Steve Spurrier got fans fired up with his Mr. Two Bits routine at Saturday night's season opener. (Photo: Jim Burgess/For UAA Communications)
A Week and Night to Remember for 'Head Ball Coach'
Sunday, September 4, 2016 | Football
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Steve Spurrier-Florida Field officially was dedicated/unveiled before Saturday night's 2016 opener against UMass.
By: Alex Peterman, Writing Intern
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The winningest coach in University of Florida football history was home Saturday night for a very memorable moment. Before the Gators took the field for their season opener against Massachusetts, UF unveiled the new name for its stadium: Steve Spurrier–Florida Field.
The first people the ceremony impacted were the players, who could feel the energy and emotion from the time they came out of the tunnel.
"It was hyped up, the first game, everybody has been waiting for it,'' receiver Brandon Powell said. "Coach Spurrier was back. It was great energy."
Following the tribute, Spurrier walked out to midfield to give a speech of gratitude, of remembrance, and most of all, of celebration.
To the rallying cries of the Florida football crowd, he played the role of honorary Mr. Two Bits, finishing it with Usain Bolt's famous "lightning bolt," the runner's signature celebration.
"I told them I was going to do something that nobody's ever done before," Spurrier said. "I like trying to do stuff that's never happened before, so I did it."
He was the only choice for the honorary Mr. Two Bits this week.
Spurrier's 127-22-1 record as a coach at UF, including a staggering 68-5 mark at home, only built his fame after a Heisman-winning campaign in 1966. It's been 15 years since he last coached the Gators. But in commemorating his long and illustrious tenure here – during which he truly molded the Gators into a dominant college football program – it seemed only right that he should return to the program.
Last month, Spurrier was hired as ambassador and consultant to the athletic program. This past week, he went on a whirlwind tour to promote his new book, "Head Ball Coach."
But the highlight of his week came Saturday night.
"The chance to thank Coach [Ray] Graves, Coach [Doug] Dickey, the [former] president Bob Bryan, and my wife, and the players, my teammates, and of course the guys I coached for 12 years," he said.
He reminisced on the winning culture at UF, and why the teams under his eye had so much success. A culture we know that he helped create, one that has come to define fans' associations between Spurrier and Gators football.
"One good thing about the guys I coached 20 years ago and so forth is of course they want to win for themselves, their coaches, and their teammates, but they want to win for the University of Florida," he said. "They want to win for all Gators. So we all shared in the success."
