Gators in the NFL news and notes
by Ryan Randall
While the NFL is down to its final two teams playing for the championship in Miami, there is only one Gator alum left.
Bobby McCray and his New Orleans Saints defeated former UF wideout Percy Harvin and the Minnesota Vikings 31-28 in overtime on Sunday in The Big Easy. McCray had two tackles, including a jarring hit on Brett Farve.
The Saints will play the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl on Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. This marks the sixth consecutive year a former Gator has advanced to the Super Bowl, the longest streak in school history.
The past five years the UF alums have included:
- Super Bowl 43 — Max Starks and Dallas Baker, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Super Bowl 42 — Jabar Gaffney and Chad Jackson, New England Patriots
- Super Bowl 41 — Alex Brown, Ian Scott, Todd Johnson and Rex Grossman, Chicago Bears; Ran Carthon, Indianapolis Colts
- Super Bowl 40 — Max Starks, Pittsburgh Steelers; Darrell Jackson and Marquand Manuel, Seattle Seahawks
- Super Bowl 39 — Guss Scott, New England Patriots; Jevon Kearse and Lito Sheppard, Philadelphia Eagles
MORE NEWS AND NOTES
* Percy Harvin will be among the many NFL players pulling out of this Sunday’s Pro Bowl, as the Chicago Bears’ Mike Knox will replace him on kick returning duties. Harvin joins defensive tackle Pat Williams and quarterback Brett Farve as the other two Vikings to pull out of the game due to injury.
* Despite trading away a fourth-round pick, the Jets may let go of Lito Sheppard, according to the New Jersey Star-Ledger. The team does not plan to pick up the cornerback’s $10 million option. The Jets may also let go of safety Kerry Rhodes, as New York works on improving its secondary.
* Houston Texans quarterback Rex Grossman finalized the sale on his 36th-floor condominium in Chicago’s Trump International Hotel & Tower, according to the Chicago Tribune. Originally buying it for $2 million in Sept. 2008, Grossman originally tried to sell the two-bedroom condo for $2.349 million once he signed with the Texans. The condo was eventually sold for $2.295 million. The former Gator also has a three-bedroom townhome in Lake Forrest on the market for $849,000.



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