THE FLORIDA STONERS

GATOR GRIDIRON
ROGER FRANKLIN WILLIAMS

While the big story out of Gainesville this week was the recent arrest of Janoris Jenkins for alleged possesion of marijuana and his subsequent banishment from the program, there were other important developments concerning Gator football in the last few days---news that two other Gators, Redshirt Soph Kedric Johnson and Redshirt Fr Chris Martin, were arrested in early 2011 for alleged marijuana possesion in separate incidents and a report from Pro Football Weekly that Gator Sr offensive lineman Maurice Hurt tested positive for marijuana at the 2011 NFL combine earlier this year.

Let's see now....we have a Senior (Hurt) who just completed his eligibility, notice we didn't say "will be graduating", a Junior (Jenkins), a R-Soph, and now a R-Freshman...the Gators, and especially former coach Urban Meyer, can be proud that every class is representing! It is good to see that the younger Gators....er, Stoners....are learning from the example of their more experienced upper classmen.

 Janoris deserves special recognition because this is his second arrest for pot and his 3rd arrest since he has been in Gainesville. I guess you could say Janoris has worked overtime to help the Gators to build our "street cred". In fact Janoris Jenkins single-handedly accounts for almost 10% of all the arrests during the Urban Meyer era. Gator Gridiron suggest a new award to be established in Janoris honor, "The Janoris Jenkins Street Cred" award.

Actually, the arrests of  Johnson and Martin in Gainesville are dwarfed by Maurice Hurt's contributions to the new Florida idenity at the NFL combine. By testing positive for illegal drugs...I know it's "only" marijuana, but, hey, it's still a drug and it's illegal...Maurice has helped Florida Gator Football establish a new tradition in the National Football League; Florida is the only program in NFL history to have alumni test positive (reportedly) for illegal drugs for an impressive 3 years in a row; Percy Harvin at the '09 combine, Aaron Hernandez last year and now Maurice continues the traditon in 2011. Plus Maurice helps put the Gator Stoners on the NATIONAL stage, it's one thing to have a couple of underclassmen who nobody has ever heard of get popped for pot by the local cops, but by getting "outed" at one of the most high profile officially sanctioned NFL events of the off-season Maurice has helped to give our Stoners a truly national profile.....

I think this is what is called "building a brand".

Way to go Stoners!