Meyer: Gators Being Cautious About Swine Flu

More and more Americans are being diagnosed with swine flu each day. College football is not immune to the infection. More than a dozen players on Ole Miss have flu-like symptoms, and they aren’t the only team facing the issue. Florida has been lucky and hasn’t had any players diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, but it doesn’t mean the coaches aren’t being careful.

Although none of the Florida Gators' football players have shown all the symptoms of the swine flu, coach Urban Meyer is taking no chances with his players.

Meyer is keeping a close eye on LB Brandon Hicks, who had to miss practice because of dehydration, and OL Nick Alajajian, who has lost 10 pounds since camp started.

It isn’t just players they are taking plenty of precautions for.

“One staff member isn’t feeling good, so if you are here, you close your door,” Meyer said. “I’m not being rude, but we are trying to win a game.”

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Freshman LB Jelani Jenkins is doubtful for Saturday’s game with a sprained ankle. Junior DT Lawrence Marsh still was unable to participate in all of practice, but Meyer said if he can practice Thursday, he will play him Saturday.

WR Carl Moore and CB Jeremy Brown are expected to miss a couple more weeks recovering from a procedure done to fix their respective back injuries. Meyer seemed frustrated with how long the recovery is taking. “They told me when all this happened that it was going to be a couple of weeks,” he said. “It’s been a bunch of weeks.”

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Meyer doesn’t plan on using the Banzai package for an entire game because they have too many schemes in the play book. The Banzai is the up-tempo the offense uses to keep an opponent's defense on it's heels.

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Meyer said he doesn’t like to have to sit players that have started before because of the close relationship with all of them, but the players know when they go to UF that there is so much talent that it is a possibility that they could lose their job.

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DE Jermaine Cunningham should play against Troy. The senior sat out the season opener because Meyer said he wasn’t ready to play.

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The coaches will discuss Thursday at what part of the game they want to bring in sophomore QB John Brantley against the Trojans.