I still giggle at the thought of Steve Spurrier throwing down his visor inside The Swamp. That's part of his legacy. And the really funny part is that he would only throw it down once, maybe twice a game. Gators fans were happy he got that upset only a few times per game.
There was a lot to be peeved about back in the mid '80s.
That's why Spurrier is still the most meaningful coach in UF history. Urban Meyer is a better coach, but his coaching thumbprint has not left the impression Spurrier's has.
Go back a little more than four years. Meyer was touted as Gainesville's new savior while the phrasing "Urban Renewal" took flight.
Renewal. In other words, bringing back something that already existed.
It was something Spurrier built.
If there were no Spurrier, there would be no 8-year-old Timmy Tebow cheering on Danny Wuerffel late at night in his orange-and-blue pajamas. There would be no reason why Meyer would even consider leaving Utah for Gainesville. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium would not be called "The Swamp."
Do you credit Ben Franklin for inventing electricity or General Electric for maintaining it and improving upon Franklin's original findings?
Now, Meyer has gone way above just maintaining the program, but he did not turn on the switch to the crazed universe of UF football. That was Spurrier. He is the creator, and Meyer is the successor. Spurrier built the house while Meyer added the spiffy Jacuzzi on the porch and bought a Wii for their giant, flat-screen TV.
Basically, Meyer has added extra spice to the already-good recipe put together by Spurrier.
Meyer just nabbed his second national title while, yes, Spurrier only has one, and, yes, most current recruits don't care about the success Spurrier had here. But the recruits - as well as every college football fan - know about UF's tradition, even if they don't care where it came from.
Meyer can ask for something, and he will probably get it. Spurrier asked for something and had to work to get it.
UF fans were furious when Spurrier was replaced by Ron Zook. After all, a prestigious program like UF's deserved better than Zook, didn't it? That's because Spurrier established tradition and raised expectations.
Just a few years ago, even though most were pleased with Meyer's hiring, very few thought anybody could ever touch King Steve's crown. He was the father of UF football, and many were hoping he would be brought back instead of hiring Meyer.
If Spurrier still wanted to be the coach here, he could have been. The only reason he's not is because he was coaching victim No. 87 who thought he could make it in the NFL.
If you make a list of the best current college coaches, only a fool would put Meyer anywhere lower than third, and it would be just as foolish to put Spurrier in the top 10. But we're not talking about the current situation. We're talking about the impact made on this program. That's where Spurrier can still top the list.
After Meyer goes out and wins three more national titles with the Gators, then let's have this chat again.
