Just a day ahead of Florida football’s matchup with the No. 16 Oregon State Beavers in the 2022 Las Vegas Bowl the Gators announced the two players who will serve as team captains on early Friday afternoon. Linebacker [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] and offensive lineman [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] both earned the honor in what will be the final game wearing the beloved Orange and Blue for the two.
Typically, [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] anoints four captains per game this season but decided the buck the trend in the bowl game — perhaps due to the roster attrition experienced as the regular season came to a close.
.@LasVegasBowl Captains 🐊
🔹 @amari_burney
🔸 @richardg813#GoGators | #jOURney pic.twitter.com/6wXWe5bn51— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 16, 2022
Burney played in all 12 games this fall, recording a career-high 71 tackles as well as two forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions — one of which sealed the season-opening win over the Utah Utes. It was the third-straight season the linebacker saw action in every game the Gators played and saw him finish on top with his best overall performance in Gainesville.
Gouraige helped anchor an offensive line that was among the best seen in Gainesville since the mid-1980s, also appearing in every game this season. The redshirt junior still has a year of eligibility remaining but decided to test the waters in the professional ranks by declaring for the 2023 NFL draft.
Nonetheless, unlike some of his peers, the offensive lineman will still play in Florida’s bowl game as well as the Senior Bowl. Burney’s future after Florida is still largely unknown.
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