Former Florida Gators WR joins Billy Napier's staff

On3 imageby:Zach Abolverdi•08/03/23•

ZachAbolverdi

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Billy Napier has added another former Gator to his staff. Dr. Stephen Alli, a UF receiver from 2009-12, has returned to his alma mater to work for the football program.

Alli’s job title is Director of Professional Development for GatorMade, a new role on Napier’s staff. He will work directly with Savannah Bailey, Senior Director of Player Relations and GatorMade.

Alli officially started this week. He played for the Gators under Urban Meyer and Will Muschamp, appearing in 33 games and had three catches for 17 yards in his career.

Ten years after coming to Gainesville as a freshman, Alli earned his fourth UF degree in 2019 — a doctorate. He received his PhD in Mental Health Counseling and specializes in athlete development, which led him to his new role with GatorMade.

Ali’s dissertation — “The Relationship of Parental Involvement and Student-Athlete Career Development” — zeroed in on preparation for life after sports, according to FloridaGators.com.

Alli is the fifth former Florida football player that Napier has hired and the second this year, along with student assistant coach Brandon Spikes, Alli’s former teammate at UF.

Alli and Spikes join a pair of trio Gators on staff in EDGE coach Mike Peterson, quality control offensive line coach Cheston Blackshear and quality control strength coach Miguel Carodine, who was classmates with Spikes and played from 2006-10. Peterson and Blackshear were UF teammates from 1995-98 and Blackshear finished his college career in 1999.

RELATED: Brandon Spikes brings a significant ‘presence’ to Gators LB room

Stephen Alli background

Alli is from Toronto and became a two-sport prospect at Andover (N.H.) Proctor Academy. He landed dozens of offers and originally committed to Stanford, which offered him a chance to play both football and basketball, before flipping to Meyer and the Gators.

Alli earned his undergraduate degree in psychology and a master’s in mental health counseling during his final two seasons at Florida. In 2015, after completing work toward a second master’s in business management, Alli decided to pursue his PhD.

“What kept me in this field was my experience in trying to figure out what I was going to do next,” Alli told Chris Harry of FloridaGators.com. “I had worked with men and women who were trying to make that transition from sports to life after sports and seen how some struggle with it. It can be a daunting task and that’s what kind of fueled my passion in this area.” 

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