Three Gators continue their pursuit of winning the Super Bowl
By: Alexander Vafeas
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Three Gators move on to Conference Championship Weekend, all looking for their first Super Bowl Ring.
Each week of the 2025-26 season, FloridaGators.com will cover all of the best moments from the NFL stars who made a name for themselves in Gainesville.
Defense C.J. Gardner-Johnson – Safety – Chicago Bears
Gardner-Johnson is no stranger to the NFL Playoffs. The Sunday marked the seven-year NFL vet's 14th playoff game for his fourth team. The ball-hawking safety allowed just a 65.8 NFL passer rating when targeted, finishing with four solo tackles and a pass breakup.
Special Teams Eddy Piñeiro – Kicker – San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers didn't have much to show for Saturday's division contest, but the six points they did score all came off the leg of Eddy Piñeiro, the former Gators, who has been lights out for San Francisco since signing with the Niners in September. Saturday, Piñeiro knocked down a 40-yard field goal and a 56-yard field goal to give San Francisco some life in the second quarter.
Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Tommy Townsend – Punter – Houston Texans
Townsend went to work this weekend, hearing his number called five times on Sunday. The former Gator racked up 294 yards on five punts for an average of 58.8 yards. His 69-yard punt marked the longest of the postseason up to this point.
Absolute ROCKET of a punt from Tommy Townsend and a big-time play on special-teams 🚀 pic.twitter.com/bb5fMsFzQv
For a complete list of Gators in the NFL, see below.
Buffalo Bills (BUF 30-33 DEN)
64 – O'Cyrus Torrence – G – 3 years
Chicago Bears (CHI 17-20 LAR)
35 – C.J. Gardner-Johnson – S – 7 years (4 TOT, 4 Solo, 1 PBU)
99 – Gervon Dexter Sr. – DL – 3 years (3 TOT, 1 Solo)
Denver Broncos (DEN 33-30 BUF)
16 – Jeremy Crawshaw – P – Rookie (4 Punts, 188 Yards, 1 IN20, Long of 65)
Houston Texans (HOU 16-28 NE)
6 – Tommy Townsend – P – 6 years (5 Punts, 294 Yards, 1 IN20, Long of 72)
18 – Graham Mertz – QB – Rookie
77 – Trent Brown – OT – 11 years
Los Angeles Rams (LAR 20-17 CHI)
72 – DJ Humphries – OL – 11 years
San Francisco 49ers (SAN 6-41 SEA)
1 – Ricky Pearsall – WR – 1 year
5 – Demarcus Robinson – WR – 10 years (1 Catch, 1 Yard)
18 – Eddy Piñeiro – K – 5 years (2/2 FG, Long of 56)
Florida Football | Sean Kelley, Coach Sumrall, Coach Spurrier, and Coach MeyerFlorida Football | Sean Kelley, Coach Sumrall, Coach Spurrier, and Coach Meyer
Friday, December 12
Florida Football | Head Coach Jon Sumrall Sits Down with Gator Greats Steve Spurrier and Urban MeyerFlorida Football | Head Coach Jon Sumrall Sits Down with Gator Greats Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer
Friday, December 12
Florida Football | Urban Meyer & Nick Saban Interview | 2025 NFF Annual Awards DinnerFlorida Football | Urban Meyer & Nick Saban Interview | 2025 NFF Annual Awards Dinner
Wednesday, December 10
Coach Meyer and Coach Saban - Hall of Fame 12-09-25Coach Meyer and Coach Saban - Hall of Fame 12-09-25
