Travis Benjamin And Marcus Gilbert Both Opt Out

     Former South Florida high school football players Travis Benjamin of the San Francisco 49ers and Marcus Gilbert of the Arizona Cardinals have both opted for playing this season. due to the coronavirus pandemic. The National Football League had stated that players could opt out of the season by Thursday. 

     Benjamin was part of the Glades Central Raiders in high school and led them to the 2006 FHSAA Class 3A state title. He went to the University of Miami and played for the Hurricanes for four years. Benjamin has played four seasons with the Cleveland Browns and four seasons with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. 

     Gilbert played high school football with the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders and helped them reach the FHSAA Class 5A state title game against Lakeland in 2004 and 2005. He attended the University of Florida and was part of the Gators winning two national championships in 2006 and 2008. Gilbert played the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.