Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
MARK LONG
Associated Press
GLENDALE, Ariz. - Florida football coach Urban Meyer stood in the basketball team's locker room last April in Indianapolis, watching Joakim Noah and his teammates celebrate a national championship.
The experience was educational.
And motivational.
"I didn't win it, but I sat in that locker room after the game, and that re-energized, refocused, re-everything the passion you had for coaching and trying to reach the pinnacle of college football," Meyer said.
Meyer witnessed his players frolic in similar fashion Monday night.
Florida became the first program to hold football and men's basketball titles at the same time with a 41-14 romp over top-ranked Ohio State on Monday night.
Call it the Gator Slam.
The basketball team won its first championship in April, beating UCLA 73-57. The football team claimed its second title - the Gators also won in 1996 - with similar ease, using stifling defense and creative offense to upend the Buckeyes in the BCS championship game.
"How do I compare them? Both have confetti landing on my head," athletic director Jeremy Foley said. "I couldn't believe it in April; I can't believe it now. We're just going to enjoy this. Obviously, it's tremendous achievement. It's the football team's turn to celebrate."
Much like when Tiger Woods held all four golf majors - he didn't win all of them in the same year, so it was dubbed the "Tiger Slam" - Florida may have an asterisk next to its latest accomplishment.
Nonetheless, only six Division I schools - including Florida and Ohio State - have won championships in the NCAA's two marquee sports. But none of those had come closer than eight years apart - until now. The others are Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State and Syracuse.
"That's why we're the best," said Mike Peterson, a former Gators linebacker and current Jacksonville Jaguars star. "I'm not going to apologize for us being good anymore."
Florida players and coaches said they were barraged by wishes from friends, family and fans who wanted them to match what the basketball team did last year.
Meyer heard the same stuff.
"A couple thousand times," he said. "I say, 'Sure, let's go do it.'"
They did.
"I got to experience Billy Donovan's crew win a championship," Meyer said. "I walked away saying there is a bunch of young people in there doing it the right way and they can say they're the best at what they do. I just walked into the (football) locker room and they are doing the same thing."
Although Ohio State's Ted Ginn Jr. returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown, the Gators responded with five scores on their first five possessions.
Three different players lined up at quarterback, freshman Percy Harvin made Ohio State defenders looks slow, and defensive ends Derrick Harvey and Jarvis Moss dominated their matchups and put constant pressure on Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith. Heck, even Chris Hetland made two field goals after missing nine of 13 this season.
Maybe it was "the year of the Gators," as former Florida coach and current South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier predicted after Moss blocked a game-winning field goal attempt to stave off defeat in Gainesville in November.
"It's a great accomplishment to win both," defensive tackle Clint McMillan said. "It's going to make it just crazy on campus."
The first person to put the pressure on the football team was Noah. As he held up the national championship trophy during the team's return reception in Gainesville the day after winning it all, Noah shouted to a large crowd: "I love you! Let's do it in football now!"
Meyer remembers that moment well.
"I'll never forget that," Meyer said. "(I said), 'OK, man, I'm with you. Let's go.'"
Meyer later had the basketball players judge a dunk contest for the football players. He also had Donovan address the football team. Donovan downplayed his remarks Monday before the championship game.
"Nothing I said has gotten them to where they are," Donovan said. "Back in August, what I think Urban was trying to do was just put some things into the team's head. Believe me, I'll be the first one to tell you that I don't have anything figured out. The ingredients to winning don't change. It's the same. What change are the people.
"People change. The focus changes. People's commitments change. Their accountabilities change. But the ingredients to win are the same ingredients now as they were 50 years ago. ... I think what Urban wanted from me coming in was to probably reinforce things he had already said. And believe me, I did not intend for it to be asked about so much, because I had only said what was already known and what had already been said."
Either way, it seemingly worked - and now the Gators have dual championships.
"We're one of the elite programs in the nation," former Florida running back Terry Jackson said.
Added former Florida quarterback Shane Matthews: "It just puts pressure on the other sports now. But I wouldn't be surprised if we won another basketball title in a few months."