‘Pay the toll’ — Gators HC Jon Sumrall makes it easy to see why Florida is emerging as a legitimate National Title contender
The 4-0 Florida Gators are an emerging power in college football, and when Jon Sumrall talks, it makes more sense.
Through the first month of the college football season, the Florida Gators are one of the best stories. After a rough last four years under former head coach Billy Napier, they are seeing a resurgence that has evoked memories of Steve Spurrier’s Fun-N-Gun teams of the 1990s.
The main reason why is head coach Jon Sumrall. Even though he wasn’t the No. 1 choice with that being now LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin, the Gators made the right choice. He’s been incredible throughout the nine months he’s been on the job, and it all starts with his personality.
Jon Sumrall’s mentality has changed the Gators football program
When you look at the totality of how the program is, the biggest reason why we’ve seen changes is simply due to the mentality that Sumrall has brought to the program on a day in and day out basis.
Everything Sumrall says is genuine and passionate. He isn’t afraid to tell you exactly what he thinks, and when he does, you can tell it comes from a genuine place.
Sumrall also has changed the intensity of practices, which has translated to the games. His implementation of what he calls “Bloody Tuesday” helps shape what players are set to do on Saturday’s.
“And it’s bloody Tuesday, like it’s like you got to pay the toll,” said Sumrall. “And so, if guys are ready to go pay the toll tomorrow, and compete, and be physical, and do it outside the whole time, and get dirty a little bit, get some dirt underneath your fingernails, and then I feel like we got shot. If guys want to wall it around and act like we can just roll out the helmet and feel like that’s going to win us a game? Then I’ll be a little bit concerned.”
When it comes to the game of football, having a good strategy is smart business. You want to have a plan to attack that will get players in the right positions, and they have some great scheme stuff, especially on offense with Buster Faulkner. Even so, football is still a tough game, and you have to be willing to get physical.
In today’s day and age, full padded practices are less common than ever before, but having them is an important thing, and even if they aren’t fully padded practices, you can still instill a level of toughness that will translate to game day. Sumral is right with his general theory of you practice how you play.
Through four games, the Gators have done very well, and it’s working out well.
