Florida seniors will close out their home careers against Florida State on Saturday

Urban Meyer stood at the podium at his weekly press conference with media earlier this week and he tried, several times, to come to grips with what is about to happen.

Each time, he choked up and put his hands on the podium to catch himself emotionally, if not physically. What happened?

Twenty-four hours later, Meyer said it wasn't just the departure of players like Brandon Spikes and Tim Tebow that shook him. It was looking at the sheet of paper he had in front of him, with its long list of accomplishments and many, many other names of departing players.

Three All-Americans, five All-SEC players, 12 Academic All-SEC honors, just six losses in four years, a 24-3 record versus ranked opponents, a Heisman winner, a national defensive player of the year and a 10-1 record against rivals Georgia, Tennessee and Florida State.

This, indeed, is a senior class that extends far beyond a chosen few. And these stellar athletes will play their final home game against Florida State at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Meyer made it clear after Tuesday night's practice that he does not want the tribute to be just about Tebow.

"We're going to do what we've got to do and all the players will recognized,'' Meyer said. Two classic examples of the senior class are Wondy Pierre-Louis and Markihe Anderson. Pierre-Louis fell on a muffed punt that turned around the Gators' SEC title game win against Arkansas in his freshman season in 2006. If he wasn't there to get the touchdown, there's a good chance there would have been no national title that season.

Pierre-Louis lost his starting job but remains a big part of the team as a spot player.

The same is true of Anderson, a projected star who had knee problems, he battled his way back and tipped a South Carolina pass with the Gamecocks driving for a potential go-ahead score three weeks ago. Instead, UF got the ball, scored and remained unbeaten. Without that tipped pass? Who knows.

This is the winningest senior class in the history of Southeastern Conference football. Florida (11-0) has beaten FSU (6-5) five straight times, has won a school-record 21 consecutive games and owns two SEC and national titles. The Gators have a chance to go to a third BCS title game with a win against Alabama in next week's SEC Championship Game in Atlanta.

Linebacker Ryan Stamper and receiver David Nelson are the lone starters from the 2005 recruiting class - Meyer's first. They redshirted a year, getting a fifth season, to join the seniors who played as true freshmen in the 2006 class that included Tebow and Spikes.

"We've definitely seen some ups and downs. The first year we came here was a little rough; the third year was a little rough,'' Nelson said. "But it's made us better people.''

As part of the tribute to the seniors, UF coaches put together photos of the departing players from when they first arrived in Gainesville. Nelson said he was able to look at those photos and realize, "It's amazing to look back at what I was five years ago, who I was. ... I've really enjoyed what I've done here and who I've become.''

The class includes Tebow, who won the 2007 Heisman and is a candidate to win again. Spikes was a team captain for two years and an All-America; receiver Riley Cooper returned for his senior year after signing a pro baseball deal to catch 38 passes and score seven touchdowns so far this fall. Brandon James etched his name in the SEC record books for returning punts and kicks and was an All-American.

They are just a few of the 18 seniors who have made major contributions in their own ways to a historic Gator run. Among the tributes expected is one that has spread around Gator Nation that fans will wear eye black in honor of Tebow.

"I've heard that,'' Meyer said. "I think that would be a tremendous tribute not only for Tim. I think it's a great idea.''

Some of UF's most successful senior classes have returned to the playing field for a curtain call after their last home game. This one almost certainly will hear the fans roaring for them to return for a final ovation.

"For the senior class, I think it's going to be real emotional, just knowing that it's coming down to the last game in the Swamp, and through the four years we've been here, this is the end of the road,'' said defensive end Jermaine Cunningham, who will graduate in 3 1/2 years and will be a high NFL Draft pick.

Added Stamper: "It flew by. Sometimes I get emotional just thinking about that. I've been here five years and it's almost over.

"But it happens every year, and every team has a senior class that they have to go through and move on, and we just have to remember that we have accomplished a lot of things while we were here.''