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Dentist with NFL draft dreams? It's not so far-fetched for ex-Gator

 
Florida kicker Neil MacInnes, who was a Chamberlain High grad. (Courtesy of UF)
Florida kicker Neil MacInnes, who was a Chamberlain High grad. (Courtesy of UF)
Published March 30, 2017

GAINESVILLE — The former Gators who auditioned in front of dozens of NFL scouts Tuesday had their dreams at stake. Linebacker Jarrad Davis' off-the-charts vertical leap might have cemented him as a first-round draft pick. Cornerback Jalen Tabor's glacial 40-yard dash could have cost him millions.

And then there was Neil MacInnes, a walk-on kicker from Tampa with three games of college experience, hopes of going to dental school and absolutely nothing to lose.

"I figured it's worth a try," MacInnes said.

MacInnes didn't join the football team until October 2015, when he won the open tryout the Gators held after their top two kickers injured their legs. Coach Jim McElwain dubbed him "the dentist."

The dentist kicked in three games that season, making 2-of-3 extra points and tearing an ACL. He remained on the team last fall but didn't appear in a game.

MacInnes figured his football career was over in December after he graduated with a degree in material sciences and engineering. The 2012 Chamberlain High valedictorian wanted to apply his education and interest in ceramics by studying implants, crowns and fillings.

"That was kind of the original plan," MacInnes said, "and then this whole thing just blew up."

The main spark came from his dad, who encouraged him to give pro day a chance. He gave his son enough money to train at UF four days a week and spend time with former Gator and current Eagles kicker Caleb Sturgis.

Most NFL prospects begin working toward the draft in December, even before bowl games. MacInnes started in mid January.

"I might as well at least give it my all," he said. "There's bigger bucks in the NFL than as a dentist."

Besides, even a year or two on an NFL payroll could help fund his private practice in dentistry.

So there MacInnes was Tuesday, auditioning alongside five other former Gators who could be chosen in the first two days of next month's draft. Patriots coach Bill Belichick watched him run the 40-yard dash. NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock saw his vertical leap.

When it was time for MacInnes to begin kicking outside, the crowd dispersed. Almost all the scouts stayed in the indoor practice facility to interview UF's other prospects or eat lunch.

"That's how it goes for specialists," MacInnes said.

MacInnes hadn't been training much with live snaps, so he felt rusty working with former backup long snapper Roger Dixon and holder Austin Appleby.

But MacInnes is glad he gave it a shot, even if his odds of making the NFL are small:

"It's slim, but miracles happen."

If it doesn't, MacInnes has plenty of backup plans.

He's waiting to hear back from Lake Erie College of Medicine's satellite campus in Bradenton. "Fingers crossed that my dentist put in a really good recommendation for me," MacInnes said.

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He could become an engineer while continuing to apply to dental schools. His love of ceramics includes pottery; maybe he'll make bowls by the beach, or sell them in a restaurant he opens.

"I've got tons of options," MacInnes said. "I'm just trying to keep them all open."