GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Step aside Tim Tebow. Defending national champion Florida has another quarterback ready to take snaps this season.
And it’s not John Brantley, the No. 2 guy on the depth chart.
Joe Haden, one of the team’s best defensive players, is working with the quarterbacks in fall practice and planning to get some repetitions there this season.
“I’m not going to steal (Tebow’s job). I’m going to borrow it for a second,” Haden said Monday. “I’m real excited about that. I always told coach (Urban) Meyer I wanted to get back on that side even if would get me two plays or something like that.”
Haden, a 5-foot-11 junior from Fort Washington, Md., played quarterback at Friendly High School and set a state record with 7,371 yards passing. He also tied a state record with 80 touchdown passes.
When he got to Florida, Tebow had already secured the starting job, so Haden switched to defense. He became the first freshman in Florida history to start at cornerback, and has started 26 games in two years. He has 150 career tackles, 24 passes defended and four interceptions.
But he never lost his desire to handle the ball. So he kept asking Meyer for a chance, and with the departure of speedster Percy Harvin, the Gators were looking for someone to offer a change-of-pace style behind Tebow.
“I used to really play quarterback,” Haden said. “It’s not like I’m a defensive back trying to play quarterback. (Opponents) might have to play the same defenses as they do against Tebow, because I can throw the ball, too.”
Haden said he started taking repetitions behind Tebow and Brantley during summer workouts. He knows nine plays, all from the shotgun formation, and could see action when Florida opens the season Sept. 5 against Charleston Southern.
“We were out there screwing around at the beginning of summer and he threw me a football and that thing came at me a tight spiral and hot,” head coach Urban Meyer said. “I said, ’Do that again,’ and he did it again. Ever since that, he’s been talking to me. That’s a possibility.”
Harvin had plenty of success lining up in the “Wildcat” formation. He ran for 1,852 yards and 19 touchdowns in three season, some of it after he lined up behind center.
The Gators believe Haden might be able to have similar success.
“You’re chasing the most physical running quarterback in college football in Tim Tebow and all of a sudden here comes a guy that can hit it and is one of the fastest kids in college football,” Florida assistant head coach Dan McCarney said. “It can really keep you off base.”
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Comments » 46
mdvol writes:
Can we go a day without an article about freakin' Florida?
kjneel#238751 writes:
bring it. They are clearly looking for a spark because Harvin was their entire offense.
DennisVols writes:
They are needing to find out who can play qb once UT takes Tebow out in the frist half.
Halls3 writes:
No they are looking for new things to put in the offense to increase the complexity of it in order to keep people guessing as to what they will do. They had situations last year where the freshman Demps took snaps at QB. Plus, I believe Meyer knows Haden will be a late first rounder in the draft next year & is trying to boost that up by playing up his athleticism as well as his ability to be a situational wildcat formation player on offense. And if you really believe that Harvin was the whole offense you must have forgotten the over 100 TDs Tebow has put up himself.
CoverOrange writes:
I don't think Haden will do any mopping. If there is any mopping duty it will be after Tebow stays in long enough to pad his stats for his second Heisman, then Brantley.
Though, IMHO, Haden is more likely to come in for a change-up play than Nukeese. Kiffin is playing the same psych game.
Pullingguard writes:
A day withut Florida would be similiar to a day without Obama When you are good you are good, now I bet that will disagreed with my a whold bunch of folks...
deadheadvol writes:
I dont have a problem with reading an article on other sec schools, helps to keep up with UTs opponents, how about something on Ole Miss, Ucla, Ga, skip bama, but it is always about Florida. Come on, mix it up guys. Go Vols
cloudodust writes:
Funny. They say the same thing about UT-Kiffin in the Atlanta newspaper.
PoochPuntOn3rdDown writes:
When I read that headline I thought that Haden was the 27th (?) Gator to get arrested under St. Meyer. We know how they love to shoot off their AK-47s!
But, luckily, the Good Ole Gators are just preparing a back-up QB to use after Tebow gets hurt. Since everyone else that is not a fan of UT (Farragut0406, 99gator, 987, kman, TurboFan, etc...) comes on here and prognosticates the outcome of the Tennessee season, I think we should start posting some of our own predictions.
Tebow will get seriously hurt after two years of pounding (please insert joke here), and Florida will struggle under an inexperienced QB. If it doesn't come true, who's gonna call me out on it? That's why I think it's ridiculous for rival fans to post their nonsense on here day after day. Why does it matter what they think?
PoochPuntOn3rdDown writes:
They're gonna need all the help they can get after Tebow goes down with a serious knee injury! 100 TDs that won't matter to a rookie QB staring down SEC defenses that want some serious revenge. Outback Bowl here they come!
Halls3 writes:
I'll take John Brantley over every QB in the SEC besides Jevon Snead. As for your hoping for Tebow to go down to a serious knee injury your jealous is saddening. That would be like a Florida fan hoping for a career ending injury to Eric Berry which mind you not one Florida fan has ever stated hopefully for on this board. I hope true UT fans on this board don't follow in your footsteps since most are classy, not classless like yourself. Oh and the Outback Bowl is fine with me what bowl did UT play in last year chief I forgot?
gohawks1 writes:
When I first read this headline I thought there was just another gator related shooting.
khelton657 writes:
It's a Charles Woodson stunt, give him just enough times under center to take the wind out of Eric Berry's Heisman sails..
PoochPuntOn3rdDown writes:
This isn't your father's Volunteer football team. It's gonna get nasty.
Halls3 writes:
It really doesn't have anything to do with taking away Berry's Heisman campaign it's that Dubose isn't yet ready to take all of Harvin's responsiblities, one of which was running some wildcat plays. Berry is talented enough that if he can have a big season plus maybe get some big plays on say special teams he may pull off a big upset. Of course UT needs about 8 or 9 wins too.
Hounddog writes:
Let's play football. Hounddog
surfmaster writes:
“We were out there screwing around at the beginning of summer and he threw me a football and that thing came at me a tight spiral and hot,” head coach Urban Meyer said.
I'm sorry, but how is that NOT a major violation for a coach (head coach at that) to be out during summer practice, pitching footballs back and forth. I thought that time (beginning of summer) was clearly after spring practice had ended and no contact with the coaching staff is allowed. Did we just catch Mr Meyer in the act? How is it no one calls him on the carpet for this?
DennisVols writes:
Actually he did suffer a knee injury 2 years ago and it affected UF that season. It happened during the GA game. While Tebow did not miss games it limited his running ability and even though UT lost to UF that year, UT went on to win the eastern division.
I don't wish an injury to any player, including those on the Gators, but Tebow places himself in danger of substaining an injury with all his running.
Keeping it Real
Go Vols!!!
Halls3 writes:
Because I'm pretty sure it never states it was at a practice & it can't be proved whether it was or not. It's a violation for the head coach to be at summer work outs I believe but not to spend time outside of practice with a player.
surfmaster writes:
OK, so it was during the summer that coach meyer and his players were "not practicing" but was somewhere where footballs were being thrown around. What then, exactly, constitutes a practice? Can CLK show up when our players are "not practicing" but just throwing a football around? WTH?
teampenny#658108 writes:
Does Nukeese have a increased risk for injury because he is small-yes. Why but him behind center? Injuries are part of football-depth is important. Go Vols
Halls3 writes:
Urban actually has players come to his house during the summer for cookouts & junk like that as do many coaches. I mean he has even gone to a seminar Tim Tebow put on this past year during the summer. Also, Urban may have been running a summer camp that Haden was a part of b/c players are usually a part of these camps. Just b/c a football was there doesn't mean they were having an organized practice b/c hell they may have not even been at any of the Gators facilities.
hotrodvol writes:
Who cares? Meyers is going to run a gimmick offense every year. I'm sure Monty will have UT's defense in the right formations. Now as long as our D has enough talent to match up is another question.
Like Dennis says "keeping it real".
Gator_Hater (Inactive) writes:
Fine, whatever, just one more player for Berry to knock the snot out of...
surfmaster writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Halls3 writes:
Because moron it occurred at a summer cookout at Urban Meyer's house before summer workouts even started. Do I need to write it out in crayon for you. Coaches can have contact with players outside of Summer Workouts chief. How hard is it for you to grasp this damn concept. As for Meyer being a cheater Kiffin is the one racking up recruiting violations not Meyer. As for a two-faced bastard I don't see what he has done to you to become that. Lane Kiffin has just as much integrity & character as Meyer. Oh and Meyer went undefeated at Utah & won a National Championship with Chris Leak so how is he living in Tebow's shadow?
allvol32 writes:
I love good hard hitting cleanly played football ala Eric Berry's slobber knocker of a hit on Knowshon Moreno. I hate it when any player on any team goes down with an injury.
QB_10 (Inactive) writes:
OK there is this offenseive play called a direct snap to the fastest player...we will call XX-Gun, you just fill in the XX's...c'mon this offense was founded by a college in Ohio called Wittenberg..The Wimg T....Urban may have been born in Ohio but he did not create football, that was Paul Brown
mattgb7c writes:
Maybe if I go to Florida's website, I can find more about UT...hmm...probably not.
surfmaster writes:
I honestly don't see how I could top my last comment on the matter, but wth, I'll try. I seem to recall Tebow coming in for some crucial 3rd down plays that kept the offense alive during Leak's senior year, so to say Meyer won that without Tebow is admitting to your own delusion. And nothing like running the table in the Mountain West to grow some hair on your chest, eh? As far as character goes, you are absolutely right, putting your opponent's logo in the team urinals = class act in my book. Makes your mothers proud I'm sure. When we speak of integrity up here we use words like Neyland, Ward, etc. but I wouldn't expect you reptiles to be able to appreciate that. Enjoy your moment in the sun. Personally, I live for the day when global warming turns the entire state of Florida into a freaking desert. Why anyone would want to go play football in that sand pit is beyond me.
surfmaster writes:
Wouldn't matter, Slive would never allow anything to happen to his golden boy.
DekanGator writes:
Guys, guys guys, Why all the fuss about Haden taking snap's? Remember? You guys told us the spread won't work in the SEC. So no worries.
panties4tebow writes:
He wants to win the fl honor of getting a fresh, clean, new pair of panties! I say give him a pair or two. LOL
GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NobodyCares (Inactive) writes:
Naaw, lil' Urbie heard that Coach Kiffin let Nu'Keese play a little QB and decided he would try it. Besides, Haden had been bugging him. Lil' Urbie don't want the sun shining on anybody but him.
kman29 writes:
During the 2007 season the only two injuries Tebow had was his shoulder which he received during the Kentucky game and limited his running ability against UGA. Then against FSU he broke his hand and continued to play the rest of the game. Not exactly sure what knee injury against UGA you are talking about.
kman29 writes:
Is your backyard a practice area? drive way? Im quite certain most of us who have kids have a football laying around in the back yard or basketballs around the drive way and they aren't designated practice areas. I don't know where they were, but just because Haden picked up a football and threw it doesnt mean they were practicing some where. Meyer is known to have players over at his house with his family many times for dinners and cookouts. Im quite certain that if that was the case the man PROBABLY has a football laying around some where in his yard. But leave it to you all to try and find anything (even one as dumb as this) to think Meyer was doing something under handed.
WytheVol writes:
I wouldn't blame him for our economic woes...but he sure hasn't helped any either. This economic "stimulous" has done what? And this healthcare bill?? Where has our freedom of choice gone? Not a matter of color of skin, but rather policies and socialist issues abroad. I'm truly in fear of where our country is heading. I don't have all the right answers, and I don't know who does. But I DO NOT like where we are heading.
Back to football...GO VOLS!
kman29 writes:
Sand pit? wow! I lived in Florida my whole life and never realized the state of florida was a desert, I could have swore this state was a subtropical climate state with lush vegatation. But I guess you learn something new every day.
In regards to the football aspect of your post. I find it quite funny that most of you same fans after 2006 clearly stated that the 2006 National championship was 1. Ron Zook players who won it and Meyer was lucky to have them. 2. Chris Leak's title and Florida would not be very good when Leak left because "Tebow can't throw the ball, all he can do is run". Now we find out that the entire success of everything Florida has done throughout the dawn of time is because of Tebow. Yeah did Tebow convert some 4th down plays? Sure. But at the same end, didn't Jarvis Moss block a FG against S.Carolina? Didn't Riley Cooper knock the heck out of the LSU player on a kickoff to get a safety and change the game? Didn't Harvin burn Arkansas time after time in the SEC Champ. game to win player of the game? Point is not just Leak, or Tebow, or Moss, or Cooper or Harvin won those titles. It was a TEAM effort and UF as a whole would not have won anything with just one of those impact plays mentioned not happening that season. But its quite convenient for rival fans of Florida to state it was all Tebow because it gives you a false sense of hope that in 2010 Tebow is gone and all will be ok. Only 2010 will just bring you a new cast of characters you want to curse and hope will eventually leave.
Orangeblood13 writes:
good? lol
trillion and trillion and trillion if thats good I hate to see bad
givehim6 writes:
Does this mean Brantly is not looking as good as he was billed up to be?
kman29 writes:
No this means that Meyer is seriously considering from time to time letting a player who runs a 4.4 40 and can throw the football take some snaps at QB in certain situations. The article doesn't state that Haden will be the #2 QB does it?
FiftyTwoTwenty writes:
Their entire offense? What rock have you been under?
dma38256#264746 writes:
Obviously, you weren't around at my father's VOls...I can guarantee they were a hell of a lot "nastier" than any I've seen lately. But yes, I'd like to see them get back to that, too.
volfan54 writes:
“We were out there screwing around at the beginning of summer and he threw me a football and that thing came at me a tight spiral and hot,” head coach Urban Meyer said.
did anyone notice an admission of a violation here. isn't the summer supposed to be off limits for coaches? lets get some KNS investigative reporting going and get Urb a secondary violation.
panties4tebow writes:
Was urbie really talking about the football been thrown to him?
notoriousBIGorange writes:
Obama now has a 49% approval rating...according to the scoreboard, he's now losing. Only 1 other Pres had a lower approval rating at this point of his presidency. No, it wasn't George Bush.
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