GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The 50-year anniversary of his death is Sept. 3, but he remains perhaps the most quoted football coach in the game's history.
One of
Vince Lombardi's famous quotes, which originated in an October 1961 issue of Look magazine, is that "a school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall." If Lombardi was alive today, he would undoubtedly have something to say about the current predicament facing college coaches amidst the political climate that hovers over the game's immediate future.
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted nearly all aspects of daily life, and if some have their way, every school in the land will resemble a medieval study hall this fall. Clear-cut answers to the 2020 season's future have been as difficult to come by as stumbling across a five-star recruit that no one knows about. The news cycle churns with opinions but few solutions. Coaches in the SEC, ACC and Big 12 continue to prepare for a season while those from the Pac-12 and Big Ten do not.
Following his team's first practice of preseason camp Monday, Gators head coach
Dan Mullen experienced the unique undercurrents at play during a Zoom press conference with reporters. Of course, many of the questions centered around issues that remain as cloudy today as five months ago when college sports were shut down.
"I can't speak for the Pac-12 or the Big Ten and what they have or what they know,'' Mullen said. "We go off what we know and what we have … and working off it as best as possible. I can't tell you what's going to happen long-term, but our guys have handled everything really well."
During Mullen's media session,
SI.com reported that four UF players – receivers
Kadarius Toney,
Trevon Grimes and
Jacob Copeland – and defensive lineman
Zachary Carter held out of practice Monday. Mullen didn't confirm the report but when asked if everyone on the team practiced, he acknowledge the Gators had some absences.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you have guys opt-out,'' he said. "I'm going to fully support them. Really wouldn't be surprised if we had coaches opt-out, to be honest. Coaches are at such high risk because of the age group they're in. We're going to adapt to whatever happens as we continue to move forward."
In the aftermath, Toney and Grimes posted nebulous messages on Twitter that suggested they have not opted out of the season, and Carter's father,
Frank Carter, told
GatorsTerritory.com that his son has concerns about COVID-19 and is "just taking the cautious route."
It all added up to about a normal day in the summer of 2020.
For now, whatever the players ultimately decide to do, there must be a season for Monday's events to matter. Every day delivers ample fuel to the debate. Meanwhile, the SEC announced Monday night that the Gators are set to open the season Sept. 26 at Ole Miss.
In a summer of uncertainty, a welcome tidbit of confidence. For those putting in the work to make it happen – specifically coaches and players – they at least have a target date to shoot for to make the sweat seem worth it in these unprecedented times.
Mullen said the plan is for players to be tested for COVID-19 three times per week during the season.
"We live in a world where we like certainties,'' Mullen said. "There are a lot of uncertainties with it right now. As we told the team, there's inherent risks to the game of football. Kind of what COVID's done is added another possible risk."
BRING 'EM ON
The Gators added a home game against Arkansas and a road trip to Texas A&M to their schedule under the revamped 10-game, SEC-only season the league established for 2020.
The game at Texas A&M is scheduled Oct. 10 and the home game against Arkansas is Nov. 14. Mullen said he would have preferred to know the schedule sooner than Monday for planning purposes, but as for the opponents, he didn't blink.
"It is what it is,'' he said. "We'll play whoever they put in front of us."
The Gators will face former teammate Feleipe Franks on Nov. 14.
As for facing
Feleipe Franks, the former Gators starter who transferred to Arkansas for his final season of eligibility in the wake of
Kyle Trask blossoming a season ago after Franks was hurt, Mullen shared mixed views.
"It will be a unique deal,'' he said. "Obviously not ideal, to me. I don't think for him or us. Obviously, I have great respect for Feleipe as a person. I think he's a tremendous young man. I'm so happy for what he did for our program here, how he handled himself. He was always a first-class person and I was really excited for him to get this whole, new fresh start for one more year of college, kind of a re-do.
"Having to play them this year kind of brings up things that, I don't know how good that is for anybody. But it'll be unique. I know he will be motivated to play us. I'm sure our guys will probably be motivated to play him because it's a little more personal. I don't know if that's a great thing or not."
QUOTE OF NOTE
"It's good that we have some veteran guys that have played some football, so that makes you feel good. But, listen, you're not going to make up the development you lost in the spring, and that's one of the biggest tragedies for these players in their careers." – Mullen on the impact of missing spring camp.
EXTRA POINTS
Offensive lineman
Tanner Rowell, who a year ago this month
was put on scholarship after three years as a walk-on, recently announced on his Instagram page that he had retired from the game and moved to Mississippi for a job. Rowell had a season of eligibility remaining. "The game of football had always been the most important thing in my life, but I've decided it was time to move on,'' Rowell wrote. "The impact the University of Florida has had on my life will be something that I will never take for granted and I wanted to thank anybody who has helped me along the way" … Former walk-on quarterback
Nick Sproles, who moved up to third on the depth chart last season behind Trask and
Emory Jones after Franks' injury, has landed at Division II Southeastern Oklahoma State University … Receiver
Dionte Marks, a freshman last season who appeared in two games, officially enrolled at UCF on Wednesday according to reports. Marks flip-flopped between Ole Miss and UCF after announcing his intentions to transfer from UF earlier in the year … Former Gators walk-on offensive lineman
Da'Quan Thomas from Palm Beach Dwyer, who entered the transfer portal in June, is now at the University of North Carolina Central … Miami head coach
Manny Diaz announced Tuesday that
Avantae Williams, the top-ranked safety prospect in the country in the 2020 signing class, will miss his freshman season due to "chronic and lingering medical issues." Williams' college decision came down to the Gators and Hurricanes.
ARMED AND READY
In April 2018, more than 60 MLB scouts and cross-checkers dropped in at McKethan Stadium to watch the
pitching matchup between Florida's Brady Singer and Auburn's Casey Mize. Singer got the win and has already made his big-league debut with the Royals.
On Wednesday night, Mize is scheduled to make his debut with the Tigers against former Gators hurler Dane Dunning, who is set to make his major-league debut for the White Sox.
Good luck to Dunning, who has battled back from arm surgery to get his shot in the majors.
