Tag: Steve Spurrier

Do you know who Florida’s highest-rated recruit of the last decade is?

This former Gator was the second-highest-ranked prep prospect overall in the 2015 recruiting cycle.

Once upon a time, the University of Florida was a premiere destination for the top prep talent in the nation. Unfortunately, those days are now in the distant past but first-year head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] is hell-bent on getting the Gators back to that promised land.

The peaks of the program came under [autotag]Steve Spurrier[/autotag] and [autotag]Urban Meyer[/autotag], with [autotag]Ron Zook[/autotag] connecting the two tenures with some solid recruiting of his own. But after the drama that surrounded Meyer’s final year in Gainesville, Florida fans were dealt a string of letdowns that led to a difficult decade in the Swamp.

However, in the recruiting class split between the outgoing [autotag]Will Muschamp[/autotag] and the incoming [autotag]Jim McElwain[/autotag], the Orange and Blue landed one of the crown jewels of the 2015 cycle — five-star offensive tackle [autotag]Martez Ivey[/autotag], who was the No. 2 overall prospect in his class and the top-rated player over the past decade for Florida. Here is what 247Sports’ writer Cameron Salerno offered on the former standout, who held a .9991 grade.

Coming out of Apopka (Florida) High School, Ivey was ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2015 recruiting cycle by 247Sports. The player that was ranked ahead of Ivey was Trenton Thompson, who signed with SEC rival Georgia. After going undrafted during the 2019 NFL draft, Ivey signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent. He currently plays for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League.

Ivey was one of many disappointments to come out of Florida during the middle of the decade and his failure to follow through on his immense talent undoubtedly took its toll on McElwain’s efforts. It just goes to show that nothing is ever certain when it comes to sports recruiting.

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Gators legend Steve Spurrier being honored with street naming

Legendary Gators quarterback and coach Steve Spurrier is getting a street named after him outside of his restaurant in February.

Florida legend [autotag]Steve Spurrier[/autotag] is getting a street named after him on Feb. 10, according to the Alachua Chronicle.

A ceremony will take place to unveil Steve Spurrier Way at the Head Ball Coach’s restaurant, Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille. The event is scheduled to take place from 5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. EST at the Celebration Pointe Promenade. The Grille released a press statement through the Chronicle to announce the news on Jan. 17.

“Steve Spurrier Way will run through the heart of Celebration Pointe, just as the legend himself runs through the heart of Gator Nation,” according to the release. “On hand to celebrate the street unveiling will be local and state dignitaries, as well as many Gator legends, including Coach Spurrier. The event is open to the public.”

Spurrier’s presence in Florida has been undeniable for nearly six decades. He won the Heisman Trophy as the Gators’ quarterback in 1966 and returned to the Swamp to begin his coaching career 12 years later after a decade in the NFL. His 11-year run as Florida’s head coach began in 1990 and ended in 2001 after a national championship, six SEC championships, five SEC Coach of the Year Awards and the program’s second Heisman Trophy winner.

After coaching South Carolina to historic success (and a stint with the Orlando Apollos before the Alliance of American Football went under), Spurrier returned to Gainesville to create his restaurant in 2020. It has since become one of the most successful restaurants in the country. His success

“This is a great honor and I want to thank the Florida Gators, Celebration Pointe, and my team at Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille for making it happen,” Spurrier said. “Only the best coaches, like Don Shula, Bobby Bowden, and Coach Fulmer in Tennessee, usually get this honor, and I’m glad to join them.”

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Comparing Billy Napier to Florida’s other first year head coaches throughout history

Here’s a laundry list of every Florida football head coach’s first season dating all the way back to Jack Forsythe in 1906.

Billy Napier’s first season at the helm of the Florida Gators football program was not quite as successful on the field as most had hoped, but keeping in mind both the turnover of talent as well as what remained after the departure of [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag], the first-year head coach dealt with some significant challenges on the sidelines last fall.

Over the course of history, the debut campaign for new head coaches has been a bit of a crap shoot, with some like [autotag]Steve Spurrier[/autotag] getting off to strong starts to their tenure while others like [autotag]Charlie Pell[/autotag] starting off at rock-bottom. Much of their successes — or lack thereof — were dependent upon the strength of the roster left by the previous staff but there are also other variables in play as well.

Below is a look at every single first-year head coach of Florida’s football program dating back to Jack Forsythe, who kicked things off in Gainesville way back in 1906. This list should give the reader a good data set with which to compare the Gators’ current skipper to those of the past.

Steve Spurrier recalls time with Titans GM Ran Carthon at Florida

Steve Spurrier says he’ll be “pulling for the Titans for sure” now that Ran Carthon is the general manager.

Before he became a rising star as a scout and executive in league circles, and even before his playing days in the NFL, new Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon played college ball at Florida.

And his head coach for two of his years there was none other than Steve Spurrier, who recently recalled what Carthon was like during his college days, per Jim Wyatt of the TennesseeTitans.com.

“Ran [Carthon] was always a great teammate, and he did everything the coaches asked,” Spurrier said. “I always remember him being such a wonderful young man, conscientious. You knew he was going to be successful at whatever he chose to do in life.”

Over 20 years after Carthon last played a snap for Spurrier, the pair were reunited at an event the San Francisco 49ers held in 2022. Spurrier said he had no idea Carthon worked for the team.

“This past football season, the 49ers had a reunion of their 1972 team, which was the team I played on 50 years ago, and I saw Ran at the 49ers facility at the walk-through practice,” Spurrier explained. “He came up and introduced himself and, to be completely honest with you, I didn’t know he was out there.

“But we got a chance to talk a little bit, and it was great to catch up. I was really happy for his success. Ran told me then he got a chance to interview for some general manager positions. I could tell he was ready and prepared, and that it was something he was passionate about. I wished him luck.”

Spurrier added he’d be “pulling for the Titans for sure” now that Carthon is the lead man in the front office, and says he hopes the 41-year-old “does great.”

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Florida football among schools in ‘7 coaches this century’ club

Take a look at the seven former Gators coaches and their stats, joining six other schools as the most since the turn of the century.

Things were going great during the 1990s under head coach [autotag]Steve Spurrier[/autotag], who resuscitated the program after the scandal-marred decade of the 1980s. However, the stability the Head Ball Coach brought to the sidelines of the Swamp came to an abrupt end after the turn of the millennium when Florida’s golden boy left Gainesville for the then-named Washington Redskins.

Following a weird tenure by [autotag]Ron Zook[/autotag], Gator Nation found its savior in [autotag]Urban Meyer[/autotag], who led the Orange and Blue to two national titles — the highwater mark in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. However, once again, fate did not let the golden era last long. Meyer dealt with reported health issues that were allegedly tied to the stress of the job, ultimately leading to his departure.

Since then, a carousel of mediocrity has lasted more than a decade, with [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] up as the next contestant on “The Coach Is Right” show. Time will tell if he is the one to break the rut or if the cycle of coaches will continue.

Take a look below at the seven different head coaches that have walked the sidelines of the Swamp since the turn of the millennium, according to On3, making Florida one of six programs to have earned the notorious distinction.

Dooley’s Dozen: Looking back at Florida’s 5-star recruits since Urban Meyer

Pat Dooley looks back at all of Florida’s 5-star recruits since the end of the Urban Meyer era.

Do you remember the old days Florida used to sign five-star recruits as if the Gators were shopping at a convenience store?

Those were the days of [autotag]Steve Spurrier[/autotag], [autotag]Ron Zook[/autotag] and [autotag]Urban Meyer[/autotag], the two-time national titlist who used to text recruits while he was in church.

During that stretch of those three coaches (and you have to include the Zooker because he set Meyer up with the talent to win it all in 2006), Florida won 78.7% of its games.

Since then, Florida has won 55.3% of its games and fired three coaches.

Coincidence? We think not.

The latest Dooley’s Dozen looks at the last 12 (with a caveat) five-stars who have signed with Florida and how they did at UF. We do that while waiting for [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] to sign his first.

We’re using the 247Sports composite rankings and we’re not counting transfers for this list.

Gators legend Tim Tebow named to 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class

Tim Tebow is finally enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Tim Tebow made Florida football history on Monday when the National Football Foundation announced that he was selected for the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame class, making the legendary quarterback the 10th football player and the 13th Gator overall to earn the honor. His induction is also the seventh for the Orange and Blue since 2006 — good for a Southeastern Conference-best mark over that stretch.

Known for his work both on the field, the Jacksonville, Florida, native burst onto the scene during his freshman season as a backup in 2006 — including his famous jump pass for a touchdown against the LSU Tigers en route to the Gators’ second national championship and first under [autotag]Urban Meyer[/autotag]. The following season, Tebow became the first sophomore to ever win the Heisman Trophy award.

He was one of the best to ever play college ball, leading the Gators to two straight BCS championship games to cap off four-straight bowl game appearances during his tenure in the Swamp. Tebow was anointed team captain twice and set 28 school records in Gainesville, helping to earn his first-ballot nod for the hall.

No. 15 amassed 9,285 yards and 88 touchdowns through the air while also gaining 2,947 yards and 55 touchdowns on the ground during his collegiate career, becoming the first player in NCAA history to rush and pass for at least 20 touchdowns in a season. Tebow led the Gators during a school-record 22-game winning streak from 2007 to 2009 following the infamous Ole Miss loss after which he issued “The Promise“.

Tebow joins [autotag]Steve Spurrier[/autotag] and [autotag]Danny Wuerffel[/autotag] as the other Gators quarterbacks inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

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Here’s where Tim Tebow lands in USA TODAY Sports’ Heisman Trophy rankings

Here’s where Tim Tebow stands among the last 25 Heisman Trophy winners based on NFL success.

It has been a while since Florida Gators fans have been able to celebrate a Heisman Trophy for their beloved Orange and Blue dating back 15 years to when [autotag]Tim Tebow[/autotag] became the first sophomore to ever win the award. He was also the third player to emerge from the Swamp with the coveted hardware following in the footsteps of [autotag]Steve Spurrier[/autotag] and [autotag]Danny Wuerffel[/autotag] before him.

Unfortunately, none of the trio of award-winning quarterbacks were able to make much of an impact in the NFL as Spurrier fizzled out with the expansion Tampa Bay Bucs before moving on to the USFL while Wuerffel had an underwhelming six seasons under the big lights spread across four different teams.

However, Tebow did have his moment during his legendary 2011 campaign with the Denver Broncos after which he was unable to rekindle that magic again. That was still enough to earn him some kudos in USA TODAY Sports Heisman Trophy rankings for the last 25 winners, in which writer Jim Reineking ranked the legendary Gator at No. 16.

Year: 2007 (Florida)

NFL accolades: 16 starts in 3 seasons

Tebow’s 2011 season is the stuff of legend. After a 1-4 start that year, the Broncos inserted Tebow as the starter. Tebow led Denver to an 8-8 finish and the AFC West title, thanks to a series of late-game heroics that inspired the “Tebow Time” moniker. To cap it all off, Tebow delivered a dramatic overtime wild-card playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Things fell apart for No. 15 after being traded to the New York Jets ahead of the 2012 season, when the Broncos brought in Peyton Manning for his closing act. Following a failed season in the Big Apple, Tebow was persistent in his efforts to get back into the league, but after being cut by Urban Meyer and the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 in an attempt to switch to tight end, the Gator great finally hung up his cleats.

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Dooley’s Dozen: Behind the numbers of the Heisman Trophy

Take a look at some off-the-beaten-path numbers behind the Heisman Trophy over the years.

There are times when I am so grateful to have been covering Florida football during its heyday and one of those times is this weekend.

Because this is Heisman weekend and I was lucky enough to be there for three of them – one Danny and two Tebows.

I consider it the biggest honor any athlete can get because it stays with you forever. There is a reason there is a Heisman house. I asked [autotag]Steve Spurrier[/autotag], who won it in 1966, about that and he said, “The biggest individual honor, yes. But you’d rather win SEC championships and national championships.”

But it got me to thinkin’ (Andy Griffith reference) about the history of the award and some interesting tidbits about the stiff-armed one. So, here we go with another Dooley’s Dozen: 12 things you need to know about the Heisman.

Dooley’s Dozen: 12 fun facts about the Florida-South Carolina series

Take a look at the beef between these two schools ahead of Saturday’s Senior Day matchup in the Swamp.

Florida and South Carolina have had an interesting rivalry since the Gamecocks joined the SEC in 1992.

Much of it revolves around [autotag]Steve Spurrier[/autotag], which has always been an odd experience.

I remember giving him a hard time about coaching against the Gators every year and he said, “South Carolina was the only one offering me a job.”

Of course, Florida had an opening at the time, but chose to go with Urban Meyer. Things worked out for both teams. Meyer won two national titles and Spurrier had three straight 11-win seasons and became the all-time wins leader in Columbia.

Let’s dig in with Dooley’s Dozen and 12 things you need to know about… South Carolina (6-3, 3-3 SEC).