You would need a construction team to try and remove the smile from Dan Mullen’s face since November 27. Saturday was more of the same as Mullen took in the Gators’ win over Baylor on Saturday in a way only he could. He was Gator chomping with Dick Vitale, paling around with the Rowdy Reptiles
Mullen has been working relentlessly on the recruiting trail since he’s been in Gainesville, which means he’s turned his program over to Nick Savage, the Gators strength and conditioning coordinator. Savage is making sure that Mullen isn’t the only Gator working hard this spring.
“We are going to give you a football team, I promise you, that you can be proud of both on the field on Saturdays and in the community,” Mullen told the crowd at the O’Connell Center on Saturday. “Our guys are working their tail off right now to live up to what we know the ‘Gator Standard’ is.”
What is that standard? Is being happy winning the SEC East and making it to a bowl game? Not anymore.
“That standard is having a national championship baseball team. About any team that tries to come in here as No. 1 in the country, like Oklahoma (gymnastics) did last night, they’re going to go home with a loss. And on the football field, that standard is not just SEC, but national championships, and that’s what we promise you we’re going to bring back to Gainesville.”
That was more than enough to get the people going inside the arena. Mullen also asked fans to fill the Swamp on April 14 for the Gators spring game. A new NCAA rule will allow rising juniors to visit campuses for spring games this year and an empty stadium isn’t the first impression that any coach wants to make with a rising junior.
It’s all about the Gator Standard.
cc: @CoachDanMullen #GoGators pic.twitter.com/Wer33DaSBk
— Gators Football (@GatorsFB) January 27, 2018