Words of Wisdom

Spurrier
© More from this issue

          
Whether you like him or not, one thing is abundantly clear – you will never, ever forget Steve Spurrier.

The former University of Florida head coach has never been known for his bashfulness or his unwillingness to let it all hang out – both on the field and on the podium.

Spurrier, a 1966 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback at Florida, was and always will be a proponent of excellence. His 123 victories at Florida – including a national championship in 1996 – are the most for any college football coach during their first 12 years at a school. His six Southeastern Conference titles place him second in SEC history and his four-straight outright conference championships (1993-96) place him with legendary Alabama Crimson Tide coach Paul “Bear” Bryant as the only two coaches to accomplish such a feat.

Spurrier’s climb to the top of the collegiate world has not gone unnoticed. After years of being courted by numerous professional teams, Spurrier has finally taken his ball – and his trademark visor – to the NFL. In 2002, Spurrier was named the new head coach of the Daniel Snyder’s Washington Redskins, making himself their third coach in as many years. However, Snyder believes this is a perfect fit for both the Redskins and the Florida icon.

“He is the head coach of the Redskins for five years, at a minimum,” Snyder said. “I’ve staked my credibility – along with his – together. I hope we will have a successful season. I think and pray that we will. But if we don’t, I will stand by Coach Spurrier for as long as it takes because he will get it right. He’s a winner.”

Without a doubt, Spurrier is a proven winner. He is a charismatic character with a thirst for perfection and a lot to say. The world of college football will never be the same without Steve Spurrier, however, the world of professional football will never be the same with him.

--- QUOTES: ---

“I believe in using quotations from successful people. It’s something I started back in 1983 with the Tampa Bay Bandits (USFL). It helped me and my players then, and it still does today.”

“Preparation, Persistence and Positive are among the primary thoughts in my theory on what it takes to be successful.”

“I don’t like to shake hands with the other coach after losing. To me, it’s a little bit of an embarrassment. That coach has beaten you and in his mind he’s saying, ‘I’m tougher than Spurrier. I had my team better prepared than Spurrier.’ That’s all the motivation I need.”

“When Nebraska took a knee at the end of the (1996) Fiesta Bowl, I wanted to call a timeout and go over and tell Tom Osborne to try and score another touchdown, but I chickened out. I’m a competitor. If you have a chance to beat me, beat me as bad as you can.”

“There are a bunch of these run-up-the-score experts that say, ‘Hey, he runs up the score, he doesn’t, he does, he doesn’t.’ Now I wish one of those experts would come up with a formula, how many points you have to be ahead, with how much time left, before the coach is supposed to say, ‘No more scoring,’ and run up the middle and take a knee and quit playing the game. But no one’s ever come up with that formula, and I can’t figure it out.”
“I read somewhere that to be successful in life, you’ve got to outwork the competition, or else you have to do things differently. Maybe I’m just trying to do things a little different.”

“To me, a good offense is one that looks complicated, but is simple to learn and teach the players.”

“Basically, there is a good pass play for every defense. There isn’t any one great defense that can shut down the pass or everybody would be using it.”

“If I were ever going to coach in the NFL, this is it. It’s time to see if my style of coaching, my kind of offense can work in that league. I’d like to coach five or six more years and see what happens. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll just be a retired ball coach.”

Quotations from Quotable Spurrier: The Nerve, Verve and Victorious Words of and about Steve Spurrier, by Gene Frenette

NEW BOOK!

Digital Download - 304 Pages of Football Forms for the Winning Coach