Florida's Top 10 Athletes

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Aug 2, 2007

Florida's Top 10 Athletes

Brad Wilkerson

Before he patrolled first base and the outfield for the Texas Rangers, Wilkerson (pictured here with David Eckstein) was the toast of Gainesville and holds UF's single-season record for most runs (86), RBIs (76), total bases (181), slugging percentage (.747) and walks (85).

Andy North

Before he became a two-time US Open champion and one of golf's signature voices, North, a Wisconsin native, was a three-time All-American for the Gators.

Neal Walk

Walk may be best known as the consolation prize in a 1969 coin flip to determine which team would receive the No. 1 pick (Lew Alcindor) in the NBA Draft, but he was a force down low for the Gators and led the nation in both scoring and rebounding his junior year. He remains the highest Gator ever drafted to the NBA (No. 2 overall in 1969).

Dennis Mitchell

An amazing 12-time All American, Mitchell won NCAA championships in the 200-meter indoor, 200-meter outdoor and 1600-meter indoor before becoming a three-time Olympian.

Abby Wambach

Before she was taken with the second pick in the 2002 WUSA draft, Wambach was an All-SEC player for four seasons at Florida. She was conference Player of the Year twice and led the Gators to the NCAA Final Four in 2001. Wambach set Florida records for goals (96), assists (49), points (241), game-winning goals (24) and hat tricks (10).

Steve Spurrier

As a player, Spurrier was a first team All-American in 1965 and 1966. He won the Heisman Trophy and SEC Player of the Year honors in '66 and was selected third overall in the '67 draft by San Francisco. Spurrier had even more success in his 12 season as Gators' head coach, winning seven SEC championships, one national title and finishing the season with a top-10 team ranking nine times.

Tracy Caulkins

Caulkins won 16 national titles from 1982 to 1984, including 12 individual titles, which was more than any swimmer in Division I swimming and diving history. She received the Broderick Cup, awarded annually to the nation's top collegiate female athlete, in '82 and '84. Caulkins also helped Florida win the `82 NCAA Championship in team swimming.

Emmitt Smith

The NFL's career rushing leader's achievements at Florida made him a first-round draft pick and earned him a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame. He finished in the top-ten in Heisman voting in '87 and '89 and was a first team All-American in '89. He gained 1,599 yards as a junior and 3,928 in three seasons.

The Oh-Fours

Corey Brewer, Taurean Green, Al Horford and Joakim Noah, the self-dubbed "Oh-Fours" (for the year they were recruited to Florida), shared more than just a dormitory room in Gainesville. On their way to winning back-to-back national championships, the quartet won 18-straight conference/NCAA tournament games, the longest since UCLA won 28 straight from 1967-73.

Danny Wuerffel

Wuerffel was one of the most decorated athletes in Florida history. He led the gators to four consecutive SEC titles from 1993-1996. As a senior, the quarterback won the Heisman Trophy and led the Gators to the national championship. He was a first team All-American in '95 and '96 and won the O'Brien Award both seasons.