GATORS NOTEBOOK

Humphrey Dines With Boyhood Favorite

By ANDY STAPLES

Published: Mar 5, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS - Florida G Lee Humphrey could have gotten Peyton Manning's autograph on his own Thursday night, but he settled for a handshake.

Humphrey, a Maryville, Tenn., native, grew up idolizing Manning, who played quarterback at Tennessee before moving on to the Indianapolis Colts. Thursday, he was one of four players - one from each Final Four team - picked to dine with Manning at a reception honoring the Final Four participants.

"My heart was pounding [Thursday] night when I walked on stage," Humphrey said.

Humphrey said he told Manning the story of how he secured Manning's autograph on a Tennessee jersey that still hangs in his room.

"When I was in fifth grade, Brittany Fulmer, [Tennessee] coach [Phillip] Fulmer's daughter, went to school with me. I gave her my Peyton Manning jersey, and she took it over, got it signed and brought it back to me."

Asked whether Manning - who never beat Florida - got nervous sitting so close to a Gator, Humphrey said he didn't notice anything unusual about Manning's demeanor.

"I couldn't tell that at all," Humphrey said. "I think I had the happy feet."

THE NEXT ANTONIO GATES? After this weekend, George Mason F Jai Lewis will begin trying to convince NFL teams he could be the league's next great tight end.

Lewis, 6-foot-7 and 275 pounds, hasn't played football since his senior year at Aberdeen (Md.) High, but Patriots coach Jim Larranaga believes his best post player can make the transition. That's why Larranaga sent letters to all 32 NFL teams touting Lewis as a diamond in the rough.

Should Lewis make an NFL roster, he would follow in the footsteps of the San Diego Chargers' Antonio Gates, who never played a down of football at Kent State but who now is regarded as the game's best tight end. Another Pro-Bowl tight end, Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez, played on his college basketball team at California.

TOO TOUGH TO CHOOSE: One high-profile college coach said he won't be watching tonight's Florida-George Mason game.

Texas coach Rick Barnes said he can't choose between the teams because he has an attachment to each one. Barnes coached George Mason in the 1987-88 season, and he worked with Florida assistant Larry Shyatt from 1989-97.

Instead of watching with divided loyalties, Barnes will avoid the game altogether. But pressed to choose one team, Barnes said he probably would pick Shyatt's Gators.

"It's hard for me not to pull for Larry Shyatt," Barnes said. "He watched me as a young head coach, and he watched me make a lot of mistakes. He covered up a lot of them."

GATOR BITES: George Mason president Alan Merten served as the dean of Florida's business college from 1986-89. … Florida is 18-0 against non-SEC teams this season. … The Tampa Gator club will hold a tailgate viewing party today at Cherry's South Tampa Neighborhood Grill. The party begins at 2:30 p.m.