Heading into Saturday's slate of NFL Playoff games, the odds of seeing a former Florida Football do anything significant were low. Outside of Tommy Townsend punting for Houston, none of the four teams involved had a former Gator as a featured player.
But where there is a will, there is a way, as one former Gator wide receiver still managed to get into the endzone.
Florida Football: Blast From The Past
The NFL journey for Van Jefferson has been winding. He was a key cog for the Rams in 2021 and had over 800 yards receiving and six touchdowns, but over the past four seasons with three different teams he has had just 881 yards combined and five total touchdowns.
This year with the Steelers he had 276 yards and two touchdowns.
So it was a bit of a surprise when Jefferson was able to haul in a touchdown from Russel Wilson to try and give the Steelers some form of life, but it was also a reminder of the potential he had when he left Florida.
VAN!!! 🐊🐊@VanJefferson12 | #GatorMade pic.twitter.com/TxLkEsM40A
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) January 12, 2025
Jefferson came to Florida in 2018 after transferring from Ole Miss before the transfer portal's inception, but because the Rebels were under sanctions, he had immediate eligibility. He led Florida in receptions and receiving yards in both years he was in Gainesville, and in 2019, he received 657 yards and six touchdowns.
Jefferson was drafted in the second round by the Rams in the 2020 NFL Draft and went on to win the Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021.
The Steelers were eventually beaten by the Ravens on Saturday 28-14.