Gurley was born in Quincy, Florida in 1978.[3] He attended Amos P. Godby High School in Tallahassee, Florida,[4] and he played high school football for the Godby Cougars.[5] Gurley was considered one of the nation's top defensive line prospects, and was recognized as a consensus high school All-American, including first-team All-American honors from USA Today, in 1995.[5]
College career
Gurley accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida,[5] where he played for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1997 to 2000.[6] As a redshirt senior in 2000, he was a member of the Gators' 2000 SEC Championship team. Gurley graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in health and human performance in 2001.
Professional career
Gurley was not selected during the 2001 NFL draft, and he signed with the Miami Dolphins as a free agent after the draft in April 2001. He was cut from the Dolphins after the preseason and later was signed to the Chicago Bears practice squad for several days during the regular season. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on March 7, 2002.[7] He played in eight games during the Buccaneers' Super Bowl XXXVII championship season.[8]
Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN0-7948-2298-3.
Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN0-9650782-1-3.
Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN1-58261-514-4.