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Seems chronology has run up the score on the head ball coach.
Steve Spurrier turns 80 on Sunday, still two shy of the school-record total his Gators offense tacked on against Central Michigan in 1997 (that one was 82-6). Though he’d likely struggle to shoot his age on a golf course these days, the Heisman Trophy winner and two-time College Football Hall of Famer (as a player and coach) remains pretty fit for a guy embarking on his ninth decade.
The winningest coach at two SEC schools (Florida, South Carolina), Spurrier still can be found periodically on campus at UF (he remains an ambassador for the athletic department) and at the Gainesville restaurant bearing his name. Every now and again, he’s even still good for one of those priceless, filterless sound bites, either on a local podcast or talk radio program.
On this milestone occasion, we’re tipping our figurative visor to the dad of four and grandad of 15 with a by-the-numbers look — from 1-80 — at his iconic career. Spurrier used to say stats are for losers, but these numbers betray the consummate competitor, and a darn rich football life.
1 National titles won by Spurrier (Florida, 1996)
2 NFL teams for whom Spurrier played (49ers, Bucs)
3 South Carolina teams Spurrier led to final top-10 finishes (2011, 2012, 2013) during his 10 full seasons as Gamecocks coach
4 Children raised by Spurrier and wife Jerri, his college sweetheart
5 SEC Coach of the Year honors won by Spurrier at Florida
6 Official SEC titles won by UF during Spurrier’s tenure (The 1990 team had the SEC’s best record, but was deemed ineligible for the title due to NCAA probation stemming from a previous regime.)
7 Jersey number of Danny Wuerffel, who won a Heisman Trophy under Spurrier in 1996
8 SEC East titles won by Spurrier in his 23 full seasons in the league (seven at UF, one at South Carolina)
9 Place in which Spurrier finished as a junior in the 1965 Heisman Trophy balloting
10 NFL seasons played by Spurrier (1967-1976)
11 Spurrier’s jersey number with the Gators (and with the 49ers and Bucs in the NFL)
12 Seasons of 10 or more wins posted by Spurrier teams in his 22 full seasons as an SEC coach
13 Career wins by Spurrier in 38 games as an NFL starting quarterback
14 NFL first-round draft picks coached by Spurrier at Florida
15 Overall spot in which defensive end Huey Richardson, first NFL draftee of the Spurrier era, was selected (1991)
16 Touchdown passes thrown by Spurrier in 1966, when he won the Heisman Trophy
17 All-AAC selections for Duke in Spurrier’s three seasons (1987-89) as Blue Devils coach
18 Career wins by Spurrier at Florida after a bye week. He was 18-6 after a bye while in Gainesville.
19 Carries by Earnest Graham (for 169 yards) in the 2000 SEC title game, a 28-6 win against Auburn that gave Spurrier his last conference crown
20 Consecutive passes completed by South Carolina’s Connor Shaw (a Gamecocks record) in a 2012 win against Missouri. Shaw is widely considered the best Gamecocks QB of the Spurrier era.
21 Points in which Spurrier’s high school team (Science Hill) trailed in his final prep game before rallying. Behind Spurrier’s four TD passes, Science Hill ultimately topped Church Hill, 28-21, in the Exchange Bowl in Kingsport, Tennessee.
22 Points that Spurrier averaged as a senior on the Science Hill basketball team
23 Consecutive home games won by Florida to start Spurrier’s coaching tenure in Gainesville
24 Fourth-quarter pass attempts by Duke’s Ben Bennett (then a school record for a quarter) in a 27-21 loss to Navy in 1982. Spurrier was Duke’s offensive coordinator.
25 Washington’s overall NFL rank in scoring offense (19.2 points per game) in 2002, Spurrier’s first season as coach
26 Rushing yards allowed by South Carolina in a 31-14 win against UCF on Sept. 26, 2015, Spurrier’s last win as Gamecocks coach
27 Years that Duke went without an ACC title until Spurrier’s 1989 Blue Devils team captured a share of the league crown
28 Yards covered in Danny Wuerffel’s game-winning TD pass to Chris Doering with three seconds remaining in a 24-20 victory at Kentucky in 1993, one of the most thrilling finishes of the Spurrier era
29 Career touchdown catches by Ike Hilliard, one of five All-America receivers to play for Spurrier at Florida
30 Consecutive games the Gators won at home under Spurrier from 1994-99, still a program record
31 Interceptions thrown by Spurrier in his three seasons at Florida (freshmen were ineligible when he arrived)
32 Sacks sustained by Spurrier in his lone season (1976) as Bucs quarterback
33 Career sacks by Alex Brown, a school record. Brown played for Spurrier from 1998-2001.
34 Games in which the Gators scored at least 50 points under Spurrier
35 Wins tallied by Spurrier in three seasons (all winning) as coach of the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits
36 Passing touchdowns thrown by Spurrier in his three seasons at Florida
37 Spurrier’s age upon being named head coach of the Tampa Bay Bandits, making him the youngest coach in pro football at the time
38 Career NFL starts made by Spurrier (including 12 with the winless 1976 Bucs). He was 13-24-1 as a starter.
39 Touchdown passes thrown in 1996 by Danny Wuerffel, who won a Heisman Trophy that year on Spurrier’s watch
40 Length of Spurrier’s game-winning field goal (straight-on, not soccer style) with 2:12 remaining to clinch a 27-24 home win against Auburn on Oct. 29, 1966. It’s widely believed that kick sealed the Heisman Trophy for Spurrier.
41 Rushing attempts by Errict Rhett in a rainy 1993 win against Georgia, most in a single game by a Spurrier player (and still a UF record)
42 Length of Terry Jackson’s fourth-quarter touchdown run to seal a 52-20 rout of FSU in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2, 1997, clinching UF’s first national title
43 Total sacks sustained by Spurrier’s quarterbacks in 2003, his second and final season as Washington Redskins coach
44 Conference wins collected by Spurrier (a school record) in his 10 ½ seasons as South Carolina coach
45 Spurrier’s age when he made his Gators coaching debut, a 50-7 rout of Oklahoma State on Sept. 8, 1990
46.6 Points per game scored by Spurrier’s 1996 Gators team, still a UF single-season record
47 Rushing yards gained by SEC Player of the Year Rudi Johnson (his second-lowest total of the season) in Auburn’s 28-6 loss to Florida in the 2000 SEC title game, giving Spurrier his last conference crown
48 Unanswered points scored by Spurrier’s fourth-ranked team (some of them amid a second-half downpour) in a 62-37 embarrassment of Peyton Manning and No. 8 Tennessee in 1995
49 Length of Josh Brown’s field goal with 2:45 remaining to lift Spurrier’s 2005 South Carolina team to a 16-15 win at Tennessee. The Volunteers retired the jersey of Peyton Manning — who never beat Spurrier as a player — that night.
50 Points scored by Florida in Spurrier’s debut as Gators coach, a 50-7 home romp of Oklahoma State
51 Jersey number of Bill Carr, Spurrier’s All-American center during his UF tenure
52 Points scored by Florida in its 32-point Sugar Bowl romp of FSU in the 1997 Sugar Bowl, giving the Gators their first national title
53 300-yard passing games recorded by Gator quarterbacks on Spurrier’s watch
54 Tackles in 2012 by South Carolina All-American Jadeveon Clowney. The most viral one: a backfield blow-up of Michigan taiback Vincent Smith in the fourth quarter of the Outback Bowl that knocked off Smith’s helmet and jarred the ball loose. Clowney recovered the fumble.
55 TD passes thrown by Rex Grossman in 2000-2001 on Spurrier’s watch. At the time, it was the most for a player during his freshman/sophomore seasons in major college history.
56 Points scored by the Gators in the first half of their 1997 win against Central Michigan, still a school record for one half. Spurrier’s team put up 82 that day, a UF single-game record.
57 Pass attempts by Doug Johnson in a 1997 loss at LSU, most in a game during the Spurrier era
58 Receptions by Gators standout Charlie Casey during Spurrier’s junior year.
59 Wedding anniversary Spurrier and wife Jerri will celebrate on Sept. 14
60 Career interceptions thrown by Spurrier in the NFL (compared to 40 touchdown passes)
61 Length of Spurrier’s longest NFL punt. Spurrier was the 49ers’ regular punter for parts of four seasons (1967-70).
62 Spurrier’s win percentage in three seasons as coach at Duke, where he went 20-13-1 from 1987-89. It’s still the highest of any Blue Devils coach of the last 60 years who has spent at least three seasons at the school.
63 Length of Doug Johnson’s pass to Jacquez Green (on a curl-and-go route) in 1997 against FSU, setting up UF’s winning TD in a 32-29 upset of the top-ranked Seminoles
64.8 Spurrier’s regular-season win percentage in three seasons as Tampa Bay Bandits coach (35-19)
65.5 Career completion percentage of Connor Shaw, widely considered the greatest quarterback of Spurrier’s tenure at South Carolina
66 Years elapsed since South Carolina had defeated Florida when Spurrier’s Gamecocks team won the 2005 meeting, 30-22
67 Yards allowed by Gators in 65-0 romp of Kentucky in 1996. It was the fewest yards allowed in a game by a Spurrier team.
68 Home victories amassed by Spurrier in 12 seasons as Gators coach. His teams went 68-5 (.931 win percentage) at The Swamp.
69 Points scored by South Carolina in a 69-24 romp of Troy in 2010, the first time the Gamecocks would score at least 60 under Spurrier
70 Spurrier’s age when he abruptly announced his retirement as South Carolina coach midway through the 2015 season
71 Jersey number of All-SEC center (and Countryside alumnus) Jeff Mitchell, a starter for three of Spurrier’s SEC title teams and a captain on the 1996 national title squad
72 Receptions by Reidel Anthony in 1996, a single-season record during the Spurrier era
73 Spurrier’s age when he debuted as coach of the Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football. The Apollos led the AAF with a 7-1 record when the league shut down.
74 Career touchdowns responsible for by South Carolina QB (and Spurrier pupil) Connor Shaw, a Gamecocks career record
75 Cost of a bottle of Emmolo (a Merlot) at Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille in Gainesville
76 Length of Shaw’s touchdown pass to Damiere Byrd in a two-point loss to Tennessee in 2013
77 Receptions by South Carolina’s Kenny McKinley in 2007 (Spurrier’s third year at USC), breaking a 21-year-old South Carolina season record
78 18-hole score recorded by Spurrier the first time he played at Augusta National in 1979 (according to his 2020 interview with ESPN)
79 Approximate number of times Spurrier flung his visor in disgust during his 12 seasons at Florida. (Hey, afford us one jest on this list.)
80 Age Spurrier turns on Sunday
• • •
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Steve Spurrier turns 80 on Sunday, still two shy of the school-record total his Gators offense tacked on against Central Michigan in 1997 (that one was 82-6). Though he’d likely struggle to shoot his age on a golf course these days, the Heisman Trophy winner and two-time College Football Hall of Famer (as a player and coach) remains pretty fit for a guy embarking on his ninth decade.
The winningest coach at two SEC schools (Florida, South Carolina), Spurrier still can be found periodically on campus at UF (he remains an ambassador for the athletic department) and at the Gainesville restaurant bearing his name. Every now and again, he’s even still good for one of those priceless, filterless sound bites, either on a local podcast or talk radio program.
On this milestone occasion, we’re tipping our figurative visor to the dad of four and grandad of 15 with a by-the-numbers look — from 1-80 — at his iconic career. Spurrier used to say stats are for losers, but these numbers betray the consummate competitor, and a darn rich football life.
1 National titles won by Spurrier (Florida, 1996)
2 NFL teams for whom Spurrier played (49ers, Bucs)
3 South Carolina teams Spurrier led to final top-10 finishes (2011, 2012, 2013) during his 10 full seasons as Gamecocks coach
4 Children raised by Spurrier and wife Jerri, his college sweetheart
5 SEC Coach of the Year honors won by Spurrier at Florida
6 Official SEC titles won by UF during Spurrier’s tenure (The 1990 team had the SEC’s best record, but was deemed ineligible for the title due to NCAA probation stemming from a previous regime.)
7 Jersey number of Danny Wuerffel, who won a Heisman Trophy under Spurrier in 1996
8 SEC East titles won by Spurrier in his 23 full seasons in the league (seven at UF, one at South Carolina)
9 Place in which Spurrier finished as a junior in the 1965 Heisman Trophy balloting
10 NFL seasons played by Spurrier (1967-1976)
11 Spurrier’s jersey number with the Gators (and with the 49ers and Bucs in the NFL)
12 Seasons of 10 or more wins posted by Spurrier teams in his 22 full seasons as an SEC coach
13 Career wins by Spurrier in 38 games as an NFL starting quarterback
14 NFL first-round draft picks coached by Spurrier at Florida
15 Overall spot in which defensive end Huey Richardson, first NFL draftee of the Spurrier era, was selected (1991)
16 Touchdown passes thrown by Spurrier in 1966, when he won the Heisman Trophy
17 All-AAC selections for Duke in Spurrier’s three seasons (1987-89) as Blue Devils coach
18 Career wins by Spurrier at Florida after a bye week. He was 18-6 after a bye while in Gainesville.
19 Carries by Earnest Graham (for 169 yards) in the 2000 SEC title game, a 28-6 win against Auburn that gave Spurrier his last conference crown
20 Consecutive passes completed by South Carolina’s Connor Shaw (a Gamecocks record) in a 2012 win against Missouri. Shaw is widely considered the best Gamecocks QB of the Spurrier era.
21 Points in which Spurrier’s high school team (Science Hill) trailed in his final prep game before rallying. Behind Spurrier’s four TD passes, Science Hill ultimately topped Church Hill, 28-21, in the Exchange Bowl in Kingsport, Tennessee.
22 Points that Spurrier averaged as a senior on the Science Hill basketball team
23 Consecutive home games won by Florida to start Spurrier’s coaching tenure in Gainesville
24 Fourth-quarter pass attempts by Duke’s Ben Bennett (then a school record for a quarter) in a 27-21 loss to Navy in 1982. Spurrier was Duke’s offensive coordinator.
25 Washington’s overall NFL rank in scoring offense (19.2 points per game) in 2002, Spurrier’s first season as coach
26 Rushing yards allowed by South Carolina in a 31-14 win against UCF on Sept. 26, 2015, Spurrier’s last win as Gamecocks coach
27 Years that Duke went without an ACC title until Spurrier’s 1989 Blue Devils team captured a share of the league crown
28 Yards covered in Danny Wuerffel’s game-winning TD pass to Chris Doering with three seconds remaining in a 24-20 victory at Kentucky in 1993, one of the most thrilling finishes of the Spurrier era
29 Career touchdown catches by Ike Hilliard, one of five All-America receivers to play for Spurrier at Florida
30 Consecutive games the Gators won at home under Spurrier from 1994-99, still a program record
31 Interceptions thrown by Spurrier in his three seasons at Florida (freshmen were ineligible when he arrived)
32 Sacks sustained by Spurrier in his lone season (1976) as Bucs quarterback
33 Career sacks by Alex Brown, a school record. Brown played for Spurrier from 1998-2001.
34 Games in which the Gators scored at least 50 points under Spurrier
35 Wins tallied by Spurrier in three seasons (all winning) as coach of the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits
36 Passing touchdowns thrown by Spurrier in his three seasons at Florida
37 Spurrier’s age upon being named head coach of the Tampa Bay Bandits, making him the youngest coach in pro football at the time
38 Career NFL starts made by Spurrier (including 12 with the winless 1976 Bucs). He was 13-24-1 as a starter.
39 Touchdown passes thrown in 1996 by Danny Wuerffel, who won a Heisman Trophy that year on Spurrier’s watch
40 Length of Spurrier’s game-winning field goal (straight-on, not soccer style) with 2:12 remaining to clinch a 27-24 home win against Auburn on Oct. 29, 1966. It’s widely believed that kick sealed the Heisman Trophy for Spurrier.
41 Rushing attempts by Errict Rhett in a rainy 1993 win against Georgia, most in a single game by a Spurrier player (and still a UF record)
42 Length of Terry Jackson’s fourth-quarter touchdown run to seal a 52-20 rout of FSU in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2, 1997, clinching UF’s first national title
43 Total sacks sustained by Spurrier’s quarterbacks in 2003, his second and final season as Washington Redskins coach
44 Conference wins collected by Spurrier (a school record) in his 10 ½ seasons as South Carolina coach
45 Spurrier’s age when he made his Gators coaching debut, a 50-7 rout of Oklahoma State on Sept. 8, 1990
46.6 Points per game scored by Spurrier’s 1996 Gators team, still a UF single-season record
47 Rushing yards gained by SEC Player of the Year Rudi Johnson (his second-lowest total of the season) in Auburn’s 28-6 loss to Florida in the 2000 SEC title game, giving Spurrier his last conference crown
48 Unanswered points scored by Spurrier’s fourth-ranked team (some of them amid a second-half downpour) in a 62-37 embarrassment of Peyton Manning and No. 8 Tennessee in 1995
49 Length of Josh Brown’s field goal with 2:45 remaining to lift Spurrier’s 2005 South Carolina team to a 16-15 win at Tennessee. The Volunteers retired the jersey of Peyton Manning — who never beat Spurrier as a player — that night.
50 Points scored by Florida in Spurrier’s debut as Gators coach, a 50-7 home romp of Oklahoma State
51 Jersey number of Bill Carr, Spurrier’s All-American center during his UF tenure
52 Points scored by Florida in its 32-point Sugar Bowl romp of FSU in the 1997 Sugar Bowl, giving the Gators their first national title
53 300-yard passing games recorded by Gator quarterbacks on Spurrier’s watch
54 Tackles in 2012 by South Carolina All-American Jadeveon Clowney. The most viral one: a backfield blow-up of Michigan taiback Vincent Smith in the fourth quarter of the Outback Bowl that knocked off Smith’s helmet and jarred the ball loose. Clowney recovered the fumble.
55 TD passes thrown by Rex Grossman in 2000-2001 on Spurrier’s watch. At the time, it was the most for a player during his freshman/sophomore seasons in major college history.
56 Points scored by the Gators in the first half of their 1997 win against Central Michigan, still a school record for one half. Spurrier’s team put up 82 that day, a UF single-game record.
57 Pass attempts by Doug Johnson in a 1997 loss at LSU, most in a game during the Spurrier era
58 Receptions by Gators standout Charlie Casey during Spurrier’s junior year.
59 Wedding anniversary Spurrier and wife Jerri will celebrate on Sept. 14
60 Career interceptions thrown by Spurrier in the NFL (compared to 40 touchdown passes)
61 Length of Spurrier’s longest NFL punt. Spurrier was the 49ers’ regular punter for parts of four seasons (1967-70).
62 Spurrier’s win percentage in three seasons as coach at Duke, where he went 20-13-1 from 1987-89. It’s still the highest of any Blue Devils coach of the last 60 years who has spent at least three seasons at the school.
63 Length of Doug Johnson’s pass to Jacquez Green (on a curl-and-go route) in 1997 against FSU, setting up UF’s winning TD in a 32-29 upset of the top-ranked Seminoles
64.8 Spurrier’s regular-season win percentage in three seasons as Tampa Bay Bandits coach (35-19)
65.5 Career completion percentage of Connor Shaw, widely considered the greatest quarterback of Spurrier’s tenure at South Carolina
66 Years elapsed since South Carolina had defeated Florida when Spurrier’s Gamecocks team won the 2005 meeting, 30-22
67 Yards allowed by Gators in 65-0 romp of Kentucky in 1996. It was the fewest yards allowed in a game by a Spurrier team.
68 Home victories amassed by Spurrier in 12 seasons as Gators coach. His teams went 68-5 (.931 win percentage) at The Swamp.
69 Points scored by South Carolina in a 69-24 romp of Troy in 2010, the first time the Gamecocks would score at least 60 under Spurrier
70 Spurrier’s age when he abruptly announced his retirement as South Carolina coach midway through the 2015 season
71 Jersey number of All-SEC center (and Countryside alumnus) Jeff Mitchell, a starter for three of Spurrier’s SEC title teams and a captain on the 1996 national title squad
72 Receptions by Reidel Anthony in 1996, a single-season record during the Spurrier era
73 Spurrier’s age when he debuted as coach of the Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football. The Apollos led the AAF with a 7-1 record when the league shut down.
74 Career touchdowns responsible for by South Carolina QB (and Spurrier pupil) Connor Shaw, a Gamecocks career record
75 Cost of a bottle of Emmolo (a Merlot) at Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille in Gainesville
76 Length of Shaw’s touchdown pass to Damiere Byrd in a two-point loss to Tennessee in 2013
77 Receptions by South Carolina’s Kenny McKinley in 2007 (Spurrier’s third year at USC), breaking a 21-year-old South Carolina season record
78 18-hole score recorded by Spurrier the first time he played at Augusta National in 1979 (according to his 2020 interview with ESPN)
79 Approximate number of times Spurrier flung his visor in disgust during his 12 seasons at Florida. (Hey, afford us one jest on this list.)
80 Age Spurrier turns on Sunday
• • •
Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.
Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on Instagram, X and Facebook.
Continue reading...
