88 days to kickoff (Counting Down with Gator Greats)

With 32 days to go until kickoff we honor The Eraser, a Gator freak of freaks with a capital F.

Reggie F. Nelson (2005-06)
We’re cheating a bit, as Nelson wore No. 32 for just one season, in 2005 after he transferred in from junior college (he switched to No. 1 in ’06, then turned pro and was a first-round pick). Nelson, from Melbourne Palm Bay, started four games in ’05, then was a consensus All-American in ’06, when he had 51 tackles, six interceptions, five pass breakups and two blocked kicks. In 2005, he had four sacks, which was second on the team. Other notables: LB Dustin Doe, RB Kedra Malone, DB Marquette Oliver, RB Andy Sumers.

 

With 31 days to go until the 2024 season we honor another great defensive player.

Jalen (Teez) Tabor (2014-16)
Tabor, who was a five-star recruit from Washington, D.C., was a freshman All-American as a true freshman in 2014, when he was a part-time starter. He was a fulltime starter in the next two seasons and was a first-team All-SEC selection in both seasons. He also earned second-team All-America mention as a junior in 2016; he turned pro after that season. He is third in school history with 37 pass breakups and had 18 breakups in 2015, second-most in a season in UF history.

 

With just 30 days to the start of the 2024 season we pay homage to a great running back.

James Jones (1979-82)
Jones was a big-time recruit from Pompano Beach Ely and started a handful of games at tight end as a true freshman in 1979. He moved to running back during spring practice before his sophomore season and led the Gators in rushing for the next three seasons. Jones was a first-team All-SEC pick in 1981 and ’82. He also was a good receiver and made the game-winning catch against Miami in 1982 while backpedaling into the end zone. He was a first-round pick in the 1983 NFL Draft.

 

With 29 days to go before kickoff we celebrate a great linebacker and current football staff member.

LB Mike Peterson (1995-98)
Peterson went to Alachua Santa Fe and he made the 25-or-so-minute drive south on US 441 to UF for college. He was signed as a safety and didn’t move to linebacker until the spring of his redshirt freshman season. He started for two seasons and was an All-American as a senior in 1998, when he led UF with 127 tackles.

 

With 28 days to kickoff we celebrate one the greatest wide receivers ever to grace Florida Field.

Chris Doering (1992-95)
A walk-on from Gainesville’s P.K. Yonge High — his dad was a dentistry prof at UF — Doering eventually earned a scholarship and became a vital part of some devastating passing attacks. Doering was a first-team All-SEC pick as a senior in 1995, when he caught a then-SEC record 17 TD passes. He is sixth in school history with 149 receptions, 10th with 2,107 receiving yards and first with 31 TD receptions; he is tied for first, with Amari Cooper, in SEC history in TD receptions. Other notables: CB Richard Fain, CB Randy Talbot, CB Dock Pollard.

 

With 27 days to go until the kickoff of the 2024 season we honor a great running back from the early 1980's.

Neal Anderson (1982-85)
Anderson is from tiny Chipley, in the Florida Panhandle, and chose UF over Alabama. As a true freshman in 1982, he was part of backfield that also included James Jones, John L. Williams and Lorenzo Hampton; all four became NFL first-round picks. Anderson led UF in rushing three times and left as the leading rusher in school history with 3,234 yards, a figure that now is third. He was an All-SEC pick as a senior after being a second-team selection in each of the previous two seasons. Other notables: CB Henry Davis, LB Travis Harris, DB Demetric Jackson.

 

With 26 days to go before kickoff we honor a great safety/cornerback from the 1980's.

Jarvis Williams S/CB (1984-87)
Williams was a standout at Palatka High, and made the short trek on State Road 20 to Gainesville and became a standout for the Gators, as well. He started every game (45) in his four seasons (1984-87). He was known for his big hits — he led UF with 77 tackles in 1987 — and had good ball skills, too, finishing with 10 career picks. He was an All-American as a senior and also was a two-time All-SEC choice. Other notables: S Todd Johnson, S Marcell Harris, CB Ivory Curry.

 

With only 25 days to go before kickoff we celebrate a great Gator from the past.

Lee McGriff WR (1972-74)
McGriff is one of the greatest success stories in UF history, going from walk-on to the Gators’ leading receiver in 1973 and 1974. A two-time All-SEC selection, McGriff in those two years combined to catch 74 passes for 1,401 yards and 12 touchdowns. His son Travis also was a standout receiver for the Gators; Travis played for Steve Spurrier, while Lee — who began his career as a walk-on — played receiver in a Wishbone offense. McGriff, who went to Tampa Plant, was a second-team All-SEC pick as a junior in 1973, when he led the league with 703 receiving yards (on 38 receptions). He was a first-team selection as a senior, when he led the league in receptions (38), receiving yards (750) and TD receptions (seven).

 

With just 24 days to go we honor a great Gator from the Spurrier Era.

Fred Weary CB (1993-97)
Weary signed as a wide receiver out of Jacksonville Mandarin and was moved to corner while redshirting as a freshman in 1993. He was a three-year starter and twice was a first-team All-SEC pick. He also was an All-American as a senior in 1997, when he was one of three finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award. He had 15 career interceptions, the most in school history, and is fourth with 35 pass breakups. Other notables: DB Wayne Fields, TE Gene Peek, WR Tre Everett, S Josh Evans.

 

With 23 days to go until kickoff we return to the Silver 60's to celebrate another great Gator.

Allen R. Trammell Jr. CB/PR (1963-65)
He arrived at Florida as a walk-on and became a three-year starter (1963-65). Known mostly for his work on defense, he also returned punts and played some offense and threw a TD pass to spark a win against LSU in 1964. He finished his career with nine interceptions. He also was a star baseball outfielder; he holds the school single-season record with a .425 batting average in 1965. His legendary performance against Kentucky, where he hit a grand slam homerun and two doubles in a single inning, remains etched in Gator folklore. He was a close personal friend with Steve Spurrier.

 

With 22 days to go before kickoff we honor one of the greatest Gators ever to grace Florida Field.

Emmitt Smith RB (1987-89)
An All-American in 1989 and a three-time All-SEC selection, Smith set an astounding 58 UF records during his career. In only three seasons, he became the Gators’ all-time leading rusher (at the time) by piling up 3,928 yards. He was a reserve in his first two games as a Gator, then proved all the hype was real by rushing for 224 yards in an upset of Alabama in the third game of his college career. He holds the school record with 23 100-yard games. Emmitt went on to become the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. Other notables: CB Steve Tannen, WR Willie Jackson Jr., S Matt Elam, RB John L. Williams, RB Terry Jackson.

 

With 21 days to go we celebrate two more Gators who made an incredible impact on our football program.

Fred Taylor RB (1994-97)
An elite-level recruit from Belle Glade Glades Central, Taylor was a fulltime starter at UF only as a senior but still saw enough action throughout his career to be the No. 5 rusher in school history with 3,075 yards. He was a first-team All-SEC pick and earned some All-America mention as a senior in 1997, when he rushed for 1,292 yards, fourth-most in a season in school history. He had eight 100-yard games that fall, second-most in a season in UF history, and had 14 career 100-yard outings, tied for third-most. He was a first-round pick in the 1998 draft.



Cris Collinsworth WR (1977-80)
During his career at Florida, Collinsworth caught 120 passes for 1,937 yards, and rushed for another 210. He scored 14 touchdowns receiving, two rushing, one on a kickoff return, and threw two touchdown passes. He also returned 30 kickoffs for 726 yards for an average of 24.2 yards per return. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting in 1981 and was inducted into the University of Florida Student Hall of Fame the same year. He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1991, and as part of a recognition of 100 years of Florida football in 2006, The Gainesville Sun recognized him as the No. 12 all-time Gator player. Collinsworth was named to the 2023 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Class for his excellence as an NFL football analyst. Other notables: S Major Wright, RB Dexter McNabb, RB Kelvin Taylor, WR Frankie Neal, CB Tyson Sever.