Fred Gibson: Basketball player trapped in a football body

ATHENS - Fred Gibson can run and jump like Randy Moss. He would prefer to be the next Michael Jordan. <br> <br> Never mind that football is Gibson&#39;s best bet for making it to the pros. <br> <br> Hoops are his passion. <br> <br> Gibson says, ``I&#39;ve played basketball all my life. I can&#39;t give it up that easy.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> He is the top receiver for sixth-ranked Georgia&#39;s football team. <br> <br> Gibson played both sports for the Bulldogs as a freshman, and he&#39;ll likely join the basketball team again as soon as football season ends. <br> <br> Gibson said, ``I like football, kind of. But basketball is still my first love. It&#39;s a passion I&#39;ve had my whole life. I can&#39;t just throw it away.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> As a result, Gibson&#39;s development as a receiver hasn&#39;t been as pronounced as the coaching staff would like. He needs to get stronger. He needs to be more willing to take a hit. He needs to cut down on the number of dropped passes. <br> <br> Coach Mark Richt says Gibson has a long way to go, adding ``He&#39;s made some great plays in his career. But as far as a receiver goes, you like to have the total package. He&#39;s not there yet.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> While Gibson may not be the total package, he&#39;s a pretty good gift to find under the tree. He ranks third in the Southeastern Conference with 23 receptions, averaging 16.3 yards every time he touches the ball. <br> <br> Gibson&#39;s speed forces teams to rotate their coverages to his side of the field, opening things up for the other receivers.