GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Michael McNeely woke up Saturday morning knowing that if everything went as pla...

1. One Snap and former walk-on Michael McNeely joins Florida
Gators lore
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Michael McNeely woke up Saturday morning knowing that if everything went
as planned, there was a likelihood he could touch the actual ball -- on a designed play zero much less
-- inside Florida's game against Georgia.
He furthermore contemplated the biggest what-if associated with all. Just what if he scored a new
touchdown? Just what would he do? Following all, it had been a while.
"I ran a new post route," McNeely recalled Monday. "It was a 25-yard touchdown reception. That
They were playing man, I caught it, beat the actual safety."
A guy named Jimbo Chmelik, whom later on played quarterback from Quincy (Ill.) University, threw
the pass. That They weren't even real teammates. McNeely and also Chmelik were via rival
substantial schools playing together in the North-South Pinellas County All-Star Game in December
2009.
McNeely walked about with Florida and also right after 3 numerous a extended time of grinding
away way in the spotlight, he was positioned on scholarship throughout fall camp by head coach Will
Muschamp.
It was a dream come true pertaining to McNeely, who got accepted into UF's healthcare school on
Oct. 15. McNeely is also doing a full-time internship this semester inside the Applied
Neuromechanics Laboratory with UF.
"We perform together with patients' gaits, their particular walking patterns within patients along
with movement disorders similar to Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, along using other things
like ACL injuries," he said. "We study their own gait along with draw conclusions according to
studies we do."
But compared to the last 48 hours, McNeely's journey from walk-on in order to scholarship player a
minimum of seems real.
Everything since using that snap around the fake area goal, darting by means of a huge hole for the
correct and sprinting 21 yards to find a momentum-changing touchdown within Florida's 38-20
victory more than the Bulldogs, well, all of that seems surreal.
"I type of such as lying low-key. Every Person has been coming up in my experience and also saying
hi," McNeely said. "Even around campus today, it offers been very different from my usual life. I
could blend to the general population extremely well."
Not now. Not Necessarily after turning out to end up being able to be an immediate Florida football
folk hero.

2. One of McNeely's favorite moments since as quickly as happened while he was at the particular
office with a Publix close to campus about Sunday. He turned up with regard to his part-time
occupation (Sundays only) like a grocery bagger/cashier when a couple coming from Orlando came
down his line.
They had learn about McNeely which morning along with decided to drive to Gainesville to satisfy
him throughout person. Following they paid, the couple asked McNeely in order to sign their receipt
to become able to give to a household member -- and also large Gators fan -- with regard to
Christmas.
Few of the people who passed via his line ahead of Saturday knew he was a football player. same
will go for many Gator fans. Now they are generally totally aware Michael McNeely, the 5-foot-8,
176-pound receiver, since the guy which scored one of the most crucial touchdown to become able
to date throughout Florida's season.
"I consider it was the actual play that turned (the game) around," Gators defensive lineman Jon
Bullard stated Monday. "It gave us momentum. We practiced it all week. I do not necessarily know
how, yet it absolutely was drew up the exact identical way, inside the identical formation, precisely
what we wanted to do. He just went out as well as executed it."
Here can always be a glimpse into how McNeely went via mysterious to always be able to national
story, plus a taste regarding his existence since:
THE PLAY
Florida trailed 7-0 along with faced a fourth-and-9 midway into the 2nd quarter. the Gators arranged
for a Frankie Velez field-goal attempt.
If they will got the proper look, McNeely knew what play has been on.
"We referred for you to as any particular one 'Dawg' because we were playing your Dawgs," he said.
Teammate Andre Debose told McNeely to become ready if the play worked.
"You much better have two moves," Debose told McNeely. "You far better have one to score, then
one to steer clear of me, simply because following you score, I'm coming regarding you."

3. A former walk-on with Georgia, Muschamp had total confidence inside McNeely.
"Walk-on or scholarship, it can not issue to me," he said after the game. "The guy can be a excellent
football player. I didn't even blink putting him back again there."
Teammate Ryan Parrish, a new fifth-year senior along with scout team standout, will be McNeely's
companion on the team. While Parrish got married inside July, McNeely had been one of his
groomsmen.
On Friday night in the team resort inside Jacksonville, Parrish and his mother and father spoken
with McNeely about how precisely cool it might always be if the Gators reached operate the
particular play and also pulled it off.
Stephen B. Morton-AP Photo
Florida's Michael McNeely runs past Georgia cornerback Damian Swann (5) to become able to score
a touchdown on the fake area goal.   Â
"The play labored perfectly, just the method they drew up throughout practice," Parrish mentioned
Monday. "I ended up being on the headset, thus I really sprinted (toward the conclusion zone) when
he scored. I dropped my headset. I believed I had broken my headset, thus I was preoccupied as they
has been celebrating. It just resolved therefore perfectly."
In the actual holders in the corner involving the finish zone where McNeely scored as well as
pointed for the sky ended up being among his biggest fans: younger brother Mark McNeely, who
plays about the drum line throughout UF's band.
The orange-and-blue clad fans went wild. Consequently does The Particular Pride with the
Sunshine's drum line.
"They had been sitting in among the initial rows," McNeely said. "(My brother) mentioned the actual
drum range ended up being consequently excited after it happened, a few of them forgot to attempt

4. out for that fight song."
Meanwhile McNeely lost his shoe inside the celebration.
"Somebody stepped about me and it came off. I don't know how that happened because I tie my
shoes pretty tight. that was quite funny. We had been operating back, since I had to acquire down
there regarding kickoff, along with certainly 1 of the equipment guys had been like, 'let me untie it, i
want to untie it.' I had tied it so tight he couldn't get the knot undone, so I took it along with does it."
McNeely got the shoe on before the ensuing kickoff.
SATURDAY NIGHT
The Gators bussed back again to Gainesville after the game as well as players along with coaches
went their particular ways.
McNeely went along to supper with his parents, Kathy and Angus. Kathy is actually a pediatrician in
the Tampa Bay region and also Angus, the former football player in Minnesota, works in the
technology field.
Parrish rode along with them to supper although his wife, Shelby, a member of UF's monitor team,
fulfilled up with the group from Gator's Dockside a handful of miles from campus.
John Raoux-AP Photo
Florida location kicker Austin Hardin (left) and also Michael McNeely celebrate on the area right
after defeating Georgia 38-20.
"It ended up being really low-key," McNeely said.
Of course it was.
The crowd had thinned at the restaurant however those who remained watched highlights regarding
McNeely's touchdown and Florida's earn repeatedly about the huge screens found all through your
dining room. McNeely's highlight has been No. 9 on Saturday's "SportsCenter" top plays.
Parrish soaked up the particular scene and also chuckled at the irony.
"I wished to tell every person from Gator's Dockside the guy who had been simply about TV was
inside the creating proper then," he said. "I didn't need to embarrass him. Absolutely No one really
knew. That's how Mike sort of will go concerning his business. He functions tough and also does

5. every thing he could be supposed to be able to do."
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
McNeely turned up in the grocery store regarding his normal afternoon shift around 1 p.m. Since
soon while he arrived colleagues as well as customers began any stream involving congratulatory
messages that lasted until he left eight hours later.
McNeely smiled as well as appreciated the particular support even though every one involving the
focus does invade his regular comfort and ease zone.
"It has been really abnormal," he said. "That's never happened before. The idea was a cool
experience in order to repeat the least."
McNeely took your compliments throughout stride as well as attemptedto go about his occupation as
normal because he could. Still, it's not every day that will the reporter via ESPN.com stops simply by
as well as customers inquire to adopt a picture with the bag boy.
A few teammates stopped simply by in order to visit, too, which includes senior middle Max Garcia,
whom choked up Monday when referring to McNeely as becoming a teammate.
"Man, I ended up being therefore very happy to notice McNeely score," Garcia said. "I don't feel
there's anybody in this team much more deserving to be the actual hero. Ah, I obtain mental talking
about him. He's a difficult worker man. He's just motivation for that team as well as guys like him
are usually why we're likely to become able to be successful because he cares concerning this
program.
"I feel if we were built along with a entire team packed with McNeelys, we'd be described as a
national championship team just because associated with the strategies by which we plays. Every
Thing he really does on and also off the field will be championship level."
Parrish didn't allow it to be able to be simply by to see McNeely at the particular office Sunday -- he
and also Shelby were too busy creating thank-you notes to the people at their own wedding -- yet he
understands why Garcia among others discuss McNeely just how they do.
"He's just a fantastic guy. He is actually genuine," Parrish said. "We go for the exact same Bible
research group, that is small, and also stuff similar to that. Any great friend."
THE AFTERMATH
McNeely has never caught a pass for that Gators in the regular-season game. in his role he could
never touch the ball again.
Regardless, Gator fans realize which the guy wearing No. 31 can be now. His introduction is actually
among one with the most memorable inside the program's history. McNeely turns 23 later this
month and is looking towards starting his profession inside medicine one day.
"I've shadowed orthopedic surgery several times, along with that's truly cool," he said. "That's the
particular field which I possess the most shadowing encounter in. I've also seen anesthesiology. I
saw a new handful of open-heart surgeries this summer, consequently which was really cool. I'm
really open starting medical school. I'm excited to determine the area where the Lord directs me

6. during these subsequent few years."
Until then McNeely will try to be your consummate teammate and if yet another play arrives his
way, he hopes he may deliver such as he does Saturday.
While his teammates, his coaches, his brother, his closest friend on the team and a significant
quantity of orange-and-blue clad fans with EverBank field celebrated his touchdown Saturday,
McNeely pointed to the sky along with gave thanks.
"It had been very different (all last week)," McNeely said. "All the actual teammates had been
springing up to me saying, 'hey, you're planning to score upon this play.' Therefore I type of got in
my head that if something except for me personally scoring happened, many individuals are going to
be let down. I'm just consequently thankful the coaches gave me the actual opportunity. The idea
ended up being unbelievable."