Dear Prospective Student-Athletes, Parents, High School Coaches, Boosters, Fans And
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DearDear prospectiveprospective student-athletes,student-athletes, parents,parents, highhigh schoolschool coaches,coaches, boosters,boosters, fansfans andand membersmembers ofof thethe media:media: You’ve heard me say many times the University of Florida is the best football coaching job in the country - on any level. I’ve coached in high school, at a number of colleges and in the National Football League and I’m honored and privileged to have the most prestigious job of them all. If you are considering making the University of Florida your choice as a student athlete, you won’t find a better place that offers you the most academically, athletically and socially. Academically, the University of Florida is a member of the Association of American Universities, the most prestigious organization of higher education in North America. Our Office of Student Life will provide academic advisement, tutorial services, career and personal development, along with life management training. We want to prepare you for life after the University of Florida. After you leave Florida, you can go anywhere in the world and compete for a job and not have to worry about finish- ing second because of where you went to school. Athletically, the Florida football team has a winning tradi- tion, capturing six Southeastern Conference Championships and the National Championship in 1996. The football team is not alone in their success; the entire athletic department at the University of Florida is one of the best in the country. Your peers on the track, soccer, swimming and golf teams have captured high expectations. I feel fortunate to be surrounded by a national championships as well and Florida has more SEC coaching staff that cares just as much as I do about this place. Championships (160) than any school in the league. I also feel fortunate to be surrounded by a great support staff Socially, our university has a healthy atmosphere where that aids us in achieving all of our goals. But most of all, I’m students from many backgrounds come together. The fortunate enough to be around a group of players everyday 48,000-plus students come from more than 100 coun- that I consider family. Our players are the best ambassadors tries, all 50 states and each of Florida’s 67 counties. of our program. They believe in us and we believe in them. Our student-athletes have been leaders on campus They also share in your passion and expectations. and in the community. If you are a member of the media and cover our program, If you are a Booster or a fan of the program, this publication should assist you in doing your job. It most of the information outlined above you contains facts and figures and a set of fair guideline for media already know. You have a great passion and policies and procedures. high expectations for the program – and Thanks again for taking the time to learn more about our you should. program and please feel free to contact us if you have any Everything is in place for the questions or need any additional information about our University of Florida football program. program to be one of the nation’s finest. Our coach- Go Gators! ing staff and players share the fan’s passion and Ron Zook Head Football Coach 4 Florida Football BestBestBestBest ofofofof BothBothBothBoth WorldsWorldsWorldsWorlds FloridaFlorida hashas aa SuperbSuperb MixMix ofof AcademicsAcademics andand AthleticsAthletics any schools talk achievement H The University of Florida athletic M “When I was looking at in academics and athletics, program has ranked among the 10 most but few can demonstrate both with successful in the nation in each of the schools during the recruiting facts. Count the University of Florida last 19 years (1984-2002). Florida and among the elite group of universities UCLA are the only two athletic depart- process, no school could that rank among the nation’s premier ments to be ranked among the nation’s offer me what the University institutions for academic and athletic top 10 during that time. success. Consider the following: H Florida was one of four schools in the of Florida offers in both H A national survey by The Sporting nation to be recognized with a 2002 academics and athletics. News in 1999, which ranked schools in Academic Achievement Award by the the combined areas of success, gradua- American Football Coaches Association Many people see the success tion rates, Title IX, compliance and and play in a 2003 January Bowl game. on the playing fields, but their overall commitment to excellence, H Florida was one of seven schools in the ranked Florida among the nation’s elite nation to be recognized with a 2002 the success in the classroom schools. Florida was joined in the top Academic Achievement Award by the is just as impressive. five by Penn State, North Carolina, American Football Coaches Association and Notre Dame and Stanford. finish in the top 25 of the 2002 final polls. The University of Florida is the perfect place to get a top-notch education on and off the field.” — Danny Wuerffel 6 Best of Both Worlds H Florida joins Notre Dame and Penn State Student Leaders on Campus as the only schools in the nation to be 2F recognized twice in the last five years with Who Played Football an Academic Achievement Award by the American Football Coaches Association and play in multiple January Bowl games L during that same time frame. H Florida was recognized with an Academic Achievement Award by the American O Football Coaches Association in the Spring of 2002. Seventy-four percent of all athletes from Florida’s 1996-97 freshman class Gary Ellis Brad Culpepper Aubrey Hill Jack Jackson R have graduated. 1984 Student Senate 1991 Student Body 1994 Student Senate 1994 Student Senate H Florida was also recognized by the AFCA Vice President for graduation rates above 70 percent in I 1992 and 1998. H Florida is the only member school of the Association of American Universities D (AAU), the nation’s most prestigious organization of higher learning, to have its football team be ranked in the top 25 of the A final polls in each of the last 13 seasons. Tremayne Allen Ernie Dubose Bart Edmiston Terry Jackson H The University of Florida is one of only 1996 Student Senate 1996 Student Senate 1996 Student Senate 1998 Student Body two schools in the nation to have had more Vice President than one recipient of the prestigious Draddy Trophy, which is presented annu- ally by the National Football Foundation F and College Hall of Fame tot he nation’s premier football scholar-athletes. Defensive Tackle Brad Culpepper won the award in O 1991 and Danny Wuerffel won the award in 1996. H Thaddeus Bullard David Jorgensen Max Starks Tre Orr Danny Wuerffel is the only player in 2000 Student Body 2000 Student Senate 2002 Student Senate 2003 Student Senate O collegiate history to win the Draddy Vice President Trophy, which is presented to the nation’s Danny Wuerffel received the nation’s top awards for premier football scholar-athlete, and the T Hesiman Trophy. Wuerffel earned both of achievement on and off the field in the nation’s top achievement awards both 1996. Wuerffel was the recipient on and off the field in 1996. of the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s most out- B standing player, as well as the Draddy Trophy, Two recent national stud- which is presented to the A ies clearly place the Univer- nation’s premier football scholar- sity of Florida among the nation’s athlete. Wuerffel is the only player in elite in this regard. A 1994 rank- collegiate history to receive both awards. ing by the American Council of L Education ranked UF among the nation’s five premier institu- tions for combined academic and athletic achievement. Florida was L joined in this ranking by UCLA, Michigan, Texas and Stanford. A 1999 national survey by The Sporting News, which ranked insti- tutions in combined areas of success, graduation rates, support, Title IX compliance and overall commitment to excellence, ranked UF among the nation’s five top schools (Penn State, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Stanford were the others in the top five). Florida was one of only two schools (Stanford was the other) to appear in the top five ranking in each of these two national surveys. 7 TheTheUniversityUniversityUniversityUniversity Florida’sFlorida’s FirstFirst UniversityUniversity RanksRanks AmongAmong thethe World’sWorld’s EliteElite InstitutionsInstitutions ofof HigherHigher EducationEducation History Florida’s oldest and largest university, the University of Florida traces its begin- nings to the takeover of the private Kingsbury Academy in Ocala by the state-funded East Florida Seminary in 1853. The seminary moved to Gainesville following the Civil War and consolidated with the state’s land-grant Florida Agricultural College, then in Lake City, to become the University of Florida in 1905. Classes began Sept. 26, 1906, for 102 male students. Until 1947, UF was for men only and one of only three state univer- sities, along with Florida State College for Women (now FSU) and Florida A&M. In 1947, the UF student body numbered 8,177 men and 601 women. Today, UF is the fourth largest universities in the nation. oping Florida agriculture through of Medicine or a counterpart in a Programs research and extension services, foreign nation. UF has been awarded Florida is among the nation’s leading three national scientific centers: the Florida is a member of the research universities as categorized by McKnight Brain Institute for the study Association of American Universities, the Carnegie Commission on Higher of neurological disease; the Engineering the prestigious higher education Education with 17 colleges and more Research Center for Particle Science; organization comprised of the top than 100 research, service and educa- and the National High Magnetic Field 63 public and private institutions tion centers, bureaus and institutes.