Jacksonville Jaguars players are used to one national championship-winning coach at their practices in head coach Urban Meyer, but at this point, they’re probably starting to become accustomed to several.
Steve Spurrier reminiscing with some @GatorsFB – Charlie Strong and Lerentee McCray. Then Pharoh Cooper from the @GamecockFB stops by to say hello. @ActionSportsJax @ESPN690Jax pic.twitter.com/d8JjNquHPe
— Brent Martineau (@BrentASJax) August 17, 2021
Former Florida coach Steve Spurrier was in attendance at practice on Tuesday, the latest legendary figure to attend a Jags practice session. Meyer has also had coaches Jimmy Johnson, Lou Holtz, and Dabo Swinney present this offseason.
Spurrier is the coach who built much of the infrastructure at Florida that allowed Meyer to achieve what he did. As the Gators coach from 1990-2001, Spurrier inherited a program that was riddled with sanctions during the 1980s. He captured the first SEC Championship in school history (that counted) in 1991, and in 1996, he won the first national title at UF.
Meyer followed suit with two more in 2006 and 2008, and now he’s hoping to replicate some of that success as a first-time NFL coach. Both Spurrier and Meyer have garnered renown for their ability to coach the quarterbacks. The former struggled to find one during his short stint in the NFL, but the latter begins with a talented one right out of the gate in Trevor Lawrence.
The track record for first-time NFL coaches isn’t great (as Spurrier’s 12-20 record with Washington can attest), but Meyer will hope to be an exception to that rule with the Jaguars.
