Eleven Gator Football Players to Earn Degrees This Weekend
Friday, December 18, 2009 | Football
Eleven University of Florida football players will be among a total of 30 Gator student-athletes who will be earning their degrees in commencement ceremonies being held Friday afternoon and Saturday throughout the day at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on the UF campus.
Gator senior student-athletes earning their degrees following the completion of the fall semester will additionally be honored at a graduation luncheon Saturday at 11:15 a.m.
Current football seniors participating in graduation ceremonies include cornerback Markihe Anderson (Ft. Myers, Fla.), defensive end Jermaine Cunningham (Stone Mountain, Ga.), wide receiver Cade Holliday (Gainesville, Fla.), wide receiver David Nelson (Wichita Falls, Texas), running back Chris Scott (Englewood, Fla.), linebacker Ryan Stamper (Jacksonville, Fla.), quarterback Tim Tebow (Jacksonville, Fla.) and tight end Christopher Coleman (Lake City, Fla.).
The 2009 football senior class worked its way into the UF and Southeastern Conference record books in four years of dedication to the sport, accumulating a 47-7 record in four years to become the winningest class in SEC history. The class boasts three All-Americans, seven All-SEC Members and 12 SEC Academic Honor Roll Members. Together, the senior class has guided the Gators to three SEC Eastern Division titles, two SEC Championship titles and two National Championship titles. The UF seniors own a 27-5 SEC record, a 26-2 record in The Swamp, a 14-4 record versus ranked teams and a 12-1 record against rivals Tennessee, Georgia, FSU and Miami. Additionally, Tebow is the owner of the 2007 Heisman Trophy and the 2009 William V. Campbell Trophy, formerly known as the Draddy Trophy or “Academic Heisman.”
The Florida football team leads the way in number of December graduates, with 11 players set to receive degrees from UF. The Gator baseball, men's track and field and women's swimming and diving teams all have four student-athletes each taking part in commencement ceremonies. The Florida volleyball team boasts three graduates, while softball and women's basketball each have two participating in graduation.
2009 Fall Semester Graduates
| Gator Graduate | Sport |
| Avery Barnes | Baseball |
| Ben Harrison | Baseball |
| Patrick Keating | Baseball |
| Matt LaPorta | Baseball |
| Markihe Anderson | Football |
| Simon Codrington | Football |
| Jermaine Cunningham | Football |
| Cade Holliday | Football |
| Mike Nattiel | Football |
| David Nelson | Football |
| Chris Scott | Football |
| Ryan Stamper | Football |
| Tim Tebow | Football |
| Christopher Coleman | Football |
| Levi Leigh | Football |
| William Burroughs | Men's Track |
| Reginald Smith | Men's Track/Cross Country |
| W. Chris Mullaney | Men's Track/Cross Country |
| Scott Clayman | Men's Track |
| Kimberly Critton | Women's Basketball |
| Susan Yenser | Women's Basketball |
| Danyell Hines | Softball |
| Stacey Nelson | Softball |
| Jeana Bartell | Women's Diving |
| Laurabeth Guenthner | Women's Swimming |
| Kelsy Smith | Women's Swimming |
| Lauren Winter | Women's Swimming |
| Kelsey Bowers | Volleyball |
| Elyse Cusack | Volleyball |
| Kristina Johnson | Volleyball |
-UF-
