Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrieris a former American football player and coach, having served as the head coach of three college and two professional teams. Spurrier was also noteworthy as a standout college football player, and he spent a decade playing professionally in the National Football League. Spurrier retired from coaching in 2015 and now serves as an ambassador and consultant for the University of Florida's athletic department...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth20 April 1945
CountryUnited States of America
We just wanted to look around in the stadium and realize how fortunate we are to be able to coach and play in front of 80,000 people that love their team like we have here. Who knows if it does any good or not? We'll find out Saturday at 1 o'clock.
After being with a team that didn't score many points, I sort of realized why teams didn't like us (at Florida), ... We kept trying to score the whole game and for some reason, in football, you're not supposed to do that. If we lose by a big number, that's fine with me.
We realize we have not done anything to earn the spotlight, but we'll take it, ... Hopefully, our play will prove that maybe we deserve it. So that's what we'll try and do Thursday night.
It's always important to play in the bowl game. All you have to do is look at the other six SEC teams that didn't make it and realize we're in the top half of the SEC. It's certainly fun for all the college kids and coaches to be playing in December, in January. A lot of them are not practicing and wish they were.
I was wrong. The main reason I said it (a year ago) was to eliminate any excuses we had around here. (But) I didn't realize what other schools have done with facilities. We don't have everything in place.
I think it was best for all concerned. I had already done my things there and I left, and to do it again wouldn't have made sense for me or for Florida. So I hope people can realize it was time to move on. I feel fortunate South Carolina offered me a chance here to try to do some things that have never been done before. Almost every victory around here is the first time that ever happened.
I thought we could make a field goal there.
It got sticky there in the fourth quarter,
I think today gave him a little more confidence. He threw the ball with authority most of the day.
I said, 'If it happens in the normal course of the game, then that's the way it's going to happen,' ... We had our backups in there.
I said, 'Dang, we've got big, strong, good-looking offensive linemen. How come they're not blocking as well as I hope? I'm trying to figure that out.
I salute and praise the people in Shreveport for having this bowl for 30 years. I know it's not always easy keeping these things alive, but I think the Independence Bowl is the 11th-oldest bowl in the country, so they have done a super job here.
You all think I'm the first guy to ever coach against his alma mater, ... This happens a lot around the country.
We don't think all this attention will get to him. That's something we talk to him about.