Steve Spurrier definitely was a major part of the emergence of Florida Gator football but it was Ray Graves his coach who was the architect: http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20150410/ARTICLES/150419992?tc=cr Five bowl games in 10 seasons including the Sugar and Orange when the program had only been to two bowls in it's history. The 60s were punctuated by great wins and great players at UF if not great championships.
Why was he only there for 10 years? It's interesting that he was hired after the Gators tried to lure Ara Parseghian from Northwestern, of course Ara took the ND job a few years later. But he only coached 10 years as well before retiring.
Yeah at 56 Graves retired from UF and Doug Dickey from Tenn was brought in. I don't really know what the politics were about that but in his last game Graves' Florida beat the SEC Champion Vols in the Gator Bowl.... and I was in attendance.
Oh.... and going to bowl games in the 60s was very relevant. In 1966 when Spurrier won the Heisman and took UF to the Orange Bowl there were only 4 major bowls and 9 total. Unlike the bazillion bowls today that even 6-6 teams can get in to.
He moved from coaching on the playing field to being the AD. He hired the current AD Jeramy Foley. Twenty years overall. A class act all the way.
Damn I forgot that he was the AD so of course that's what he did after coaching. It was a Ray Graves coached Florida that prompted the Bear to exclaim that UF was a "sleeping giant".... Good reading for you Bill: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/florida-gators/os-gators-coach-ray-graves-0412-20150411-story.html#page=1
Speaking of Gators...I see that OL Rod Johnson is retiring from football due to a congental spinal stenosis. They found after an incident in spring practice and he gets to walk away from the game. It could have left him not able to walk if he got the right hit.
That's true Terry. Johnson is through with football. He will stay on scholarship and Coach Mac is having him work with the football team. Tough blow for the Gators who literally have only 5-6 Offensive Lineman on scholarship. But our new coach Mac was quick to say he doesn't want a player to play who is in any way endangered. Back to Ray Graves, rumor has always been that he was forced upstairs by alumni who wanted Doug Dickey, who was a Gator and had been very successful at Tennessee, as our coach. Ironically we played Tennessee in the Gator Bowl game for Graves last game and the Gators won. After the game it was announced that the losing coach was now the Head Coach at Florida and Graves was full time AD. The players staged a mini revolt because they loved Graves. Dickey had some early success but went quickly downhill. He was replaced by Charlie Pell who got the Gators in trouble with the NCAA. Dickey ended up back at Tennessee as AD.
Dickey was coach when I was in school at Florida. After a rough '71 season his teams got steadily better until in '74 through '76 the Gators contended heavily for the SEC Championship only to be thwarted by Georgia every time. I never cease to enjoy it when UF beats Georgia..... like last year's surprising beatdown... :wink:
Yes Terry. I have a few wishes where it comes to Tebow. First is that he makes it this time That he changes position if he is not at QB If he doesn't make it, that he then sticks with his TV career and stays the person he is.
MCG, when I went to Florida the first time Bob Woodruff was the coach. After a 4 year hiatus to grow up I went back and Graves was our coach. I graduated before Spurrier became our QB. He was a freshman my last football season as a student and freshmen weren't eligible at that time.
If the Eagles are serious about winning I think Tebow has a chance. If they just want pretty they have butt fumble... and a remade Sam Bradford. If Bradford is healthy no reason he shouldn't be the guy though..... over Tebow or the other mess they have on the roster. If Tim gets cut here he needs to be thankful he can handle the microphone.
It's hard to figure out what Kelly is trying to do with the Eagles. Bradford with 2 knee surgeries behind him is hardly the guy who you want running the ball, and it seems like in his offense that getting the QB to be a threat to run the ball is a key. I don't know how mobile Barkley is, Tebow of course is very mobile, but not a NFL passer unless he's improved. Sanchez at times has looked good for them, but not consistently. I'm really surprised he's not tried to position himself to get Mariotta.
Good point on Kelly's motivation to sign Tebow. The one thing that he can do and do about as well as any Qb in the league the last few years is run with the football and make it count when does in key situations. The way Ryan used him at NY was a joke.... and very detrimental to Tebow's career. Trot him in on 3rd down and short and never let him throw but just run him every time. The one thing you cannot do against NFL defenses is telegraph exactly what you are going to do. Tebow's most memorable play at Denver was the 80 yard TD pass in OT that beat the Steelers..... and it was on the first play of overtime.
Philly picks 20 in round 1. There's no way Marriota is still available at that spot. Unless they are planning on making a huge trade to get up that high... maybe Bradford is trade bait?
Listen, I respect Tebow but this is professional football. You either win or you go on the job search. I don't know what Chip Kelly is up to. He says Tebow knows his brand of offense but the Eagles traded all their speed and skill players in the offseason. I think he us trying to set up some elaborate draft day ploy.
Wouldn't surprise me if Kelly was up to some kind of draft maneuver but I can't see where Tebow would be of any value to any NFL team not running a Kelly type offense. They all could have signed Tebow for the past couple of years now but no one thought there was any value in that so why would he be part of any trade?