DBU's best DB

GatorFL

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Oct 29, 2017
1,664
2,824
Another vote for Nelson. He was just awesome. Maybe Lawrence Wright #2 in my book. He absolutely ruined Joey Kent in that game and really set the table for the 1995 and 1996 national championship games. Teams stopped trying to throw in the middle of the field.

I liked Lito a lot, especially the kick returns.
 

BruceWayne

Well-Known Member
Dec 12, 2016
877
1,155
Haden is my favorite. The story of him saving his brother with special needs from drowning brings a tear to my eye. There's so many good ones though. It probably goes like this for me:
1 Haden
2 Sheppard
3 Wright
4 Ratliff
5 R F Nelson
 

stephenPE

Senior Member
Lifetime Member
Jul 20, 2014
20,385
15,395
Louis Oliver was a beast, too. I think he was originally a walk-on? Went on to be All-American twice.
Louis and Jarvis. They laid some wood on the UM WRs and many others. Louis was a walkon and both played in the nfl. Maybe the best two we ever had at one time. This was back when DBs could kill WRs. But I have to say I used to think Janoris was the best player on the field at times even as a FR. Lito could cover as good as anyone.
 

GatorJ

Founding Member
Hopeful
Moderator
Jun 11, 2014
20,998
33,558
Founding Member
Found this nugget.... from another site dated from June 2018

"Florida has earned the name DBU for a reason. Since 2000, the Gators have sent 22 defensive backs to the NFL, with several going on to long, productive careers.

Here’s a look at the five best defensive backs to come out of Florida this century:

1. Joe Haden: Haden played at UF from 2007-09, starting his first game as a true freshman and earning freshman All-America honors in starting 12 games that season. As a sophomore in 2008, Haden added 3 interceptions, including an 88-yard pick returned for a TD, and helped lead UF to its third national title in school history. Haden finished his Florida career with 7 interceptions, earning All-American honors as a junior in 2009, before foregoing his senior year to enter the NFL draft. Haden has had a successful NFL career with 20 career interceptions and two Pro Bowl appearances (2013, 2014) in eight seasons with the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers.


2. Janoris Jenkins: Yes, Jenkins finished his career at North Alabama. Yes, Jenkins was kicked off the Florida team following his junior year by incoming coach Will Muschamp after multiple arrests and disciplinary issues. But that doesn’t discount what Jenkins accomplished in three years wearing a Gator uniform, beginning with starting as a true freshman in 2008 and teaming with Haden to form the best cornerback duo in college football. Jenkins and Haden were the Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin of UF’s defense, helping lead the Gators to a 2008 national title. Jenkins also was a first-team All-SEC corner in 2010 and has gone on to a successful NFL career. In six seasons with the former St. Louis Rams and New York Giants, Jenkins has 16 career interceptions and 9 TDs.

3. Reggie Nelson: When Nelson starred at Florida in 2006, the phrase was coined, “two-thirds of the earth is covered by water, the rest is covered by Reggie Nelson.” Nelson was a complete safety in two seasons at Florida, a hard-hitter who could also cover the field sideline-to-sideline. Nelson had six interceptions for the Gators in 2006, including two returned for TDs, earning All-American and first-team All-SEC honors in helping lead Florida to a national title. Nelson is entering his 11th year in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders and has 36 career interceptions.

4. Lito Sheppard: Sheppard was a two-time, All-SEC first team selection (2000 and 2001) and earned first-team All-American honors as a sophomore in 2000. Sheppard had 8 career interceptions in three seasons with the Gators before being taken in the first round of the NFL draft in 2002 by the Philadelphia Eagles. Sheppard went on to play 9 years in the NFL with the Eagles, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders, finishing his career with two Pro Bowl appearances (2004, 2006) and 19 interceptions.

5. Keiwan Ratliff: Ratliff, who played at Florida from 2000-03, still holds school records for interceptions in a season (9) and game (3). A consensus All-American in 2003 and first-team, All-SEC standout in 2002 and 2003, Ratliff was taken in the second round of the NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2004. Ratliff had 5 career interceptions in six NFL seasons with the Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Honorable Mention: Vernon Hargreaves III, Jalen Tabor, Matt Elam, Major Wright, Quincy Wilson."

That’s a pretty good list. It’s just semantics at this point but I would put Janoris Jenkins as number one. When he came in he made our defensive secondary elite overnight. Completely locked down one side of the field as a freshman.

1. JJ
2. RFN
3. Lito
4. Keiwan
5. Wright
6. Louis Oliver
7. Haden
8. Black
9. Elam
10. VHIII


Henderson could very well climb this list this year.

Honorable Mention:

Gus Scott
Todd Johnson
 

Ray Finkle

Fallen Mod
Lifetime Member
Jul 28, 2014
4,473
3,727
Lito and JJ are my two personal favorites. I would put Teez over VH3. What he did after a pick is what separates him, imo
 

Swamp Donkey

Founding Member
7-14 vs P5 Fire Stricklin First
Lifetime Member
Jun 9, 2014
78,161
109,975
Founding Member
You can almost tell how old people are by the lists. The lists essentially are "the best players I have personally seen". It is natural.

We had some real talent in the 90s too. Probably plenty before that Im sure, but Im not old enough to list those guys from personal experience.

I will say that many of our 90s Gators DBs had long pro careers, certainly some additional evidence that they were really damn good. (I know pro careers are influenced greatly by luck/which team drafted the player, injuries etc.)

But many of them played under Ron Zookie and Bobby Pruitt who played almost nothing but zone (usually soft zone). I know the same can be said of those who played for Hoke, Sidehat and especially that fvkking coCaine Randy Shannon (all soft zone).
 

Swamp Donkey

Founding Member
7-14 vs P5 Fire Stricklin First
Lifetime Member
Jun 9, 2014
78,161
109,975
Founding Member
Jaewon Taylor or Donovan Stiner. Big fan of both. I love how they’re always out of position and 10-steps behind.
Yeah. I think we give them credit if the are at least on the same tv screen.

Not really sure what is going on back there.
 

Swamp Donkey

Founding Member
7-14 vs P5 Fire Stricklin First
Lifetime Member
Jun 9, 2014
78,161
109,975
Founding Member
We had a converted WR at one CB (law's favorite kind)
All CBs are converted WRs. It is just a question of whether they did it 1st year of college or not.

I guess some HS these days have enough talent to convert them in 11th or 12th grade but almost 100% of HS DBs played WR, too.
 

jeeping8r

Your car may go fast, Mine will go anywhere
Lifetime Member
Dec 18, 2015
903
1,306
I remember these words from the esteemed philosopher L. Wright

" If you ain't a Gator you must be Gator bait"
 

gingerlover

Junior Member
Lifetime Member
Sep 20, 2014
3,923
4,674
I have to vote for Nelson. It was amazing how much of the field he took away from the other team. The hits were a bonus and him decapitating FSU’s full back seals it for me.
 

Gatorraid81

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Dec 4, 2016
6,063
6,875
What about Anthone Lott and Fred Weary? Remember them being pretty good. Loved Nelson and Jenkins was an awesome True Freshman starter on the '08 team.
 

AlexDaGator

Founding Member
The Hammer of Thor
Lifetime Member
Jun 19, 2014
12,699
31,634
Founding Member
Corners and Safeties are different animals, not easy to compare. Corners need to be "willing" in the run game, Safeties need to bring the wood. Corners need to be able to shut down a WR in man coverage, Safeties need to read the ball in the air and understand and take good angles.

Eras are hard to compare too. Louis Oliver was big, strong, and fast, but at Florida he played against big, strong, and fast running backs. Nobody he faced threw the ball 30 times a game back then. This was the 3 yards and a cloud of dust SEC of Pat Dye and Vince Dooley and everybody trying to find the next Herschel and the next Bo. Downhill FBs like Tim Worley dominated. In the modern era, guys like Worley and Louis Oliver would be strong safeties or pass catching tight ends (or maybe one of our undersized edge rushers).

I've already said RFN is the best DB we ever had but he only starred at UF for a single year. An unbelievable year, but just one year.

Haden came out of HS as an ATH. He had to learn the position. He was an athlete playing corner his freshman year. He and Wondy both ran step-for-step with the WR but had no idea how to defend the ball when it got there. Haden became an elite corner when he learned the position. Wondy never learned and played special teams the rest of his career.

Janoris was the best true freshman corner we ever had...but was he better than a sophomore Haden? And Jenkins got himself kicked off the team.

My all-time Gator defensive backfield has RFN at free safety, Louis Oliver moves to strong safety, and my corners are Lito, Joe, and Janoris (yes, I get 3 so one can play nickel).


Alex.
 

Great White Buffalo

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Dec 7, 2017
449
955
RFN. We had a converted WR at one CB (law's favorite kind) and a grad transfer on the other side and he was the reason we didn't get torched constantly that 2006 season
Ryan Smith was the grad transfer. He had 8 ints and was an All American that year. We probably don't win the NC without him.
My vote goes to Lito. Fvkk the dwags.
 

Renard904

Voice of Reason
Lifetime Member
Oct 1, 2016
851
1,205
Personal favorite- Lethal Lito
Local guy who's camps I have attended. Always been a great guy, to me.


Best overall player- Janoris Jenkins
We've had a plethora of talented DBs over the years. But, for me, this isn't even a difficult question. Jenkins was, by a wide margin, the best college cover corner that I've ever seen.
 

Double Gator Dad

Founding Member
Senior Member
Lifetime Member
Jun 12, 2014
4,988
8,399
Founding Member
RFN covered the entire field. Honorable mention to Steve Tannen. Believe it or not Florida played football before the 80’s
 

B52G8rAC

SAC Trained Warrior
Lifetime Member
Feb 15, 2016
5,914
11,081
Steve Tannen. Back when contact was allowed until the ball was thrown. He absolutely beat the crap out of receiver all the way down the field. Real football, you know.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Help Users

You haven't joined any rooms.