Jim McElwain: 216 students apply to be Gators' walk-on kicker

AllFlorida Gatorscoach Jim McElwain wants is for the best foot to step forward after 216 students answered the school's call to be the walk-on kicker.

"As long as they can flip it up there through the uprights, I'm good with it," McElwain said Wednesday during the SEC coaches teleconference.

Florida sent out an "all call" for kickers on social media Monday after Jorge Powellsuffered an injury against LSU last week when he was run over during a kickoff.

The good news for the No. 13 Gators (6-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) is they are off this week before playing rival Georgia (5-2, 3-2) in Jacksonville on Halloween. So they have extra time to get healthy or get a walk-on up to speed.

Austin Hardin, the Gators' top kicker who isdealing with a leg injury, will get the chance to kick against Georgia, but McElwain wants options. So he decided to revisit an idea that he first tried when he was coach at Colorado State.

"That was 'Kicker,'" McElwain said of his winner at Colorado State. "That's what I called him. He did his job."