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Florida Football: Gators State of the Union is a complicated picture

By Benjamin Henderson

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 05: Head Coach Billy Napier of the Florida Gators speaks during a press conference introducing him to the Media at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on December 05, 2021 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 05: Head Coach Billy Napier of the Florida Gators speaks during a press conference introducing him to the Media at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on December 05, 2021 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) /
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My fellow masochists that support Florida football,

It’s been a rough couple of years in Gainesville. We were so close to the doorstep of greatness before some footwear went flying. We believed we were on a pathway of sustainability though and that our foundation was strong and we could persevere from this moment.

We were wrong.

Sometimes you have to tear it down before you can build it back up even if the process along the way looks messy. We acknowledge that Florida football is not where we want it nor is it where we expect it to be.

It’s hard to look around and see poverty programs like our Neighbors to the West in Tallahassee or the people in Knoxville finally appear to get it right and wonder why can’t we get it right too?

Because what they have built is based on smoke and mirrors. What they have built, much like the economies of our adversaries around the world have built, isn’t built on hard work. It’s built on quick fixes that are not sustainable.

You say our recruiting is too low? We say Florida football has resisted the fluff of needless three-star recruits that give the illusion of a high ranking.

https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1623094253458010113?s=20&t=e52bvyyuW78iG_A-5zAdEQ

You say Jaden Rashada leaving was a death blow to the program. We say we are building a program of players who are proud to stand up and say, “I love being a Florida Gator.”

You say that even with Anthony Richardson we lost to Vanderbilt last year and how could we expect to win anything with Graham Mertz this year?

We say…um, well, you see…it’s complicated. I mean if you acknowledge Wisconsin didn’t run play action and Florida has built up a good offensive line, that…um…you know what we’ll get back to you on that one.

Billy Napier is building up a program that won’t rely on gimmicks, that won’t have players throwing shoes, and that will be filled with in-state talent. Nick Saban struggled during his first year with Alabama. Kirby Smart struggled in his first year with Georgia. And if we give our trust to Napier and roll up our sleeves, we too can regain the glory that Florida football once had.

My fellow Florida Gator fans, the state of the program might have taken a step back, but our feet never pivoted, and are ready to move forward once again. There might be some more growing pains in 2023, but we are on track to make noise in 2024 and return to our rightful place at the end of the season in Atlanta.

God bless you, and God bless the Florida Gators.

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