Georgia's Atkins, Owens Headed To Under Armour Senior Bowl

Georgia senior defensive linemen Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens have accepted invitations to play in the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl on January 30 in Mobile, Ala., according to an announcement by bowl officials Thursday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. EDT in Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The game and all practices will be televised by the NFL Network.
Atkins, a 6-1, 290-pound native of Pembroke Pines, Fla., finished with 36 tackles, was second on the team with 10.5 tackles for loss and was an All-Southeastern Conference Second Team selection. Finishing with a team-leading 28 quarterback hurries, Atkins was named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week after equaling his career high with eight tackles versus Vanderbilt in 2009.
Atkins was named Most Valuable Defensive Player following his performance versus Texas A&M at the 2009 Independence Bowl on Dec. 28. He blocked a field goal and had three tackles, including a sack, in the 44-20 win over the Aggies.
"I'm real excited that I get to play against the best of the best in the senior class," Atkins said. "I want to show all the scouts how fundamentally sound I am and how well I can get off blocks."
Owens, a 6-3, 300-pound native of Sunrise, Fla., returned from a season-ending knee injury at the beginning of the 2008 season to tally 32 tackles and 1.5 sacks this year. He started all 13 games in 2009 and finished with the most career starts (38) of any Bulldog on the 2009 team.
Owens registered a career-high seven tackles versus #4 LSU early in 2009 season before graduating with a degree in Child and Family Development in December. Owens is also one of only 11 players in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision to be named to the 2009 Allstate American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team.
"The Senior Bowl is where you have to bring your 'A' game," Owens said. "I just want to turn some heads and have the opportunity to prove that I can play at the next level and compete with the best of them. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Some of the best players that played the game have played in the Senior Bowl. It's a great honor for me and my family and I'm blessed to have this opportunity."

Phillip Fulmer says he's not seeking UT job

Former Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer said he is not seeking the Tennessee coaching job.
Fulmer made the statement this morning in a release from CBS Sports for whom Fulmer has worked as a
football commentator since his firing from UT following the 2008 season.
“I am not seeking to be a candidate for the head coaching position,” Fulmer is quoted as saying.
In the release, he also talks about sharing the sense of embarrassment UT fans feel over the situation with the football program.
The release:
“Over the last 24 hours I have been contacted by friends, great fans and media members, and I feel it is important to comment, as a man who loves the University of Tennessee deeply and shares this love with millions of great Volunteer fans and friends.
“Recent events have been painful and an embarrassment to all of us who care about UT. I love the University; I am loyal to my alma mater and am ready to help as the University makes one of the most important decisions in the history of our football program. However, to prevent any misunderstanding, I am not seeking to be a candidate for the head coaching position.
“I am looking forward to embracing the next coach and have some strong beliefs about the kind of man he should be. He must embrace Tennessee’s culture and traditions, be mature and of good character, and demonstrate integrity and leadership to our young men who desperately want to be shown the way. He must deserve, earn and keep the trust of our young men -- both present and future.
“Tennessee football has been successful for so many years because it has been rooted in values and traditions. We can’t take those values for granted – if we do not guard them carefully, we will lose them.”

Another Razorback staying in school

Late last week, quarterback Ryan Mallett announced that he was returning to Arkansas for at least one more season.
Today, Mallett will be pleased to learn that one of his offensive weapons will be doing the same.
According to a statement released by the school, tight end D.J. Williams has elected to return to the Razorbacks for his senior season.
"Taking into consideration the rewarding total experience I have had in Fayetteville, I feel there is no reason to cut this short," Williams said in the statement. "There are a lot of teammates and people I've grown close to and the ability to spend another year with them pursuing our goals is a big reason I want to come back.
"With Ryan (Mallett) and most of the key guys from last season returning I think this team understands what we can accomplish next season. That is something I'm excited about and something that means a lot to all of us. It is something our fans, who are the best in the nation, deserve to be a part of. The coaches here and the atmosphere we practice and compete in have helped me develop into more of a complete player.
"I understand the value of gaining another year of experience and the value of working towards finishing my degree."
In 2009, the junior was named second-team All-SEC by the league coaches. He played in all 13 games last year and had nine starts, catching 32 passes for 411 yards and three touchdowns.

UT expected to hire Cutcliffe

Duke head coach David Cutcliffe will be named Tennessee’s next head coach barring a last-second snag in negotiations, a source told the News Sentinel.
UT athletic director Mike Hamilton declined to confirm an agreement with Cutcliffe, who was an assistant coach at UT from 1983-98 and from 2006-07. Hamilton said only that UT was still in the interviewing process.
One issue between the two parties is Cutcliffe’s staff. Cutcliffe, who has spent the last two seasons at Duke, would like to bring many of his coaches to Knoxville with him, but the Vols still have six coaches leftover from the staff assembled by Lane Kiffin, who left UT to become the head coach at Southern California on Tuesday.
Cutcliffe’s staff is expected to include former UT running backs coach Kurt Roper, who has been Duke’s offensive coordinator under Cutcliffe.
UT interim head coach Kippy Brown is also expected to be retained as receivers coach. Hamilton said Brown was a candidate for the head coaching job, but Brown seemed open to working under Cutcliffe.
“I love David,” said Brown, who worked with Cutcliffe on UT’s staff in 1993-94. “David is a good coach.”
Former head coach Phillip Fulmer released a statement today who called for UT to hire a coach that displayed integrity and embraced UT’s traditions. Fulmer, who coached with Cutcliffe at UT, told the News Sentinel that he would endorse Cutcliffe’s hiring.
“He’s the kind of person I described earlier in my release,” Fulmer said. “The type of person and coach that I thought the team needed and he fits those parameters to a tee.”
Cutcliffe has let loyalty to his assistants affect his career decisions in the past. He was fired by Ole Miss in 2004 after he refused to replace some of the coaches on his staff.

Former Georgia Head Coach Dooley To Receive Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award

Former University of Georgia head football coach and director of athletics Vince Dooley will receive the Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award in ceremonies Thursday night in Houston.The award recognizes excellence in coaching on and off the field during a career, allowing recipients to take their place in history alongside legends such as Bryant. Recent Lifetime Achievement recipients include Barry Switzer, Tom Osborne, and Glenn “Bo” Schembechler. Dooley served as head football coach at the University of Georgia from December, 1963, to Jan. 1, 1988, and as Director of Athletics from 1979-2004. Dooley is the most successful coach in Georgia history. He guided the Bulldogs to a career record of 201-77-10 becoming only the ninth coach in NCAA Division I history to win over 200 games. The Bulldogs won one national championship (1980) and six SEC Championships under his direction. He took his teams to 20 Bowl games and coached a Heisman Trophy winner (Herschel Walker, 1982), a Maxwell Award Winner (Walker, 1982), an Outland Award Winner (Bill Stanfill, 1968), 40 First Team All-Americans and 10 Academic All-Americans. Under his watch as athletic director, Georgia teams won 20 national championships (ten in his final six years) including an unprecedented four during the 1998-99 year (women’s swimming, gymnastics, men’s tennis, men’s golf). During Dooley’s tenure Georgia athletic teams won 78 SEC team championships and numerous individual national titles in both men’s and women’s sports. The Paul Bear Bryant Awards honor excellence in coaching while raising funds to fight heart disease and stroke. Bryant himself suffered a heart attack prior to his death in 1983. Funds raised benefit research, community education and outreach programs of the American Heart Association.

Georgia's Orson Charles Named To FWAA Freshman All-America Team

Georgia freshman tight end Orson Charles was named to the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Freshman All-America Team. Charles, a 6-3, 230-pound native of Tampa, Fla., started three games for the Bulldogs and finished as the team's third-leading receiver. He hauled in 23 catches for 374 yards and three touchdowns. Charles registered a career-high four catches for 73 yards versus Kentucky and finished his first year with a long reception of 44 yards during the win at Arkansas. Charles also started the game during Georgia's 44-20 win over Texas A&M in the Independence Bowl and had a pair of catches. Charles is one of five players from the Southeastern Conference to be named to the FWAA All-America Team. He had already been named a Freshman All-American by Sporting News, Phil Steele and CollegeFootballNews.com.This marks the third straight year that a Bulldog has been named to the FWAA Freshman All-America Team. Knowshon Moreno was on the 2007 team and A.J. Green was named to the 2008 squad.

Tim Tebow and Gemma Spofforth Honored as Ben Hill Griffin Award Winners

University of Florida student-athletes senior quarterback Tim Tebow and senior swimmer Gemma Spofforth were named the 2009 recipients of the Ben Hill Griffin Award, announced Tuesday by the University Athletic Association.
The award, established by Gator Boosters, Inc., and the UAA, recognizes and honors the top male and female student-athletes who excel in both athletic and academic achievement and extra-curricular involvement. Tebow is the first three-time winner while Spofforth is being honored for the first time.
Tebow finished his career with five NCAA, 14 Southeastern Conference and 28 Florida records. He was the first sophomore in NCAA history to collect the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and is a two-time recipient of the Maxwell Award. This past season, he was the winner of the 20th Anniversary William V. Campbell Trophy, along with Lowe’s Senior CLASS award. He was also named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American of the Year for a second consecutive year, marking the first time a scholar-athlete was named the Academic All-American of the Year for University Division Football in two straight years.
In 2009, Tebow was named first-team All-SEC by the AP and the league’s coaches, while also being named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year. He was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy for the third time, the Davey O’Brien Quarterback Award, the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, the Maxwell Award and the Manning Award.
The quarterback threw a touchdown in 39 of his 41 career starts. In his final game in the Orange & Blue, Tebow set career records with 31 completions (35 attempts), 482 passing yards and a career-long 80-yard touchdown to classmate Riley Cooper. He also passed for three scores and tallied 51 yards on 14 carries in the 51-24 victory over No. 4 Cincinnati in the AllState Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. He also set Sugar Bowl and BCS Bowl records for total offense (533 yards), passing yards and completion percentage (.886). His 31 completions was a new Sugar Bowl record, while he tied a previously set mark for touchdown responsibility (four) and his 80-yard TD was the second-longest pass in the bowl’s history.

Florida CB Joe Haden declares for NFL Draft

Florida junior cornerback Joe Haden has announced he will forego his final year of eligibility and declare for the 2010 NFL Draft.
Haden was a consensus first-team All-American this season as well as a finalist for the Thorpe Award, given to the nation's top defensive back. The first-team All-SEC pick led the Gators with four interceptions, while contributing 68 tackles, three sacks, 10 pass breakups and two forced fumbles.
"We're sad to see Joe go because he's a great leader and a dynamic player," said interim Gators head coach Steve Addazio. "But we know that with his tremendous talent, he will be a special player at the next level. This is the opportunity of a lifetime for Joe, and we wish him nothing but the best."
Haden started all 40 career games that he played, and in 2007 became the first true freshman to ever start at cornerback for Florida. He finishes his career with eight interceptions and 218 tackles.
"This was a tough decision, and I spent a lot of time with my family talking about it," said Haden. "I'm so proud that I had the chance to be a Gator. It's been one of the best experiences of my life."
The NFL Draft is scheduled for April 22-24.

Vols Berry Heading to the NFL

Berry is headed to the NFL whether he really wants to or not, closing out his UT career in a 37-14 loss to Virginia Tech on a Saturday night in the Georgia Dome.
“I chose to go ahead and enter the draft this following the year,” Berry said. “I really did go over every possible situation, scenario that I could, went over it with coach (Lane Kiffin), went over it with my parents, and you know coach just told me this would probably be the best thing for me to do is enter the draft.
“It’s really hard. I think that’s why it took me so long to come out here, I had to kind of get myself together because I really don’t want to leave, but I feel like it’s just something I need to do to help my family. Just to see how hard my parents worked over the past 18 years, and raising my brothers, I feel like this is something I can do to help them just sit down and relax and show my appreciation for what they’ve done for me.”
Berry should have plenty of opportunity to do it since most projections have him as a top-five pick in the draft, with some experts slotting him as a possible No. 1 overall choice.

Georgia loses another to NFL...Rennie Curran

According to a press release issued through the school, Curran announced that he will forego his final season of eligibility and make himself available for the 2010 NFL draft.
"This has been a really difficult decision," Curran said in a statement. "I love the Bulldogs and my time at Georgia has been great. But weighing all the factors over the last couple of weeks, I finally reached the decision Saturday that entering the NFL draft this year is the right decision for me at this time."
Head coach Mark Richt said in his own statement that Curran's play and his leadership will be "sorely missed".
"Rennie has been a cornerstone of our defense over the last couple years and even as a freshman, made tremendous contributions," said UGA head coach Mark Richt. "I think our team¹s fondness for Rennie was demonstrated by his election by his teammates as one of our permanent defensive captains for 2009. He will be sorely missed not only on the field but in the locker room and at the University. We certainly wish him the very best."

UGA's Reshad Jones makes his NFL move

Georgia junior safety Reshad Jones, who was on the verge of entering the NFL draft a year ago, will do so this time and forgo his senior season at UGA, he confirmed late Monday night.
Although he changed his mind on the draft decision a couple of times last year, he indicated he is firm in his choice this time.
“I know I’m ready,” he said.
He said he made the decision after consulting with his family.

Ole Miss Snead Declares For NFL Draft

Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead announced that he will bypass his senior season with the Rebels in order to enter the upcoming 2010 National Football League draft.
"After much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to forego my final year at Ole Miss and enter the NFL Draft," Snead said. "The fans, coaches and my teammates at Ole Miss have been unbelievable, and I want to thank them for an incredible experience. In the end, I had to do what is best for me and my family. Having finished my degree, I look forward to the challenge and hard work that comes with pursuing my dream of playing quarterback in the NFL."
A two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient, Snead concluded his undergraduate degree in Marketing in December.
"After long talks last night and this morning, we tried very hard to keep Jevan as an Ole Miss Rebel for one more year," said Ole Miss Head Coach Houston Nutt. "I'm sure the fact that he has already finished his degree played a role in his decision, and I do respect his decision. He is young man of great character and Jevan will always be a member of the Ole Miss family.
"We want to thank Jevan for his outstanding play as our quarterback the last two years and wish him nothing but the best. We will be keeping up with him on the next level."
In Snead's two years under center, the Rebels experienced their most successful period in almost 40 years, posting back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time since 1961-62 and consecutive January bowl victories for the first time since 1960-61.
A native of Stephenville, Texas, Snead is just the second Ole Miss signal-caller to reach 2,000 passing yards in consecutive seasons, after throwing for 2,632 yards on 191-of-351 passing with 20 touchdowns and 20 interceptions this year as a junior. His 5,394 passing yards is the second-highest two-year total in school history and ranks fifth all-time for a Rebel career.

UF's Major Wright Declares For NFL Draft

Florida junior safety Major Wright announced his intention to declare for the 2010 NFL Draft and forego his final year of eligibility.
“I enjoyed my time in Gainesville, they were some of the best years of my life,” Wright said. “Beyond winning championships, I will take with me some great memories of personal friendships from my teammates and lessons learned from the coaching staff. I will always be a Gator and look forward to watching them play from the sidelines in the future.”
“Major will be missed in our secondary and by his teammates,” said head coach Urban Meyer. “He was a physical player who had a presence on the football field and was someone our players looked up to and gravitated to. They enjoyed being around him both on and off the field. We wish him the best of luck.”
In his three years at UF, Wright was part of two SEC Eastern Division-winning teams, including the 2008 National and SEC Champions. He finished his collegiate career with 165 tackles, 10 passes defended, eight interceptions, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 41 games played.
This past season, the 6-foot-0, 204-pound defender tied for second on the Gators with three interceptions and registered 32 tackles, 28 of which were solo. In his final appearance for the Orange and Blue, Wright notched four tackles and broke up a pass in UF’s 51-24 victory over Cincinnati in the 2010 Allstate Sugar Bowl. He made a key pick in the fourth quarter at Mississippi State at the one-yard line and totaled a season-high eight tackles in the SEC Championship Game.

Richt zeroing in on Cowboys' Grantham

Georgia coach Mark Richt has amped up his pursuit of Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Todd Grantham to be the Bulldogs’ next defensive coordinator. Richt knows he can’t allow this to drag on much longer, especially with national signing day approaching. Alabama’s Kirby Smart became the third different person to turn down Richt on Monday despite being offered a three-year deal worth $750,000 annually. Several people close to the situation say Grantham is very interested, but doesn’t want to do anything that would serve as a distraction for the Cowboys during their playoff run. Richt and Grantham have already talked about the position, according to ESPN.com’s Mark Schlabach. Grantham, 43, owns a vacation home at Lake Oconee, near the Georgia campus in Athens. Depending on how long the Cowboys last in the playoffs, it could be that Richt goes ahead and names Grantham the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator and that Grantham doesn’t actually begin his coaching duties at Georgia until after the Cowboys are out of the playoffs. Either way, it’s pretty clear at this point that Grantham is Richt’s main target and has been on Richt’s radar for some time. Like Smart, Grantham is a Nick Saban disciple and worked under Saban at Michigan State. He’s been on the Cowboys’ staff the last two seasons and was the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator prior to that.

Ex-Vol Richardson pleads guilty to attempted robbery

Former University of Tennessee football player Nu'Keese Richardson pleaded guilty this morning in Knox County Criminal Court to one count of attempted robbery.
Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz placed Richardson on pre-trial diversion and three years probation as part of a plea agreement. If Richardson stays out of further legal trouble, the charge can be dismissed.
Richardson and former teammates Mike Edwards and Janzen Jackson were charged with attempted armed robbery last year. The charges against Jackson were dismissed.
"Basically, I've learned my lesson about what happens when you make stupid mistakes," Richardson said after the court appearance with his attorney Bruce Poston. "I do not want to ever be in a predicament like this again."
Richardson is enrolled at Hampton University in Virginia and begins classes Tuesday. He has to be a full-time student or employed during the probation.
Richardson, Edwards, Jackson and fellow UT student Marie Lynn Montmarquet were charged with attempted armed robbery after a botched holdup Nov. 12 at the Pilot convenience store on Cumberland Avenue.
Knoxville police said the players tried to hold up three men outside the store around 1:45 a.m., only to be shown empty wallets and offered a cheeseburger.
All three players were suspended from the team, and Richardson and Edwards were later dismissed by coach Lane Kiffin.
The attempted armed robbery charges were later dropped against Jackson, who was reinstated to the team, and Montmarquet, who was driving the car. She still faces possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia charges.
Prosecutors reviewed all evidence, including more than 10 hours of surveillance video and taped interviews, which "failed to show (Jackson or Montmarquet) had prior knowledge that the attempted robbery was going to take place and were unaware something had occurred until after they pulled out of the Pilot store," Knox County District Attorney General Randy Nichols wrote in a news release.

Gator Maurkice Pouncey opt for NFL Draft

Two more underclassmen declared for the NFL Draft on Monday, center Maurkice Pouncey and defensive end Carlos Dunlap - and a third, safety Major Wright, is expected to do so. Pouncey and Dunlap join cornerback Joe Haden and tight end Aaron Hernandez as early departures.
None of Monday's announcements came as a surprise, even though there was some thought Dunlap might return for his senior season after his DUI arrest the Tuesday morning before the Dec. 5 SEC Championship Game.
Despite the arrest, and a reputation for having an inconsistent work ethic, Dunlap, who led the Gators with nine sacks last season, still projects to be a late first-round or early second-round selection.
"This took a lot of thought and prayer between me and my family, and we decided that this was the best direction for me to take," Dunlap said. "I've loved having the chance to play at Florida for coach (Urban) Meyer, and playing for coach Charlie Strong. I wouldn't be the person or the palyer I am today without them and the other coaches who have helped me along the way."
While one of the Pouncey twins is leaving early for the NFL, the other is not.
Maurkice is forgoing his senior year at Florida to enter the NFL Draft, while Mike is staying with the Gators for his senior season.

Gators losing another to NFL

The trickle of draft-eligible Florida Gators making their way out of Gainesville continues this afternoon as, as expected, defensive end Carlos Dunlap has announced he is jumping to the NFL.
The lineman told the Charleston Post & Courier that he was indeed foregoing his final collegiate season. The decision will be announced at a press conference this afternoon.
"This took a lot of thought and prayer between me and my family, and we decided that this was the best direction for me to take," Dunlap said in a statement. "I've loved having the chance to play at Florida for Coach (Urban) Meyer, and playing for Coach Charlie Strong. I wouldn't be the person or the player I am today without them and the other coaches who have helped me along the way."
Head coach Urban Meyer took time out from his leave of absence to say that Dunlap is ready to make the leap to the next level.
"Carlos has all of the physical tools to be successful at the next level," said Meyer. "I believe if he continues to grow and mature he will have a very long career in the NFL. He provided matchup problems for opposing teams and was a big part of our success during the last several years. We wish him the best of luck."
Dunlap joins center Maurkice Pouncey, who announced his intentions earlier this morning, and cornerback Joe Haden and tight end Aaron Hernandez, who made their announcements in the last week or so, as Gators who have decided to leave early.

Tide LB Rolando McClain to enter the 2010 NFL draft

Alabama junior linebacker Rolando McClain said this afternoon that he has decided to declare for the 2010 NFL draft.
He made the announcement at a press conference in Tuscaloosa.
"I came to school with the goal of being a first-team All-American, winning the Butkus and winning a national championship," McClain said. "I've accomplished those goals, and I think I'm going to leave the University pretty satisfied with what I've done here.
"I think also that I have a few good linebackers behind me that can come in and contribute in such ways that I did. With guys like Dont'a (Hightower) being back and Nico Johnson being back next year, I think they'll come in and be able to do just as good as I did."
A native of Decatur, Ala., McClain was a starter during all three seasons after signing as a key part of Nick Saban's first class for the Crimson Tide.
The Butkus Award winner for the 2009 season, McClain has been roundly projected to be a first-round selection in April's NFL draft.
McClain was Alabama's leader with 105 tackles this season, which was 29 more than any teammate. He was also voted a permanent team captain and a consensus All-American while serving as the main signal-caller for the Tide's defense.
He played in the BCS national championship game despite needing an IV before and during the game because of a stomach virus he picked up days before the contest.