On Friday, December 4 2015 the Florida Gators walked out onto the artificial turf of the Georgia Dome for an open practice. It looked more like kids coming down the stairs to a Christmas tree full of presents than it did a team less than 24 hours away from playing for a conference championship.
Players walked around with phones taking pictures of the SEC Championship Game signage, mouths open they looked around the stadium almost in disbelief that they were there. Florida went through a brief walk through but the mood was light.
Florida lost the game 29-15 to Alabama. The Crimson Tide got on the board first but Antonio Callaway’s 85-yard punt return for a touchdown gave the Gators a brief lead. It was Bama the rest of the way, showing Florida the gold standard of the SEC and just how far they needed to go to get there.
This year when the Gators take the field for their open Friday practice don’t expect that same wide-eyed look. 31 players will make the return trip to Atlanta with Jim McElwain in 2016.
Now that they’ve been there, done that, all right, all those little things that kind of go on that surrounds an SEC Championship game now becomes old hat,” McElwain said. “That’s a good thing.”
Due to injuries the Gators are relying on a lot of freshmen this season. The experience will be new to starters like David Reese, Tyrie Cleveland, Jawaan Taylor and Chauncey Gardner but the message has changed from 2015. Last year McElwain wanted the Gators to enjoy what they had accomplished. Florida was picked to finish fourth in the SEC East in 2015, so just being in Atlanta was an accomplishment. Hardly anyone expected Florida to be back in Atlanta this season but the message is different this season.
Compete.
That will be the message Jim McElwain and the rest of the coaching staff drills into the team this week. Don’t be happy to be here. You’re Florida, you’re supposed to be here and you’re supposed to play Alabama. This will be the ninth time the Crimson Tide and the Gators square off in the SEC Championship. The two teams have played for it all in 36-percent of every SEC Championship Game held.
“Getting to Atlanta is not easy,” McElwain said. “The next step is going and knocking down that door. That’s going to be our mindset.”
Florida isn’t content with being SEC East Champions. They will play the best team in the country this week in Alabama but the mindset has already been cemented.
“Last year we were in the SEC Championship so a lot of guys have that experience of being there, so I’m hoping everyone just realizes this is our shot to win a championship and all of us get a ring,” senior defensive lineman Joey Ivie said. “So if that doesn’t motivate you to win a championship you shouldn’t be playing.”