’t going to be able to qualify,” said Van. “Some schools wanted me to take the JC route and then they would get back to me coming out of there (junior college).
Schools that offered that choice included: Oregon, Arizona State, UCLA, and Oklahoma State. He also has standing offers from Miami (Fl), and Southern Cal as a cornerback.
All quotes courtesy of Mark Wheeler and Gatorbait.
By: Spencer Geldreich
Even though the Gators are the BCS National champions from last season, that’s not going to let them breeze right past their opponents in 2009. And with the 11 starters returning on defense and Tim Tebow coming back for one last season, that’s really not what is important right now.
The Gators are in new hands this summer. Florida strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti will have full control of the team this summer and what coach Urban Meyer called it “the toughest offseason we’ve ever had.” Get ready to work boys.
“Do I worry about complacency? Sure I do,” Florida coach Urban Meyer said. “That’s why we’re going to have the toughest offseason we’ve ever had.” (Gathered by Antonya English)
Marotti is one of the best in the whole Nation and Florida is very lucky to have him aboard and that’s why the Gators have been capable of playing for the National Championship. Marotti will not let the Gators have it easy just because they won the last BCS title. That’s not going to cut it. Marotti has made the workouts five days a week, four days of lifting and three based on speed workouts. He makes everybody mentally strong. That’s why Florida was so good in 2008.
There is a huge difference from this years team and the team who beat Ohio State in 2007. Brandon Spikes had a remark to say to Jermaine Cunningham when he was lifting… ‘Come on! Come on!’ Spikes said, ‘I’m not doing this for me. I’m doing it for you, Cunningham.’ That kind of gives me the chills, that’s what I’m glad to hear and it makes me more excited for this season to come. Another thing that I was real stoked about is when I read online where someone ran into Spikes at the Mall in Gainesville and said something about how he was still here for the summer and Spikes said we all agreed by sticking around and putting the work in. That’s exactly what I’d like to hear.
Meyer said that when he said we are going to have a harder workout, it’s not just going to be the lifting. It’s going to teach them to be much more disciplined and coach is 100% right. The players are facing more mental toughness than anything else.
So as long as the Gators follow and make it through Marotti’s summer workouts, then the chances of having another successful season are very high, but hard work will be needed.
(Quotes from Antonya English, Times Staff Write)
The University of Southern California’s loss, could be the University of Florida’s gain.
Lamont ‘Mo-Mo’ Jones is officially visiting with the Gators until Thursday. Jones who was recently granted with the release of his Letter of Intent to USC is said to be visiting the Gators and then headed to the west coast to also visit Arizona.
The 5’ll, 170 pound guard, who is originally from Harlem, New York, played at Oak Hill Academy where he led his team to 35-0 record and earned a spot in the Jordan All-American game. Jones is no stranger to switching his commitment, in his Junior year he de-committed from Louisville, and recently de-committed from Virginia Tech in March of this year. He finally settled on USC and signed his Letter of Intent on April 20th.
Now due to head coach Tim Floyd resigning USC let him out of his commitment and he is now shopping around his services for the fourth time. Rivals.com rates him as the #68 player in the nation and one of the top 12 point guards. Some recruiting analyst compare his body to All-American and ACC player of the year Ty Lawson’s, but that’s where most comparisons end. Although both attended Oak Hill, “Mo-Mo” is a score first point guard with good transitional skills, and solid court vision.
With the departure of point guards Nick Calathes and Walter Hodge, the Gators need some depth at the lead guard position to go along with downtown threat Erving Walker, and 2009 commit Kenny Boynton.
By: Spencer Geldreich
Kadron Boone is not a rookie when it comes to big time college football recruiting. The 6’1 190 pound Ocala Trinity Catholic recruit has seen the process unfold before, watching as University of Florida back up quarterback John Brantley went through it, and Chicago Bears do everything receiver Devin Hester did it years ago. He watched closely as Brantley flip-flopped out of his Texas commitment, and watched Hester, his first cousin, pick Miami.
Since the proximity of Ocala and Gainesville is about 40 miles away, most people think the Gators lead for the four star prospect. While giving no indication where he is headed as of yet, he does have an impressive offer list that includes: Arkansas, Cincinnati, Clemson, Kansas, Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas Tech and of course University of Florida.
“It’s real close,” Boone said of a commitment. “We’re going to go up there soon. They’re going to talk to my parents and after they talk to my parents and all that I’ll see where it’s at. If the commitment is there, I’ll make the commitment. Right now, I’m coming up with a date when I can come up.”
One thing that is consistent with Boone is that he’s not just a football player, he wants a school with top tier academics as well.
“Any passing school will have my attention,” Boone said. “I’m also looking for a great background. All these other schools offering me, I’m going to check their academic background. Last year, playing along side 2009 Purdue commit Rob Henry, Boone reeled in 57 receptions for 1200 yards and 14 touchdowns.
By: Spencer Geldreich
After being somewhat of an unknown a little over a month ago, Stephen Alli is now a University of Florida commit. The wide receiver from Andover, New Hampshire, is the second commit in as many days for the 2010 recruiting cycle, which now holds 14 commits.
Standing at 6’5 and weighing in at 208 pounds, the Andover prospect has all the tools to be a red zone threat for the Gators in years to come. Although his skills are nowhere near polished, Alli has had been putting up monster combine numbers. Recently at the Five-Star showdown, Alli blew away any competition by posting a 4.38 second 40, a 4.41 pro agility, and a 36 inch vertical leap.
Although his stats wont blow you away with only 14 catches, 8 of them being touchdowns, Stephen had offers from Boston College, Connecticut, and Harvard, while also being courted by Maryland, Tennessee, and working out recently for Stanford. Another motive into the commitment is the academics at the University of Florida offers students a top notch educational destination.
“It was the whole deal really,” Alli said. “First of all the campus is just great. It was a really beautiful campus, the football facilities were outstanding, it’s as good as it gets from what I’ve seen. The academic program is pretty strong and their medical school is really good and that’s what I’m interested in right now so that’s what attracted me.”
Florida fans should be thrilled to have picked up what seems to be a solid commitment by such a smart player, who has the potential and athleticism to be a real menace on opposing teams and defensive backs in the coming years for Gator Nation.
By: Spencer Geldreich
Four star wide receiver Solomon Patton has announced that he has committed to play football for the University Of Florida early Sunday. Patton is one out of the 10 four star recruits Florida has. It’s amazing how Florida has 13 commits and 10 of them are four stars. I’m really loving this years recruiting class.
The 5-10 175 pound recruit was amazed by the visit to Gainesville. He is rated No. 34 receiver on rivals and the No. 212 prospect in the class. Patton should be able to bring Florida a lot more speed. That’s why I’m really stoked about. Florida keeps building up that speed, speed, speed.
Patton caught for 845 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. The relationship with Billy Gonzalez and Patton must of been real nice because part of the decision was because of Gonzalez. He believes that the Gators offense will go well with his strength.
Other school options that were open for Patton were Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Southern Mississippi and UAB, but I’m sure glad that he ended up landing to be a Gator.
This is the position Florida needs to fill in because of the loss of Percy Harvin. So I think he is a great add to the wide receivers.
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