Ex-Gators star Brandon Spikes no longer with football program
GAINESVILLE - Former Florida star linebacker Brandon Spikes is no longer with the Gators as the University Athletic Association restructures the Gator Made program.
The UAA did away with his position working with a program geared toward preparing players for life after football.
Gator Made has taken players on trips to expose them to a world beyond the gridiron and Gainesville. They’ve visited Wall Street and the Coca-Cola offices in Atlanta, among others. Trips to Japan, South Africa and Spain have allowed players to travel abroad, many for the first time.
“Like all former players, he will always be welcome and part of the Gator football family,” a source close to situation told the Orlando Sentinel.
Spikes, an All-American linebacker for the 2008 national champions, joined Gator Made after the school ousted former coach Billy Napier and hired Jon Sumrall from Tulane.
Spikes returned to UF in 2023 to complete his degree. He joined the staff as a student assistant coach under Napier, who later promoted him to the position of assistant director of player development.
The 38-year-old former lienbacker returned to prominence in 2023 during “Swamp Kings’ on Netflix. The six-part series documented the program’s rise under Urban Meyer, while capturing the dedication and personalities of players, including the loquacious Spikes.
A native of Shelby, North Carolina, Spikes was a key member of Meyer’s 2006 recruiting class, featuring Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin.
Spikes record 307 total tackles, including 31.5 for loss, the most famous being his vicious hit of Georgia star tailback Knowshon Moreno on the first play of the Gators’ 49-10 rout of the rival Bulldogs in 2008.
He also was a record-setting playmaker. He recovered four fumbles and had six interceptions, returning four for touchdowns in 2008-09 - more than any other player in the nation and a Florida school record for pick-sixes in a career.
Spikes spent six seaons in the NFL, playing 78 games, with 49 starts. Four of those seasons (2010-13) were with the New England Patriots, followed by two with the Buffalo Bills.
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
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