Florida Gators legend Steve Spurrier spoke to a sold out crowd at the University Auditorium on Monday night for ACCENT Speakers. The National Champion head coach and Heisman winner told stories for more than an hour with an uncanny ability to recall events from more than three decades prior before the crowd was allowed to ask questions.
It didn’t take long for the night to turn from stories of yesteryear to Spurrier’s relationship with head football coach Jim McElwain and the current Florida Gators football team.
“We have an excellent relationship,” Spurrier said of his relationship with McElwain. “I try to help him a little bit. Obviously I didn’t help much this year, but I’ll help a little bit in spring ball. Maybe get with Coach Nussmeier, the offensive coordinator, and maybe we can help this offense along.”
Spurrier was around all of 2016. He would walk into practice after the team finished stretching and remained on the sideline or in the end zone watching from afar. That vantage point gave him a good look at the Gators two freshmen quarterbacks, both of which he spoke highly of on Monday night.
“I saw Feleipe Franks (Monday),” he said. “I was coming into the weight room and he was working out there. I usually work out there every day. Feleipe was coming through. This kid’s got a chance to be really good. Kyle Trask has got a chance also. Both of them can really throw.
The Gators have been maligned at the quarterback position since Tim Tebow graduated. Tebow started every game from 2007-2009 — 41 games. Since then, the Gators have started nine different quarterbacks in the 91 games since he left.
Spurrier was a Heisman winning quarterback, coached another Heisman in Danny Wuerffel and other great quarterbacks at Florida in Shane Matthews and Rex Grossman, who was a Heisman runner-up. He knows the position in and out, but thinks that too much blame can be put on one position, when you need the entire offense running efficiently to be functional.
“Offense is more than just a quarterback. How many times when I was the coach of the Gators, did they say we don’t have a quarterback? Anybody? They never said that,” Spurrier began. “Sometimes you’ve got to get guys open. You’ve got to protect the quarterback, he’s got to throw it at the right time, the guys hold it at the right time and you’ll be good. Sometimes it’s not always about that guy at quarterback. Get some guys open, run the ball and things of that nature. We need a lot more of that and I think it’s going to be good.”