When Danny Wuerffel was first asked to host Gator Growl, he had some reservations.
The mid-'90s Gators Football legend currently works with Desire Street Ministries, a Christian charity, and remembers the R-rated reputation Gator Growl had during his college days.
In its history, Gator Growl has hosted Dave Chappelle, Dane Cook and Mitch Hedberg, all comedians known for foul mouths and drug humor.
"We love to have fun and we love to joke and sometimes, in the spirit of joking, [Desire Street and I] feel it can go a little too far," Wuerffel said.
However, Matt Sloan, this year's producer of Gator Growl, assured him that the event's new, family-friendly direction would continue this year.
"We're looking forward to a good night, and hopefully we'll be saying the same thing when we're done," Wuerffel said.
In preparation for Friday night's show, Gator Growl officials held a press conference Thursday night for Wuerffel and hip-hop dance group Jabbawockeez.
Jam band O.A.R. and former Saturday Night Live comedian Dana Carvey were not present.
Wuerffel said he feels when Gators Football seniors, including Tim Tebow, Brandon Spikes and Brandon James, graduate this year, it will be as if new members are joining his fraternity - the fraternity of Gators football legends past.
"Of course for me, I have a real neat place in my heart for our quarterback, Tim Tebow, and what he's done and who he is," Wuerffel said. "That makes it all the more sweeter for me to see… all the accolades he's getting."
Sloan, who also spoke at the conference, added bringing Wuerffel to Gator Growl was part of honoring the Gators legends graduating this year.
"I mean, we're graduating two of the best seniors in college football," Sloan said. "Brandon Spikes and Tim Tebow and the rest of that class has brought us two national championships and a Heisman trophy."
Dancing for sports-pumped crowds is not new to the Jabbawockeez. They have performed at Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings basketball games, but this is their first time in a football stadium, and members have tweaked the show with that in mind.
"Because there's a 360 audience … (we) revamped the show so we can give love to all sides of the stadium," said Ben "B-Tek" Chung, a Jabbawockeez dancer. "The way that we do it is very much like a sport. A lot of the training, a lot of practice - well, we call it rehearsing."
