One of the constant defenses for The Man in the Black Polo was this idea that Florida players were “playing hard” for him, even when things were going south. Even as the ship was going down, we actually agreed with that assessment, though there are notable examples of when we would push back against that narrative.
And now that we have seen Jon Sumrall in action, combined with some comments he made during his teleconference on Wednesday, we do wonder whether the “playing hard” narrative ever had any reality to it.
Jon Sumrall highlights Florida’s renewed attitude to win
Sumrall was asked during his press conference about Florida’s identity and the level of week-to-week competitiveness he has seen from his team:“I think our mindset has changed. I think we’re playing with a different level of resiliency and toughness than what I felt like was going on here when I got here. And I think our guys expect to win. So that’s one component, I think, that I’m pleased with.”
This isn’t the first time Sumrall has referenced Florida’s level of competitiveness when he first arrived in Gainesville. Without saying the previous coach by name, Sumrall mused all offseason about the state of the weight room and the lack of drive he saw when he first arrived…