Best Gator Ever?                

By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The Florida Gators are one of the most successful programs in the SEC in the last 25 years. The only program that has had more success is Alabama in the Nick Saban era.

Since 1992 when the league expanded they have made 11 SEC Championship Game appearances (the most by any school in the conference). They’ve won 8 conference championships since 1991 and 3 national titles since 1996.

It’s safe to say a lot of talent has gone through Gainesville. So who was the best player to ever put on a Gators uniform?

The first player I would start with is quarterback Steve Spurrier. He is mainly remembered for the success he had as head ball coach at Florida but he was a great player.

He won the Heisman Trophy in 1966 but his numbers are not impressive by modern standards. Spurrier finished his three-year, thirty-one-game college career with 4,848 passing yards and 37 touchdowns with a 56% completion rate.

John Reaves is another overlooked player that accomplished a lot. He set the NCAA career passing record of 7,581 yards and the SEC career record with 56 touchdowns.

As a senior in 1971 he won the Sammy Baugh Trophy, which recognizes the nation’s best passer.

Brad Culpepper is one of the best defensive linemen in school history. In his senior season in 1991 Culpepper was a standout defensive tackle and team captain on the Gators’ Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship team, a first-team All-SEC selection and a consensus first-team All-American.

He also won the Draddy Trophy recognizing him as college football’s most outstanding student athlete. He finished his career with 18 sacks and 47.5 tackles for loss.

Running back Emmitt Smith became the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and he also had a great career in college.

He played three seasons from 1987 to 1989. He finished his career with 3,928 yards, 37 touchdowns and 5.6 yards per carry. At the conclusion of his junior season in 1989, Smith was named a first-team SEC selection for the third year and SEC Player of the Year, was a unanimous first-team All-American, and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy balloting.

Errict Rhett broke Smith’s rushing record finishing with 4,163 yards and 34 touchdowns.

He also had 1,230 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. He was a first-team All-SEC selection in 1991 and 1993, a first-team All-American in 1993, and was chosen by his teammates as the Gators’ most valuable player in 1993.

Quarterback Danny Wuerffell had a prolific career in Steve Spurrier’s offense from 1993 to 1996.

Wuerffel was a first-team All-American in 1995, and a consensus first-team All-American in 1996. He received the Sammy Baugh Trophy in 1995, the Davey O’Brien Award in 1995 and 1996, and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award in 1996, and was named the Quarterback of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus in 1996.

Wuerffel also won the 1996 Heisman Trophy. He finished his career with 10,875 passing yards, 114 touchdowns and he completed 60.5% of his passes. He led the Gators to the national championship in 1996.

Tim Tebow had a great career from 2006 to 2009. He became the first underclassman to win the Heisman Trophy in 2007.

Tebow was an amazing dual threat, rushing for 2,947 yards and 57 rushing touchdowns. He also passed for 9,286 yards, 88 touchdowns and completed 67.1% of his passes. The Gators won national championships in 2006 and 2008. Chris Leak was the starter in 06 but Tebow was a key contributor.

The all-time best Gator is Danny Wuerffel in my opinion.