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.

The Redefined Defense

Bill Trocchi begins his article, “Once-maligned Gators Defense Rises to Ultimate Challenge”, by unraveling the players’ relationships. Before the big SEC championship game, a safety, Ahmad Black, texted big time linebacker, Brandon Spikes, “you are the leader, and I’m following you” (Trocchi). The players had recently been inspired by pro-linebacker, Ray Lewis, who related football players to soldiers at war. A head soldier leads as his troops follow. Spikes got the message and reinforced it to his fellow athletes. He built them up through reminding them of the ridicule the defense got last year; this year was their time to shine. The defense managed to pull it together in the final quarter and bring in some outstanding numbers. One of the biggest accomplishments was Cunningham’s sack of John Parker Wilson: the first of the game. One player went as far as to say, “That sack was the play of the night. We just knew we had to come out and make a stand” (Trocchi). Coach Meyer gushed about his teams’ win and commented on the toughness of the program. Many doubted the Gators’ defense could pull out the force to stop Alabama, but they succeeded.



The defense has a huge responsibility on a football team. The offense gets most of the glory for putting the points on the scoreboard. However, they wouldn’t make it within out their fellow players putting a halt to the other teams’ attempt to score. Alabama is a wonderful team, one of the best in the nation according to their rank. Fans doubted Florida’s ability to put Alabama’s success to an end. Florida’s program is known for their speedy players versus their tough, unbreakable defense. They had several plays in this final game before the national championship that showed they were here to play; they had improved from the year before. Without a defense to stop Alabama’s offense that game could have gone in a completely different direction for the Gators.

Trocchi, Bill. "Once-maligned Gators defense rises to ultimate challenge." Sports Illustrated 07 Dec 2008: Web. 07 Apr 2010. .

The Heisman Quarterback

The athletic department at the University of Florida struck gold with Tim Tebow as Mark McLeod showed in his article, "Hand Tebow the Hardware". At only a sophomore, Tebow had a record of twenty-two for thirty-two passes for a total of 304 yards. Tebow is also one of the most daring quarterbacks when it comes to running the ball. Meyer explained that “you can’t jeopardize running Tim as much as he likes to run and as much as we’d like to have him run” (McLeod). However, he still ran for 120 yards on twenty-six carries. This led to five rushing touchdowns. He did all this at what some consider newbie status. Many believe that his lack of experience on the team meant he wasn’t ready to be an all-star; he hadn’t paid his dues. Yet, the numbers can’t be denied. He threw for twenty-three touchdowns with only five interceptions. McLeod even stated that “he [Tim Tebow] leads the nation in passing efficiency, while ranking among the nations leaders in total offense, and points responsible for per game”. Head coach, Urban Meyer, praised the young athlete by saying, “He’s a full functioning quarterback” (McLeod). The author ends the article by relating Tebow to Herschel Walker who lost the Heisman because of his freshman status. Unlike Walker, however, Tim walks away with the trophy.

Tim Tebow was a huge asset to this football team. He brought in a new sense of diversity. A quarterback that is built like a lineman is every coach’s dream. Tebow knew when to throw and when to run. That option isn’t available with every quarterback in college football. His head coach was obviously very proud of him and supportive. I believe Tim Tebow came out on top because of the support given to him by his coaching staff. He was young, but he took charge. Earning that trophy at that age proved a lot from him. The Heisman is rewarded to an outstanding football player every year. At that age to be good is wonderful; to be outstanding is a whole different story. Tebow showed the nation that something amazing can come in any package, so you better watch out.

McLeod, Mark. "Hand Tebow the Hardware." Florida Gators Country 11 Nov 2007: Web. 1 Apr 2010.

The Coach

Pete Thamel took a look deeper into the Florida Gators football team when new coach, Urban Meyer, was hired and discovered a remarkable change occurring within the players. Florida’s athletic director, Jeremy Foley, described Meyer as having zero tolerance when the issue of discipline arose. Meyer relied on a layered system of discipline that focused on peer pressure, involvement of the coaching staff in players’ lives, and a reward system. For peer pressure, coach would tell certain players that the weekend was on them. That meant if any player got in trouble that weekend, they did too. The players became accountable for each other like a brotherhood. Coaches got so involved that they took on the role of second parents. The involvement is shown by saying that “it was the coaches’ responsibility to know their players’ cellphone numbers by heart, their girlfriends’ names, and to stay in contact with their families” (Thamel). Urban Meyer rewards successful players by inducting them into the Meyer’s Championship Club. Membership is based on off-field behavior, attendance, and on-field effort. Forty-eight players belonged to the club when the article was written. Those in the club benefited by receiving special gear and their own banquet.

Urban Meyer coming in to coach Florida football had a huge impact on the team in my opinion. His concentration on the players’ behavior outside the field reflects his passion for the team on the field. The fact that he took the time to care shows you that the Gators team really meant something to him. He wanted more than a bunch of convicts who were good at playing football. He wanted to impact their lives in more way than one. He stepped into that coaching position with the goal to make more than a football team but instead a group well rounded football players. Someone that cares that much obviously wants the best for his team. He instilled a new sense of pride in these players. With a coach that cares, players feel obliged to do things right. He built that team up. It was only a matter of time until they showed him what all they had. They were determined to bring Urban Meyer that trophy.

Thamel, Pete. "Meyer Uses Behavior Modification for Florida Players." New York Times 24 July 2005: Web. 15 Mar 2010.

My hyperlink will absolutely not show up, but here is the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/24/sports/ncaafootball/24gators.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=meyer%20uses%20player%20modification&st=cse