Gator Tales with Sean Kelley

In this episode of Gator Tales, Sean Kelley covers an exciting time in Gator Nation with both football and basketball in full swing. The episode opens with a chat with Gators football legend Rex Grossman, back in Gainesville as Mr. Two Bits and Florida’s SEC legend. Rex shares his excitement about returning to the Swamp and what it means to him to represent Florida.

In honor of Veterans Day, we’re also joined by Victor Lopez, a Marine Corps veteran and strength coach for Gators men’s basketball, who discusses his journey from the military to coaching and how he brings resilience and teamwork to the Gators.

Lastly, Kyle Crooks catches up with women’s basketball star Ra Shaya Kyle, who opens up about her challenging comeback from injury and her goals for the season.

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Episode 39 of Gator Tales with Sean Kelley, presented by UF Health, delivers a power-packed roundtable discussion as Florida athletics hits a pivotal moment in the season!

Join Sean and an all-star panel of FloridaGators.com experts – Scott Carter, Chris Harry, and Kyle Crooks – as they dive deep into what promises to be an exciting stretch for Gator Nation. The crew breaks down Todd Golden's men's basketball team, fresh off their highest scoring season in program history and poised for even bigger things with Walter Clayton Jr. leading the charge. Kelly Rae Finley's women's squad gets the spotlight too, as they prepare to unleash an exciting freshman class featuring two McDonald's All-Americans.

The conversation shifts to football, where Billy Napier's Gators, winners of three of their last four, gear up for what could be the toughest stretch in program history. Plus, the panel shares their takes on Rex Grossman's selection to the SEC Legends class and highlights their favorite Gator storylines of the fall.

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In Episode 38 of Gator Tales, we celebrate UF Homecoming with three exciting guests!

First, we catch up with Gators Football standout Tyreak Sapp, who talks about his recent success on the field, his leadership role on defense, and even his love for the Red Power Ranger. Next, we head to the greens with Gators Golf star Ian Gilligan, fresh off a team win at Muirfield and preparing for his PGA Tour appearance at the Shriners Open.

Finally, Gators Men's Basketball is gearing up for the season, and Kyle Crooks sits down with the new athletic trainer, John Michelini, to talk about his transition from the women’s team. Don’t miss this action-packed episode!

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In this episode of Gator Tales, host Sean Kelley chats with two standout Florida Gators athletes. First, volleyball star Elli McKissock shares her experiences as the Gators' libero, reflecting on her leadership role, her Gator journey, and the mix of emotions as she approaches the end of her college career. She also dives into her playing style and professional aspirations. Later, football center Jake Slaughter discusses anchoring the Gators' offensive line, growing up near Gainesville, and his off-field interests, including his studies in agriculture.

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This unique episode of Gator Tales with Sean Kelley features two all-time Gators greats.

Hall of Famer and football Ring of Honor member Emmitt Smith was back in Gainesville to serve as “Mr. Two-Bits” and enjoy Gators Football. He joined Jeff Cardozo and Tate Casey during the pregame show on the Gators Sports Network from Learfield. We share that discussion with Smith which featured a wide range of topics both past and present.

Then, Kyle Crooks catches up with Gators Softball legend, Amanda Lorenz. Lorenz discusses her current pro softball career, the upcoming Olympics, and her storied time both as a player and a coach for the Florida Gators.

Episode 35 of Gator Tales with Sean Kelley, presented by UF Health, is all about transfers making an impact!

Kelley kicks things off with Gators running back Montrell Johnson, fresh off a 71-yard touchdown run and a career milestone of 2,500 rushing yards. Johnson reflects on his journey from Louisiana to Florida and his role as a team leader this season. The senior, who also boasts over 2,000 all-purpose yards, shares how overcoming a knee surgery has only fueled his drive as the Gators prepare for their matchup against Samford.

Next, Gators soccer star Lauren Donovan joins the show. A three-sport athlete from Loveland High School, Donovan transferred from Minnesota and has been a key player in Florida’s unbeaten start. The senior midfielder opens up about adjusting to life in Gainesville and how her bond with her teammates has propelled their success on the pitch.

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The new athletic year begins with Episode 34 of the Gator Tales Podcast with Sean Kelley.

In this episode, Kelley sits down with Gators quarterback Graham Mertz and Gators linebacker Shemar James for a combo interview. The three discuss the upcoming season and go into detail about the Gators offense and defense from each of the team leaders' perspective.

Both players are fresh off standout 2023 campaigns as the Gators look to take a step forward in year three under head coach Billy Napier. Returning to UF for a second campaign and to CFB for a sixth season, Mertz set a new program record with an SEC-leading 72.9% completion percentage one year ago (third nationally). He also ranked sixth in the FBS and second in the SEC behind Jayden Daniels in TD-INT ratio (6.7), owning 20 touchdowns and three interceptions. He enters the 2024 campaign on the watch list for the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award and Davie O,Brien Award.

In just eight games played, James ranked second on the Gators with 55 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss last season. With 21 career games and 12 starts under his belt, putting him on the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagruski Award, Bednarik Award and Butkus Award.

Kyle Crooks then joins the show and visits with Gators Soccer star Daviana Vaka. The All-SEC Vaka shares her vision for herself and her team as the new season begins.

Earning All-SEC First Team and All-Southeast Region status in 2023, Vaka and the Gators are off to a 1-0 start to the 2024 season following a 2-0 defeat of Western Carolina in the season opener on Aug. 16. After transferring to Florida from BYU last season, Vaka started every match at centerback, playing the entirety of 16 matches and pacing Florida with average of 86.8 minutes per match.

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Episode 33 times up with graduation weekend and another busy home weekend for the Gators in Gainesville. Florida junior outfielder Ty Evans goes deep with Sean Kelley with topics both on and off the diamond. He also gives insight on the Gators' preparations for the stretch run of the season. 

 

Head Coach Roland Thornqvuist and Florida women's tennis team host rounds one and two in the NCAA Tournament. Kelley visits with Thornqvuist to get a review of the regular season and get a preview of the new challenge ahead. And UF student, Kenna McGinnis, reports on recent Gators results in "Kenna On Campus."

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On Episode 32, Sean Kelley chats with Gators Gymnastics Head Coach Jenny Rowland to reflect on the 2034-24 season which ended at the NCAA Championship in Ft. Worth, TX.

In Denver, Sean caught up with former Gators Basketball center and current Los Angeles Laker, Colin Castleton.

Gators AD Scott Stricklin is back for another “Ask The AD.” This week’s question for Stricklin is about the Gators football off-season changes.

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On this episode, Sean Kelley sits down with head football coach Billy Napier as the Gators wrap up spring practices and the annual Orange and Blue Game. 

 

At the Scholarship Endowment Dinner, Kelley gets a chance to discuss all the success of Florida Swimming and Diving with captains Emma Weyant and Jake Mitchell.

"Kenna On Campus" with UF student Kenna McGinnis reports on the latest Gators results and Director of Athletics Scott Stricklin answers questions about NIL in "Ask the AD."

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