Florida's All-Time Defensive Team

[Swamp Donkey]

DE- Kevin Carter
DT- Gerrard Warren
DT- Sharrif Floyd
DE- Carlos Dunlap
LB- Mike Peterson
LB- Wilbur Marshall
LB- Brandon Spikes
CB- Vernon Hargreaves
CB- Joe Haden
SS- Lawrence Wright
FS- Reggie Nelson

I like that, except Dunlap. He was a third and long specialist who couldn't stop the run. Took too many plays off. Got stuck behind Duke Lemmens and Justin Trattou because of his weaknesses. Not even close to "all time great"... not even close. Hell, I'd take Ray Mac over Dunlap.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

I disagree. Dunlap got most of the press but for my money JC was a more consistent player

I agree Cunningham was better than Dunlap, but that doesn't make him part of the All Time Gators team.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

I agree Cunningham was better than Dunlap, but that doesn't make him part of the All Time Gators team.

I think he was greatly underappreciated. Stats alone do not show all of the turnovers he created and like I said he had some of the most timely sacks when we were getting gassed on defense. Just my opinion and he probably won't be remembered for his play because all of the superstars at the time.

 

[Alvin York]

Jevon Kearse? Forget about it. Super Bowk XXXIX New England Patriots vs Philadelphia Eagles Matt Light schooled Kearse all day long. Your boy finished the day with one tackle and ZERO sacks. To add insult to injury they put Kearse on linebacker Mike Vrabel in a goal to goal situation. Not only did Vrabel score a touchdown but Kearse was flagged for holding. That day Jevon Kearse went from FREAK to GEEK. :) LOL

 

[stephenPE]

Jevon Kearse? Forget about it. Super Bowk XXXIX New England Patriots vs Philadelphia Eagles Matt Light schooled Kearse all day long. Your boy finished the day with one tackle and ZERO sacks. To add insult to injury they put Kearse on linebacker Mike Vrabel in a goal to goal situation. Not only did Vrabel score a touchdown but Kearse was flagged for holding. That day Jevon Kearse went from FREAK to GEEK. :) LOL

Lets be honest here. If you want to review the nastiest denigration of an SEC defender go no further than Herschel W in his freshman year running right over Bill Bates like he was a pop warner player on the way to a TD. Bill went on to a great career on America's teamI
I think the old dawg announcer Larry Munson may have mentioned a hob nailed boot planted on BB.

 

[Gatorphan]

All time...

DE- Kevin Carter
DT- David Galloway
DT- Sharrif Floyd
DE- Jack Youngblood
LB- Clifford Chalrton
LB- Wilbur Marshall
LB- Sammy Green
CB- Vernon Hargreaves
CB- Joe Haden
SS- Steve Tannen
FS- Reggie Nelson

 

[78]

A few observations:

* This is an exercise in ranking what guys did in college, not the NFL. I really couldn't care less about how some guy got schooled by the Patriots.
* We sometimes remember with our heart more than our head. Mike Peterson was the epitome of team player on those great Spurrier teams and earned a lot of love. Jevon Kearse was viewed by many in the opposite way. Was Peterson a better player than Kearse? Not a chance. I could give 10 reasons why, including the SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors Kearse earned that Peterson didn't, but this stat stands out: Kearse had 34.5 tackles for a loss, Peterson had 13. Case closed.
* Yessir, Double Gator Dad, my OP comment about Youngblood was more than a bit Freudian. Easley or Fowler might have run circles around Youngblood in a computer-driven video matchup, but the eras were several decades apart. That matters. Youngblood thoroughly dominated in a way neither of his two contemporaries can even come close to claiming. That's why his name is in the Ring.
* Too, I made a mistake naming Easley/Fowler, as good as they were, ahead of Carter, whose '94 season was about as good as it gets.
* Good to see the votes for Chester, one of the really good guys to play for UF and a great player. I had the displeasure of being at the LSU game where he wrecked his knee on the opening kick.
* Law, Swampy's not only for real, he's the guy who used to room with Wuerffel and carry the Head Ball Coach's headset. Catch up!

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

[youtube]qBLbYTzY1D8[/youtube]

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

[youtube]HpC2A40XyZw[/youtube]


And just because I like the vintage footage and the music too.

 

[Gatorbait25]

Of course it's controversial. He was the third best LB on the 98 team.

People "remember" him as great bc of his pro career. Now, perhaps he was playing out of position at UF, but he wasn't much of a LB. A one trick pony who was bad vs the run and when dropping back into coverage which he fortunately did very rarely.

This post made me cringe at first, but the more I think about it that was one hell of a trio with Johnny Rutledge, Mike P, and Kearse.
Probably the best starting bunch we've ever put on the field

 

[stephenPE]

The deal was MP and JR were real linebackers at those positions and outstanding at that. MP had a great pro career and was a very high character guy.
JK was a freak. He could play anywhere but should have been on the outside rushing the QB all the time he was not a natural LB.

 

[stephenPE]

[youtube]HpC2A40XyZw[/youtube]


And just because I like the vintage footage and the music too.

Steve T was the real deal. Maybe our first AA from the secondary. He had a pro career and a little trivia. Either wrote a play or performed in a play
at the Hippodrome in Gville about a football player (late 70s or 80s)

 

[-THE DUDE-]

I like that, except Dunlap. He was a third and long specialist who couldn't stop the run. Took too many plays off. Got stuck behind Duke Lemmens and Justin Trattou because of his weaknesses. Not even close to "all time great"... not even close. Hell, I'd take Ray Mac over Dunlap.

forgot about him...i did that in a hurry and he was the one i hated to put on the list but just threw him on there. So many great players i've been reminded about looking through this thread

 

[WobbleGator]

This thread shows just how great it is to be a Gator!

 

[Gator Fever]

Here is the list if it went by players who were named 1st team AP All Americans.

DE A. Brown
DT B.Culpepper
DT Charlie LaPradd
DE H. Richardson
OLB Wilber Marshall
MLB B.Spikes
OLB D. Little or S. Green- both had a ton of tackles
CB K. Ratliff
SS Matt Elam
FS Reggie Nelson
CB Joe Haden

 

[alcoholica]

Lawrence Wright...scan to the 2 min mark

[video=youtube;G2w2uOL7XsI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2w2uOL7XsI[/video]

 

[Leroy Jenkins]

Lawrence Wright...scan to the 2 min mark

[video=youtube;G2w2uOL7XsI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2w2uOL7XsI[/video]

I had always thought that would have been an illegal hit by Lawrence Wright..but after watching it a few times on that video..it looks like he led with his shoulder, possibly. Doesn't matter...there was no targeting back then!

 

[alcoholica]

Here is the list if it went by players who were named 1st team AP All Americans.

DE A. Brown
DT B.Culpepper
DT Charlie LaPradd
DE H. Richardson
OLB Wilber Marshall
MLB B.Spikes
OLB D. Little or S. Green- both had a ton of tackles
CB K. Ratliff
SS Matt Elam
FS Reggie Nelson
CB Joe Haden

The only major Defensive Award winner was Lawrence Wright with the Thorpe Award

 

[Double Gator Dad]

News Flash, some have been named before 1990 teams, and those teams especially in the 80's have been referenced.......... Read the thread before posting something like this and looking like a douche canoe.

My point was that the vast majority of the players listed are from the last 30 years even though UF has played for more than 100, even before the 80's.I in fact listed a few from the 60's and 70's to illustrate my point.
Nothing in my post warranted your response. Lighten up and take a mydol.

 

[Leroy Jenkins]

The real question, a little off topic but not much, is:

Danny or Timmy or Steve at QB?