Nine members, including Tim Tebow, selected to UF Athletic Hall of Fame

Billy Donovan, Brandon Spikes, Brandon James, Tim Tebow and several other former Gators have earned a spot in the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame.

On Monday morning, the Gator Boosters, Inc., and the UF F Club revealed nine new members for the Hall of Fame. There were eight Gator Greats in this class and an Honorary Letterwinner, which was awarded to Donovan.

Besides James, Spikes and Tebow, the other Gator Greats announced today were swimmers Gemma Spofforth and Shaune Fraser, track and field star Mariam Kevkhishvili, tennis player Hamid Mirzadeh and men's basketball's Andrew DeClercq.

Information for an induction date has yet to be announced.

James was a nightmare for opposing teams whenever he was returning kickoffs or punts.

To this day, he remains the only player in SEC history with 4,000-plus combined kickoff and punt return yards. He also holds the conference record for the best kickoff return average, 28 yards per kickoff return, which he accomplished in 2007.

The 5-foot-7, 185-pounder didn't let his small stature stop him from being an impact player for Florida as he was named the 2008 Special Teams Player of the Year and was selected to the 2008 All-SEC Coaches First Team.

By the time his remarkable career in Gainesville had wrapped up, James was the holder of four SEC and school records, and still ranks third in SEC history with 1,371 career punt return yards (also a UF record).

We could dedicate a whole story to Spikes' accomplishments while donning the Orange and Blue, but we'll keep it short here.

All Spikes did in his four-year career at Florida was earn a trio of All-SEC First Team selections, a couple of Associated Press All-America First Team selections and become a two-time Butkus Award finalist.

This was due to his incredible production on the field as Spikes piled up 307 tackles (178 solo) tackles in 47 career games. The Shelby (N.C.) native also registered 31.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, six interceptions (four pick-sixes) and recovered four fumbles.

No other former Gator has had more interceptions returned for touchdowns and, since 1996, only two other linebackers in the nation have accomplished this feat.

Spikes' great collegiate career led to him being a second-round draft pick by the New England Patriots.

One of the most recognizable players in Florida Gator history, regardless of the sport, is Tim Tebow.

After backing up Chris Leake in 2006, Tebow went on to throw for 3,286 yards and 32 touchdowns versus just six interceptions in his sophomore campaign. He also recorded 895 yards on the ground and rushed for an astounding 23 touchdowns in that season.

Although Florida ended up not winning back-to-back titles, Tebow's accolades in 2007 were nothing short of spectacular. He became, and still is, the first sophomore ever to win the Heisman Trophy, the Sullivan Award, the Davey O'Brien Award and the Maxwell Award.

The following year saw Tebow and the Gators reassert themselves as the cream of the crop in the NCAA. They bounced back from a 31-30 home loss against Ole Miss earlier in the season to finish with a 13-1 record and another championship.

Tebow repeated as the Maxwell Award winner and was once again a Heisman Trophy Finalist.

Tebow and company couldn't secure another title in his senior year, but his career accomplishments speak for themselves.

He's a two-time BCS National Championship Game winner, is the only player in FBS history with 85-plus passing touchdowns and 55-plus rushing touchdowns in his career and holds the NCAA record for most total TDs in a season (55 in 2007).

After a stellar career at UF, Tebow was selected No. 25 overall by the Denver Broncos.

Donovan's impact on Florida men's basketball will be remembered for a long time.

Taking over as the head coach in 1996, Donovan coached the program to a Final Four Appearance four years later.

UF returned to the Final Four in 2006 and 2007, winning back-to-back national championships.

In his coaching career in Gainesville, which spanned from 1996-2015, Donovan led the Gators to 16 consecutive 20-win seasons, a trio of which were 30-win seasons.

While another championship did not materialize in 2014, it was a special season for Donovan and his group as they, at one point, had 30 straight victories and finished with 36 wins.

Both of those marks are school records.

Donovan was also very successful in his conference as he is a three-time SEC Coach of the Year, a six-time SEC champion and a four-time SEC Tournament champion.

Some of the notable players that Donovan coached at Florida include Al Horford, Bradley Beal, Chandler Parsons, Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah, Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem.

Stay tuned to GatorsTerritory.