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