Steve Spurrier has been out of the college football coaching grind for more than 10 years, but he still knows how to get under people’s skin. That’s a big reason ESPN writer Ryan McGee put the Head Ball Coach at No. 1 on his ranking of the greatest villains in college football history, ahead of Lane Kiffin, Johnny Manziel, Brian Bosworth and the 1990 Miami Hurricanes.
And really, the pick fits. Spurrier never just beat teams.
He made sure they felt it, and then he kept the needle moving all week long. Even now, some of his sharpest lines still have Tennessee, Florida State and Clemson fans looking for a comeback.
Spurrier’s edge came from the fact that he backed it all up. He won the 1966 Heisman Trophy as Florida’s quarterback, then came back to Gainesville and turned the Gators into a national power. Under Spurrier, Florida won six SEC championships and the 1996 national title, and finished in the top 15 in all 12 of his seasons.
That kind of success gave his trash talk real bite. When Florida State players were tied to an improper benefits scandal involving a Foot Locker shopping spree, Spurrier called the Seminoles “Free Shoes University.”
Tennessee got plenty of his attention too. He went 8-4 against the Volunteers at Florida, and his line that “you can’t spell Citrus without UT” became one of the sport’s most famous jabs.
The Citrus Bowl, after all, was usually the landing spot for an SEC team that had come up short in the league race. Spurrier knew exactly where to aim.
His South Carolina run only added to the legend. He took over a program that had rarely bothered the SEC’s traditional powers and led the Gamecocks to three straight 11-win seasons. South Carolina also beat Clemson five straight times from 2009 through 2013.
Spurrier made sure nobody forgot it, too, often holding up five fingers to mark the streak whenever he got the chance. Clemson fans didn’t need the reminder, but that was never the point.
McGee’s list featured plenty of names built to annoy people, including Kiffin, Manziel, Deion Sanders and Caleb Williams. But most villains wear out their welcome in a hurry.
Spurrier lasted for decades. He talked, won, celebrated and talked some more. In college football, that’s how you become unforgettable.
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Blake Franks is part of that ongoing picture as he continues working his way back and trying to settle into the room with the rest of the line. Clements has emphasized that the next step is less about adding complexity and more about discipline, since negative plays can undo even a promising front in a hurry. With practice set to begin Aug. 7 and a detailed schedule running through Aug. 11, South Carolina should start getting a clearer read on which combinations and traits are actually taking hold. [Read more 🡒]
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The spot drawing the most attention is at safety, where the competition will help define how quickly this defense settles in once the pads come on. For a unit that wants to be steadier from week to week, the early days of camp should start answering one of the bigger questions on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolinas Defensive Front Has A Camp Battle Fans Need To Watch
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Defensive line coach Travian Robertson has added a few more players to the watch list, with Jordan Thomas, Noah Clark and Caleb Williams also in the mix as camp approaches. For South Carolina, the real intrigue is how quickly that group turns confidence into clarity, because the staff still has to sort out roles and find the best combinations before the opener arrives. Camp should tell plenty about which linemen are ready to seize the opportunity and which battles are still waiting to be settled. [Read more 🡒]