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--Former walk-on provides key play for UF
Kick holder Michael McNeely celebrates a fake kick for a touchdown during the first half of the Gators' game against the Georgia Bulldogs on November 1, 2014 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. Rob C. Witzel / Staff photographer
Published: Saturday, November 1, 2014 at 10:10 p.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, November 1, 2014 at 10:10 p.m.
JACKSONVILLE — The touchdown that turned around Florida's moribund football season was run by a former walk-on who bags groceries at Publix to help raise money for school.
Redshirt senior receiver Michael McNeely was the unlikeliest hero of Florida's 38-20 win Saturday over rival Georgia. His 21-yard touchdown run on a fake field goal attempt for the Gators is a story he will be able to tell his children and grandchildren.
"I'll never forget this for the rest of my life," McNeely said.
Florida trailed 7-0 with 8:25 left in the second quarter when McNeely came in as a holder for a Frankie Velez 39-yard field goal attempt. The Gators had practiced a fake with McNeely about 10 times during the week. Georgia didn't notice McNeely had replaced normal UF holder Kyle Crofoot.
McNeely said he saw the right look from Georgia's kick block unit and decided to go ahead with the play.
"It was a great call," McNeely said. "It was drawn up perfectly. The guys blocked. I know Tevin (Westbrook) had a great climb and Clay (Burton) kicked out. Frankie faking helped. All the linemen blocking, it was perfect. All I had to do was run."
Florida coach Will Muschamp said he had no reservations about putting the crucial play in the hands of a former walk-on.
"Mike runs extremely well," Muschamp said. "He really does. He's a really good athlete. Mike is one of our best special teams players."
The touchdown tied the score at 7 and put a charge into a Gator team that had struggled against the Bulldogs in the first quarter. Florida went on to take a 14-7 lead at halftime and scored 17 more points in the second half to take a commanding 31-7 lead.
The 5-foot-9, 176-pound McNeely said he felt a charge on the sidelines following the play.
"We really started rolling," McNeely said. "All my teammates were mobbing me. Actually I had my shoe come off. I had to get back for the kickoff. But we really did start rolling after that so that was great."
McNeely is a study in persistence. He began working at Publix in his native Clearwater in high school in 2008 and walked on to the UF football program in 2010. Last August, McNeely was given a scholarship by Muschamp. The next day, McNeely was back on the job at the Publix at Westgate Plaza on 34th Street, bagging groceries and checking out customers at the cashier counter.
"I use him as an example for some of our guys all the time," Muschamp said. "When you guys complain about the foot, when you guys complain about this … go do what he does."
Earlier in the week, McNeely had a reason to celebrate when he found out he was accepted to medical school at Florida. He'll be back at Publix on Sunday, bagging groceries and checking out customers for close to $10 an hour to save money for medical school tuition. McNeely said he's more than willing to pick up shopping carts left sprawled around the parking lot, and has bagged all kinds of items, including crab legs (insert your own Jameis Winston joke here).
"I'm just so thankful for God and the way that he's blessed me," McNeely said. "This week has been amazing, probably the best week of my life in terms of all the news that I've gotten."
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