100 Notable alumni of
University of Florida
Updated:
The University of Florida is 59th in the world, 31st in North America, and 30th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of Florida sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Aaron Hernandez
- Enrolled in the University of Florida
- Studied in 2007-2009
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Aaron Josef Hernandez was an American professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played three seasons with the New England Patriots until his arrest and conviction for the murder of Odin Lloyd.
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Dan Bilzerian
- Occupations
- businesspersonpoker playerinfluencer
- Biography
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Daniel Brandon Bilzerian is an American poker player, businessman, and social media influencer. He gained notability for his extravagant lifestyle and photo ops with scantily dressed female models on social media. He is the eldest son of businessman Paul Alec Bilzerian and the brother of poker player and writer Adam J. Bilzerian.
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Cam Newton
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Cameron Jerrell Newton is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He is the NFL leader in career quarterback rushing touchdowns and third in career quarterback rushing yards. Following a stint with the Florida Gators, Newton played college football for the Auburn Tigers, winning the Heisman Trophy and the 2011 BCS National Championship Game as a junior. He was selected first overall by the Panthers in the 2011 NFL draft, where he holds franchise records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, and rushing touchdowns.
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Tim Tebow
- Occupations
- professional baseball playertelevision presenterAmerican football player
- Biography
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Timothy Richard Tebow is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. Tebow played college football for the Florida Gators, where he became the first underclassman to win the Heisman Trophy and helped lead the team to two BCS National Championship titles in 2006 and 2008. At the conclusion of his collegiate career, Tebow held the Southeastern Conference's records for career passing efficiency and rushing touchdowns. He was selected by the Broncos in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft.
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Faye Dunaway
- Occupations
- screenwriterfilm producerfilm actorstage actorfilm director
- Biography
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Dorothy Faye Dunaway is an American actress. She is the recipient of many accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and a BAFTA Award. In 2011, the government of France made her an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters.
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Marco Rubio
- Enrolled in the University of Florida
- In 1993 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Marco Antonio Rubio is an American politician, diplomat, and attorney currently serving as the 72nd United States secretary of state since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he served from 2011 to 2025 as a United States senator from Florida and was a candidate for president of the United States in the 2016 Republican primaries.
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Jason Williams
- Occupations
- basketball playerscreenwriter
- Biography
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Jason Chandler Williams is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for twelve seasons from 1998 to 2011. In 2006, Williams won his first and only NBA championship as the starting point guard for the Miami Heat. Nicknamed "White Chocolate", Williams is known for his unorthodox streetball style of playing throughout his career in the NBA.
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Al Horfiurd the third
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Alfred Joel Horford Reynoso OMDSM, is a Dominican professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time NBA All-Star and won the NBA championship with the Celtics in 2024.
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Ryan Lochte
- Occupations
- swimmer
- Biography
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Ryan Steven Lochte is an American former competition swimmer and 12-time Olympic medalist. He is the third-most decorated swimmer in Olympic history measured by total number of medals, behind only Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky. Lochte's seven individual Olympic medals rank second in history in men's swimming (again to Michael Phelps), tied for second among all Olympic swimmers. He currently holds the world records in the 200-meter individual medley, and, as part of the American team, in the 4×200-meter freestyle (both long course).
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Michael Connelly
- Enrolled in the University of Florida
- Studied journalism
- Occupations
- screenwriterjournalistnovelistactorwriter
- Biography
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Michael Joseph Connelly is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. Connelly is the bestselling author of 38 novels and one work of non-fiction, with over 74 million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into 40 languages. His first novel, The Black Echo, won the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly's 1997 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of Connelly's novel The Lincoln Lawyer starred Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. Connelly was the President of the Mystery Writers of America from 2003 to 2004.
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Erin Andrews
- Occupations
- journalisttelevision presentersports commentator
- Biography
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Erin Jill Andrews is an American sportscaster and television personality. She rose to prominence as a correspondent on the American cable sports channel ESPN after joining the network in 2004. She later joined Fox Sports in 2012 and has since become the lead sideline reporter for the network's NFL broadcasting team. In 2010, she also gained further recognition from placing third on the tenth season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars and eventually co-hosted the show from 2014 to 2019 with Tom Bergeron.
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Jesse Palmer
- Occupations
- American football playerreality television participantsports commentatortelevision presenter
- Biography
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Jesse James Palmer is a Canadian television personality, sports commentator, and former professional football player who was a quarterback for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) in the early 2000s. Palmer played college football for the Florida Gators under coach Steve Spurrier, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers in the NFL before spending half of the 2006 season with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
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Joakim Noah
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Joakim Simon Noah is a former professional basketball player. Born in New York, Noah was a member of the France national team and played college basketball for the Florida Gators, winning back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007. The Chicago Bulls selected Noah with the ninth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. Noah is a two-time NBA All-Star and was named to the All-NBA First Team in 2014 when he also was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
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Stephen Root
- Occupations
- actorfilm actortelevision actorcharacter actorvoice actor
- Biography
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Stephen Root is an American actor. He has starred as Jimmy James on the NBC sitcom NewsRadio (1995–1999), as Milton Waddams in the film Office Space (1999), and voiced Bill Dauterive and Buck Strickland on the animated series King of the Hill (1997–2010).
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Abby Wambach
- Occupations
- podcasterassociation football player
- Biography
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Mary Abigail Wambach, OLY is an American retired soccer player, coach, and member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. A six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award, Wambach was a regular on the U.S. women's national soccer team from 2003 to 2015, earning her first cap in 2001. As a forward, she currently stands as the highest all-time goal scorer for the national team and is second in international goals for both female and male soccer players with 184 goals, behind Canadian Christine Sinclair. Wambach was awarded the 2012 FIFA World Player of the Year, becoming the first American woman to win the award in 10 years. She was included on the 2015 Time 100 list as one of the most influential people in the world.
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Ryan Sweeting
- Occupations
- tennis player
- Biography
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Ryan Sweeting is an American former professional tennis player.
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Joe Scarborough
- Enrolled in the University of Florida
- In 1990 graduated with Juris Doctor
- Occupations
- musicianjournalisttelevision presenterradio personalitylawyer
- Biography
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Charles Joseph Scarborough is an American television host and former politician who is the co-host of Morning Joe on MSNBC with his wife Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist. He previously hosted Scarborough Country on the same network. A former member of the Republican Party, Scarborough was in the United States House of Representatives for Florida's 1st district from 1995 to 2001. He was appointed to the President's Council on the 21st Century Workforce in 2002 and was a visiting fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He was named in the 2011 Time 100 as one of the most influential people in the world.
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Stephen Stills
- Occupations
- session musiciansinger-songwriterguitaristsinger
- Biography
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Stephen Arthur Stills is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills & Nash; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and Manassas. As both a solo act and member of three successful bands, Stills has combined record sales of over 35 million albums. He was ranked number 28 in Rolling Stone's 2003 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and number 47 in the 2011 list. Stills became the first person to be inducted twice on the same night into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. According to Neil Young, "Stephen is a genius".
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Emmitt Smith
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Emmitt James Smith III is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, 13 as a member of the Dallas Cowboys and 2 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Among other accolades, he is the league's all-time leading rusher.
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Cris Collinsworth
- Occupations
- sports commentatorAmerican football player
- Biography
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Anthony Cris Collinsworth is an American former professional football player and sports broadcaster who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons (1981–1988) with the Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football at the University of Florida, where he was recognized as an All-American. He is a television sportscaster for NBC, Showtime, and the NFL Network, and winner of 17 Sports Emmy Awards. He is also the majority owner of Pro Football Focus.
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Buddy Ebsen
- Occupations
- singerdancermilitary officercomposerstage actor
- Biography
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Buddy Ebsen, also known as Frank "Buddy" Ebsen, was an American actor and dancer. One of his most famous roles was as Jed Clampett in the CBS television sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971); afterwards he starred as the title character in the television detective drama Barnaby Jones (1973–1980).
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Paul Tibbets
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotmilitary personnelmilitary officer
- Biography
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Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr. was a brigadier general in the United States Air Force. He is best known as the aircraft captain who flew the B-29 Superfortress known as the Enola Gay (named after his mother) when it dropped a Little Boy, the first of two atomic bombs used in warfare, on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
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Jonathan Demme
- Occupations
- film screenwritercinematographerdirectorfilm actordocumentary filmmaker
- Biography
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Robert Jonathan Demme was an American filmmaker, whose career directing, producing, and screenwriting spanned more than 30 years and 70 feature films, documentaries, and television productions. He was an Academy Award and a Directors Guild of America Award winner, and received nominations for a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three Independent Spirit Awards.
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Caeleb Dressel
- Occupations
- swimmer
- Biography
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Caeleb Remel Dressel is an American competitive swimmer who specializes in freestyle, butterfly, and individual medley events. He swims representing the Cali Condors as part of the International Swimming League. He won a record seven gold medals at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, nine medals, six of which were gold, at the 2018 World Short Course Swimming Championships in Hangzhou, and eight medals, including six gold, at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju. Dressel is a nine-time Olympic gold medalist and holds world records in the 100 meter butterfly (long course), and 100 meter individual medley (short course).
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Udonis Haslem
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Udonis Johneal Haslem is an American professional basketball executive and former player. He is the Vice President of Basketball Development for the Miami Heat, where he spent his entire 20-year playing career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Haslem is one of only three players in NBA history to play at least 20 years with one team. He played college basketball for the Florida Gators, where he was a key member of four NCAA tournament teams. Haslem began his professional career in France with Chalon-sur-Saône and then signed with his hometown Miami Heat in 2003, leaving as the longest-tenured player in franchise history when he retired in 2023. Haslem won three NBA championships with the Heat in 2006, 2012, and 2013.
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Bradley Beal
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Bradley Emmanuel Beal Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Florida Gators before being selected by the Washington Wizards with the third overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. In eleven seasons with Washington, he was named to the All-Rookie First Team in 2013, the All-NBA Third Team in 2021, and was a three-time All-Star. Beal is second on the Wizards' all-time leading scorer list.
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Pam Bondi
- Enrolled in the University of Florida
- In 1987 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- lobbyistpoliticianlawyer
- Biography
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Pamela Jo Bondi is an American attorney, lobbyist, and politician who has served as the 87th United States attorney general since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, she served as Florida attorney general from 2011 to 2019, the first woman elected to the office.
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David Lee
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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David Lee is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Florida Gators before he was drafted 30th overall by the New York Knicks in the 2005 NBA draft. He was a 2-time NBA All-Star and was selected to the All-NBA Third Team in 2013.
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Debbie Wasserman Schultz
- Enrolled in the University of Florida
- In 1988 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- In 1990 graduated with Master of Arts
- Occupations
- politiciancongressional staff
- Biography
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Deborah Wasserman Schultz is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 25th congressional district, first elected to Congress in 2004. A member of the Democratic Party, she is a former chair of the Democratic National Committee.
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Adrian Pasdar
- Occupations
- film directoractortelevision actorcomposerfilm actor
- Biography
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Adrian Pasdar is an American film, television, and voice actor. He is known for his roles in Profit, Near Dark, Carlito's Way, Mysterious Ways, Desperate Housewives, Burn Notice, Heroes and as Glenn Talbot / Graviton on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Additionally, he directed the feature film Cement. He is also known as the voice of Tony Stark / Iron Man in Marvel Anime, as well as in the animated series Ultimate Spider-Man, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel, and Avengers Assemble, and in the Lego Marvel Superheroes and Disney Infinity videogames. He also played district attorney Alec Rybak on The Lying Game. He has appeared on the American TV drama Grand Hotel as Felix.
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Abdul Hakim Sani Brown
- Occupations
- athletics competitorsprinter
- Biography
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Abdul Hakim Sani Brown is a Japanese athlete specialising in sprinting events. Sani Brown has a Japanese mother and a Ghanaian father. Sani Brown won the 100 metres at the 2015 World Youth Championships in Athletics setting a championship record of 10.28 (−0.4) in the final.
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JoAnna Garcia Swisher
- Occupations
- actorfilm actorstage actorteachertelevision actor
- Biography
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JoAnna García Swisher is an American actress and businesswoman. She is known for her roles as Sam in Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1994–96), Vicki Appleby in Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000), and Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery on The WB/CW sitcom Reba (2001–07). She has also gained popularity with her acting roles in Privileged (2008–09), Better with You (2010–11), Animal Practice (2012), Once Upon a Time (2013–18), The Astronaut Wives Club (2015), Fist Fight (2017) and Sweet Magnolias (2020–present). García also stars as Lindsey Johnson in Hallmark Channel's As Luck Would Have It (2021). She hosted The Ultimatum: Queer Love on Netflix in 2023.
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Neil Druckmann
- Occupations
- creative directorwritercomputer scientistscreenwriter
- Biography
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Neil Druckmann is an Israeli–American writer, creative director, designer, and programmer. He is the studio head and head of creative of the video game developer Naughty Dog, and is best known for his work on the game franchises Uncharted and The Last of Us, having co-created the latter.
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Eugene Sledge
- Occupations
- academicuniversity teacherbiologistwritersoldier
- Biography
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Eugene Bondurant Sledge was a United States Marine, university professor, and author. His 1981 memoir With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa chronicled his combat experiences during World War II and was used as source material for the Ken Burns PBS documentary The War (2007), as well as the HBO miniseries The Pacific (2010), in which he is portrayed by Joseph Mazzello.
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Bill Nelson
- Occupations
- astronautpoliticianlawyer
- Biography
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Clarence William Nelson II is an American politician, attorney, and former astronaut who served from 2001 to 2019 as a United States senator from Florida and from 2021 to 2025 as the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). A member of the Democratic Party, Nelson served from 1979 to 1991 as a U.S. representative from Florida's Space Coast, and from 1972 to 1978 as a member of the Florida House of Representatives. In January 1986, he became the second sitting member of Congress to fly in space, after Senator Jake Garn, when he served as a payload specialist on mission STS-61-C aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. Before entering politics he served in the United States Army Reserve during the Vietnam War.
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Steve Spurrier
- Occupations
- American football coachAmerican football player
- Biography
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Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nickname, "the Head Ball Coach". He played college football as a quarterback for the Florida Gators, where he won the 1966 Heisman Trophy. The San Francisco 49ers selected him in the first round of the 1967 NFL draft, and he spent a decade playing in the National Football League (NFL) mainly as a backup quarterback and punter. Spurrier was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1986.
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Rodney Mullen
- Occupations
- skateboarder
- Biography
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John Rodney Mullen is an American professional skateboarder who practices freestyle skateboarding and street skateboarding. He is considered one of the most influential skateboarders of all time. Mullen is credited for inventing numerous tricks, including the flatground ollie, kickflip, heelflip, impossible, and 360-kickflip. As a result, he has been called the "Godfather of freestyle skating."
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David Ross
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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David Wade Ross is an American former professional baseball catcher and manager. He managed the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2020 to 2023. He played in MLB for 15 seasons.
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Chandler Parsons
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Chandler Evan Parsons is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Florida and was drafted by the Houston Rockets with the 38th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. Between 2011 and 2020, Parsons played in the NBA for the Rockets, the Dallas Mavericks, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Atlanta Hawks before injuries caused by a drunk driver forced him into retirement.
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Darrell Hammond
- Occupations
- film actorcomediantelevision actor
- Biography
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Darrell Clayton Hammond is an American actor, comedian, impressionist, and announcer. He was a regular cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2009, and has been its announcer since 2014.
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Pete Alonso
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Peter Morgan Alonso, nicknamed "Polar Bear", is an American professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets. He made his MLB debut in 2019.
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Robert Ri'chard
- Occupations
- actortelevision actor
- Biography
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Robert Andrew Ri'chard is an American actor, known for his roles as Bobby Walker on the Nickelodeon sitcom Cousin Skeeter (1998–2002), and as Arnaz Ballard on the UPN sitcom One on One (2001–2006). He received Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming for performance in the made-for-television movie In His Father's Shoes (1998), and NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress for the 1999 teen drama film, Light It Up.
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Will Grier
- Enrolled in the University of Florida
- Studied in 2014-2016
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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William Grier is an American professional football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators and West Virginia Mountaineers and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the third round in the 2019 NFL draft.
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Charlie Strong
- Occupations
- head coachAmerican football player
- Biography
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Charles Rene Strong is an American football coach who is the current defensive line coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He recently served as the assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) in 2021 and also previously served as a defensive analyst at the University of Alabama in 2020.
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Stephen M. Ross
- Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
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Stephen Michael Ross is an American real estate developer, philanthropist, and sports team owner. Ross is the chairman of Related Companies, a global real estate development firm he founded in 1972. Related is best known for developing the Deutsche Bank Center, as well as the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project. Ross has a net worth of $10.1 billion in 2020, ranking him 185 on Forbes Billionaires List in 2020. He is still featured on the list as of 2023. Ross is also the principal owner of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium.
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Percy Harvin
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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William Percival Harvin III is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators, who won the BCS National Championship in 2006 and 2008. A two-time first-team All-American, he was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. Harvin also played for the Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. He was named the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2009 and won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks in 2013 over the Denver Broncos. He attended and played football for Landstown High School in Virginia Beach, where his team won the high school state championship in 2004.
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Jes Macallan
- Occupations
- modeltelevision actorfilm directoractor
- Biography
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Jes Macallan is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Josslyn Carver in ABC drama series Mistresses and Ava Sharpe in The CW superhero comedy-drama Legends of Tomorrow.
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Toby Turner
- Occupations
- musiciancomedianYouTuberMinecraft YouTubertelevision producer
- Biography
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Toby Turner, also known by his stage name Tobuscus, is an American Internet personality, actor, and musician. Originally from Niceville, Florida, he is best known for his YouTube videos. As of October 2024, Turner has a total of over 14.50 million subscribers and over 3.919 billion video views over his three YouTube channels.
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Alan Mozo
- Occupations
- inventorphysicistcomputer scientistuniversity teachermathematician
- Biography
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John Vincent Atanasoff OCM was an American physicist and inventor credited with inventing the first electronic digital computer. Atanasoff invented the first electronic digital computer in the 1930s at Iowa State College (now known as Iowa State University). Challenges to his claim were resolved in 1973 when the Honeywell v. Sperry Rand lawsuit ruled that Atanasoff was the inventor of the computer. His special-purpose machine has come to be called the Atanasoff–Berry Computer.
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Laura Rutledge
- Enrolled in the University of Florida
- Studied broadcast journalism
- Occupations
- journalistbeauty pageant contestant
- Biography
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Laura Rutledge is an American reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. She is an American beauty pageant titleholder from St. Petersburg, Florida, who was named Miss Florida 2012.
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Edward Yang
- Occupations
- screenwriterfilm directordirectoractor
- Biography
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Edward Yang was a Taiwanese and American filmmaker. He rose to prominence as a pioneer in the Taiwanese New Wave of the 1980s, alongside fellow auteurs Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang. Yang was regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of Taiwanese cinema. He won the Best Director Award at Cannes for his 2000 film Yi Yi.
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Corey Brewer
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Corey Wayne Brewer is an American former professional basketball player who serves as an assistant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans. He played college basketball for the Florida Gators, winning back-to-back NCAA national championships in 2006 and 2007. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2007 NCAA tournament.
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Mel Tillis
- Occupations
- singer-songwritermusiciancomposermusic publicistsongwriter
- Biography
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Lonnie Melvin Tillis was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s as part of the outlaw country movement, with a long list of Top 10 hits.
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Jeff VanderMeer
- Occupations
- journalistscience fiction writerscreenwriterliterary criticwriter
- Biography
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Jeff VanderMeer is an American author, editor, and literary critic. Initially associated with the New Weird literary genre, VanderMeer crossed over into mainstream success with his bestselling Southern Reach Series. The series' first novel, Annihilation, won the Nebula and Shirley Jackson Awards, and was adapted into a Hollywood film by director Alex Garland. Among VanderMeer's other novels are Shriek: An Afterword and Borne. He has also edited with his wife Ann VanderMeer such influential and award-winning anthologies as The New Weird, The Weird, and The Big Book of Science Fiction.
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Nick Calathes
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Nicholas William Calathes is a Greek-American professional basketball player for AS Monaco of the French LNB Pro A and the EuroLeague. He is widely considered as one of the best point guards in EuroLeague history.
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Rex Grossman
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Rex Daniel Grossman III is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, most notably with the Chicago Bears. Grossman played college football for the Florida Gators, where he was named AP College Football Player of the Year and won the 2002 Orange Bowl as a sophomore. He was selected by the Bears in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft.
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Joe Haden
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Joseph Walter Haden III is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators, earning unanimous All-American honors and was a member of a BCS National Championship team. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft and played for them for seven seasons. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers for five seasons.
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Kadarius Toney
- Occupations
- rapperAmerican football player
- Biography
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Kadarius Toney is an American professional football wide receiver. Toney played college football at Florida and was selected by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.
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Patrick O'Neal
- Occupations
- film actortelevision actorstage actorrestaurateur
- Biography
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Patrick Wisdom O'Neal was an American actor and restaurateur.
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Ted Yoho
- Enrolled in the University of Florida
- In 1979 graduated with Bachelor of Arts and Science
- In 1983 graduated with Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
- Occupations
- veterinarianpolitician
- Biography
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Theodore Scott Yoho is an American politician, veterinarian, and businessman, who served as the U.S. representative from Florida's 3rd congressional district from 2013 until 2021. He is a member of the Republican Party.
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Stephanie Abrams
- Occupations
- weather presentermeteorologist
- Biography
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Stephanie Abrams is an American television meteorologist who has worked for The Weather Channel (TWC) since 2003. She currently co-hosts America's Morning Headquarters with Jim Cantore and Jordan Steele early weekday mornings, as well as Pattern alongside Steele. She was also employed by NBC News and occasionally appeared on NBC Nightly News, Today and MSNBC.
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Carl Hiaasen
- Occupations
- writernovelistchildren's writerjournalist
- Biography
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Carl Hiaasen is an American journalist and novelist. He began his career as a newspaper reporter and by the late 1970s had begun writing novels in his spare time, both for adults and for middle grade readers. Two of his novels have been made into feature films, and one has been made into a TV series.
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Joseph Kittinger
- Enrolled in the University of Florida
- Studied in 1947-1949
- Occupations
- balloonistair force officerfighter pilot
- Biography
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Joseph William Kittinger II was an officer in the United States Air Force (USAF) who served from 1950 to 1978, and earned Command Pilot status before retiring with the rank of colonel. He held the world record for the highest skydive—102,800 feet (31.3 km)—from 1960 until 2012.
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Fred Taylor
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Frederick Antwon Taylor is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons from 1998 to 2010. He played college football for the Florida Gators and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars ninth overall in the 1998 NFL draft. Taylor played for the Jaguars and New England Patriots and is a member of the 10,000 yard rushing club. He is a co-host of The Pivot Podcast with friends, Channing Crowder and Ryan Clark.
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Janoris Jenkins
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Janoris Jenkins, nicknamed "Jackrabbit", is an American former professional football cornerback. He played college football for the North Alabama Lions and Florida Gators and was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft. Jenkins had his most success as a member of the New York Giants, who he played four seasons with and made a Pro Bowl, and also had stints with the New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers.
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Todd Haley
- Occupations
- American football coachcoach
- Biography
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Richard Todd Haley is an American football coach who most recently was head coach for the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League (USFL).
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Mike Pouncey
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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James Michael Pouncey is an American former professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators, was a member of a BCS National Championship team, and earned All-American honors. He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft, and also played for the Los Angeles Chargers. He is the twin brother of former NFL center Maurkice Pouncey.
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Riley Cooper
- Occupations
- baseball playerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Riley Cooper is an American former professional football wide receiver who played six seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida, where he was a member of two BCS National Championship teams. He was selected by the Eagles in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL draft.
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Wendy Thomas
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Melinda Lou "Wendy" Thomas-Morse is the daughter of American businessman Dave Thomas, the founder of the fast food brand Wendy's. She is the namesake and mascot of the brand. She uses the name Wendy Thomas in her role as a spokesperson for Wendy's.
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Harrison Bader
- Occupations
- baseball player
- Biography
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Harrison Joseph Bader, nicknamed "Tots", is an American professional baseball center fielder for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Mets.
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Marreese Speights
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Marreese Akeem Speights is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Florida Gators, where he was a freshman member of their NCAA national championship team in 2007. The Philadelphia 76ers selected him in the first round of the 2008 NBA draft with the 16th overall pick.
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Mike Miller
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Michael Lloyd Miller is an American basketball coach, former professional player who is the boys' basketball head coach at Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee, as well as being a sports agent. He played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) after being selected by the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2000 NBA draft with the fifth overall pick. Miller was named the NBA Rookie of the Year with the Magic in 2001 and was voted NBA Sixth Man of the Year with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2006. He won two consecutive NBA championships with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013.
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Nancy Stafford
- Occupations
- screenwriterfilm producerfilm actorfilm directorbeauty pageant contestant
- Biography
-
Nancy Elizabeth Stafford is an American actress, speaker and author, known for her roles on television. She came to prominence in the 1980s as Michelle Thomas, law partner, on five seasons of Matlock. She later hosted a syndicated TV series called Main Floor (1995–2005), a show about fashion and beauty.
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Matt Bonner
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Matthew Robert Bonner, also known as the Red Rocket or Red Mamba, is an American former professional basketball player. Bonner played college basketball for the University of Florida before being selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 45th overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. During his career Bonner played for the Toronto Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs with whom he won two NBA championships. He is the only player in NBA history to be born in New Hampshire.
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Hal Steinbrenner
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Harold Steinbrenner is an American businessman best known as the chairman and managing general partner of Yankee Global Enterprises, which owns the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB), minority shares of the American soccer club New York City Football Club of Major League Soccer (MLS), and Italian professional football club AC Milan of Serie A. He and his siblings inherited control of the team from their father, George Steinbrenner, who died in 2010.
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Trenton Brown
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Trenton Jacoby Brown is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia Military College and Florida and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL draft. Brown has also played for the Oakland / Las Vegas Raiders and the New England Patriots.
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Carlos Arroyo
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Carlos Alberto Arroyo Bermúdez is a Puerto Rican former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association with the Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, and Boston Celtics.
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Bob Graham
- Enrolled in the University of Florida
- In 1959 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- master builderpoliticianlawyercattle rancher
- Biography
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Daniel Robert Graham was an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 38th governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States senator from Florida from 1987 to 2005. He was a member of the Democratic Party.
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Jedd Fisch
- Occupations
- American football coachcoach
- Biography
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Jedd Ari Fisch is an American football coach, currently the head coach at the University of Washington. He was previously the head coach at the University of Arizona for three seasons.
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Phil Graham
- Occupations
- journalistpublisher
- Biography
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Philip Leslie Graham was an American newspaperman. He served as publisher and later co-owner of The Washington Post and its parent company, The Washington Post Company.
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Sharyl Attkisson
- Occupations
- journalistopinion journalist
- Biography
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Sharyl Attkisson is an American journalist and television correspondent. She hosts the Sinclair Broadcast Group TV show Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson.
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Dara Torres
- Occupations
- swimmermodel
- Biography
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Dara Grace Torres is an American former competitive swimmer, who is a 12-time Olympic medalist and former world record-holder in three events. Torres is the first swimmer to represent the United States in five Olympic Games (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000 and 2008), and at age 41, the oldest swimmer to earn a place on the U.S. Olympic team. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, she competed in the 50-meter freestyle, 4×100-meter medley relay, and 4×100-meter freestyle relay, and won silver medals in all three events.
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Bill Gurley
- Occupations
- basketball playerbusinessperson
- Biography
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John William Gurley is an American businessman. He is a general partner at Benchmark, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm in San Francisco, California. He is considered one of the top dealmakers in the American technology industry.
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Lauren Shehadi
- Occupations
- journalistsports commentator
- Biography
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Julia Lauren Shehadi is an American sportscaster for the MLB Network and TNT Sports.
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Bob Bryar
- Occupations
- drummeraudio engineer
- Biography
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Robert Cory Bryar was an American musician and sound engineer best known as the drummer of American rock band My Chemical Romance. He was the longest-tenured and last official drummer in the band, performing in the rock group from 2004 until his departure in 2010.
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Mike Mularkey
- Occupations
- American football coachAmerican football player
- Biography
-
Michael Rene Mularkey is an American former professional football coach and tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida, and was drafted in the ninth round of the 1983 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers and lasted until the final round of cuts. Mularkey then signed with the Minnesota Vikings with whom he played for six seasons before playing another three with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Ricky Pearsall
- Enrolled in the University of Florida
- In 2023 graduated with bachelor's degree in educational sciences
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Richard Pearsall Jr. is an American professional football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils and Florida Gators. Pearsall was drafted by the 49ers in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
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Kate DiCamillo
- Occupations
- writerchildren's writernovelist
- Biography
-
Katrina Elizabeth DiCamillo is an American children's fiction author. She has published over 25 novels, including Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tiger Rising, The Tale of Despereaux, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Magician's Elephant, the Mercy Watson series, and Flora & Ulysses. Her books have sold around 37 million copies. Four have been developed into films and two have been adapted into musical settings. Her works have won various awards; The Tale of Despereaux and Flora & Ulysses won the Newbery Medal, making DiCamillo one of seven authors to have won two Newbery Medals.
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Scottie Wilbekin
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Scottie Jordan Wilbekin is an American-born naturalized Turkish professional basketball player for Fenerbahçe Beko of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the Florida Gators, where he was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 2014. Wilbekin played professional basketball in Australia, Greece, Turkey and Israel. He led Darüşşafaka to win the 2018 EuroCup title, while earning the EuroCup Finals and the Regular Season MVP awards.
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Channing Crowder
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Randolph Channing Crowder Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for six seasons with the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Florida Gators, earning first-team All-American honors in 2004. Crowder was selected by the Dolphins in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft, and played his entire professional career with Miami.
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Vernon Maxwell
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Vernon Maxwell is an American former professional basketball player. He was a shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for thirteen seasons during the late 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s.
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Jordan Reed
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Jordan Reed is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft. With the Redskins, he was considered to be among the best at his position before multiple injuries led to him being released. He played his final season for the San Francisco 49ers in 2020 before retiring due to concussion-related health issues.
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Nikki Fried
- Enrolled in the University of Florida
- In 2003 graduated with Juris Doctor
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in political science
- Occupations
- lobbyistpoliticianlawyer
- Biography
-
Nicole Heather Fried is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the chair of the Florida Democratic Party since 2023. Prior to her election as chair, Fried served as the 12th Florida commissioner of agriculture from 2019 to 2023. Fried graduated from the University of Florida in 2003. She has previously practiced various forms of law, including corporate law, foreclosure defense, and public defense. Fried has also been a lobbyist for the marijuana industry in Florida.
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Shere Hite
- Occupations
- sexologistwomen's rights activistessayistnovelisthistorian
- Biography
-
Shere Hite was an American-born German sex educator and feminist. Her sexological work focused primarily on female sexuality. Hite built upon biological studies of sex by Masters and Johnson and by Alfred Kinsey and was the author of The Hite Report: A Nationwide Study on Female Sexuality. She also referenced theoretical, political and psychological works associated with the feminist movement of the 1970s, such as Anne Koedt's essay "The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm". She renounced her United States citizenship in 1995 to become German.
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Jack Youngblood
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Herbert Jackson Youngblood III is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was a five-time consensus All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Before playing professionally, Youngblood played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized as an All-American. He is considered among the best players Florida ever produced—a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and one of only six Florida Gators to be named to the Gator Football Ring of Honor.
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Charlotte Laws
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Charlotte Anne Laws, also known by her stage name Missy Laws, is an American author, talk show host, animal rights advocate, anti-revenge porn activist, former politician, and actress. Laws is a former BBC News contributor and was a weekly commentator on KNBC-TV's The Filter with Fred Roggin from 2009 to 2013. She also co-hosted the Internet show,' Every Way Woman (2008–2013) and hosted a local television show called "Uncommon Sense" from October 2007 to September 2010.
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Danny Wuerffel
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Daniel Carl Wuerffel is an American former football quarterback who played college football for the Florida Gators and professional football in the National Football League (NFL). At Florida, he was a prolific passer under head coach Steve Spurrier. Wuerffel led the NCAA in touchdown passes in 1995 and 1996 and set numerous school and conference records during his career. During his senior year in 1996, he won the Heisman Trophy while leading the Gators to their first national championship. In 2013, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
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Carlos Dunlap
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Carlos Dunlap is an American former professional football defensive end. He played college football for the Florida Gators, where he won the 2009 BCS National Championship Game. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft.
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GloZell Green
- Enrolled in the University of Florida
- Studied musical theater
- Occupations
- television producerYouTuberactorcomedian
- Biography
-
GloZell Lynette Green, better known mononymously as GloZell, is an American YouTube personality. GloZell established her YouTube channel in 2008, with video interviews, comedy about her life and song parodies. By 2015, the channel had accumulated more than four million subscribers and more than 700 million total views. Her most popular videos include her cinnamon challenge video, which has accumulated more than 60 million views, and "My Push up Bra will help me get my man" video, with more than 25 million views. She gained wide notice when her blog about meeting Elijah Wood was mentioned by the actor during a 2011 interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. In 2012, she appeared in the web series Dr. Fubalous.
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Trey Burton
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Lawrence Godfrey "Trey" Burton III is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators and was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2014, and he won Super Bowl LII with the team in his final season with the Eagles, including helping execute the Philly Special. Burton also played for the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts.
