Florida DT Leon Orr gets on bus back to Gainesville after learning he wouldn't start at Vanderbilt
Update: 11/9 - 12:30 a.m. ET
After Florida took care of Vanderbilt 34-10, Gators head coach Will Muschamp told reporters that Orr is no longer a member of the Florida football team.
"That was his decision," Muschamp said, per the Orlando Sentinel. "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 we've been starting.
"Guys aren't going to put themselves above the team. Not here."
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Well, this is a new one.
After learning he would not be in the starting lineup Saturday night at Vanderbilt, Florida senior defensive tackle Leon Orr opted to get on a bus and return to Gainesville. For real. That’s close to a nine-hour trip.
According to Gatorzone.com, Florida’s official website, Orr “expressed displeasure” when he found out he would not start. Even though it was explained to him that he would “be heavily involved in a game plan featuring an eight-man rotation” of defensive linemen, Orr decided to “leave the team and return to Gainesville on a bus.”
“He was more concerned with starting than being part of the team,” Muschamp said.
Orr, in his fifth year with the program, has played in 37 games during his career, including 10 starts. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Orr has 16 tackles this season.
Coming into this season, Orr tallied a total of 46 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in his previous three seasons with the program.
The Gators are 4-3 after last weekend’s win over Georgia.
For more Florida news, visit InsideTheGators.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
