Leon Orr walks away from Florida Gators

Nashville — Fifth-year senior Leon Orr made a decision on Saturday, one that will affect him the rest of his life.

“He left our football team on game day,” Will Muschamp said about Orr.

Orr had not started a game for the Gators since Florida traveled to Alabama earlier in the season. Moving Jon Bullard down inside and sliding Darious Cummings over to nose tackle has made the defensive line more athletic, something Muschamp favors.

Orr has grown impatient and was obviously upset that he was no longer starting on the defense. When Orr was informed that he would not start against Vanderbilt, but that he would still have a big role in the defensive line rotation, he made a decision.

A selfish one.

“He hadn’t started all week in practice. He came to me and didn’t understand why he wasn’t starting. Said he was going to go home. That was his decision,” Muschamp said of his interaction with Orr. “I said, ‘If you go home, you’re done. You’re not a Florida Gator anymore.’ I appreciate Leon and his contributions to our football program. He felt like he should have been starting. I thought we’ve been productive with the four guys that have been starting.”

Orr chose to board a bus, leaving his teammates mere hours before they were to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores and continue playing for their SEC lives.

It left Muschamp in the awkward position of having to go in front of his team as they ate pre-game meal and explain to them why one of their own had deserted them.

Orr played 37 games during his Gator career including 10 starts (two this season). He’ll finish his career with 61 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

Muschamp has worked hard since taking over as the head coach of the Florida Gators to change the image of the program. He’s cleaned up off the field issues but this kind of selfishness is something he can’t and won’t tolerate.

“That’s the way it goes,” he said. “Guys aren’t going to put themselves above the team. Not here.”

Nick de la Torre
A South Florida native, Nick developed a passion for all things sports at a very young age. His love for baseball was solidified when he saw Al Leiter’s no-hitter for the Marlins live in May of 1996. He was able to play baseball in college but quickly realized there isn’t much of a market for short, slow outfielders that hit around the Mendoza line. Wanting to continue with sports in some capacity he studied journalism at the University of Central Florida. Nick got his first start in the business as an intern for a website covering all things related to the NFL draft before spending two seasons covering the Florida football team at Bleacher Report. That job led him to GatorCountry. When he isn’t covering Gator sports, Nick enjoys hitting way too many shots on the golf course, attempting to keep up with his favorite t.v. shows and watching the Heat, Dolphins and Marlins. Follow him on twitter @NickdelatorreGC

5 COMMENTS

  1. That hurts depth and keeping guys fresh, but it’s a small loss if someone is not buying into what is good for the team. I agree that moving Bullard inside has improved the line play, Orr has never been a great player, I guess he had an inflated opinion of himself. The adage, “Pride cometh before the fall.” is applicable here.

  2. Come on Orr! Your behavior sounds like Winston. Selfish, Selfish, Selfish.

    It’s not like Orr had a sexual assault swept under the carpet by the Tallahassee police, steal crab and get caught on Publix video surveillance cameras, stand on the table in the student quad and degrade women and have a pending point shaving scandal. Come to think of it. I hope this clown stays at F$U! He is making their program and school, University doesn’t apply here, more embarrassing, if that is possible.

    Very disappointed in Orr. Good luck in arena football.