Former NFL All-Pro Receiver Reveals Why He Turned Down the Florida Gators

The Florida Gators football program had no shortage of talent in the early 2000s, but one more future NFL star nearly graced the orange and blue before a stubborn recruiting tactic pushed him elsewhere.

In an episode of Dan Le Batard’s South Beach Sessions, former NFL All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Marshall explained that he received an offer from Florida as a senior in high school in 2002 but ultimately chose to commit to the University of Central Florida.

Marshall, a self-proclaimed lifelong Gator fan and Orlando native, said that during an official visit to Florida, first-year Gators head coach Ron Zook presented him with an ultimatum that ultimately pushed him in the opposite direction.

“He offered me at safety. I looked at him in his office and said, ‘Give me until the end of camp to prove that I can play wide receiver. If I don’t, you can put me anywhere on the field,’” Marshall pleaded. “He looked at me, with my father sitting next to me, and said, ‘Do you want to be a Gator or not?’”

While he had dreamed of becoming a Gator since the fourth grade, the future UCF Hall of Famer explained that Zook’s reluctance to give him a chance at wide receiver led him to stay in Orlando and become a Knight.

Marshall went on to have a dynamic career at UCF, where he caught 112 passes for 1,674 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also actually started seven games at safety, leading the Knights with 51 tackles during the 2004 campaign and adding an interception.

He carried that dominance onto the pros, setting NFL records for most receptions (21) in a game and most seasons with over 100 receptions (six) while earning six Pro Bowl nods and two All-Pro selections. Through 13 NFL seasons, he caught 970 passes for 12,351 yards and 83 touchdowns.

Florida's receiver was nothing to scoff at through Marshall's collegiate career (2002-2005) featuring All-SEC pass-catchers like Dallas Baker, Chad Jackson, O.J. Small and future NFL veteran Andre Caldwell. With that being said, adding a future NFL star of Marshall's caliber would have elevated Florida's receiver room to an unprecedented tier.

Zook didn't last long at Florida, with his three-year stint being the second-shortest tenure from a Gators coach in the modern era. Just two years after his departure, Florida won the 2007 BCS National Championship with new head coach Urban Meyer at the helm.