2002 Football Roster
Roster
Keiwan Ratliff
- Height:
- 5-11
- Weight:
- 182
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Columbus, Ohio
- High School:
- Whitehall-Yearling
Drafted in the 2004 NFL Draft in the second round as the 49th overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals...
CAREER: Multi-dimensional player who played offense, defense and special teams...Played in 49 games, including 27 starts (2000-03)...Holds the UF record for punt return yards with 860, surpassing Jacquez Green's 766 yards from 1995-97.... The only player in Division IA to catch a TD pass and return an interception on a score as well during in the 2002 season....Ranked fifth on the UF career interceptions list with 12...Scored six touchdowns in his career: three interception returns, two fumble returns and a reception...Played in 49 career games, with 27 starts, for 2,767 plays, and also played in the 2001 Sugar Bowl and started the 2002 Orange Bowl...133 tackles (106 solo) with 41 "Big Plays" (seven tackles behind the line, two QB sacks, three forced fumbles, 17 pass breakups and 12 interceptions) in his career...
2003: .Named SEC Defensive Player of the Year (Sporting News), the third Gator in history to be honored and the first DB (other Florida recipients are LB Jevon Kearse (1998) and DE Alex Brown (2001)...Named a First-Team All-American by The Sporting News...Named to the SI.com All-America Team...Named to the Rivals.com All-America Team....Named to the First-Team All-SEC (Coaches' and AP)...Named to the Collegefootballnews.com All-SEC Team.....Named one of three finalists for the Thorpe Award...Walter Camp and Football Writers Association All-American...Senior Bowl Participant...Led the SEC and the team with nine interceptions, ranking 5th nationally...Set the single-season interception record with nine surpassing Will White (1990), John Cliford (1970) and Randy Talbot (1974) who each nabbed seven...Ranked fifth in the SEC, averaging 11.1 yards per punt return, ranking 30th nationally...Had 49 tackles on the season, along with nine interceptions, six pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, a TFL and a blocked kick...Forced 10 turnovers that had set up five Gator touchdowns...Also had two interceptions that set up Gator field goals at LSU and Arkansas...His interceptions led to 40 Gator points....Led the defense with a career-high three interceptions vs. Arkansas, tying a school record, one he return for a 44-yard touchdown and recorded nine solo tackles and three pass deflections...Had an interception vs. FAMU and a fumble recovery at Miami...Had eight picks a six game stretch (Ole Miss, LSU, Arkansas, Georgia, Vanderbilt, South Carolina)...Had a 52-yard interception return for a touchdown versus Vanderbilt...Second on the team with 982 plays...Started 12 of 13 games (all but Iowa)...Recorded a team-high seven tackles at No. 3 Miami and scored on a fumble recovery with a 34-yard return in the opening minutes of the second quarter...Recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown versus FSU...Named a defensive player of the game after grabbing two interceptions at No. 6 LSU, one of which set up a Gator FG....Blocked a FG in win over FAMU and also intercepted a pass...Returned six punts for an average of 18.3 yards, including a 28-yarder, and recorded two tackles in the season opener vs. SJSU...Named a UF game captain vs. No. 3 Miami, Ole Miss and at No. 6 LSU...2002: Starter at one cornerback spot for all 13 games...Started on both sides of the ball vs. Georgia and South Carolina, lining up at wide receiver and cornerback, the first Florida player to do so since the 60s...The only player in Division IA to catch a TD pass and return an interception for a score as well...Named SEC Player of the Week after returning an interception for a touchdown and intercepting a two-point conversion for the score vs. Kentucky...Named a game captain the week of the Tennessee game...Named UF's Special Teams Player of the Week after the Ohio game...Played in all 13 games on defense...Ranked second on the defense with 1,001 total plays...One of three Gator players that scored defensive touchdowns, and one of five with an INT...One of six players who had two or more sacks...Finished fourth of the defensive backs with 52 tackles, including 43 solo hits...Ranked second on the team with nine pass deflections...In first full season as a punt returner, he returned 32 punts for 341 yards (10.7 average), with his longest being a 41-yard return (vs. Ohio)...Started second consecutive bowl game in the Outback Bowl and scored a touchdown on a 33-yard pass from Rex Grossman...Recorded one tackle against Michigan and had three punt returns for 10 yards and two kick returns for 26 yards...Had a then career-high five tackles vs. No. 1 Miami...Had a 67-yard interception for a TD and an extra point interception for two points vs. UK...Had a new career-high vs. Vandy with a nine tackle performance after his then career-high performance of seven tackles vs. Georgia...Caught two passes vs. Vanderbilt for 18 yards...Caught a 7-yard pass on the first play of Florida's opening drive vs. South Carolina, finished with two catches for 18 yards...Completed a pass for 21 yards to Rex Grossman vs. South Carolina...Also had one carry for eight yards against USC...
2001: Played a top role at cornerback and also was a top kick-off and punt returner...Played in all 11 regular season games with one start (Marshall) for 335 plays, and started the Orange Bowl...17 tackles (11 solo) on the season with four "Big Plays" (two INTs, two pass deflections)...Two interceptions (vs. Vanderbilt and LSU) tied for team lead...Returned seven kickoffs for 121 yards and six punts for 63 yards (10.5 average) on season...Started season opener as part of a multiple defensive back formation vs. Marshall and recorded three tackles (two solo) while participating in 81 plays which tied for a squad high...Named squad's Most Improved Defensive Back in the spring...
2000: Saw playing time at cornerback and with special teams...Moved from wide receiver to cornerback late in fall drills...Played in all 12 regular season games with one start (Kentucky) and 375 snaps...Also played in the Sugar Bowl...17 total tackles (14 solo) with one "Big Play" (forced fumble)...Ranked second on squad in punt returns (7-113 yards-16.1 average)...Five total tackles and returned three punts for 68 yards including a 42-yarder vs. Middle Tennessee...Five tackles vs. Kentucky...Four tackles vs. Auburn in the SEC Championship Game...Had his first career interception in the Sugar Bowl and ran back two kickoffs for 39 yards...
PREP: Signed with UF in February 1999 but did not enroll and re-signed with the Gators in the spring of 2000...A two-way standout (receiver/defensive back) from Ohio who gained All-America recognition...Named to National Bluechips All-America Team and that publication ranked him among the nation's top seven wide receivers...Named to SuperPrep's All-America Team and that publication ranked him among the nation's top 25 receivers...Named to PrepStar's All-America Team and that publication ranked him among the top three defensive back prospects in the midwest...In eight games as a senior in 1998 had 46 catches for 880 yards and 13 touchdowns and was named All-Ohio and his conference's Player of the Year...42 catches for 760 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior...Nine combined interceptions over course of junior and senior seasons...High school coach was Scott Gordon...
MAJOR: Sociology.
| CAREER DEFENSIVE STATS: | ||||||||
| year | ut-at | tt | tbl | qbs | ff | fr | pd | int |
| 2000 | 14-3 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | 10-4 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2002 | 44-9 | 53 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| 2003 | 37-12 | 49 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
| Total | 106-27 | 133 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 12 |
| CAREER RECEIVING STATS: | |||||
| year | no. | yds | avg | tds | long |
| 2002 | 4 | 58 | 14.5 | 1 | 33 |
| Total | 4 | 58 | 14.5 | 1 | 33 |
| CAREER RUSHING STATS: | |||||
| year | no. | yds | avg | tds | long |
| 2002 | 4 | 13 | 3.2 | 0 | 8 |
| Total | 4 | 13 | 3.2 | 0 | 8 |
| CAREER PUNT RETURN STATS: | |||||
| year | no. | yds | avg | tds | long |
| 2000 | 7 | 113 | 16.1 | 0 | 42 |
| 2001 | 6 | 63 | 10.5 | 0 | 38 |
| 2002 | 32 | 341 | 10.7 | 0 | 41 |
| 2003 | 31 | 343 | 11.1 | 0 | 28 |
| Total | 76 | 860 | 11.3 | 0 | 42 |
CAREER HIGHS:
Total Tackles: 9 (three times, last vs. Arkansas, 2003)
QB Sacks: 1 (twice, last vs. LSU, 2002)
Forced Fumbles: 1 (four times, last vs. Vanderbilt, 2003)
Interceptions: 3 (Arkansas, 2003)
Big Plays: 6 (Arkansas, 2002)
Receptions: 2 (Vandy, 2002)
Receiving Yards: 33 (Michigan, 2003 Outback Bowl)
Receiving TDs: 1 (Michigan, 2003 Outback Bowl)
