Former Florida State quarterback Drew Weatherford isn't ready to take a knee.

"I'm doing everything I can to find an opportunity to play,'' he said.
 
Weatherford, a standout out from Land O'Lakes High, was in Orlando on Saturday for an open tryout for the Florida Tuskers of the upstart United Football League. He was among the estimated horde of 1,200 for a morning workout (participants had to pay $60 and included former teammates De'Cody Fagg, Neefy Moffett, Paul Griffin and Xavier Lee) and was then among a far smaller group of invited players to show their stuff later in the afternoon.

He was on the field for about 45 minutes in both sessions, so folks not just from the Florida team (which will play one game in St. Petersburg at Tropicana Field) but from the other three teams, could get a feel for his footwork, arm strength and vision. He also was spending part of today in Tallahassee putting together some game film to provide interested coaches. He did have his share of big-time performances.

"Not playing my senior year, I'm not in the forefront of their minds,'' he said. "It's a little more difficult than it might have been to put myself on the radar.''

He stressed that's not to suggest he's bitter about how things paned out in his final season at FSU, losing the job to redsirt sophomore Christian Ponder just before the opener and then barely playing the rest of the season.

"I'd just love to get back in pads,'' Weatherford said. "I miss everything about it. The games. Practice. Preparation in the film room. I just want to keep playing the game I've been playing so long. I'm really passionate about playing.''

(Photo courtesy of AP. FSU vs. Maryland, Nov. 17, 2007.)