Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi weighs in after WR Frankie Hammond’s DUI arrest:

It’s great that the Florida Gators will build bronze statues outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium that will honor Tim Tebow, Danny Wuerffel and Steve Spurrier, but aren’t the Gators forgetting somebody?

How about a statue for the two most important people in the program – the Unnamed Bail Bondsman and Huntley Johnson, the legendary local attorney who traditionally gets all of UF’s football players out of trouble when they get arrested?

I’ve heard UF fans and officials constantly laud Meyer for being such a stellar disciplinarian, but there is certainly no proof to back up their claims. On average, nearly six of his players are getting arrested every season. That’s disgraceful. You know it’s bad when even the student newspaper, the Independent Florida Alligator, is embarrassed about UF’s disturbing arrest rate.

Instead of calling newspaper reporters “bad guys” isn’t it about time for Urban Meyer to start worrying about the frightening number of really bad guys he is recruiting to the campus of what is supposed to be a reputed institution of higher learning?

I have nothing to add to this column that is either relevant or true. Get it together, Urban.

Gainesville radio host Brady Ackerman reported Monday night via Twitter that WR Frankie Hammond Jr. will be dismissed from the Florida football team. Ackerman apparently backtracked, however, deleting the tweet later that night.

Meanwhile, Ackerman noted that Hammond’s DUI arrest would result in a boot camp-style punishment for the rest of the team:

I am hearing that Urban has made team accountable for everyone this offseason. In an effort to develop leadership a mistake hurts everyone. … The rule is if one guys messes up everyone pays. Hammond who is now suspended is causing the team a little “extra” running this week. … I think the message will get home with the team this week and expect the rest of the summer to be quiet from “nonsense” … Actually it will be up to the team to make sure there isn’t anymore issues. I certainly wouldn’t want to make that prediction with 20yr olds

WR Frankie Hammond Jr. was suspended indefinitely from all team activities, following his weekend arrest for DUI and underage alcohol possession.

It’s never a good idea to speed through a college campus late at night. Especially if you have an two open bottles of Crown in the car. Especially if you’re under 21. And especially if your blood-alcohol level is twice the legal limit. WR Frankie Hammond Jr. apparently was unaware of the foregoing, judging by his early-morning arrest for DUI, and possession of alcohol by a minor.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WHY CAN’T THESE GUYS STAY OUT OF TROUBLE?!?

P Chas Henry is working out with an Alabama kicking coach. A Georgia high school player was on hand to see the awesome power of Henry’s leg.

> Richie Leone: “We were standing there on the 40-yard line messing around, and Chas said ‘I bet I can put it through the goalposts from here.’ We were like ‘There is no way — that’s too far away.’ Chas stepped up and punted it right between the goalposts, at least 75 yards or more away. And there was room to spare.”

Urban Meyer spoke with WQAM’s Joe Rose about the team’s 2010 prospects.

> Meyer on the incoming class: “We lost some really, really good players. But I’m real excited about the freshmen. I’m as excited as I’ve ever been for June 24 when the freshmen roll in here. We feel very good about our freshman class. The kids on our defensive line are going to play. Matt Elam is going to play. He had a heck of a spring, and he’s a heck of a kid. We don’t redshirt here at Florida. That’s why we recruited them and that’s why they’re here – to play.”
> Meyer on his players’ skills as recruiters: “Our best recruiters are our players. The fact that I didn’t even go on the road the last three weeks . … The fact that we have the facilities in place, we have the players in place and we have an excellent coaching staff. I don’t won’t to say it recruits itself because it doesn’t, but the best salesman you have are the people that are involved in your team.”
> Meyer on QB John Brantley: “He’s having a great summer. He’s really gained strength. The biggest thing is the leadership issue, and he really did a good job in spring practice. There’s no question he’s our quarterback, and there’s no question we have a lot of confidence in him.”
> Meyer on this season’s offense: “We’ll change it a little bit like we did in 2006 with Chris Leak as our quarterback. We adapt to our personnel. The biggest thing you look at is production. We’re going to have to find someone to get those 800 yards rushing because we still want to be the top rushing team in the SEC. John is an excellent passer so we’re always going to have that component. The biggest thing is someone is going to have to produce in the running game — and I like our running backs a lot. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to have that single-wing package to keep teams honest. We kind of had the same offense for three or fours years with Tim Tebow. Now we’ve adapted it.”

Miami recruit Kevin Nelson was committed to the Hurricanes last year when he made his official visit to the Swamp. Not surprisingly, the UM commitment wasn’t allowed in the Gators’ locker room after the game. Somehow, that minor slight led to Nelson making the following characterization of the Gators’ coaching staff:

> Nelson: “Grimy, two-faced and disrespectful.”

Nelson also took exception to an admonition from the UF coaches:

> Nelson, quoting an unnamed coach: “Miami hasn’t won any ACC championship since going to the ACC, and that Randy Shannon is going to leave after this year, and that I might not get any playing time.”

True, true, and true.

Listen, Kevin, it might not be the best idea to parlay your hurt feelings into such venomous comments, especially since you’ll be playing against those grimy, disrespectful coaches in three years. And you may want to look to the past for a cautionary tale. A couple of years ago, Georgia recruit Justin Houston laughed at Urban Meyer during a recruiting visit. Since Houston dissed UF, the Gators have won two national titles. Who’s laughing now, Justin?

Urban Meyer and daughter Gigi recently headed to Lake Santa Fe, where they met up with a couple of professional wakeboarders. Gigi, a rising high school senior, has apparently competed in a couple of events, and took to the water in this video right here (complete with soothing acoustic guitar).

Strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti’s salary is on par with those of the Gators’ new assistants: $240,000 a year, a bump from last year’s $191,750.

> Urban Meyer on Marotti: “You look at our success in the fourth quarter, our success in getting guys back from injury … that’s how you really evaluate a strength coach. Do you dominate the fourth quarter? Do you play hard in the fourth quarter? Do you have enough juice in the tank to finish a game? That’s how you evaluate a strength coach.”

The Gators’ Sept. 4 opener vs. Miami (Ohio) will be played on ESPN at high noon, most likely in oppressive, humidity-punches-you-in-the-face heat.

The program also announced, as expected, the Sept. 18 Tennessee and Oct. 30 Georgia games will be played at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.

CBS Sports SEC analyst Gary Danielson questions the Gator spread offense, in a way that suggests he’s got an exclusive scoop: QB John Brantley is not Tim Tebow.

> Danielson: “I questioned whether the spread would work in the SEC. I know that the Tim Tebow spread works. I’m still not sure any other spread will work in this conference. They can not let John Brantley get hit 15 to 20 times a game. He’s too valuable. It will be a different spread. We’ll see how it unfolds, but it will be a different looking spread than it was before.”
> Danielson: “To me, there are too many yards available throwing the ball. If you have a skilled thrower, you can’t risk him taking those hits. Even Tebow, as strong as he was, it was tough for him to take the punishment in this conference.”
> Danielson: “This conference is more and more simulating the NFL, where they have sophisticated defenses to put hits on people. Even (Alabama RB) Mark Ingram can’t carry a full load at running back. He needs Trent Richardson. I doubt there is a quarterback in the league that could take hits for 13 games like Tebow did.”

UF women’s tennis player Marrit Boonstra lost the deciding seventh match of the NCAA team championship last week. After the heartbreaking 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 loss, Urban Meyer reached out to the Dutch senior.

> Boonstra: “He told me he and his family had watched the match and they were all cheering and they were all so proud of me. That call made me feel a lot better. It helped me out a lot.”
> Meyer to Boonstra, in a card sent after their conversation: “Every coach dreams of having a team of competitors. Unfortunately, there are not enough like you.”
> Boonstra: “I’m taking it home with me. It is very special to me. I will always remember what he did.”

Urban Meyer is against the SEC’s rumored expansion plans.

> Meyer: “I don’t think you can expand. I hope not. That’s just one man’s opinion. The SEC has elevated itself to one of the top, if not the top, conference in college football in the last four or five years. I can’t imagine making it any more tougher (by expanding).”

Part of Urban Meyer’s new outlook on life apparently includes heading over to his favorite jeweler and turning out a couple of acoustic numbers with Sister Hazel, as evidenced in the clip below.

Urban Meyer addressed the media Tuesday for the first time since April.

> Meyer on his expectations for this season: “We have a bunch of good players still there, now. A little bit in 06, when we lost that whole group, we knew we were getting ready for a tough go. We have some really, really good players. They may not be the marquee name guys right now, but hopefully they will become that. You turn the page and keep going. Everything is in decent shape. Some guys have to step up and play, because we did lose some good players.”
> Meyer on his coaching staff, led by OC Steve Addazio: “It goes deeper than Steve, although I love him like a brother. He’s the finest coach in America. But you’ve got Chuck Heater, Dan McCarney, we’re all involved. The strength staff. … The minute the season ends and having a coach like Mickey (Marotti), it’s not by accident when Florida wins the game. The head coach gets a lot of credit, but a bunch of guys behind the scene are pushing all the buttons. These guys are the best, and they’ve proved they’re the best. What happens when you have a good staff is that people start to cherry-pick you. You have to replace good with better, if that’s possible. We have a good thing going and got to keep it going.”
> Meyer on the Gators’ persistent bullseye on their backs: “I hear that a lot. There’s not many stadiums we walk into where it’s not the game of the year. That’s the way it is. The one thing about this league is they’re a bunch of hunters in this league.”

The chest pains that led to Urban Meyer’s sabbatical weren’t heart-related, but were diagnosed as esophageal spasms. The Mayo Clinic describes the spasms: “An uncoordinated series of muscle contractions that prevent food from traveling properly from your esophagus to your stomach. These spasms can be very painful. Chest pain is a common symptom of esophageal spasm.”

> Meyer on the feeling: “(Like) waking up every morning with a toothache in your chest.”
> Meyer on his treatment: “They’ve got me on some medications. I’ve just got to be smarter in the future and I’m going to be. I’m not going to let that happen again. But the biggest thing was all that was related to what the heck were those pains going through my chest. Once you find out what it is, life gets a little better quickly.”
> Meyer: “I can’t just take a pill and assume I’ll be fine.”

Urban Meyer didn’t get to meet the pope while in Italy last week, contrary to reports before his trip.

> Meyer on His Holiness: “Big Gator fan. Talked to him about third-down-and-6. … No, I didn’t meet the pope.”

Former coach Steve Spurrier was asked Tuesday about QB John Brantley’s likelihood of success in the shadow of Tim Tebow. Spurrier compared Brantley to former QB Doug Johnson, who succeeded Danny Wuerffel in 1997:

> Spurrier: “Doug tried to replace Danny Wuerffel. Doug was out playing baseball and drinking beer all summer. Doug’s a bright young man, got a good job down there and doing very well … but that was his summer prior to starting for the Gators.”

Before heading up to the SEC spring meeting, Urban Meyer caught the Rays and White Sox in St. Petersburg Friday.

> Pitcher Wade Davis: “It’s good to have probably the best coach ever in college history in the clubhouse.”

Strength coach, and current keeper of the program, Mickey Marotti singled out WR Chris Rainey and DT Jaye Howard as offseason workout standouts.

> Marotti on Rainey: “A lot of it’s just maturing. After awhile, [they say] I better gain some weight or I better get stronger.’”
> Marotti on Howard: “I see a little bit more, I don’t know if it’s hunger or what. He lets me know at the end — ‘I’m better, huh?’ — because he moved up two spots. It’s all based on attitude. That’s one guy I can say, ‘Wow.’”