Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer on the field during a timeout in the first quarter of Saturday night's season opener against FAU. (Photo: Jay Metz/UAA Communications)
Meyer Returns to 'The Swamp' to Hang Out with Spurrier as a Spectator
Saturday, September 4, 2021 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — For the second time in three seasons, former Gators coach Urban Meyer is attending Florida's season opener.
This one is different. Meyer is in his first season as an NFL head coach and the game is at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
"First one here since I was the coach,'' Meyer said as he hung out with another former Gators head coach, Steve Spurrier, in Spurrier's office at 'The Swamp' prior to the season opener. "First one I had to drive in my own car." Urban Meyer during his time as Gators head coach. (File photo)
Meyer has a rare free weekend with the Jacksonville Jaguars off, so he took up an offer from the Gators to hang out with Spurrier and enjoy a game as a spectator. Spurrier attended a Jaguars practice last month and the two have crossed paths more often now that Meyer is back in Florida.
"Coach Spurrier, we've become good friends,'' Meyer said. "Love hanging out with him."
Meyer's last game as coach at 'The Swamp' was the next-to-last regular season game of 2010. Florida defeated Appalachian State 48-10 on Nov. 20, 2010. Meyer led the Gators for six seasons and won two national titles.
He also spearheaded efforts to create the "Gator Walk" tradition that has become so popular with fans, including late Saturday afternoon when thousands returned to welcome the Gators for their first home game without Covid-19 reduced-capacity restrictions in place since 2019. That was the year of Meyer's last Gators game, too. He attended the season-opening win over Miami at Camping World Stadium and watched the game in a private box with Spurrier.
As Meyer arrived for Saturday's game, the "Gator Walk" stirred memories of his time with the Gators.
"We started that while I was here,'' he said. "You could feel the energy."
