Category: Gators in NFL

WATCH: Former Gators CB Brian Poole makes a big interception for New York Jets

Cornerback Brian Poole made a big interception of Broncos quarterback Brett Rypien on a second-&-eight play with 8:43 remaining in the game.

The National Football League saw action on Thursday night when two winless teams collided in the Meadowlands of East Rutherford, N.J. Something had to give, and the Denver Broncos pulled off the road win against the New York Jets, 37-28, to earn their first victory of the year.

The game was close right up to the end, and one former Florida Gator helped heighten the suspense in the fourth quarter. Cornerback Brian Poole made a big interception of Broncos quarterback Brett Rypien on a second-and-eight play with 8:43 remaining in the game and his Jets down by two points.

Unfortunately, it was not enough to put New York over the top, as Denver went on to score another touchdown while the Jets only managed a meager field goal for the remainder of the game. Poole finished with a total of four solo tackles and that one pass defended; his fellow former defensive back Gator Marcus Maye had two solo tackles, one assisted tackle and a tackle for a loss.

Also of note, rookie running back Lamical Perine also appeared in the game for New York, carrying the ball five times for 15 yards.

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WATCH: Los Angeles Rams rookie Van Jefferson makes a sweet catch

In the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles Jefferson made an impressive sliding 21-yard gain on a pass from quarterback Jared Goff

Former Florida Gators continue to fill the fans’ Twitter feeds with excellent plays in the professional ranks this Sunday. Rookie receiver Van Jefferson, who made an amazing haul last week for his first career NFL catch, has continued his brilliance in his second game in the league with the Los Angeles Rams.

In the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Jefferson made an impressive sliding 21-yard gain on a pass from quarterback Jared Goff which took his team down to the 5-yard line. Los Angeles scored two plays later, along with a successful PAT by kicker Samuel Sloman, to up their lead to 14-3 with the clock winding down on the first frame.

Jefferson caught three passes for 39 yards on three targeted throws in the first half of the game, including the one featured above, and the Rams took a 21-16 lead into the locker room at halftime thanks in part to his efforts.

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WATCH: 49ers tight end Jordan Reed takes it to the house on 18-yard TD catch

Former Gators have been making waves in the NFL recently and on this Week 2 Sunday the highlights are rolling in with Jordan Reed’s catch.

Former Gators have been making waves in the National Football League recently and early on this Week 2 Sunday the highlights are rolling in. The latest former UF player getting in on the action is San Francisco 49ers tight end Jordan Reed.

In the second quarter of a game against the New York Jets — who feature a pair of superb former Florida defensive backs in Marcus Maye and Brian Poole — Reed caught a pass from Niners quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo at about the 14-yard line near the left sideline on a play that began at the 18-yard marker and scampered into the end zone with a leaping dive towards the left endzone pylon. The touchdown added six points to San Fran’s 7-3 lead and kicker Robbie Gould added a PAT to up the score to 14-7.

Reed is now in his seventh year in the NFL and first with the 49ers after spending his first six professional seasons with the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins.

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WATCH: Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis makes sick backfield tackle vs Packers

Former UF linebacker Jarrad Davis made a beautiful backfield tackle of Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones on Sunday.

Former Florida Gators linebacker Jarrad Davis, now in his fourth season of National Football League play with the Detroit Lions, made a beautiful backfield tackle of Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones on Sunday in Week 2 of the NFL’s 2020 season.

The play came in the first quarter with just over nine minutes remaining on a second-down-and-six situation, resulting in a loss of two yards. The Lions held a seven-point lead at the time, but the Packers were able to drive down the field afterwards for a successful 43-yard field goal attempt by kicker Mason Crosby for a score of 7-3.

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Former Gators running back Fred Taylor nominated for NFL Hall of Fame

Former Gators and longtime Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor joins the class of nominees for the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Former Gators and longtime Jacksonville Jaguars running back Fred Taylor joins a star-studded class of nominees for the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Taylor will be competing with a number of legends of the game now in their first season of eligibility for the HOF, including Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson and Calvin Johnson.

A member of Florida’s 1996 national title team, Taylor played in Gainesville under coach Steve Spurrier from 1994-97. His final season, he was a Third Team All-American and First Team All-SEC selection.

Taylor was selected ninth overall by the Jaguars in 1998, and he played there until 2008. His best season was in 2007, when he was a Pro Bowler and a Second Team All-Pro.

He retired in 2010 after two seasons in New England, and he finished his career with 11,695 yards and 66 touchdowns on the ground.

Taylor has been eligible for the Hall of Fame since 2015, but he became a semifinalist for the first time last season. He wasn’t selected this year, but perhaps he could have better luck in 2021 and become the first Jaguars player to enter the Hall.

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CJ Henderson only rookie to make PFF’s Week 1 team of the week

Week 1 of the National Football League’s 2020 schedule came to a successful conclusion after two Monday Night Football games wrapped up the weekend schedule. With all of the stats and highlights now officially in the books, the media has turned its …

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Week 1 of the National Football League’s 2020 schedule came to a successful conclusion after two Monday Night Football games wrapped up the weekend schedule. With all of the stats and highlights now officially in the books, the media has turned its attention to the best that the pro league had to offer.

PFF offered its assessment of the best players from the NFL’s opening games on Monday, with many familiar names mentioned. However, one particular name stands out to Gators fans — Jacksonville Jaguars rookie cornerback CJ Henderson, who had a heck of a professional debut on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

Former Florida Gators in the NFL 2020: Week 1

Even more notable is the fact that Henderson was the only rookie selected to PFF’s team of the week. Disappointingly, he was not joined by former Gators defensive back Janoris Jenkins, who had eight solo tackles with an assist and a pass defended to go along with his pick-six for the New Orleans Saints, did not get a mention.

Here is what PFF had to say about Henderson.

With the impact of COVID-19 on the offseason and the cancellation of preseason games, expectations for rookies — regardless of position — were relatively low. For cornerbacks specifically, no one was really expected to have a great game right away. Even in a normal year, teams can’t really rely on rookies starting on the outside to be difference-makers right away. Yesterday, however, we saw two defy those odds and put together impressive performances.

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie C.J. Henderson being one of the highest-graded outside corners of Week 1 is even a bigger surprise, given how his 2019 at Florida fared. The year before that, Henderson legitimately locked down his side of the field, allowing just 18 catches in 13 games. In 2019, Henderson didn’t play horribly, but he had some concerning reps on tape — he gave up five catches that resulted in a 40-plus-yard gain, which accounted for 233 of his 389 yards allowed on the year.

Injury could have influenced that to a certain degree, but with that in mind, it seemed like there might be a learning curve to at least start the year. But that clearly wasn’t the case. When lined up on the outside yesterday against Indianapolis (34 cover snaps), Henderson allowed a 25.5 passer rating on targets thrown his way, recording an interception and four forced incompletions. He’s a remarkable athlete with elite-level man-coverage traits, and he put that on display yesterday.

Below is PFF’s full Week 1 team of the week selections.

PFF TEAM OF THE WEEK

Offense:

QB: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
RB: Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
WR: Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings
WR: Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons
TE: Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
FLEX: Anthony Miller, Chicago Bears
T: Andrew Whitworth, Los Angeles Rams
G: Wyatt Teller, Cleveland Browns
C: Corey Linsley, Green Bay Packers
G: Shaq Mason, New England Patriots
T: Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers

Defense:

DI: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
DI: Larry Ogunjobi, Cleveland Browns
EDGE: Josh Sweat, Philadelphia Eagles
EDGE: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
LB: Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks
LB: Dre Greenlaw, San Francisco 49ers
CB: Fabian Moreau, Washington Football Team
CB: CJ Henderson, Jacksonville Jaguars
S: Jessie Bates III, Cincinnati Bengals
S: Jordan Poyer, Buffalo Bills
FLEX: Jamal Adams, Seattle Seahawks

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Former Gator CJ Henderson has big day in Jacksonville debut

The rookie, starting on the outside in his first NFL game, finished with a total of five tackles, an interception and three passes deflected

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Former Florida cornerback CJ Henderson showed why he was selected in the top 10 of April’s 2020 NFL Draft during his professional debut with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

The rookie, starting on the outside in his first NFL game, finished with a total of five tackles, an interception and three passes deflected.

Henderson’s first major contribution in the game came early in the second quarter. The Indianapolis Colts led the Jaguars 7-0 and were driving to try to expand their lead. Henderson picked off an underthrown pass from quarterback Phillip Rivers and returned it 22 yards, setting up a Jacksonville touchdown that kept his team in the game.

He exited the game briefly in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a concussion, but he returned during the final drive as the Jags led 27-20. Indianapolis got down to the Jacksonville 26, largely thanks to a roughing the passer call, but on 4th and 5, Henderson broke up a pass to T.Y. Hilton, turning the ball over on downs with under a minute to go.

The deflection sealed a Jaguars victory, and Henderson showed the Jacksonville front office that it made the right call in tabbing him to replace Jalen Ramsey as the star in the secondary.

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WATCH: Former Gator CJ Henderson gets a pick in first career NFL game

Former Gators cornerback CJ Henderson didn’t waste much time before making an impact in his first career professional game.

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Former Gators cornerback CJ Henderson didn’t waste much time before making an impact in his first career professional game.

The ninth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars intercepted veteran quarterback Phillip Rivers, now in his first season with the Indianapolis Colts, early in the second quarter as the Jaguars trailed 7-0.

Rivers underthrew a pass to receiver T.Y. Hilton, who was in double coverage, and Henderson jumped the route and snagged the pick.

The interception, as well as the subsequent 22-yard return by the rookie, set up a six-yard passing touchdown from Gardner Minshew II to D.J. Chark.

The Jaguars selected Henderson to replace Jalen Ramsey, who had an All-Pro season in 2017 but was traded to Los Angeles last season. Jacksonville desperately needed help in the secondary, and Henderson quickly earned a starting job on the outside.

The Jags will hope that this early highlight play is a sign of things to come from the young corner.

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Three former Florida Gators receivers land on final NFL rosters

Coach Dan Mullen said having three receivers selected in a single draft is important in demonstrating the value of Florida to recruits.

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NFL teams have finalized their 53-man rosters ahead of this weekend’s kickoff of the 2020 football season, and the three Gators receivers who were drafted all earned final roster spots.

Van Jefferson, who was taken in the second round, had a strong camp with the Los Angeles Rams and could be battling for a starting receiver spot this fall. Meanwhile, Freddie Swain and Tyrie Cleveland, who were selected in the sixth and seventh rounds by the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, respectively, each made their squad’s final roster as well.

The 2020 NFL draft was the first draft since 1978 in which three Florida receivers were selected. Strong receiver play was a big reason for UF’s success through the air in 2019, which was its best passing season in nearly 20 years.

Coach Dan Mullen said having three receivers selected in a single draft is important in demonstrating the value of Florida to recruits.

“I think it’s a huge deal because I think, you know what, when guys look at it, and our guys, thankfully they bought into it and now they all reap the rewards on it,” Mullen said. “I think that especially (when) you get out on the recruiting trail and you’re looking at people that are; you’re calling these different receivers and they’re like, ‘Well, coach this school, they had the one guy get all these catches’ and I said, ‘OK, well what if you’re not the one… or how many different people are saying they are the one?’

“And you come play at Florida, you’re not only going to get coached, you’re going to get developed and have the opportunity to go and get touches on the field and the opportunity to go on to the next level and play in the NFL.”

Another Gators receiver, Josh Hammond, went undrafted but signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent. He didn’t make Jacksonville’s final roster, but he cleared waivers and was signed to the team’s practice squad.

Though Swain and Cleveland may not see much action as rookies outside of special teams play, Jefferson could be an important target for Jared Goff in the Rams’ passing offense.

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Former Florida Gators receiver Freddie Swain makes Seahawks’ initial roster

Former Florida Gators wide receiver Freddie Swain made the Seattle Seahawks’ initial 53-man roster as an incoming rookie, it was announced. 

As college football gets underway with its official Week 1 on Saturday, some exciting news comes out of the professional ranks for UF fans, with former Florida Gators wide receiver Freddie Swain making the Seattle Seahawks‘ initial 53-man roster as an incoming rookie.

Swain was selected with the No. 214 pick by the Seahawks at the end of the sixth round in the 2020 NFL draft — the second-to-last Gator taken in the draft, with receiver Tyrie Cleveland following him at No. 252 to the Denver Broncos — and officially signed his rookie contract on June 8.

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A four-star recruit from nearby North Marion High School in Ocala, Swain was one of the top recruits in Florida’s 2016 class. He made an immediate impact as a reserve receiver his true freshman season, playing in 13 games and tallying eight catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns.

Playing in all 11 games — starting four — his sophomore campaign, matching his catch total from his freshman season with eight, but this time for only 96 yards and a touchdown in a disappointing season. He broke out his junior year, making 14 catches for 265 yards and five touchdowns, along with punt returning duties which netted him 224 yards on 22 returns, including an 85-yard touchdown.

His best year came as a senior in 2019, when he appeared in 12 games — starting six — and earned career highs in catches, yards and touchdowns. He had 38 catches for 517 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns. He also saw some action on special teams, taking 14 kick returns for 56 yards and two punt returns for 39 yards.

It is likely that Swain will be relegated to special teams duties during his rookie campaign, but he might see some throws out at the receiver position as well depending on how things shake out. And in 2020, anything can happen.

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