I’ve heard my fair share of what I like to call “coach speak” over the past couple of years covering UF sports.
I’m talking cliché, meaningless phrases with no substance to them like, “We’re just focusing on what we can control,” or, “We have to play how we’re capable of playing.” Anything that came out of former football coach Jim McElwain’s mouth over the past three years would suffice.
But when I found out McElwain’s successor, first-year coach Dan Mullen, used the phrase “herky-jerky” to describe a recent scrimmage, I almost did a double-take from the comfort of my parents’ home in South Florida. Instead of thinking about the upcoming Passover Seder my mom was preparing, my attention quickly shifted to one question.
What the hell does herky-jerky mean?
After tight ends coach Larry Scott used the same set of words at post-practice media on Wednesday to describe his unit, I knew I just had to ask for an explanation.
“On and off,” Scott said. “Have a good few plays and then have a bad play, or have a few good practice periods and then we’ll have a lull.”
That would make sense, as Mullen described Friday’s scrimmage as being full of inconsistencies and flashy plays. But to me and the average sports fan, those words could have meant basically anything else.
Is it a dance movement from the South? Is it a cheerleading routine the team’s players had to learn to increase their agility? Is it a kind of beef jerky that Mullen and strength coach Nick Savage have their players eat to give them an added boost?
Who knows? But what I do know is that after seeing what the Gators had in store at the first scrimmage of the spring, they have a lot to work on.
Its quarterback race — one that on first glance appeared to be between redshirt sophomore Feleipe Franks and true freshman Emory Jones — just received another entrant in redshirt sophomore Kyle Trask, who looked impressive with three touchdowns and one interception on Friday.
Running back Malik Davis is still recovering from his season-ending injury and will be limited during the spring as well, leaving a wide open hole for redshirt junior Jordan Scarlett and sophomore Adarius Lemons to earn a starting role in the backfield. The team as a whole is also continuing to get bigger and bulkier under Savage’s new training program.
Bottom line: the Gators are still figuring out the kinks of working in a new program, just like their fans are trying to figure out what Mullen is attempting to say half the damn time.
All you need to know right now is that Florida’s football team is “herky-jerky,” whatever that means. Take that as you will Gators fans.
Jake Dreilinger is the assistant sports editor of the Alligator. Follow him on Twitter @DreilingerJake and contact him at jdreilinger@alligator.org.
UF head coach Dan Mullen shared his team weapons policy at UF Media Day on Thursday. "I have a no-weapons policy, but it’s not like you’re not allowed to have a gun," he said.
