WHERE ARE THEY NOW:

THOSE WHO PLAYED ON 1996 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS

Mo Collins, Offensive tackle

Damon Jamal “Mo” Collins left the University of Florida a year early and played for six years in the NFL before becoming a high school coach. He was the head coach at West Charlotte in North Carolina before his death in 2014. Collins had been receiving dialysis treatment because of kidney failure. He was 38.

Tremayne Allen, Tight end

Allen spent two seasons with the Chicago Bears before becoming a contractor. He works for a home builder in Sarasota where he lives with his wife and two children (a boy and a girl).

Reidel Anthony, Wide receiver

Anthony left school a year early and was a first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Bucs. In five seasons, he caught 144 passes with the Bucs before retiring. Anthony coached receivers at Valdosta State, Trinity Catholic High and Glades Central High. Five years ago, he began training athletes in Tampa and is part-owner of a gym — Aspi — in that city. He lives there with his wife and son, Reidel Jr.

Ernie Badeaux, Defensive lineman

Badeaux, who had a late interception in the Sugar Bowl, transferred from Florida a few months after the game after being dismissed by Steve Spurrier. He is now a Senior Deepwater Drilling Fluid Engineer for MI SWACO. He is married with a pair of daughters and lives in Covington, La.

Ronnie Battle, Defensive back

A self-described entrepreneur, Battle lives in Atlanta where he owns several barbershops. He is also the founder and CEO of Fellowship Sports, a management firm, and VTutor.com. He is married with three children and his daughter, Ryan, will run track for Middle Tennessee State this year as a freshman.

Tyrone Baker, Defensive back

Baker, who starred at Buchholz High, still lives in Gainesville. He is president of Baker Bail Bonds. He lives here with his wife and two boys, one of whom is a senior wide receiver at Gainesville High.

Cheston Blackshear, Offensive lineman

Blackshear jumped into coaching after his career with the Gators, first serving as a graduate assistant at UF from 2002-04 and then serving in the same role at Illinois under Ron Zook. He coached at Columbia, New Mexico and Georgetown before landing a job as the tight ends coach at Nevada Reno in 2014, where he is today.

Noah Brindise, Quarterback

Brindise would have a memorable 1997 season and then turned to coaching after he finished at Florida. He worked at Ursinus and Florida, his two alma maters, before joining Steve Spurrier with the Washington Redskins. He coached at East Carolina and UNLV before joining the “real world.” He now lives in Jupiter with his wife and two children and is the owner/president of Southern Edge Orthopaedics, Inc.

Teako Brown, Defensive back

Brown had a late interception in the game that deflected off the foot of fellow defensive back Shea Showers. “If the ball is in the air, go get it,” he said. “Everything happened so fast.” In 2004, Brown went into the pharmaceutical industry. He works for Salix in Birmingham, Ala., where he lives with his wife and daughter. His wife, former UF hoopster Misty Knight, works for the Southeastern Conference as a director of student-athlete engagement.

Tim Beauchamp, Defensive lineman

Beauchamp works in state law enforcement in Daytona Beach. He lives there with his wife and one child. “You know what I remember from that game?” he asked. “We moved (to Gonzales, La.) the night before the game and it rained and rained. And then on the bus on the way to the game, the sun came out. I knew we were going to win.”

Cooper Carlisle, Offensive lineman

Carlisle played in the game as a freshman and went on to be a three-year starter for the Gators. He played for 13 years in the NFL with Denver and Oakland before moving to a ranch in Jonesville. He coached the last two years at Buchholz High, but is now retired. He is married with two daughters.

Keith Council, Defensive lineman

Keith Council spent four years in the NFL after leaving Florida, playing for the New York Giants, Seattle and Minnesota. He returned to UF to get his degree in 2003 and is a teacher at Lake Nona High. He also coaches the track team at Lake Nona.

Willie Cohens, Defensive end

Cohens was pressed into action because of an injury to Cameron Davis during the game. “It was a lot for a young sophomore to hold down in a situation like that,” he said. Cohens lives in Gainesville where he is a small business owner and is also a behavioral specialist at A. Quinn Jones Exceptional Student Center. He is married with two children and his son, Cameron, is a linebacker at Eastside and was camping at UF’s Friday Night Lights in July.

Cameron Davis, Defensive lineman

Davis was lost to the Gators during the game to a knee injury. “Tore it up,” he said. “Fortunately, it was on a sack. So it was a bittersweet memory.” He lives in Plantation where he is a project coordinator for Sunshine Health.

Ernie DuBose, Fullback

DuBose lives in his hometown of Sarasota with his wife and he has three children, including a daughter who goes to UCF. He is a general contractor who owns his own business — DuCon, LLC.

Bart Edmiston, Place-kicker

Edmiston attended UF Medical School and became an anesthesiologist after doing his residency at Dartmouth. He returned to Ocean Springs, Miss., where he works at Memorial Hospital. “The same hospital I was born in,” he said. “It’s funny how life circles back around.” He is married with two sons and a daughter.

Jerome Evans, Fullback

Evans lives in Tampa where he is a sales representative for Ferguson Waterworks and has been since 1997. He has been married since 1999 and has two children.

Jacquez Green, Wide receiver

“Quezzie” Green had a spectacular 1997 season and was the second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Bucs. He played — and had 37 NFL starts — for the Bucs, Redskins and Lions before retiring in 2003 and went right into coaching. He has coached at St. Petersburg Gibbs, Valdosta High and is now the offensive coordinator and associate head coach at Tallahassee Lincoln. He is married with three children.

Mike Harris, Defensive back

Mike Harris, also known as “Mud”, now lives in Orlando. He is a real estate investor (including several houses in Gainesville) and also does “about a thousand tax returns a year” including some of his former teammates. His son, Marcell, is a rising junior defensive back on the Florida football team. “He’s a hard worker,” Harris said of his son. “I’m kinda proud of him.”

Demetric Jackson, Defensive back

Jackson went to work at UF after graduation in the strength and conditioning program with “some on the field responsibilities.” He then coached for two years at Buchholz High before Fort White, where he attended elementary school, built a high school and hired him to be the head coach. He is entering his 10th year as the head man at Fort White, where he lives. He is married with two children and his daughter is a sophomore at UF.

Doug Johnson, Quarterback

Johnson was in for only one play of the national title game, but went on to be a starting quarterback for Steve Spurrier. He played for seven years in the NFL, some of it as a starter, before settling in Melrose Bay. He owns Johnson and Fletcher Insurance, is married and has two children. He also started the “Reelin’ For Kids” charity fishing tournament 13 years ago which has given close to $1 million to the Boys and Girls Club.

Ryan Kalich, Offensive guard

Kalich played two years for the Washington Redskins and two weeks in NFL Europe before spending a year as a “ski bum” in Colorado. With his degree in construction, he joined homebuilders in Dallas and Houston before starting his own homebuilding company “Blitz Custom Homes” in Houston, where he lives.

Nafis Karim, Wide receiver

Karim was the fourth receiver when the Gators went four-wide in the game. He has been coaching high school football in Georgia and is at Dunwoody high in Dunwoody, Ga., where he lives with his wife and one child. He is the special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach.

Jevon Kearse, Linebacker

Kearse, nicknamed “The Freak” spent 11 season in the NFL with Tennessee and Philadelphia. He finished his pro career with 74 sacks. He has a foundation in Fort Myers that helps underprivileged children.

Keith Kelsey, Linebacker

Kelsey lives in Gainesville where he is employed by Phillips, a company that manufactures MRIs. He is married with two boys. His oldest son is an All-ACC linebacker and leading tackler last year for Louisville and his youngest son plays at Gainesville High.

Anthone Lott, Defensive back

Lott played for the Cincinnati Bengals for one season. He worked in a variety of jobs and recently was an owner of a Zaxby’s in Plant City. He recently sold off his interest in the Zaxby’s and works for Family Medical Group selling pharmaceuticals. He lives in Tampa.

Pat Lowe, Linebacker

Lowe lives in Coconut Creek where he is the assistant principal at Dillard High School and serves on the Broward County School Board. He is married with two daughters and one son.

Eugene McCaslin, Running back

McCaslin is the answer to the best trivia question about the national title game because he made the tackle on the opening kickoff and carried the ball as the clock struck 0:00. “I started the game and I finished the game,” he said. “I was the only guy in on the first play and the last play.” McCaslin is now an accounts manager for CenturyLink and lives in Orlando.

Xavier McCray, Linebacker

“Zay” McCray has been involved in coaching and teaching since he left the University of Florida. He has been a head coach at Fort Myers Cypress Lake, a track coach and defensive back coach at Miami Carol City and now works at Golden Glades Elementary in Miami Gardens. There, he works with children who have emotional or behavioral disorders. He lives in Miami and has a son and a daughter.

Reggie McGrew, Defensive lineman

McGrew was a force in the middle for the Gators and went on to be a first-round draft pick by San Francisco in 1999. He played for six seasons for the 49ers, Falcons and Rams before retiring because of knee problems. He lived in California with his wife, former UF volleyball star Nina Foster, and daughter until recently when they moved to Gainesville while McGrew finished up his degree at UF. In May, he was hired as an assistant strength coach at Florida.

Anthony Mitchell, Defensive lineman

Mitchell worked for Apex, a landscaping company in Gainesville until five years ago when he moved just south of West Palm Beach and started AM Fitness. He is a personal trainer who specializes in making things convenient for his clients by coming to them. “I was watching that (Sugar Bowl) game the other day and they cut some plays out and I think they were all the ones I was in,” he said of the Sugar Bowl. “That game was a blur to me.”

Dwayne Mobley, Fullback

Mobley was the man who plowed the road for Florida’s three-headed running attack. He now lives in Spring Hill and teaches math and coaches football at his alma mater Hernando High in Brooksville. He is married with two teen-aged daughters.

Dock Pollard, Defensive back

Pollard played Arena football for several years and also was in the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball organization. He turned to coaching in 2005 and was at Santa Fe High and Eastside the last three years. He was recently named the defensive coordinator at Tallahassee Leon and lives in Tallahassee.

Jamie Richardson, Wide receiver

Richardson lives in Thomasville, Ga. He owns his own semi truck and drives containers around the country. He is married with two daughters and a son.

Wyley Ritch, Center

Wyley Ritch was thrust into the starting lineup when All-SEC center Jeff Mitchell was lost for the year with a broken ankle against Georgia. “It was a chance for me,” Ritch said. “Once I got in, Steve Spurrier was the one who kept me in there. I owe him a lot.” Ritch lives in Gainesville and is manager of 46 insurance adjusters for Crawford and Co. He is married and has a son.

Willie Rodgers, Defensive end

Willie Rodgers lives in Gainesville and is an area sales manager for BAKO labs. He is married with three children. His daughter Heidi was born while he was a player at Florida and is now a student at UF. His son, Willie, is a track athlete at Barton College in Great Bend, Kansas.

Taras Ross, Tight end

After graduation, Ross went to Troy University to get a Master’s degree in political psychology and then went to work at Bay Correctional Facility in Panama City. There, he works with mental health patients and plans to get his doctorate. He lives in Panama City with his wife, twin sons and a daughter.

Nick Schiralli, Wide receiver

Schiralli was planning on watching the Sugar Bowl from the stands, but after the Gators arrived in New Orleans special teams coach Barry Wilson surprised him by telling him he was going to play. “I had to call my parents to make sure they were coming to the game,” Schiralli said. He is now a scout for the Denver Broncos and lives in Jupiter with his wife and four children.

Brian Schottenheimer, Quarterback

“Schotty” — as Steve Spurrier called him — transferred to Florida from Kansas in 1993 in essence to learn from the UF coach. He stepped into the NFL in 1997 and coached for 14 years for four teams before replacing Mike Bobo as offensive coordinator at Georgia. He is now the quarterbacks coach for the Colts and lives in Indianapolis with his wife and two children.

Shea Showers, Defensive back

Showers, who specialized as a nickel back at UF, is in his second stint as an assistant coach at Fort White High. He worked with former UF teammate Demetric Jackson before becoming the head coach at Santa Fe High. He is back at Fort White as defensive coordinator. He is married with a son, a senior at Fort White.

Robby Stevenson, Punter

Stevenson became a teacher and a football coach in his hometown of Bradenton before the sheriff in Manatee County asked him to come work for him. After going through training, he became a detective and currently works in the warrants division chasing down fugitives. “It’s a little dangerous, especially nowadays with what’s going on,” he said. He is married with two daughters and a third on the way.

Deac Story, offensive guard

Just a couple of days after he graduated from UF, Story had an interview at Bradford High and has been there ever since. He currently coaches junior varsity volleyball and girls weightlifting and is a driver’s education teacher. He lives in Gainesville with his wife and 2-year-old daughter.

Fred Taylor, Running back

Taylor spent 11 years with the Jacksonville Jaguars rushing for 11,695 yards and was inducted into their Pride of the Jaguars. He now lives in Southwest Ranches, a town in Broward County. He and his wife, Andrea, have five children, including Kelvin who was a 1,000-yard rusher at Florida in 2015. Taylor is involved in several businesses and also has a marketing and consulting company, TaylorMade Ventures, and does radio and TV work on Jaguar games. “Football has allowed me several opportunities to break away from the once shy and not wanting to speak to the media kid from years ago into someone who can’t stop speaking when talking football, mentorship and life,” he said. Taylor is also involved with Fred Taylor Foundation charity which provides opportunities for underprivileged communities and kids with physical disabilities.

Matt Teague, Placekicker

Matt Teague was the kick-off man in the national title game and after the win over FSU was seen clutching his newborn baby in the locker room after the game. That baby is now 20-year-old Kyler, one of four boys he has with his wife. He lives in Keystone Heights where he is a pharmaceutical salesman with OptionCare.

Dwayne Thomas, Linebacker

Thomas, one of the heroes of Florida’s win over FSU in The Swamp a season later, lives in Gainesville with his wife, four children and two grandchildren. He works in pharmaceutical sales for Horizon Pharma and is a co-pastor in Alachua at Living Covenant Church.

Fred Weary, Defensive back

Weary played for six seasons in the NFL. He dabbled in radio and coached at Mandarin Christian for two years before moving into retirement on his NFL pension. He lives in St. Johns, south of Jacksonville, with his wife and two daughters.

Eli Williams, Running back

Williams was part of the three-pronged attack at tailback in 1996 but switched to defensive back the following year and was good enough to be picked in the sixth round by the Atlanta Falcons. He played in 50 games for the Falcons. He coached Oak Ridge High in Orlando for six seasons before stepping away for a year. He was named the head coach at Orlando Jones in December. He has a son who plays high school football in Atlanta.

Lawrence Wright, Defensive back

Wright was the winner of the Jim Thorpe Award in 1996 and popularized the phrase, “If you ain’t a Gator, you must be Gator bait, baby!” He lives in Fort Lauderdale with his four children and owns Lawrence Wright Luxury Development. He also serves as a life coach, speaking to groups. “We shoulda beat FSU the first time,” he said. “All of the injuries, touchdown called back, they put extra sand on the field to slow us down.”

Jon Xynidis, Defensive back

Jon Xynidis, who was a special teams demon, lives in Daytona Beach and owns his own wealth management company. “Sometimes when a big event happens in your life, you don’t realize how big it was until down the line,” he said.

Corey Yarbrough, Offensive lineman

Yarbrough played both center and guard for the ’96 Gators as a redshirt freshman. He now lives in Julington Creek where he is a financial advisor. He is married with two children, a son and a daughter.

Mike Younkin, Long snapper

Mike Younkin lives in Forsythe, Ga., just south of Atlanta. He is a medical device salesman for Medtronic. He is married with two boys.