John Brantley Continues To Draw High Praise

During a recent radio interview, Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer gushed about John Brantley:

We’ve got a guy named John Brantley, who’s a tremendous talent, he’s a different style of player, he’s more of the Chris Leak mold from 2006 when he was our quarterback. Very good young team around him. It’s maybe not a team of superstars, but it’s a team with some very, very good players that I can feel has a little bit of a chip on their shoulder, which is great to coach a team that has a chip as opposed to being the targeted one all the time. So it’s a little different this year, but we have good players.”

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John Brantley Continues To Draw High Praise

During a recent radio interview, Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer gushed about John Brantley:

We’ve got a guy named John Brantley, who’s a tremendous talent, he’s a different style of player, he’s more of the Chris Leak mold from 2006 when he was our quarterback. Very good young team around him. It’s maybe not a team of superstars, but it’s a team with some very, very good players that I can feel has a little bit of a chip on their shoulder, which is great to coach a team that has a chip as opposed to being the targeted one all the time. So it’s a little different this year, but we have good players.”

Click here for the full interview

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Report: Urban Meyer Agrees To Extension

University of Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said he expects football coach Urban Meyer to sign the six-year, $24 million contract both agreed to last August just ahead of the start of summer practice, according to ESPN. “It’ll get signed sometime in the next month or so, if not sooner,” Foley told ESPN.com. “There are no hang-ups. Bottom line, he has a [previously signed] contract that has four years left to run on it. It’s not like he doesn’t have a contract. And he is getting compensated at the new rate [$4 million a year].

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Report: Urban Meyer Agrees To Extension

University of Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said he expects football coach Urban Meyer to sign the six-year, $24 million contract both agreed to last August just ahead of the start of summer practice, according to ESPN. “It’ll get signed sometime in the next month or so, if not sooner,” Foley told ESPN.com. “There are no hang-ups. Bottom line, he has a [previously signed] contract that has four years left to run on it. It’s not like he doesn’t have a contract. And he is getting compensated at the new rate [$4 million a year].

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Former Alabama Standout Chooses Baseball

It’s not that Justin Woodall ever chose baseball as much as the sport couldn’t give him up. A two-year starter as a safety for Alabama’s football team, Woodall exited the BCS national title game headed for the NFL combine and what he thought was a future on the gridiron. But when football’s draft passed in April and a mini-camp tryout with the Chicago Bears proved fruitless, Woodall finally did what seemed destined all along he picked up a baseball. The Tampa Bay Rays, who scouted Woodall recently along the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, among others, thought enough of Woodall to select him in the 26th round of this month’s major league draft. “I’ve been playing baseball all my life,” Woodall said. “I don’t think it will be too hard. Getting my arm back in shape will probably be the only problem.”

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Mike Ford In Trouble…Again

Former USF running back Mike Ford was arrested Tuesday afternoon in his hometown of Sarasota and charged with a misdemeanor count of domestic battery, according to police records. According to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, 31-year-old Berneta Bean of Sarasota, who identified herself as an “on and off” girlfriend of Ford and mother to two children by him, told police that Ford pushed her in the chest and hit her in the face several times with an open hand during an argument about their children. Bean told police that when she went outside to call 911, Ford grabbed the phone from her hand and threw it toward her house. She then left in her car with her children, according to the report.

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49ers Plan To Ease Taylor Mays Into Mix

The 49ers’ plan is to ease Taylor Mays into the lineup – initially making him part of a substitution package and gradually increasing his responsibilities. Coach Mike Singletary described Mays as the most annoying rookie on the roster. But he did so with a smile. “He’s driving (secondary coach) Vance Joseph and Johnnie crazy,” Singletary said. “He’s called me a few times. He’s called them a few times. ‘Hey, coach, what about this? Hey, coach, what about that? Can we get together tomorrow? Can we do this? Can I come in on Sunday? That’s the kind of kid he is, and I’m excited about him.”

2011 NFL Draft Watch #38: Stefen Wisniewski

The countdown continues and our number thirty-eight prospect in college football is…

Offensive Guard/Center Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State (Senior):

The Skinny: This senior is already one of the most pro-ready prospects in the 2011 draft class. Wisniewski is blessed with excellent physical skills for an interior lineman, possessing quick feet, good burst out of his stance, wide shoulders, great knee bend, and an excellent upper body strength. The Penn State product is extremely adept at pulling and reaching the second level due to his nimble feet and once he gets his hands on defensive linemen, he finishes his blocks with aplomb. Where Wisniewski really shines though is in the mental aspects of the game, which have allowed him to be a first team All-Big Ten performer as both a

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Dance Machine Dixon Off to Slow Start

San Francisco 49ers running backs coach Tom Rathman has told RB Anthony Dixon to run like the 235-pound back he is instead of dancing so much behind the line, reports CBSSports.com.

Mancini’s Take: This is clearly a wake-up call for the box-shaped bruiser, who is hopefully beginning to realize how much more difficult it is to dodge the first man and break to the outside in the NFL. Dixon doesn’t change directions well and won’t outrun many people. The Niners drafted him to slam it in between the tackles to convert short yardage and goal-line opportunities. One of the keys of being successful in those situations is to run low. Dixon must further prove that he’s willing to work a lot harder than he did at Mississippi State. The man he’s competing against for the backup running back position, Glen Coffee, knows what he’s capable of and keeps it simple

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Dance Machine Dixon Off to Slow Start

San Francisco 49ers running backs coach Tom Rathman has told RB Anthony Dixon to run like the 235-pound back he is instead of dancing so much behind the line, reports CBSSports.com.

Mancini’s Take: This is clearly a wake-up call for the box-shaped bruiser, who is hopefully beginning to realize how much more difficult it is to dodge the first man and break to the outside in the NFL. Dixon doesn’t change directions well and won’t outrun many people. The Niners drafted him to slam it in between the tackles to convert short yardage and goal-line opportunities. One of the keys of being successful in those situations is to run low. Dixon must further prove that he’s willing to work a lot harder than he did at Mississippi State. The man he’s competing against for the backup running back position, Glen Coffee, knows what he’s capable of and keeps it simple

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