Former Florida Gator center Mike Pouncey previously accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl but told the game officials about a week or so ago that he will not be playing.

Pouncey took over the center position from his brother Maurkice Pouncey who left last season to enter the NFL draft and currently playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Maurkice received Pro Bowl honors as a rookie this season and helped the Steelers reach Super Bowl 43 this year. He sprained his ankle during Sunday’s game against the New York Jets and was on crutches but is expected to play in the Super Bowl. He told reporters that he will be just fine.

As for Mike Pouncey, he decided to stay and finish up his senior season and also try to improve his NFL draft stock. Mike struggled with several snaps under center this season, but its not easy earning All-American honors as a guard his junior year and switching to a whole new position the very next season.

Rachel George of the Orlando Sentinel said that Mike was not reached for any words or comments.

Florida Gator senior CB Janoris Jenkins was arrested early Saturday and was charged with less than 20 grams of Marijuana.

Gathered by Antonya English, the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) reported that Jenkins appeared to be at the Status night club in Gainesville. Jenkins appeared to be in the bathroom at the time he was caught with a small clear bag. He was not taken to the Alachua county jail but Jenkins did receive a citation and will have to show up in court next month.

This is the second arrest of Jenkins. Back in 2009 he was taken in for resisting arrest without violence during a fight outside of a club in Gainesville.

Jenkins announced earlier this month that he will be returning for his final season.

As of right now there is no further statement that has been released by head coach Will Muschamp.

Photo courtest of Tim Casey

I would like to announce to everybody that there is a poll on NFL.com for rookie of the year and former Florida Gator cornerback Joe Haden is one of the five candidates listed on the poll. The voting will remain open until Feb. 1 so make sure to cast your vote. Click the following link and the poll will show up on your right hand side.

Vote for Joe Haden.

For University of Florida Gator football fans the end of a great coaching era is never easy. When former head coach Steve Spurrier sudden resignation from the program in 2001 after a successful decade long run, he left with a string of SEC championships, a national title in two title game appearances, as well as having coached a Heisman Trophy winner.

With the type of accomplishments and records that the old ball coach achieved as both a former player and coach, many Gator fans thought there could never be another head coach capable of eclipsing those heights let alone a player. Yet, Urban Meyer came in as a fresh face hire in 2005 and gave Florida fans six great years with an enduring legacy of his own by winning two national titles (06, 08) in three years and producing a record setting Heisman winner in former Gator quarterback Tim Tebow who is arguably one of college football’s greatest ever players.

The legacy of coach Urban Meyer will not be remembered as one with a disappointing 2010 season and 8-5 record. Meyer will be remembered for much more than that. Meyer captured the hearts of the Gator Nation when he came in and immediately changed the culture of the Florida football team and program. It started with Meyer on day one with recruiting. Meyer knew that Florida was a brand nationally but Florida didn’t know it was a brand nationally. Florida had become so used to recruiting mostly Florida and Southeast region athletes that it overlooked the need of having a national recruiting boost in this internet world. Florida is such an important talent rich state, nevertheless Meyer expanded the reach of the recruiting boundary outside the state and went to such places as California, Maryland, Virginia, Texas, and Connecticut to get the best players in the nation.

Meyer was not afraid of mixing old school tradition with new school trends to make Florida the best place that the top recruits wanted to go to school and play ball in the best conference in America. Meyer created the “Friday Nigh Light’s” program where a who’s who of the nation’s top high school football talent descend on campus in the “Swamp” for competition drills, skills testing, and one on one coaching evaluations. Meyer changed the rules on recruiting figuratively and literary. Coach Meyer was a relentless recruiter and the landscape of recruiting shifted during his tenure. Rival programs began to take notice and shaped their programs after what Meyer started.

What Meyer brought with him to Gainesville after successful head coaching stops at both Bowling Green and Utah, was a good piece of that Midwest value work ethic and family atmosphere from his Ohio roots. Living in a warm weather state like Florida can be a spoiling experience and Meyer wanted to instill no part of that throughout the program and his players. Meyer wanted grinders, he wanted a non stop work attitude and get better by the day commitment of his players, and actually he demanded it. This is why Meyer put such great emphasis on the special teams unit. Something to which is why he took a chance on several lowly recruited players who happened to become some of his most proudest pupils. Players that include such names as Dee Brown, Brandon James, Jamelle Cornelius, Ahmad Black, and a host of others. Special teams is one of the units known for having players who are generally considered the second teamers or walk on players, yet Meyer made it one of the most desired units to be apart of. He made playing special teams special and those players on a Meyer led team received first class treatment. Meyer’s special teams unit often were the first to eat at team meals, get the best seats on the team plane, first to choose a room at the team hotel, etc. Those are the type of amenities that gain respect among many 18 to 22- year olds.

However, the mark of what Meyer has left in his legacy does not solely surround the number of wins or championships alone accomplished, but how he cultivated a culture of what it takes to become a champion. Meyer was hired with the promise of returning the Florida football program to its championship winning ways, and he did that. Coach Meyer insisted his players do community work, insisted they go to study hall, and the players themselves created annual charity challenge which raises monies for local charities. Under Meyer he helped shape the future of Gator football and that’s something every Gator fan and current and former player will never forget. Thank you coach Meyer!

By: Rashad