Former ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ football greats and current and longtime National Football League standouts Blake Bortles and Latavius Murray β12 have combined to make a $500,000 gift commitment to ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Athletics. Their commitment will be used to help renovate the sports medicine center and other components of the Wayne Densch Center, home of the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ football team.
In recognition of their gift, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Athletics will name the sports medicine center in the Wayne Densch Sports Center the Bortles and Murray Athletic Training Room.
In partnership with Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute, the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Athletics sports medicine team provides best-in-class medical care for all ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ student-athletes. This reinvestment in the training room will deliver an enhanced environment for care.
βMy time at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ made me the man and athlete I am today,β says Murray. βMy hope is that this gift will help leave an impact on the next generation of ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Knights. I came to ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ to be a part of history, and it’s an honor to be able to continue that history.β
Bortles echoes the sentiments of his former teammate.
βΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ played a huge part in making me the football player and the person I am today,β Bortles says. βI created lifelong relationships and countless memories while I was at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½. I am excited about the direction the program is headed and I’m honored to have played a small part in making this an elite college football program for our current and future student-athletes.β
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ football coach Gus Malzahn recently had a chance to meet Bortles and Murray when the two visited campus.
βLatavius and Blake obviously are ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ legends β and after meeting both it’s clear they also are exceptional young men,β says Malzahn. βTheir combined gift shows how important this program and this university is to them. We want to thank them for their generosity and support, as well as wish them continued success in their professional careers. They are great guys for our players to look up to.β
As with all major gift donors for ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Athletics, Bortles and Murray will be recognized and stewarded through the Shareholders Society.
βTay and Blake are great examples of outstanding people that took advantage of their opportunities while students at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½,β says ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ vice president and director of athletics Terry Mohajir. βTheir academic/athletics successes, combined with their leadership traits, gave them the ability to make a substantial commitment to their university! I believe this gift commitment has illustrated their desires to see more student-athletes who benefited from their time here follow their direction by giving back to our school. We sincerely appreciate their heartfelt support to continue building our athletics program! CHARGE ON!β
Originally from Oviedo, Florida, Bortles played quarterback for the Knights in 2010β13 and was the American Athletic Conference offensive player of the year as a senior in 2013 when he led ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ to the AAC championship and a 52-42 win over fifth-rated Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl.
Bortles became ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½’s highest draft pick in school history when he was selected with the third overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played for the Jaguars from 2014-18, with the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, the Rams and the Denver Broncos in 2020 and currently is with the Green Bay Packers.
Born in Titusville, Florida, Murray played running back at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ from 2008-12. He was a first-team all-Conference USA pick as a senior, leading the Knights in both scoring and all-purpose yardage in both 2011 and 2012. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree in interpersonal/organizational communication in 2012.
A sixth-round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders in 2013, Murray played for the Raiders from 2013-16 β where he was a Pro Bowl selection in 2015 β the Minnesota Vikings in 2017-18 and has been with the New Orleans Saints since 2019.
