My Final Thoughts

From this blog project, I learned more than I ever would have imagined. I now know that so much goes into the ideal football game you watch every Saturday on television. People put their lives into this game. Coaches give it their all and include their families in their love for football. Players have dreams and passion that cannot be measured. Team mates depend on each other and trust the others with their life. The team and coaching staff unite as a family with one goal. The big stars are on the field are equally as important as every other player out there. Every player does there part and brings their own mix to the recipe. A strong head coach, like Urban Meyer, is the backbone to a football team. Players with leadership such as Tim Tebow are someone to look up to and seek for knowledge. Losing doesn’t mean you’ve lost. Most importantly, going through the experience together outweighs the glory of the win.

My favorite part of this project was my reading my full-length book. Urban’s Way shows everything that I learned from this project. I believe this is because Urban Meyer makes the Florida Gators team. Without him, I know they would be a completely different group of young men. They have this commitment, passion, and faith instilled in them through their coach. He passes on what he had during his years as a player. They was he was raised is the way he “raises” them as a team. He makes his team his family. Because of this, they have had tremendous success. Better than that, they will walk away from the experience as better people.

I wish I would have taken this project more seriously. If I would have allotted more time for each assignment, I could have benefited more. Doing things in a rush took away from the knowledge I could have achieved. Along with being rushed for time, I put my reading my book off way too much! Looking back, I don’t even understand why, because it was amazing.

Finally, I know believe that it is hard to answer my question with a single answer. We only get to watch and see what the media portrays of college football. Behind the curtain, so much is going on. As seen in Urban’s Way, coaches do more than coach. They aren’t the angry, yelling men we see on television. They care about these players and their success, both in and out of football. Yet, their coaching abilities on the field obviously bring in the points. The trust built is what gets the coaches success on and off the field as Tebow’s interview proves. Trust extending through the players also brings success. If you can count on a team mate off the field, chances are you’ll trust them more on the field. The recruiting brings in great stars of the game. Florida has many strategies such as the “spread” offense which make them tough for any team to tackle. They strive on improvement; for example, their defense getting it back together after being criticized. In the end if you asked me to answer “what made the Florida Gators champions” with only one, simple reply, I’d say making the team a family.

A Journalist's Opinion

I interviewed Franz Beard who is a journalist for GatorCountry.com and Gator Country magazine. We had our interview over the phone. Having spent many years surrounded by topics purely Gator in nature, he was very helpful. Mr. Beard evaluated on one topic that I didn’t spend much time on in my research, the winning tradition of Urban Meyer’s Florida Gators. Two previous seasons before the showdown for the national title in 2008, the Gators had acquired the championship title in 2006. In 2007, their quarterback received the heisman. The young men on his team had high expectations said Franz Beard. Not only that, the fans had come to have high expectations and the fans help to build a team. He’s seen fans at their worst and best. He claims, of course, for Florida fans to be the best of the best. Anyways, with success, comes pressure. Coaches, fans, team mates all expect no less than the best. The Gators gave it there all in last quarter of the championship game. Mr. Beard had to recap it for me since it’s been so long. Regardless of the struggle, the Gators pulled through to show they’re here to please. Mr. Beard said that even if they hadn’t won, their followers and supporters would have been proud. He also mentioned that they had the top in all aspects. Quarterback, head coach, offense, speedy players- the Gators had it all under their belt.

First off, I felt so incredibly lucky to be talking to someone whose work I had read and enjoyed many times before. He seemed to know the answers to everything I asked. Once we got into the interview, he took the reins. He had lived and experienced the championship road of the Gators and covered many stories on the topic. He really helped me feel what it was like to be in the Gator Nation. I hear all about Bama Pride, and I finally felt like I was at home and part of my team whenever Mr. Beard spoke. The interview, honestly, could have gone on for days if we had the time. He knew so much and had many different angles to my question. I learned a ton from this! However, I learned by him supporting my previous research for the most part.

Urban's Way

Award-winning journalist, Buddy Martin, shines a light on what it takes to become a head football coach in his book, Urban’s Way. This book follows Meyer’s life in all events that led him to where he is today at the University of Florida. The book begins in his home town of Ashtabula, Ohio. In his teen years, Meyer’s no tolerance father and compassionate mother helped to show him how to treat fellow players. This was a lesson well used as Meyer played both football and baseball. He carried these teachings with him as he struggled to enter the collegiate coaching ranks. The years of 1986-2000 were spent at various assistant coaching positions such as Ohio State, Illinois State, Colorado State, and Notre Dame. These years brought both good and bad. On one hand, Meyer had self-doubt when it seemed his career was stalled; on the other hand, Meyer picked up new tactics from mentors such as Earle Bruce and Lou Holtz. Meyer also developed his legendary “Plan to Win” while at Notre Dame. In 2001, Meyer went to Bowling Green State as their new head football coach. After two seasons there, an opportunity for the head position at Utah opened up. His teams there had a 22-2 record and went to win two major bowl games. The next and final step for Meyer was to tackle a more major program. Meyer accepted the challenge of bringing the Florida Gators back to glory after the struggle with former coach, Zook. It is here Meyer truly unleashes the “spread offense”. Urban Meyer’s personal faith and philosophies make his goal more than just winning, but also shaping the lives of each player he comes in contact with. That is Urban’s way.

This book opened me up to so much that I did not know. I truly believe that Meyer’s upbringing shapes how he goes about coaching. His mother and father bring two different aspects together. Martin describes the two by saying, “Urban was raised at the stern hand of his father, but with the tender touch of his mother and was a self-proclaimed mama’s boy” (Martin 51). This almost directly reflects in the way Meyer treats his players. He won’t stand for nonsense. His players know they better keep their act together and give all they have. At the same time, Urban Meyer wants the absolute best for his players. He opens his home, family, and heart to them. He uses his toughness to shape them but stays soft enough to help them out.

Urban’s Way opened my eyes to the passion and desire Urban Meyer has to be a head football coach. His dream formed from simple amazement as he passed a head coach in the moment with his players. Once he began the coaching career, as a intern for St. Xavier, he never looked back. Times were hard for him and his family while he tried to get his foot in the door. An assistant coach didn’t bring in much money. They were constantly moving and could never truly get settled in one place. Yet, his wife, Shelley, pushed him to continue and succeed. After thoughts of quitting, Shelley told Urban that, “you’re meant to be a coach… the passion for that job was incredible” (Martin 69). He put himself through hard times and self-doubt to get to where his is now. Meyer knows that perseverance pays off. He instills this in his players. If you want something, nothing can stop you. As Meyer promises, “I will not quit on you” (Martin 10).


Martin, Buddy. Urban's Way: Urban Meyer, The Florida Gators, and His Plan to Win. 1st ed. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, 2009. Print.

The Tradition

The winning tradition of both Urban Meyers and the Florida Gator’s football team were assessed by Franz Beard in the article, “Are Gators dynasty in the Making?”. Before joining the coaching staff at the University of Florida, Meyer was a head coach at both Bowling Green and Utah. In both of these football programs, Meyer brought winning streaks in two years. Once he began at Florida, he won an SEC conference, the BCS national championship, and had twenty-two wins in two years with quarterback, Chris Leak. In the two years with quarterback Tim Tebow, he had twenty-one wins, an SEC championship, and the national championship. Everything went periodically in two year segments. This was a pleasant change to Gators fans who always said we’ll get ‘em next year; the wins finally starting coming in. As Beard explained it, “Expectations are high and will remain high because this is a state that produces an abundance of extraordinary high school football talent and Florida is a school with every resource necessary to play football at a championship level. It simply takes the right coach with the right plan to win, which is what Florida has now in Urban Meyer” (Beard).

A tradition comes with both good and bad. It’s good to look back and realize that success should be right around the corner. However, things do not always go as planned or as they had in the past. It is very easy for fans to get used to this winning pattern and become discouraged when bad years come. A football team, even one as good as Florida’s, can not stay on top forever. It is unavoidable that there will be rough, unsuccessful years. True fans will understand and stick around no matter what. The tradition gives them something to look back on and have hope. If it could happen once, it could happen again. It really depends on how you look at the tradition and interpret the meaning to whether it is a positive or a negative.

Beard, Franz. "Are Gators Dynasty in the Making?." Gator Country 08 Jan 2009: Web. 10 May 2010.

The Relationships

In an interview of both Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow on ESPN, the strong relationships within the Florida Gator’s football team are revealed. Tim and Urban share one of the strongest relationships in the program. Meyer looks at Tebow as an unbiological son. Urban Meyer relates Tebow to his actual son, Nate, saying he spends nearly as much time with Tebow as he does Nate. While not as strong, Urban cherishes his close relationships with his players and truly values all of them. Tebow is a strong leader in the team and holds strong devotion to his fellow players. This was apparent in his half-time speech at the national championship. After feeling like he let his team down the first half, he encouraged them by saying, “we’ve got thirty minutes for the rest of our lives… give everything you got for thirty minutes and we’re gonna win this game” (Tim Urban Sunday Conversation). Tebow closed by expressing his loyalty and respect for his coach. He hopes to give him a team that cares more about each other than themselves and the crystal ball at the end of the season, of course.

A football team that takes things deeper than the game is more than a football team; they have grown into a family. Closeness within a team off the field helps to build a better team on the field. The players can trust each other and hold the others accountable for their actions. The Florida Gators know the devotion of each of their fellow players which leads to their own passion building. The relationships don’t stop at the players, but the coaches also have a tight knit bond. Urban Meyer opens his house and heart to all of his players. He sees them as family to help in any way possible. When you can depend on someone like that, it builds respect. Respect for your teammates and your coach means a better experience on the football field.

"Tim Urban Sunday Conversation." YouTube. Web. 8 May 2010.

The Speed

Mike Kaminski saw the value of Florida’s speedsters and wrote his article, “What’s in a Nickname? At Florida, it’s Speed”. He evaluates the importance these quick players have had on the Gator’s success. Nicknames throughout the Florida team range from gazelles, jackrabbits, and cheetahs. Players such as Rainey and Demps have running styles that reflect that of the gazelle. Jenkins goes by jackrabbit not only for his speed, but also for his time spent as a kid chasing rabbits around. The biggest honor of all, the title of the cheetah, goes to Percy Harvin. Kaminski quoted Coach Meyer saying, “I want to have the fastest team in America” (Kaminski). Meyer strongly focuses on potential player’s speed while recruiting. Florida already has twelve players who have clocked at or under 4.4 seconds when running the forty yard dash. Meyer is so confident in the ability of his players he held an open race for the students of the University of Florida. If any student could beat his speed demons, he ensured a scholarship. Needless to say, none were given.

Speed puts the Gators one step ahead of all the other teams out there. It’s a secret weapon that not all teams have the pleasure of having. However, it is only a small part to a big picture. Having speedy players has saved Florida in the past, but I believe they are more for bragging rights than success. Florida players think they have the best of the best. One player in the article was quoted saying that “we [Florida Gators] can line up with anybody” (Kaminski). All cockiness aside, Meyer should continue to look for quick players but not make it a necessity.





Kaminski, Mike. "What's in a Nickname? At Florida, it's Speed." First Coast News 06 Jan 2009: Web. 8 May 2010.

Tim Tebow Interview

Tim Tebow starts with letting his interviewer know that he is loyal to University of Florida and will spend his senior year there. The next topic brought up is the Gators’ one point loss to Ole Miss. After the game, Tebow made a pledge; he stated, “To the fans, the Gator Nation, I’m sorry. Extremely sorry. But I promise you one thing: a lot of good will come from this. You will never see a player, in the entire country, play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. You will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of this season. And you will never see a team play harder than we will play the rest of the season. God bless” (Tim Tebow on ESPN). He goes on to say that that set the mood for the rest of the season. It was cool to him how they were able to bounce back from that loss and win a championship. They went through the rest of their games not being the prettiest team, but they cared the most about each other and winning together. The next subject brought up is Tebow’s penalty for excessive celebration. Tebow comments that it was worth the yards they lost in that game. Doing the gator chomp wasn’t expressing his success but the success of his team and the gator nation as a whole. When asked which year was better for his individual accomplishments, 2007 or 2008, Tebow answered 2008 saying wins are more important than statistics. He believes that leadership will keep the edge for the year after their championship. Tebow ends the interview by praising his head coach, Urban Meyer, saying, “how hard he works that’s how hard we have to work, his character that’s our character, his integrity that’s our integrity” (Tim Tebow on ESPN).

With this interview, you are able to see more of what went into the success of the Gators in 2008. Tebow expresses the determination of the whole team after the loss to Ole Miss. It brought out a need to prove that they still had it. To pull it together and come out with a championship after that struggle was a huge accomplishment for the team. It showed what they were made of and that nothing could make them stumble and fail. The Gators have a very strong sense of pride. Sometimes that pride can hurt them as it did with Tebow's penalty. However, in a sense, they deserve the bragging rights. The Florida Gators want players and fans to realize who they are and what they've done. They did it all together with the help of an amazing coach. Having that loyalty, pride, and determination, that is what makes the Gators stand apart from other college football teams.

"Tim Tebow on ESPN." YouTube. Web. 07 Apr 2010.