To all Gator Nation, its fans and supporters.
We need to stay positive and continue to have an optimistic outlook on our football program. What we can’t do and need to stop is this bickering, false rumor spreading, gossiping type of crap.
We need to understand that change takes time. Culture change within a program takes time. It doesn’t happen in one spring practice or training camp. I would recommend everyone watch the Saban documentary on ESPN. Especially the first 2 episodes. He talks about it and the players talk about changing the culture within the program. The mindset of the players and building the foundation for the future players so they understand the standard when they step foot on campus.
Sumrall and his staff are in the process of doing that. It takes time. Some players change and adapt quickly. Others take time. And some don’t change at all and those players find their way out of the program.
Like all Gator fans, I was excited after our first 4 games. It was great to truly be relevant again. To see a team play with a physicality and a fire that we hadn’t truly seen under Billy. A coach in Sumrall who doesn’t shy away from pointing out the obviously and exudes confidence. But to be honest, some of us saw the weakness. Sumrall told us we weren’t back yet. But lots of us didn’t want to see it or listen to it.
Here we are now, 2 bad loses after a 4-0 start and a couple good wins. We still have a team that is changing and adapting to what is being asked of them. Change takes time like I said. It’s easy to buy in to the changes, especially culture changes when we are winning. The true determinant is when shit starts hitting the fan. Do the plays quit because things start getting hard and fall back into the old ways of doing things or thinking. Or do they stick to the plan. Have the mental strength to push past these hard times, continue to work hard, and believe in their coaches and their leadership.
This is will the team is at. I believe we have the right guy captaining the ship and the players to follow his lead. We, as followers, fans, supporters, need to continue to show up and show our support. We have seen glimpses of what I believe will be our future. But as I said, change, full change takes time. And we need to give Sumrall and these players time to do it.
So what I ask, from one Gator to another, is stop this BS rumor mill going on social. It’s doing nobody any good. It’s only hurting us and our team. Let’s stick together and support these coaches and players.
In all kinds of weather, we all stick together!!!🐊🐊🐊 @GatorsFB
Hard questions for Florida defensive coordinator Brad White coming again this week again.
That’s fine- but it should be asked: how many of Florida’s defensive starters start at half the schools in the SEC?
3 (Graham, Woods, Robinson). 2?
Big task for portal this winter.
From 1990-2019, only Ohio State and Alabama fielded more top 20 defenses than Florida.
Florida hasn’t had a defense finish in the top 50 this decade: in either total defense or success rate defense.
Jon Sumrall era will probably live or die on whether that gets fixed.
This game was a microcosm of the last 30 years of Dallas Cowboys football. A million ridiculous things to second guess. Yet just enough good to have a sliver of a hope. But right when you believe there’s actually a chance, a giant sledgehammer crushes your nuts.