| Florida Gators–No. 87 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Punter / Placekicker |
| Class | Graduate |
| Major | Recreation |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | February 7, 1976 Bradenton, Florida |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 173 lb (78 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | |
| Bowl games |
|
| High school | Manatee |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Robert Louis Stevenson (born February 7, 1976) is a former American college football player who was a punter and placekicker for the Florida Gators football team of the University of Florida.
Stevenson was born in Bradenton, Florida, and grew up playing soccer. He attended Manatee High School in Bradenton, and was the starting placekicker and punter for the Manatee Hurricanes high school football team from 1992 to 1994. [1] The Hurricanes won the Florida Class 5A state football championship in 1992, in which Stevenson kicked a 47-yard field goal, and returned to the state final again in 1993. [1] As a senior in 1994, he was recognized by USA Today as a high school All-American. [1] Ironically, Stevenson wanted to play quarterback, but the Hurricanes needed a kicker more, and as a lifetime soccer player, he filled the need. [1]
Stevenson accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, [1] where he played for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1995 to 1997. [2] He earned the starting punter position as a true freshman in 1995, [2] and served as the Gators' primary punter through the end of his junior season in 1997.
Prior to the 1998 season, Stevenson was diagnosed with Graves' disease. [3] Although he initially hoped to take a medical redshirt in 1998 and return the following year, [4] the diagnosis effectively ended his football career. [3]
Stevenson was criticized by some commentators for his inconsistency, as evidenced by delivering short kicks in lopsided victories but long punts in pressure situations when they mattered most. His longest punt was sixty-four yards against the Vanderbilt Commodores in 1996. [2] Stevenson posted a career average of 40.7 yards per punt during his three-year tenure as the Gators starting punter, which ranks seventh on the Gators' all-time list—one place ahead of his Gators head coach, Steve Spurrier. [2]
Stevenson's best season average was 42.1 yards per punt in 1996, [2] when Florida won the Southeastern Conference (SEC) title with an undefeated 8–0 conference season, and defeated the top-ranked Florida State Seminoles in the Sugar Bowl to win the consensus national championship. During the 1997 season, he handled both the punting and kickoff duties for the Gators. Stevenson proved to be a weapon on kickoffs, with twenty-one of seventy-one kickoffs resulting in touchbacks, and over half of his kickoffs reaching the opposing goal line or beyond.
Stevenson graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in health and human performance in 2001. He currently works as a Manatee County deputy sheriff. [1] He and his wife Holly live in Palmetto , Florida, [1] and they have three daughters.
Douglas Adair Dickey is an American former college football player and coach and college athletics administrator. Dickey is a South Dakota native who was raised in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida, where he played college football. He is best known as the head coach of the University of Tennessee and the University of Florida football teams, and afterward, as the athletic director of the University of Tennessee.
Jeffrey Robin Chandler is an American former college and professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons during the early 2000s. Chandler played college football for the University of Florida, where he became the all-time leading scorer with 368 points. Thereafter, he played professionally for the San Francisco 49ers, Carolina Panthers and Washington Redskins of the NFL.
D'Tanyian Jacquez "Quezi" Green is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and punt returner in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons during the 1990s and early 2000s. Green played college football for the Florida Gators, earning consensus All-American honors in 1997. He was a second-round pick in the 1998 NFL draft, and played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Washington Redskins and the Detroit Lions of the NFL.
Donald Gene "Babe" Chandler was an American professional football player who was a punter and placekicker for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) in the 1950s and 1960s. Chandler played college football for the Florida Gators, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers of the NFL.
Reidel Clarence Anthony is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) from 1997 to 2001. He played college football for the Florida Gators, and received consensus All-American honors in 1996. Anthony was a first-round pick in the 1997 NFL draft, and played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.
Charles Ray Hunsinger was an American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL) for six seasons during the 1950s. Hunsinger played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Chicago Bears of the NFL and the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL.
Ricky Rennard Nattiel, nicknamed "Ricky the Rocket", is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for six seasons with the Denver Broncos in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s and 1990s. Nattiel played college football for the Florida Gators before playing professionally for the Broncos.
The 2001 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2001 college football season. The Gators competed in Division I-A of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), playing their home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus.
Ernest Lee Mills, III is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the Florida Gators.
Willie Bernard Jackson Jr. is an American former professional football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Florida. As a football coach, he was the wide receivers coach for the Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football (AAF).
Bobby Joe Green was an American football professional punter who played in the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Florida Gators.
Anthony Edward Green is an American former professional football player who was a kickoff returner and running back in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons during the late 1970s. Green played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Washington Redskins, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks of the NFL.
The 1966 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. The Gators competed in the University Division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). In their seventh season under head coach Ray Graves, the Gators compiled a 9–2 overall win–loss record, finished 5–1 and placed third among the SEC's ten teams. Led by quarterback Steve Spurrier, the Gators outscored their opponents by a combined total of 265 to 147 and concluded their 1966 season with a 27–12 victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the 1967 Orange Bowl. The Gators were not ranked in the final AP Poll, but finished No. 11 in the final UPI Coaches Poll.
Richard Alexander Fain is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons during the early 1990s. Fain played college football for the Florida Gators, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Cincinnati Bengals, Phoenix Cardinals and Chicago Bears of the NFL.
James Arthur Spencer, Jr. is an American former college and professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons during the 1990s and early 2000s. Spencer played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos of the NFL.
Buford Eugene Long was an American college and professional football player who was a defensive back, halfback and end in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons during the 1950s. Long played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New York Giants of the NFL.
Jack Ridley Harper is an American former college and professional football player who was a running back in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for two seasons during the 1960s. Harper played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Miami Dolphins of the AFL and NFL.
The Auburn–Florida football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Auburn Tigers football team of Auburn University and Florida Gators football team of the University of Florida which was first played in 1912. The schools have been members of the same athletic conference for over a century and were founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) when it was established in 1933. The contest was an annual tradition from 1945 until 2002, when the SEC expanded and the rivalry became part of a rotation of other conference games. Since then, the teams have met only four times.
Randall Shayne Edge is an American former college and professional football player who was a punter in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1990s. Edge played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL.
Richard Earl Trapp is an American former college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL) for two seasons during the late 1960s. Trapp played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, played professionally for the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers of the AFL.
