Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In one of the most poignant moments for the Florida football program since "The Promise," offensive lineman Max Garcia took questions from reporters two days after the Gators upset Georgia in 2014.

And one day after teammate Michael McNeely worked his normal Sunday shift at Publix bagging groceries.

During the press conference, Garcia turned emotional when someone asked about former walk-on McNeely's biggest moment, a touchdown run on a fake field goal that turned momentum in the Gators' favor on their way to upsetting the Bulldogs.

Garcia choked out some words as the room turned silent other than his sniffles.

"I think if we had a whole team full of McNeelys, we'd be a national championship team just because of the way he plays,'' Garcia concluded. "Everything he does on and off the field is championship level."

Nothing has changed other than McNeely has shed about 20 pounds from his football days and grown a mustache.

Five years after he made an unexpected appearance on SportsCenter's top 10 plays, the 27-year-old McNeely continues to distinguish himself as someone to admire for his character and approach to life. He remains the affable kid next door who seems destined to make a difference in the world.

Oh, and you can now call him Dr. McNeely.



McNeely graduates from UF's College of Medicine on Saturday with a Doctor of Medicine degree. He will then be off to complete a family medicine residency at Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle.

"Someone described a 'calling' to me once as a place where society's greatest need meets your greatest passions and also your skills,'' McNeely said. "I would love to open up a clinic to provide quality health care to people who don't have access to healthcare."

McNeely joined the Gators as a walk-on during his freshman year at UF in the spring of 2011. After he earned his undergraduate degree, he enrolled in medical school at UF in August 2015.

McNeely considers his claim to fame on the field for the Gators a "really cool, unique experience."

But as he embarks on the next chapter of his life, McNeely has an eye on the "value of little things."

Mostly, to make his patients feel well-cared for and appreciated. To make a difference one patient at a time.

To do it in a military capacity is that much more special for McNeely, who grew up in Clearwater and attended Palm Harbor University High School prior to UF.

"For me the most rewarding part about joining the military is having the opportunity to care for the health of the people who defend our nation,'' he said.

Congratulations, Dr. McNeely.