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That's Why They Call It Special
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Published: September 5, 2008
Updated: 09/05/2008 12:12 am
GAINESVILLE - When the coach's whistle blasts, signaling the start of special teams drills during University of Florida football practice, it quickly becomes obvious that things are done a little differently here.
Until this time, as pods of offensive and defensive position players work under direct supervision of respective assistant coaches, Urban Meyer observes from the perimeter, taking in the big picture as he moves from one group to another. Now, the fistful of papers and charts he constantly references have been put to the side. Meyer moves to the center of Florida's practice field and to the middle of the mass of players.
During this segment, Meyer is a whirling dervish of involved action. He is in a three-point stance. He is demonstrating blocking technique. He shouts instructions.
"Coach Meyer really takes special teams to heart," sophomore linebacker and kicking-team standout Brandon Hicks said. "You learn pretty quickly; that's his thing."
So much so that when it came time for Meyer to designate a coach to oversee special teams, he made the only logical choice.
"I put myself in charge," he said.
The move reflects the emphasis special-teams play has come to carry with the Gators.
While Meyer controls all things special teams, every assistant, no matter offense or defense, is given specific roles and responsibilities with the unit. At Friday night team dinners before a Saturday game, special-teams players are the first to be served. During Monday's team meetings, exceptional special-teams performances are recognized in front of the entire squad. The week's top performances by special-teams players are rewarded with orange T-shirts carrying the words "Foxhole Mentality" printed across the front - except for the top grade-earner, who gets one in black.
"On special teams, say kick returns, if one person does not do their job it can put the returner at risk of getting hurt or having his head knocked off," said James Smith, senior long snapper and a four-year starter. "So everybody has to have each other's back, and that's the foxhole mentality. And the shirt is pretty cool. It has a skull on it and everything."
All of which would mean very little if it weren't for one bare-boned fact: Florida's special teams have proven to be an important ingredient in the Gators' preparation for Saturday night's meeting with the Miami Hurricanes.
Last week, in a 56-10 win against Hawaii, not only did Florida punt returner Brandon James return four kicks 95 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown, the Gators did it while holding the Warriors to minus-2 yards on four returns.
Such results have come to be expected.
During all of 2007, Florida allowed just 22 total punt-return yards, not only the best in the country but the lowest by any school since 1996. During Meyer's three seasons at Florida, the Gators have blocked 17 kicks, the second-highest total in the country. James last year led the nation with seven returns of 50-plus yards.
"When Bob Davies said, 'You're the special teams coordinator,' I said 'I don't want to do that,'" Meyer said, recalling his early coaching days as an assistant at Notre Dame. "I like drawing pass plays and sitting in the back of the room and letting everyone else get yelled at, because it really doesn't matter. Then I learned a statistic - if you block a punt, you win the game 90 percent of the time."
Here's another stat Meyer may find interesting: The Gators have scored a touchdown on their offensive possession 65 percent of the time James records a return of 20 yards or longer.
"Our whole staff has the same mind-set," said offensive assistant head coach Steve Addazio, whose extra duty is kickoff returns. "Yeah, everybody talks about special teams, but we live it here.
"There is a real sense of toughness and sense of pride to excel in this thing."
Meyer thinks of special teams as a proving ground, the first step toward earning a starting spot on offense and defense. While the best athletes are the obvious strength of the unit, "the most accountable" is its backbone.
"You have to be unselfish, you have to be tough as nails," Meyer said. "You've got to buy in. You have to drink the Kool-Aid.
"You don't walk through that door unless you've got Kool-Aid all over your face."
And the shirt is pretty cool.
Reporter Mick Elliott can be reached at (813) 281-2534 or melliott@tampatrib.com.
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