Former Gator, WWE Global Ambassador Titus O’Neil helping out after Hurricane Ian

Former Florida Gator and WWE Global Ambassador was in Tampa this week to help those affected by Hurricane Ian.

Tampa was hit hard by Hurricane Ian this week, along with the rest of southwest Florida, and former Florida Gator/WWE Global Ambassador [autotag]Titus O’Neil[/autotag] (Thaddeus Bullard) was in town recently to help those affected by the storm.

O’Neil’s been involved with charity work for most of his adult life, so it’s no surprise to see him rush to aid the place he calls home. The Bullard Family Foundation has done a lot in the Tampa area, and O’Neil recently had a school named after him for his efforts with the youth in the community.

“He partnered with Metropolitan Ministries to deliver over 15,000 hot meals, 10,000 cold meals and phone charging stations” according to USA Network. “O’Neil is also partnering with World Central Kitchen, Next Level Brands Hospitality, and other philanthropists and volunteers who will be in Tampa Bay all weekend long to help those affected. Some of the other aid items will include non-perishable food drive-throughs, bagged lunches, and supplies of bottled water.”

O’Neil has always represented the University of Florida well since moving on from his playing days. This is just the latest in a long series of commendable acts he and his foundation have committed over the last several years. He was last seen at a Gators game on September 3 for the season opener against Utah.

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Former Gator Titus O’Neil named to Florida State Fair Board of Directors

Former Gator and WWE Global Ambassador Titus O’Neil is now a member of the Florida State Fair Board of Directors. Congratulations, Thaddeus!

Former Florida defensive lineman Thaddeus Bullard, better known by his stage name as WWE’s Titus O’Neil, has been appointed to the Florida State Fair Authority’s board of directors.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried welcomed Bullard to the group in advance of the upcoming Florida State Fair, which takes place Feb. 10-21. His term will run through May 29, 2025.

“As a Florida native, it is a tremendous honor for me to be able to help shape, cultivate, and educate, those throughout the state in both affluent and underserved communities on the importance of agriculture,” O’Neil said in a news release. “I’m honored to be serving alongside an esteemed group of advocates for Florida to continue making our great state one of the best places to live, work, and play in the world.”

Before becoming professional wrestler Titus O’Neil, Bullard was a four-year student-athlete for the Florida Gators football program. He played in 44 games as mostly a backup rush end with three starts. Serving the community goes back to Bullard’s college days. He received the Goodwill Gator Award in 1998 for community service and was elected UF Student Body Vice President in 2000.

Bullard’s in-ring career with WWE slowed down after 2019, and he only worked a few matches in 2020. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame later that year after winning the Warrior Award, which recognizes those in wrestling who do notable work behind the scenes.

Now a Global Ambassador for WWE, O’Neil has turned his focus to helping out the state of Florida in any way he can. In 2021, the Thaddeus M. Bullard Academy at Sligh Middle Magnet School was named after him in recognition of the philanthropy and work he’s done with the Tampa Bay youth.

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Gators soccer legend Becky Burleigh named Orlando Pride interim head coach

Former Florida coach Becky Burleigh hasn’t roamed the sideline for the final team. She was appointed interim head coach of the Pride Sunday.

Former Florida coach Becky Burleigh hasn’t hung up her whistle for the last time yet. She retired after the Gators women’s soccer team finished their 2021 campaign, but the Orlando Pride appointed Burleigh as the interim head coach Sunday. She takes over for former coach Marc Skinner who left to lead the Manchester United women’s team.

“I’m excited to become a member of the Orlando Pride franchise,” Burleigh said, according to a release. “My hope is to create a seamless transition plan to build on the growth and strides that Marc and the team have made so far this season. Change, despite being difficult, always brings an opportunity for growth. I’m eager to work in partnership with the existing staff and players to make that happen.”

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She was the first coach in Gators women’s soccer history and roamed the sidelines at Florida for the last 26 years where she recorded a 513-160-46 career record, including a national championship in 1998.

Burleigh has also coached some of the biggest names in women’s soccer like Abby Wambach and Heather Mitts and current Pride players Erika Tymrak and Meggie Dougherty Howard.

She will join the team for training this week before the Pride’s matchup Saturday versus the North Carolina Courage.

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Former Gators great Kerwin Bell reflects on his football career

Kerwin Bell has competed and coached at every level in football. He was hired as the new head coach at WCU after a year off from coaching.

Former Florida quarterback Kerwin Bell has made a lot of pitstops during his football career. He’s ventured from walk-on, to starter, professional football player, graduate assistant to a college head coach.

Bell was recently tabbed April 27 as the new football coach for Western Carolina University. He sat down with The Athletic’s G. Allan Taylor to reflect on his career in football so far.

He originally walked on to the Gators 1983 and became the eight-string quarterback. The next year he worked his way up to a backup where he eventually got thrust into a starting role after Dale Dorminey suffered an ACL injury. He led Florida to its first SEC Championship in 1984.

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Bell moved on to play several seasons as a professional quarterback in several leagues like the NFL, CFL and the World Football League. He then endured his own ACL injury in a pickup basketball where he developed an interest in coaching after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cut him.

Steve Spurrier added Bell to his staff as a graduate assistant in 1990.

“Learning under him was the reason I wanted to become a coach,” Bell said, according to The Athletic. “I went through high school and went through college and never thought one time about being a coach. But seeing the precision of the routes and the spacing that Spurrier taught, that was almost perfection on the field. The way we coach it with quarterbacks and receivers now as far as spacing, timing and rhythm, a lot of that comes from Steve Spurrier.”

Bell worked his way up the ladder as a coach at the high school, FCS, NCAA Division II and FBS football level for one year at USF.

He has also almost joined the coaching staff of his alma mater twice. Former Florida head coach Will Muschamp considered Bell as a replacement for his former offensive coordinator Charlie Weis. He was passed over for Brent Pease.

“I was real excited about having the opportunity because Will is a great coach with what he brings to the table defensively,” he said. “He wanted to interview and I think he was recruiting when he flew into Jacksonville to meet me. It was a long interview, probably three hours, and I felt very good about what was presented. We did some board work and talked philosophically about what I wanted to do as an OC, really getting into the playbook and seeing exactly what we do to attack people.”

Current Gators coach Dan Mullen and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham discussed the possibility of hiring Bell as a senior analyst. The position never materialized.

After a year off from coaching, Bell returns to lead the Catamounts who haven’t earned a playoff berth in since 1983. They’ve also gone 7-25 the past three years. He shared what he thinks it’ll take to turn WCU into a winner.

“We’ll build this thing the right way, and I think everybody will be proud of what we do,” Bell said. “I know we can build a program that’s solid for the next few years. You’ve gotta build a championship program in your building first before you worry about winning championships on the field. I have no doubt we’re going to win championships. I know how to do it and we’ll do it again.”

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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson part of new ownership group for the XFL

The XFL, the football league started by Vince McMahon earlier this year, has a new owner. Now, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel

The XFL, the spring football league started by Vince McMahon earlier this year, has a new owner.

The parent company of the league, Alpha Entertainment LLC., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April after the league shut down as a result of COVID-19.

But on Monday, a new ownership group led by actor and former professional wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, along with the ownership group Redbird Capital Partners, purchased the parent company for $15 million, the group announced on Monday.

According to the ownership group’s release, the deal must still be approved by a bankruptcy court in Delaware and is expected to be finalized by Aug. 21.

The league, which had two former Gators players — safety Matt Elam and running back Matt Jones — on opening day rosters, laid off all of its employees when it suspended operations, and it is yet to be determined how Johnson and the new ownership group will approach the league’s revival.

This announcement provides hope for a successful alternative football league to the NFL. The XFL’s predecessor, the Alliance of American Football, struggled to draw attendance and failed during its inaugural season in controversial fashion.

The XFL, on the other hand, was drawing larger crowds than the AAF and was more profitable as a result of television contracts with ESPN and Fox Sports. According to the league’s bankruptcy filing, it made $14 million in revenue before canceling the season with a projected $27 million lost due to the cancelation.

Now, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel for a budding league that was largely a victim of circumstance.

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