Florida coach Jim McElwain gave Gators fans some good news when he confirmed that kicker Eddy Pineiro is with the team and practicing for the Outback Bowl.
According to Gainesville Sun reporter Robbie Andreu, there were rumors of Pineiro staying home due to a health condition.
McElwain said Eddy Pineiro made the trip here and will practice. There were rumors he was staying home due to a health condition.
— Robbie Andreu (@RobbieAndreu) December 28, 2016
Pineiro, a redshirt sophomore, concerned fans when he tweeted “I’m gonna miss this!” on Dec. 16 accompanied by a photo of him kicking in the LSU game.
Pineiro has since deleted the "I'm gonna miss this!" tweet https://t.co/ixMfMDcgcE
— Andy Olson (@ByAndrewOlson) December 17, 2016
Regarding concerns raised by a vague tweet from #Gators K Eddy Pineiro, I'm told he is not planning to leave Florida after the season.
— OnlyGators.com: Florida Gators news (@onlygators) December 17, 2016
Despite his redshirt sophomore status, which makes him NFL Draft eligible, the junior college transfer is in his first season as a college football player. Out of high school, he played soccer at ASA Community College in Miami. Prior to this fall, Pineiro had never kicked a field goal in a football game, only kicking extra points and kickoffs for Miami Sunset Senior High School.
Pineiro adjusted well to the pressures and distractions of kicking in college stadiums, going 18-of-22 on field goals, including 3-of-3 on kicks of 50-plus yards with a long of 54 yards. He could be a deciding factor in next week’s Outback Bowl, as Iowa’s strong defense will likely keep the Gators out of the end zone.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
