Gator Tales Podcast

After going toe-to-toe with mighty Alabama for 60 minutes last weekend, the Gators may not have claimed a victory, but they certainly earned the respect of everyone in attendance and the college football world. But now that they have the attention, can they play to that standard moving forward through the SEC? On this episode, host Adam Schick chats with FloridaGators.com senior writers Scott Carter and Chris Harry about what we learned against Alabama, the lobsided state of the Florida/Tennessee rivalry, Katie Ledecky’s surprising new role with the swimming program and their most memorable game environments in the PAT (1:44). Then, redshirt-freshman punter Jeremy Crawshaw joins the show to discuss his journey from Australian rules football to the American gridiron on the other side of the globe, along with some of the best fish-out-of-water moments he’s experienced along the way (36:25). Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTa

The way the football schedule generally works, we aren’t conditioned for truly massive games until later in the calendar. But in 2021, the script is flipped, with top-ranked Alabama heading to The Swamp this weekend for the first time in a decade. On today’s show, host Adam Schick dives into the details with FloridaGators.com senior writers Scott Carter and Chris Harry to cover the matchup from every angle, including the question on everyone’s mind: what role will QB Anthony Richardson play? Then, Auburn transfer Daquan Newkirk shares his personal journey to Gainesville, reveals his very diverse hobbies and reflects on past battles with the Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl (38:19). Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.

The Swamp came alive for the first time in 2021 on Saturday, with a packed house treated to a ground game that racked up 400 yards and saw some new stars emerge from the backfield. Not to be outdone, the revamped Florida defense pitched a shutout for three quarters and showed a tenacity up front that suggested a much more resistant unit than the one it fielded a season ago. On today’s show, host Adam Schick is joined by FloridaGators.com senior writer Chris Harry to discuss the opening night action, the emergence of Anthony Richardson, areas in need of shoring up going into week two and how sports helped bring the nation back together after 9/11 in the PAT (1:43). Then, junior offensive lineman Ethan White chats about the evolution of the line, how the strength and conditioning program molded him into a new player, returning to his Tampa Bay home this weekend and more (28:57). Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.

Right about now you’re probably hearing a rumbling in your stomach, which can only mean one thing: you are hungry for college football! Luckily for you, it’s almost time for the 2021 kickoff, a season we all hope resembles much more of what we would call a “normal year” as opposed to the 2020 campaign. On the 7th season premiere of the official podcast of the Gators, host Adam Schick sets the table for the feast to come, starting with a wide-ranging discussion about the storylines and expectations surrounding this season with FloridaGators.com senior writers Scott Carter and Chris Harry (1:37). Then, Adam chats with one of the most dangerous threats off the edge in the SEC: redshirt-senior defensive end Zach Carter (41:14). Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.

Being a “Gator Great” is generally synonymous with outstanding achievements in Gainesville, but when you have world class talent, the pinnacle of your career tends to take you to even grander heights. In preparation for the Tokyo Olympics, host Adam Schick catches up with hurdling phenom Grant Holloway to find out how he is preparing for his date with destiny (1:48). Then, FloridaGators.com senior writer Scott Carter stops by to identify the Gators to watch, both for the USA and other countries around the globe (21:31). Finally, football national champion and former Olympian Jeff Demps discusses his Olympic journey and how he tasted glory on the podium, only to have it unceremoniously taken away due to a tainted teammate (35:25). Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.

Any number of words can be used to describe the 2020 athletic season: unprecedented, weird, nerve-racking, bizarre, frustrating, exciting and many more all across the spectrum. It was undoubtedly a difficult year, and that required a steady hand at the wheel to lead the program through the unknown. On today’s show, host Adam Schick welcomes athletic director Scott Stricklin to assess where the program has been, and more importantly, where it’s going, with a focus on what the fan experience will look like in the fall, highlights from the spring season, hiring just the second coach in the history of Florida soccer, the grand vision for the new football facility, the issues around compensating players for their likeness, future plans for The Swamp, the proposed expansion of the College Football Playoff and more. Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.

When it comes to coaches, especially at the collegiate and professional levels, they tend to be easy to typecast as hard-driving and laser-focused individuals with one goal – winning. But then there are those like Becky Burleigh, a true original who recently retired as the only head coach in the history of the Florida soccer program. On the special edition of "Gator Greats," host Adam Schick takes Becky Burleigh down memory lane in a wide-ranging and revealing discussion about her improbable beginnings as a young head coach, the challenges of launching a new program, her toughest opponents, how she knew it was time to step aside, what she plans to do with her second act and much more. Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.

Following baseball’s early exit from the NCAA Tournament, the athletic calendar has nearly reached its conclusion, although track and field is hoping to have something more to say before the book is officially closed. On today’s show, host Adam Schick convenes the final Gator Roundtable of the season with FloridaGators.com senior writers Scott Carter and Chris Harry, covering baseball’s last stand, a critical milestone in the construction of the massive new football training facility, men’s basketball assembling its new parts for the first time, the most memorable storylines from this COVID-altered athletic year and great Olympians in the PAT. Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.

Gator Tales #270: SB’s Katie Chronister and Gator Roundtable (SB, BB, MBK, MTN) by Florida Gators

Thanks to a prolonged track record of success, the Florida athletic program has a check next to most items on the proverbial bucket list. But this past weekend, one of the few remaining boxes was filled in, with men’s tennis claiming its first national title in front of a rowdy bunch of Gators in Orlando. On today’s show, host Adam Schick connects with the man of the hour – championship-clinching freshman Ben Shelton – about their path to the title and what it meant to bring it home for his teammates, his school and his coach, who also happens to be his dad (1:45). Then, FloridaGators.com senior writers Scott Carter and Chris Harry stop by to talk about tennis’s crowning achievement, softball’s shutout regional, a new head coach for the soccer program, Mike White’s latest assistant and more (20:16). Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.

In a year where good news has been hard to come by, the last week has been a spectacular ray of sunshine, as the CDC’s new guidelines for vaccinated Americans have led to the first real movement toward normalcy since this nightmare began. For sports, that means fans are coming back, and in Gainesville, the potential for 100% capacity as soon as this weekend at softball. On today’s show, host Adam Schick welcomes FloridaGators.com senior writers Chris Harry and Scott Carter to discuss softball’s regional draw, baseball’s continued solid run in SEC play, lacrosse’s postseason revenge tour, men’s tennis heading to the Elite Eight and most wanted memorabilia in the PAT (1:45). Then, softball’s web gem wiz Hannah Adams joins us to talk about the Gators’ walk-off winning ways, her astronomical growth at the plate and much more (26:35). Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.

Approaching or entering the postseason, momentum is a buzz word you often hear, and it can be critical in determining whether a team looks back on a good year as opposed to a great year – maybe even a special year. This past weekend saw a number of Gator teams throwing their weight around, some doing it dramatically like softball, others emphatically like lacrosse. On today’s show, host Adam Schick and FloridaGators.com senior writer Scott Carter dive into a walk-off championship for softball, four straight series wins for baseball, lacrosse’s AAC domination, the impending reunion of Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer and more (1:50). Then, men’s tennis senior Josh Goodage stops by to discuss how he hopped the pond from London to Gainesville and what it will take for the top-seeded men’s tennis team to claim its first national championship (26:15). Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.

It was quite a weekend for the Gators in Cleveland, which is not a phrase you hear very often. But that was the site of an NFL Draft that saw eight former Gators taken over the course of the three days, part of an astounding showing by the SEC. On today’s show, host Adam Schick and FloridaGators.com senior writer Chris Harry recap all the new NFL destinations, critical series wins for both baseball and softball and the beginning of what could be a historic NCAA Tournament for men’s tennis (1:35). Then, Adam traces the arc of this twisting and turning athletic year through the eyes of Duke Werner and Stacey Higgins, the leaders of the sports health department who became Florida’s COVID-response coordinators and were most responsible for getting the program back up and running (19:17). Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.

Step one to a career in the NFL is making your mark in college, and if you can turn enough heads during your time in places like The Swamp, you just might get a ticket to your next destination after hearing your name called by the commissioner. For the Gators, anticipation is sky high to see where a host of stars are going, especially All-American TE Kyle Pitts. On today’s show, host Adam Schick finds out firsthand what it’s like to go through the draft process as we catch up with former Florida WR and current Denver Bronco Tyrie Cleveland (1:45). Then, FloridaGators.com senior writers Scott Carter and Chris Harry break down where the top Gator targets are likely to go, potential steals late in the draft and more (19:10). Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.

While it’s getting late in the spring calendar, this past week saw a flurry of action in Gator athletics, with some teams achieving new season highs at the same time others saw their postseason runs coming to crushing ends. And that doesn’t even account for some major announcements off the court that drastically changed basketball’s off-season. On today’s show, host Adam Schick welcomes FloridaGators.com senior writers Chris Harry and Scott Carter to discuss the bevy of basketball news, the end of the NCAA roads for gymnastics and volleyball, baseball’s streaking behavior, softball turning the tide in Tuscaloosa and Oscar-winning movies that left a mark in the PAT (1:42). Then, men’s tennis coach Bryan Shelton stops by to share his personal journey and how it ultimately led him to elevate the UF program to new heights (29:38). Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.

On our last show, we talked about 250 SEC titles for the athletic program, but now we are moving into NCAA Championship season, with both gymnastics and volleyball heading to the final destinations for their sport’s top prize. On today’s show, host Adam Schick convenes FloridaGators.com senior writers Scott Carter and Chris Harry for a roundtable discussing baseball’s mid-week walk-off against FSU, the opportunity for gymnastics to chase history in Fort Worth, a new yet familiar leader for the women’s swim and dive team and a PAT reflecting on the most talented athletes they’ve ever seen live (1:46). Then, volleyball coach Mary Wise joins Adam to discuss their unprecedented split season, the challenges of an all-SEC schedule and what it will take for the program to win its first national title in Omaha (25:36). Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.

If life is ultimately a series of milestones, this past week was a significant one in the annals of Gator lore, as the program celebrated a remarkable 250th SEC team championship. Delivered the moment the men’s tennis team triumphed over Kentucky, Florida’s conference dominance is unparalleled and shows no signs of slowing down. On today’s show, host Adam Schick is joined by FloridaGators.com senior writers Scott Carter and Chris Harry to discuss that titanic achievement, the latest developments in the basketball offseason carousel, a stressful regional for gymnastics and big game busts in the PAT (1:37). Then, before leaving basketball season completely behind, we’ll catch up with former Gator and future nuclear engineer Canyon Barry (27:23). Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.

Gator Tales #261: Gator Roundtable (FB, MBK, MTN) and Gym’s Alyssa Baumann by Florida Gators

2021’s version of March Madness has no doubt lived up to its billing, and while Florida has been the beneficiary of that chaos in the past, it was not meant to be this time around, as the glass slipper fit for Oral Roberts in Indianapolis. On today’s show, host Adam Schick jumps back in time to visit with the hero of Florida’s last Sweet Sixteen appearance and current member of the Brooklyn Nets, Chris Chiozza. Then, FloridaGators.com senior writers Chris Harry and Scott Carter stop by to review basketball’s brief tournament run, assess the state of the program entering the offseason, recap spring football, detail baseball’s bounce back in SEC play, and in honor of the #SnyderCut, share movies and TV shows that need to be rectified in the PAT (21:40). Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.

While many of us went mad at various points in 2020, we didn’t have March Madness to keep us in check. Thankfully, a full dose of crazy is coming our way, and the Gators are dancing for a 4th straight time, the longest active streak of any team in the SEC. On today’s show, host Adam Schick welcomes head coach Mike White to discuss the difficult road his team has charted this season and the path ahead in Indianapolis (1:38). Then, FloridaGators.com senior writer Chris Harry stops by to delve into Florida’s bracket and first round match-up against Virginia Tech, the women of the UAA, Becky Burleigh’s final home game and March Madness memories in the PAT (16:00). Please subscribe and leave a review if you like what you hear and for more information, visit FloridaGators.com/GatorTales.