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Tebow Earns AP's Top Player Honor

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 19, 2007

Updated: 12/18/2007 11:57 pm

GAINESVILLE - Florida QB Tim Tebow has grabbed yet another award. Tuesday, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner was named national player of the year by The Associated Press.

Tebow received 31 of 58 possible votes, beating out Arkansas RB Darren McFadden and Hawaii QB Colt Brennan. Tebow won the Maxwell Award, which honors the nation's best overall player, on Dec. 6.

CUNNINGHAM TO PLAY: Florida coach Urban Meyer said Tuesday that DE Jermaine Cunningham probably will play in the Capital One Bowl despite his arrest Dec. 5 after an incident at a local sandwich shop.

"We're still waiting to find out all the legal part of it, but I anticipate he'll play," Meyer said.

The state attorney's office has yet to decide whether Cunningham will face a misdemeanor battery charge. He is accused of throwing empty drink cups at an employee of Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches after the employee asked Cunningham to pay for a $1 bag of potato chips.

HOLLIDAY A CANDIDATE: Meyer declined Tuesday to confirm whether safeties coach Doc Holliday has interviewed for the head coaching vacancy at West Virginia. Holliday, a former WVU linebacker who spent 20 years at his alma mater as an assistant, has a reputation as one of the nation's best recruiting assistants.

"He's a great coach," Meyer said of Holliday. "He's an excellent recruiter and to be an excellent recruiter you have to have great people skills."

GATORS ADD ANOTHER: Florida picked up its 15th non-binding commitment for the class of 2008 when Louisville (Ky.) Trinity OL Sam Robey pledged to sign with the Gators in February. Robey, a 6-foot-5, 260-pounder, is the son of former Kentucky basketball star Rick Robey.
Andy Staples
Coaching Shuffle Could Help South Florida In Recruiting

TAMPA - With Rich Rodriguez leaving West Virginia for Michigan - the third Big East coach to leave in the past two seasons - the University of South Florida looks to benefit on the recruiting trail.

"You hope so, we sure tell them that," Coach Jim Leavitt said. "The University of South Florida, for me and my life, is the best job there is out there. I haven't seen or thought of another job that I think is better or I would go, if I had a chance. I don't feel there's a better job, I really mean that."

Leavitt said there isn't a school out there with a better chance to win the national title than USF.

"My goodness, we don't always talk about this, we talk about winning the Big East championship, but why can't the University of South Florida play for a national championship?" Leavitt said. "We were so close this year, so why not?"

SANTA BULLS: Several Bulls will play the role of Santa Claus this morning, helping the state attorney's annual toy drive.

The state attorney's office employees purchase toys to be given to the 340 students at DeSoto Elementary School, whose students come from the lowest income families in Hillsborough County, state attorney office spokeswoman Pam Bondi said.

For the second consecutive year, USF football players will help deliver presents. Last year, the players who participated included LBs Stephen Nicholas and Ben Moffitt, DE George Selvie, QB Matt Grothe and C Nick Capogna.

ODDS AND ENDS: USF has sold a little more than 4,000 of its 8,000 Sun Bowl tickets, USF senior associate athletic director Bill McGillis said. ... It's still two weeks away, but the Bulls received their Sun Bowl gifts when Sony Bravia surround sound systems were passed out to the players after Tuesday's practice. ... Freshman DL Kyle Dampier has left the program.

Brett McMurphy

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