Harvin shows improvement, hopes to play SEC final

[December 02, 2008]  GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida's Percy Harvin limped around campus in a protective boot Monday and showed improvement, but coach Urban Meyer said his star receiver remained questionable for the Southeastern Conference championship game.

"The great news in the training room today, it's very positive, very positive, a lot of thumbs up, including from the player, a big thumbs up, a smile on his face," Meyer said. "He's as competitive a human being as I've ever been around. He's doing everything he can possibly do, and our training staff's the best in college football. That's all positive.

"The negative is it's a sprained ankle, and we know what sprained ankles mean. We're going to boot him and he will not do anything until later in the week."

Harvin sprained his right ankle Saturday at Florida State and missed the second half. The Gators scored 31 points with him on the sideline, but teammates and coaches would much rather have him on the field.

Harvin leads No. 2 Florida with 35 receptions for 595 yards and seven touchdowns and ranks second on the team with 538 yards rushing and nine scores.

Harvin has played through injuries before, so the Gators expect him to be ready against top-ranked Alabama on Saturday. Nonetheless, Meyer is making contingency plans.

"We don't replace Percy," Meyer said. "You manage around him. If the cupboard was bare, then we'd have a management problem. I think we'll be able to manage."

Harvin was in a similar situation two years ago. He was knocked out of the game in Tallahassee after slamming his head into a linebacker's knee. But he was back on the field the following week in Atlanta and earned most valuable player honors against Arkansas in the league title game.

He ran six times for 105 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 62 yards and a score.

"He plays well in this game," Meyer said. "He made that very clear to me a couple thousand times in the last two days. I love him."

[Associated Press; By MARK LONG]

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.