Florida head coach Dan Mullen recently sent a letter to former players to attend this weekend's Swamp Reunion Weekend. (Photo: Anissa Dimilta/UAA Communications)
A Swamp Reunion In More Ways Than One for Gators
Thursday, November 11, 2021 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gators' return home after more than a month away is going to be a reunion for UF fans and their favorite team.
That's not the only reunion scheduled Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
When Florida hosts Samford on Saturday afternoon in the annual "Saluting Those Who Serve" game, the Gators will have a few dozen extra teammates as part of the inaugural Swamp Alumni Reunion.
The invitation to former players to join the current team for Gator Walk and other pregame events was sent out last month by head coach Dan Mullen. More than 60 former players and their families are expected to return to "The Swamp" on Saturday.
"It's been five weeks since we played a home game, so it's going to be great to get back into 'The Swamp' to get ready to play,'' Mullen said. "We're also going to have a lot of former players back, which is great. Love having all those guys around.
"I think our players love having them around, and those guys do a great job within our team and with our players talking about the Gator Standard and what's important and what it means to be a Florida Gator, so it'll be great having them at Gator Walk and around this week."
Former Gators tight end Mike Mularkey, who went on to play in the NFL and later served as head coach in Buffalo, Jacksonville and Tennessee, had planned to attend Saturday's game before some family medical concerns surfaced. He brought his 6-year-old grandson to his first Gators game against Vanderbilt last month and values his connection to the program decades after his college playing career ended.
"It's important to keep these guys involved with it,'' he said. "Everyone's dream in college is to hopefully make that next level. I think it has an impact when you've done that and you're still involved with Florida and the school. My wife and I met at Florida. I never thought in my wildest dreams we would be taking a grandson to a Florida game, but we did. He was pretty into it for a 6-year-old."
In Mullen's letter inviting the former players to return for a game, he stressed what they meant to the program when they played and how it still resonates today, another piece of the program's outreach to ex-players.
"The Gators standard of excellence has been established over the years by the countless players, coaches, and staff inside the Florida football. The legacy you have left behind motivates our team on a daily basis to give their all,'' Mullen wrote. "We value your commitment to the Gators, and I want to personally invite every former Florida football player who has touched this program, and your families, back to Gainesville on Saturday, November 13th.
"There is no better way for you and your families to support the program than by joining us in the Swamp and being a part of the inaugural Swamp Alumni Reunion as we take on the Samford Bulldogs."
As part of the inaugural Swamp Reunion Weekend, the former players will receive tickets to the game, parking passes, T-shirts, and an opportunity to share their memories with current players and their own families.
The Gators and Bulldogs kick off at noon Saturday.
That's not the only reunion scheduled Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
When Florida hosts Samford on Saturday afternoon in the annual "Saluting Those Who Serve" game, the Gators will have a few dozen extra teammates as part of the inaugural Swamp Alumni Reunion.
The invitation to former players to join the current team for Gator Walk and other pregame events was sent out last month by head coach Dan Mullen. More than 60 former players and their families are expected to return to "The Swamp" on Saturday.
"It's been five weeks since we played a home game, so it's going to be great to get back into 'The Swamp' to get ready to play,'' Mullen said. "We're also going to have a lot of former players back, which is great. Love having all those guys around.
"I think our players love having them around, and those guys do a great job within our team and with our players talking about the Gator Standard and what's important and what it means to be a Florida Gator, so it'll be great having them at Gator Walk and around this week."
Former Gators tight end Mike Mularkey, who went on to play in the NFL and later served as head coach in Buffalo, Jacksonville and Tennessee, had planned to attend Saturday's game before some family medical concerns surfaced. He brought his 6-year-old grandson to his first Gators game against Vanderbilt last month and values his connection to the program decades after his college playing career ended.
"It's important to keep these guys involved with it,'' he said. "Everyone's dream in college is to hopefully make that next level. I think it has an impact when you've done that and you're still involved with Florida and the school. My wife and I met at Florida. I never thought in my wildest dreams we would be taking a grandson to a Florida game, but we did. He was pretty into it for a 6-year-old."
In Mullen's letter inviting the former players to return for a game, he stressed what they meant to the program when they played and how it still resonates today, another piece of the program's outreach to ex-players.
Sent off some cold weather care packages to our #Gators in the @NFL. pic.twitter.com/UT6oIkKShv
— GatorsEquipment (@GatorsEquipment) November 10, 2021
"The Gators standard of excellence has been established over the years by the countless players, coaches, and staff inside the Florida football. The legacy you have left behind motivates our team on a daily basis to give their all,'' Mullen wrote. "We value your commitment to the Gators, and I want to personally invite every former Florida football player who has touched this program, and your families, back to Gainesville on Saturday, November 13th.
"There is no better way for you and your families to support the program than by joining us in the Swamp and being a part of the inaugural Swamp Alumni Reunion as we take on the Samford Bulldogs."
As part of the inaugural Swamp Reunion Weekend, the former players will receive tickets to the game, parking passes, T-shirts, and an opportunity to share their memories with current players and their own families.
The Gators and Bulldogs kick off at noon Saturday.
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