UF coaches often tell prospective recruits that a commitment makes them part of the family, and as Gator fans often attest ” once a Gator, always a Gator.

So why should we stop covering UF athletes as soon as they leave the school? That’s where I fit in.

My name is Ray FitzGerald, and I’m going to be your host for the Pro Gators section on Gatorsports.com. Here you’ll find the latest news, thoughts and opinions about Gators not only in the NBA, NFL and professional baseball, but overseas and Olympic sports and anything else you care to know about.

Have a question about where a former Gator is playing? Drop me a line at rayfitzgerald@gmail.com.

And be sure to check back often. I plan to have some fun with this blog, so no topic is off limits and no sport or athlete is too small.

Let me give you just a taste of what you can expect …

Last month, I was in Orlando for the NBA opening-night game between the Magic and the Hawks (hopefully you saw my story on Al Horford. If not, then be sure to check it out … after you’re done here, of course). We spoke about his time back at UF over the summer and his contact with Joakim Noah, Taurean Green and Corey Brewer.

I asked him to tell me something about the group that maybe we didn’t know, something good. What he told me not only took me by surprise, but has made the last two weeks of my life more enjoyable.

“Breadcrumb and Confetti,” he said. “Just look it up when you get a chance.”

Don’t worry; I was just as confused as you are right now. But when I got home, I got one of the best laughs that I’ve had in a while.

Brett Swanson, former backup guard for the Gators, has started a side project as a rapper. He has teamed with a friend and they decided to call themselves Breadcrumb and Confetti. They shot a video for their song “Beards” around Gainesville during the Summer-A semester, when Horford and Green were in town and Noah was visiting (just before his back-to-back citations for open container and speeding on campus).

Swanson, a k a Breadcrumb, asked the trio to make cameos in the video, and the rest is history.

Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4KKBrlNGEQ

* Spoiler Alert: In the video, Noah, wearing a T-shirt and shorts, can be seen doing some less-than-flattering dances in the background, while banging his head around, hair flying in all directions.

Horford’s and Green’s parts in the video, starting at 3:27 of the online clip, were a bit more comedic.

In a scene shot on a basketball court, the bearded and humorously dressed Breadcrumb and Confetti approach the two about playing a game. After getting thoroughly beaten by the bearded duo, Horford and Green ask for a rematch. This time, the former Gators are seen dominating. As they turn to the camera, you see that they now have long, bushy beards.

It isn’t the type of video you’d see in heavy rotation on MTV, and Noah would likely want to keep it that way.

While talking about the video in the Bulls’ visiting locker room before a game last week, teammate Drew Gooden overheard the talk.

“Breadcrumb and what?” the wise-cracking forward asked, breaking in on our conversation. “Joakim, how come you never told us about this? Man, as soon as we get back to the hotel, I’m looking that up.”