Eric Wilbur
Encyclopedia
Eric Wilbur is an American professional football
player who is a punter for the Omaha Nighthawks
of the United Football League (UFL). Wilbur played college football
for the University of Florida
. He was signed by the Houston Texans
of the National Football League
(NFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2007, and has also played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
of the Canadian Football League
(CFL).
. He attended Trinity Preparatory School
in Winter Park, and played high school football
for the Trinity Prep Saints. He was selected as the number one kicker in the state of Florida and was ranked as the number seven prospect by SuperPrep. In his senior year he was chosen as first-team all-state kicker. Also, he was chosen to play in the U. S. Army All-American Bowl.
to attend the University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Urban Meyer
's Florida Gators football
team from 2003
to 2006
.
As a freshman he ranked second in the Southeastern Conference
(SEC) with 44.8 yards per punt which was the second highest in Florida's school history. He led all true freshman nationally and ranked eighth in the nation with his punt yardage average. Wilbur also tied the Florida record for most punts in a season. Against the Tennessee Volunteers
, he kicked a 75-yard punt, which was a career high for him and was the fourth longest punt in school history.
During his sophomore season, Wilbur was an Associated Press
honorable mention All-SEC selection. He was also named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll and was named co-outstanding special teams player at the end of the year.
Wilbur ranked sixth with an average of 41.4 yards per punt as a junior and his 56 punts were third behind Blake McAdams who had 69 for the Ole Miss
and Britton Colquitt
of Tennessee
with 59. He collected 2,459 punt yards which was the highest in the SEC. His longest punt of the year was a 63-yarder against Iowa
in the Outback Bowl
. For the first time in his career, Wilbur handled the kickoffs against Wyoming
.
During his senior year, Wilbur was named a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award
, becoming the first punter from Florida to do so.
in the 2007 NFL Draft
and was signed by the Houston Texans
on May 1, 2007. He was released on August 8.
Wilbur was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars
on August 8, 2007. He was then released twelve hours later. Wilbur was signed by the New York Jets
on April 15, 2009. He was waived on June 10, 2009.
on August 4, 2010.
of the United Football League on July 11, 2011.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who is a punter for the Omaha Nighthawks
Omaha Nighthawks
The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
of the United Football League (UFL). Wilbur played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. He was signed by the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2007, and has also played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
(CFL).
Early years
Wilbur was born in Winter Park, FloridaWinter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,090 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 28,083. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. He attended Trinity Preparatory School
Trinity Preparatory School
Trinity Preparatory School of Florida is an independent college preparatory day-school for students in grades 6 to 12, located east of Winter Park, Florida, a suburb of Orlando. It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church.-History:...
in Winter Park, and played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
for the Trinity Prep Saints. He was selected as the number one kicker in the state of Florida and was ranked as the number seven prospect by SuperPrep. In his senior year he was chosen as first-team all-state kicker. Also, he was chosen to play in the U. S. Army All-American Bowl.
College career
Wilbur accepted an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 2003
2003 Florida Gators football team
The 2003 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2003 college football season...
to 2006
2006 Florida Gators football team
The 2006 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2006 college football season...
.
As a freshman he ranked second in the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) with 44.8 yards per punt which was the second highest in Florida's school history. He led all true freshman nationally and ranked eighth in the nation with his punt yardage average. Wilbur also tied the Florida record for most punts in a season. Against the Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
, he kicked a 75-yard punt, which was a career high for him and was the fourth longest punt in school history.
During his sophomore season, Wilbur was an Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
honorable mention All-SEC selection. He was also named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll and was named co-outstanding special teams player at the end of the year.
Wilbur ranked sixth with an average of 41.4 yards per punt as a junior and his 56 punts were third behind Blake McAdams who had 69 for the Ole Miss
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
and Britton Colquitt
Britton Colquitt
Britton Colquitt is an American football punter for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League, having been signed by the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in December 2009...
of Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
with 59. He collected 2,459 punt yards which was the highest in the SEC. His longest punt of the year was a 63-yarder against Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
in the Outback Bowl
Outback Bowl
The Outback Bowl is an annual New Year's Day college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The event was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1994 until being renamed in 1995 for its new title sponsor, Outback Steakhouse...
. For the first time in his career, Wilbur handled the kickoffs against Wyoming
Wyoming Cowboys football
The Wyoming Cowboys are a college football team that represents the University of Wyoming. They compete in the Mountain West Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I. The team has won 15 conference titles...
.
During his senior year, Wilbur was named a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award
Ray Guy Award
The Ray Guy Award is presented annually to college football's top punter by the Greater Augusta Sports Council. The award is named after punter Ray Guy, a former All-American at Southern Mississippi and an all-pro player for the Oakland Raiders.-Criteria:...
, becoming the first punter from Florida to do so.
National Football League
Wilbur went undraftedUndrafted
An undrafted sportsperson or undrafted free agent is specific type of sportsperson who plays, or attempts to play, in a professional sports league without first being selected in a draft....
in the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
and was signed by the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on May 1, 2007. He was released on August 8.
Wilbur was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on August 8, 2007. He was then released twelve hours later. Wilbur was signed by the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on April 15, 2009. He was waived on June 10, 2009.
Canadian Football League
Wilbur was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-CatsHamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
on August 4, 2010.
Omaha Nighthawks
Wilbur was signed by the Omaha NighthawksOmaha Nighthawks
The Omaha Nighthawks are a professional American football team based in Omaha, Nebraska, which plays in the United Football League, joining the league as an expansion team in 2010. For their first season, the Nighthawks played their home games at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium before moving to TD...
of the United Football League on July 11, 2011.
Personal
Eric is married to the former Ali Peek, a sports reporter and University of Florida alumna.See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of University of Florida alumni