It was widely believed that, of the handful of draft-eligible Florida Gators thinking about leaving school early, cornerback Joe Haden and tight end Aaron Hernandez were the two most likely to head off for NFL riches.
Haden made official his decision to leave early this past Sunday. This evening, Hernandez has followed suit.
In a statement, the Gators’ leading receiver announced he was foregoing his senior season in Gainesville.
“It is really special for me to take this first step toward my lifelong dream of playing in the NFL on the fourth anniversary of my father’s passing,” Hernandez said. “I know he would be proud of not only me, but of my whole family, whose love and support are the only reasons I am where I am today.”
Most draftniks expect Hernandez to be the second TE taken in the draft, behind fellow junior Jermaine Gresham of Oklahoma.
Got underclassmen ticker withdrawal? Here’s your cure.
John, am I having a deja vu moment … or did you already report this?
Things getting slow around CFT
Probably be the 2nd or 3rd TE off the board.
Now Deb, it wasn’t official until today. He was just reportedly telling teammates that he was going. Just doing a lil’ CFT housecleaning. Don’t mind the mess…
Hernandez is a very strong player, a good football player. He may not be a tight end that will help you blocking wise in the running game, but he can be like a Dallas Clark in the NFL.
Another blow to the Gator program …
Speaking of blowing, has anyone seen Tebow and Meyer?
Speaking of blowing, has anyone seen Timmy and Urban lately?
The Gator program will be just fine. People leave early to go to the NFL all the time. As for your “blowing” comment Frank – what’s your problem with Tebow and Meyer?? They are both class acts – clearly something you don’t understand. Meyer is simply an outstanding coach – Tebow is one of the finest quarterbacks in college history – so say the commentators – and so says his record. Tebow isn’t just about football – he is a compassionate and caring person – anyone would be proud to say they know him. He is a stellar person. Urban Meyer is one class act as a coach. So get over yourself – and find something better to do than slam people who have done nothing to you.
Actions speak louder than words. Those Bama fans who are aware of how Tim Tebow big-brothered Mark Ingram at the Heisman ceremony in New York would agree that he is a compassionate and caring young man. However, Meyer’s public behavior of late: running up scores on undermatched opponents, letting his wife make a fool of herself in the media, telling wildly divergent stories to his players and the press … doesn’t seem so classy.
A guy coached the team I adore for 15 years and led them to several different championships. He’s a pretty good guy, and I still love him. But in the end, I lost some respect for him because of his ego. Most bigtime coaches have egos and sometimes, no matter what they “say,” their actions show their ego is in control. They’re human beings, not gods. And being able to view them objectively doesn’t make you less of a fan.
Urban’s having a mid-life crisis concurrent with a nervous breakdown. Let the man sort things out. He’ll be back in August.
As for “another blow to the Gator program,” they have top recruits coming in year after year. 2010′s recruiting class is looking like one of the best in the country. Hernandez was a good player, but they’ll find a replacement. Gators will have a “down” year with 9 or 10 wins, but they’ll be in the National title picture again in 2011.
sablegirl says:
January 7, 2010 9:18 AM ET
The Gator program will be just fine. People leave early to go to the NFL all the time. As for your “blowing” comment Frank – what’s your problem with Tebow and Meyer?? They are both class acts – clearly something you don’t understand. Meyer is simply an outstanding coach – Tebow is one of the finest quarterbacks in college history – so say the commentators – and so says his record. Tebow isn’t just about football – he is a compassionate and caring person – anyone would be proud to say they know him. He is a stellar person. Urban Meyer is one class act as a coach. So get over yourself – and find something better to do than slam people who have done nothing to you.
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Meyer is hardly a class act. With the thugs he brings into the program, his BS about faith, family, and football (football obviously comes first). Telling comment when his daughter said “I got my daddy back” after he retired. Guess what? Daddy’s not back.
Thank goodness the Tebow/Meyer lovefest will be ending soon. Everyone is pretty tired of it.
As for Tebow being a stellar person, I don’t really know him, but he seems like a decent guy. The media sure loves him, but he’s not the second coming.