Hornsby's career likely done at Florida

LINK TO THE STORY: UF football player charged in credit card fraud

GAINESVILLE -- Nice knowing you, Jamar Hornsby. Well, not really.

Hornsby was accused on Friday of using the BP gas card of Ashley Slonina, a UF student who died in a motorcycle accident in October 2007 along with Florida walk-on quarterback Michael Guilford. If true, that's pretty much one of the most disgusting things I've ever written. My fingertips feel dirty just typing it.

Imagine the Slonina family. Imagine receiving that credit card statement every month for the last six months. Tragic.

What's most bizarre about all this is that Slonina was the girlfriend of Florida cornerback Joe Haden. How did Hornsby get Slonina's credit card? According to Slonina's father, Hornsby took the card from Ashley Slonina's apartment while helping the family remove her personal belongings one day after the accident.

Hornsby emerged from spring football as a back-up safety to Major Wright. Florida coach Urban Meyer praised Hornsby this spring for showing signs of his potential. So much for that. There's no way Meyer can save Hornsby now.

Florida has lost two safeties in as many weeks. Back-up Jerimy Finch was recently granted permission to transfer.

-jo-

Hoops gains a player; Football loses one

A FEW NOTES...

GAINESVILLE -- The Gators' basketball team will likely fill the loss of center Marreese Speights with a transfer from Georgetown. Vernon Macklin (6-9, 230 pounds) visited Gainesville last weekend and is apparently ready to enroll. Macklin, who averaged 3.4 ppg and 2.1 rpg last season for the Hoyas, will have to sit out a season due to NCAA transfer rules. Macklin played with Speights at the prep-school level (Hargrave Military in Chatham, Va.), so he's got to be pretty smart.

In football news, reserve linebacker Jerimy Finch (the guy who broke his leg in the fourth quarter against Tennessee last season) is reportedly transferring out. Finch, who Urban Meyer said was struggling academically, was buried on the linebacker depth chart at UF but will likely play safety elsewhere...perhaps Indiana.

-jo-

Top 10 things dumber than LSU's Perrilloux

FOR A STORY ON RYAN PERRILLOUX, CLICK HERE

Not many organic compounds -- never mind life forms -- on this planet (and presumably any other) are dumber than Ryan Perrilloux. There are a few, though. Let's make a list.

10. Rev. Jeremiah Wright: While we disagree with everything this moron says, we will fight to the death for his right to say it ... or something like that.

9. The enabler? Les Miles isn't to blame, right? I mean, this guy gave Perrilloux every chance to prove my stupid-people theory wrong. My stupid-people theory: Given time, stupid people will all wear Velcro. Nothing says institutionalized quite like Velcro.

8. LSU frat boys: A special kind of dumb, folks. I have stories and factual evidence to prove this.

7. dehydrated macaroni

6. Roger Clemens (King of the Pridesters)

5. People who support Roger Clemens

4. Another brilliant American footballer with a French surname: Maurice Clarett. This is where Clarett lives. CLICK HERE FOR CLARETT'S HOME. This is where Perrilloux will be living soon. CLICK HERE FOR PERRILLOUX'S FUTURE RESIDENCE.

3. Charles Deas: Fruit-fly dumb.

2. The BCS people.

1. Me for actually wasting my time on a Perrilloux blog post.

A SIDE NOTE TO THIS BLOG POST: Why does the LSU athletic website have the Perrilloux press release plastered all over its front page? CLICK HERE FOR A PEEK.  Does anyone find this odd other than me? We recruited Perrilloux. We failed. Now we're going to boast about kicking him off the team.

-jo-

Gators' rookie-camp roundup: Leak asking God for help

AROUND NFL ROOKIE CAMPS...

In Kansas City, former Florida Gators quarterback Chris Leak is asking God to help him make the Chiefs' 70-man summer roster. Leak, who went undrafted in 2007, was cut by the Bears last year before getting involved with the AAFL, the has-beens league that never happened. Said Leak: "I'll leave it in the Lord's hands." It's probably time Leak accepted his fate and became a quarterbacks coach for Illinois.

In Tampa, safety Kyle Jackson (pictured) is trying to make the Bucs' 80-man team. Jackson was benched his senior season at Florida in favor of a true freshman. No word yet if the Bucs are fitting Jackson with a special helmet. In Nashville, Florida's other former (car-boosting) safety, Tony Joiner, is serving as a tackling dummy for football players who actually have a shot at making an NFL roster.

One of Gator Clause's favorite former Gators, offensive lineman Carlton "Package Store" Medder is trying out for the Arizona Cardinals. Medder used to make me laugh out loud when he would show up for Monday press conferences wearing -- no lie -- a discount card for a Gainesville liquor store around his neck. Medder should fit right in with Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinhart. Or maybe not. That would be one crowded hot tub.

Former Florida offensive lineman Drew Miller is in Jacksonville with defensive end Derrick Harvey. Miller actually has a pretty good shot of making the Jags' practice squad, where he would presumably go up against Harvey every day in practice.

In Cincinnati, former UF receiver Andre Caldwell is being praised daily for not being Chad Johnson or Chris Henry.

-jo-

Gators to raise awareness for charities with strength-and-agility competition

GAINESVILLE -- Anyone ever stumble across a cable TV show called Ninja Warrior while flipping through the channels? Hilarious stuff. Basically, it's a Japanese reality show aimed at exploiting dorks. The producers find the weirdest people possible (this is just me assuming everyone in Japan is not like the people on this show) and run the freaks through obstacle courses suspended about 10 feet above some nasty, muddy water. See dork run. See dork fall. See dork splash. Repeat.

Now imagine the freaks on Florida's football team running around and risking bodily harm for your entertainment. (OK, I realize that happens every Saturday in the fall.) ANYWAY, part of Florida's annual summer workout rigors always include a strength-and-agility competition. This is nothing new. What is new is that the competition is open to the public this summer and will take place at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Friday, July 25. Mark your calendars.

The athletic department is calling the event "Friday Night Lights," or some derivative of that. According to one of the football players, a large portion of the football team is going to split into six groups and compete against each other in several different athletic disciplines: Pulling tires, roller derby, four square, calf roping, etc... The winners get nothing. They're amateurs, duh. Each team, however, will "represent" a charity already associated with Shands Medical Center. For some reason, the UAA was hesitant to say the football team was going to raise money for charities. Apparently, the NCAA frowns on raising money for anyone accept the NCAA.

Here's hoping that the athletic department let's crazy ol' coach Urban Meyer design a bizarre obstacle course in the vein of Ninja Warrior. Or, better yet, here's hoping Urban Meyer competes with the dorks of Team Sportwriter against his own players. Now, that would be weird. (All in the name of charity, of course.)

-jo-

Medder, Miller and Joiner sign free-agent contracts

GAINESVILLE -- Three Gators who went undrafted over the weekend moved quickly to sign free-agent contracts. Safety Tony Joiner and offensive linemen Carlton Medder and Drew Miller will each have the opportunity to make NFL rosters this offseason.

Joiner, who slimmed down considerably after the Gators' season, signed with the Tennessee Titans. Miller, who Florida coach Urban Meyer thought had a good chance to be drafted, signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Medder, who has family in the Phoenix area, linked up with the Arizona Cardinals.

-jo-

Caldwell hoping Chad Johnson is still with Cincy next season

GAINESVILLE -- Just got off the phone with Florida receiver Andre Caldwell, who was drafted in the third round (97th overall) today by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Caldwell told me he's hoping Miami native Chad Johnson is still with the Bengals next season. Playing alongside one of the best receiver in the NFL would be a great teaching tool, says Caldwell. Johnson has demanded to be traded by the Bengals and might not be the team through the week.

Several Florida players remain undrafted as of the fourth round, including strong safety Tony Joiner and offensive linemen Carlton Medder and Drew Miller.

-jo-

DRAFT STUFF: Down year for in-state schools; Gators' highlight-reel defense

GAINESVILLE -- When Central Florida has just as many players drafted as Miami (and more than Florida), you know it was a down year for Florida football. Way to go Conference USA, I guess.

The Knights, Canes and Noles led the state with three players drafted this weekend. Florida offered the NFL to players (DE Derrick Harvey and WR Andre Caldwell). South Florida sent two cornerbacks to the NFL.

The Sunshine State had three players drafted in the first round: Harvey, Mike Jenkins (USF corner) and Kenny Phillips (UM safety).

--Sportswriters love the NFL Draft. "Oh, boy. Only seven more hours of Mel Kiper Jr. and Ron Jaworski." Thank God for Cris Carter.

--Anyone notice that every time an SEC skill player is taken in the draft ESPN always shows old highlight footage of said skill player scoring a touchdown against the Gators' pathetic 2007 defense? I can just imagine the ESPN producer in the studio.

Announcer: "Vandy's Earl Bennett was just taken in the third round."
Producer: "Quick, cue the Florida tape."

--FIRST 'NOLE TAKEN: Florida State's Andre Fluellen taken in the third round (87th overall).

--Miami native and Central Florida running back Kevin Smith taken in the third round (64th overall) by the Detroit Lions. What a steal! And, please, fight the urge of mentioning Barry Sanders and Kevin Smith in the same sentence. And for that matter, Bo Jackson and Darren McFadden.

--FIFTH-ROUND UPDATE: South Florida cornerback Trae Williams is taken by the Jacksonville Jags with the 159th overall pick. Williams is a solid corner and actually had a better senior season than his teammate, cornerback Mike Jenkins (nobody wanted to throw to Jenkins' side). Williams made The Miami Herald's All-Florida first-team defense.

MIAMI
Kenny Phillips, FS, first round (31)
Calais Campbell, DE, second round (50), Arizona Cardinals
Tavares Gooden, OLB, round three (71), Baltimore Ravens

FLORIDA
Derrick Harvey, DE, first round (8), Jacksonville Jaguars
Andre Caldwell, WR, third round (97), Cincinnati Bengals

SOUTH FLORIDA
Mike Jenkins, CB, first round (25), Dallas Cowboys
Trae Williams, CB fifth round (159), Jacksonville Jaguars

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Kevin Smith, RB, third round (64), Detroit Lions
Josh Sitton, OT, fourth round (135), Green Bay Packers
Mike Merritt, TE, seventh round (239), Kansas City Chiefs

FLORIDA STATE
Andre Fluellen, DT, third round (87), Detroit Lions
Letroy Guion, DT, fifth round (152), Minnesota Vikings
Geno Hayes, ILB, sixth round (175), Tampa Bay Bucs

Some in-state undrafted

MIAMI
WR Darnell Jenkins
CB Glenn Sharpe
QB Kyle Wright

FLORIDA
SS Tony Joiner
OL Carlton Medder
OL Drew Miller

FLORIDA STATE
WR De'Cody Fagg
QB Xavier Lee

BETHUNE-COOKMAN
LB Ronnie McCullough
CB Bobbie Williams

-jo-

Harvey taken eighth by Jags; Trend pointing toward Jags drafting Tebow

GAINESVILLE -- The University of Florida is turning into a minor-league affiliate for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jags drafted UF defensive end Derrick Harvey on Saturday with the eighth overall pick, trading several picks with Baltimore to move up in the draft. Jacksonville originally had the 26th pick in the first round.

This is the second consecutive year the Jags have used their first pick on a Gator. Last year, Jacksonville drafted safety Reggie Nelson. This trend is not a coincidence. Jacksonville fans like the Gators more than they like their Jags. Don't be surprised if this pattern continues. Tebow to the Jags in 2010. You read it here first.

-jo-

So, Chris Rainey just ran a 4.24, no kidding...

GAINESVILLE -- Sitting in the press box in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field before the spring game. Urban Meyer's publicity stunt -- students vs. football players in the 40-yard dash -- was pretty fun to watch. Louis Murphy almost lost to a 5-foot-5 bolt of lightning.

The highlight was Chris Rainey's 40-yard dash time of 4.24. That's right, 4.24 seconds. That's a different kind of fast, folks. If you're reading this and you're skeptical of the time, know that Rainey first ran a 4.27 and then turned around and turned in his 4.24.

If you think the times were cooked, maybe they were, but Louis Murphy ran a 4.53 just before Rainey's sprints. No wonder Major Wright never could catch Rainey in all those state championship games.

Interested to see what Rainey can do on the field in the Orange & Blue Game. He toasted Florida's defense all spring and is quickly climbing the depth chart at both running back and receiver.