Open Letter: A Message To Gator Nation

[NVGator]

Just in case you don't get the email, thought you'd like to read Billy's letter.

Gator Nation, We want to take this opportunity to thank you for the tremendous amount of support you have shown our entire organization, team and our families since our arrival in Gainesville. We recently had the opportunity to visit various cities across Gator Nation during my first spring speaking tour, and all we can say is that each day we are more and more excited to be part of the University of Florida. Our fans’ passion is evident and unmatched. We play in one of the most iconic places in college football: The Swamp. This year’s Orange and Blue Game gave us a small taste of what playing in front of Gator Nation is like, and we can’t wait to get started this fall by hosting Pac-12 champion Utah on Sept. 3 under the lights. We are working on creating a new future through a journey that emphasizes discipline, toughness, detail, accountability, integrity, and most importantly, teamwork. Our mission is to make a life-changing impact on our players and for them to experience success in life as a result of their time in our program. We want to promote their education and encourage them to not only get a degree, but to be engaged, network and develop relationships. As we enter a new era of college football with Name, Image and Likeness, we are fortunate to be at a place that is not only rich in history and tradition on the football field, but is also a top 5 public institution with more than 470,000 living alumni and incredible resources. We believe that NIL will be a strength at the University of Florida. We also believe in the professional development of our athletes. For that reason, we established the GatorMade program, a holistic player-focused and purpose-driven initiative that seeks to develop Gators beyond the football field by providing them with the necessary skills to succeed in life. GatorMade provides opportunities in financial literacy, micro-internships, networking, mentorship, agent education, NIL, business weekend trips and even service abroad. We want to have a place where we work toward having a life-changing impact as a person, as a student and as a player. And GatorMade provides the building blocks. We are also getting ready to move into the new James W. “Bill” Heavener Football Training Center this summer. The state-of-the-art 140,000 square foot standalone facility will be a game-changer as it relates to our day-to-day football operations, sports medicine and rehabilitation, recruiting, dining and recreation to name a few. The $85 million facility will not only make an impact within our program, but it will also benefit all Gators student-athletes. On the football field, our goal is to play a brand of football that creates a great sense of pride among not only our players and staff, but throughout all of Gator Nation. One thing we have learned in the past six months is that Gators are resilient and passionate. In all kinds of weather. I can assure you that no one has higher expectations for what we want to accomplish than me. This will be a team effort. All of us, no matter what our role is, can make a positive impact in the success of our program. From our students cheering their loudest on Saturdays at The Swamp, to our boosters, alumni and everyday fans: We all must have a championship approach in all that we do. You are part of this team, and we can’t wait to see you at The Swamp this fall as we embark on the journey to our new future. Go Gators!​

Billy Napier Florida Gators Head Football Coach​

 

[neteng]

Sounds like...send me some money

 

[AuggieDosta]

Great letter but aside from mentioning NIL, it is exactly like the last letter from CDM.

 

[jdh5484]

Jaden Rashada...

 

[Detroitgator]

Time to scan that signature and start cashin' checks..... awwwwwww yeah!

 

[Alumni Guy]

An Open Letter to Gatorchatter:

Over the last few months, I have toured various bars, strip clubs, casinos, and other establishments catering to my hedonistic ways.

During this time, I realized it takes a team effort for me to bathe in enough sin to meet the Gators Standard.

To help reach this standard of excellence, I have started the “Funds Upping Cerebral Toxins and Urging Partying”, or “Fuct Up.”

Your donations to Fuct Up are greatly appreciated. Ox Bucks, gladly accepted.

Go Gators.
Alumni Guy.

 

[stephenPE]

So do we hate him or despise him..............hard to keep up in here sometimes..........Where the F is FF when you need a statement..............

 

[Gator87]

Mission #1 should be to win football games, all the other BS about preparing them for life is just that, BS. Preparing for life should have been an ongoing thing in their lives from the time they were old enough to use the bathroom by themselves. If they're not mostly prepared for life by the time they enter college that's on the people who raised them and the teachers they've had since the first grade.

 

[jdh5484]

So do we hate him or despise him..............hard to keep up in here sometimes..........Where the F is FF when you need a statement..............

 

[Bullag8r]

Looks good to me guys and gals. I think he gets it. What I don't get is all the bitterness and acrimony. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised by this bunch of hooligans. While you guys are chugging the Maalox I am going to chill out and wait to see what happens. I am pulling for the new coach to succeed.

 

[gardnerwebbgator]

A letter like that and we haven't played a game yet, at the same time Cristobal and Mel Tucker swipe two recruits that you've busted your ass to get to UF.

Not a good look IMHO. The fluff only goes so far.

 

[NVGator]

A letter like that and we haven't played a game yet, at the same time Cristobal and Mel Tucker swipe two recruits that you've busted your ass to get to UF.

Not a good look IMHO. The fluff only goes so far.

Coach speak? It came across at 6:00a PST. Guess they already knew and with the guys the cut…

 

[G. Gordon Gator]

Great letter but aside from mentioning NIL, it is exactly like the last letter from CDM.

I call bullsh*t. Produce the CDM letter or get reported to the authorities for referral to Camp.

In fact the bus needs to be backed up to this whole damn thread.

D.O.C. = "Direct to Ox's Camp."

That letter was excellent. Those of you sh*tting on it are an embarrassment to Gator Nation, the State of Florida, the United States of America, the Planet Earth and beyond. Gas-based energy beings on Uranus are ashamed to share the same galaxy with you.

Mission #1 should be to win football games, all the other BS about preparing them for life is just that, BS. Preparing for life should have been an ongoing thing in their lives from the time they were old enough to use the bathroom by themselves. If they're not mostly prepared for life by the time they enter college that's on the people who raised them and the teachers they've had since the first grade.

The competition is stiff, but you win. Stiffest of the stiffs. Offensively ridiculous take.

So we should only be recruiting 5* players with >4.0 GPA's who were raised with impeccable moral standards by loving, supportive moms and dads, right? And if a player without that background slips through the cracks, Fuchs him if he needs extra guidance. Not the coaching staff's responsibility. They're there to coach football. Young men should develop character on their own time.



In our times now, in our society here, everything discussed in that letter leads directly -- not indirectly, DIRECTLY -- to wins on the football field.

If that statement confuses you, don't worry. When you're wearing your 2025 National Championship t-shirt, most likely nobody will ask you for the explanation you won't be able to give as to how exactly the Gators turned their program around and earned that title. If anyone does, get your notepad out and PM me. I'll break it down for you and tell you what to say.

Or, you can just re-read that letter.

 

[Gatorraid81]

Sounds like another 6-6 season ahead.

 

[Joegator96]

Mission #1 should be to win football games, all the other BS about preparing them for life is just that, BS. Preparing for life should have been an ongoing thing in their lives from the time they were old enough to use the bathroom by themselves. If they're not mostly prepared for life by the time they enter college that's on the people who raised them and the teachers they've had since the first grade.

Well if that's the case why should they go to class and maintain a path on track to graduate in order to remain eligible? Your post is BS! Why did you go to college? Frat girls!

 

[soflagator]

Well if that's the case why should they go to class and maintain a path on track to graduate in order to remain eligible? Your post is BS! Why did you go to college? Frat girls!

There’s a lot of truth to his post, Joe. Ftr, I believe this is mostly coach speak and shouldn’t be looked at too deeply. But no, I don’t believe the focus should be on developing young men. With rare exceptions, most of the players leave UF, and every other university, about the same as they entered, only with more tattoos. These kids are 18 when they arrive and only get limited time with the coaches over a few years. The ones that make major strides in terms of character likely wanted to do so. Lawrence Wright comes to mind. Outside of that, most don’t change much, and I seriously doubt guys like Smart, Saban, etc lie awake at night hoping they do. That’s the job of parents. So again, no. If it happens that we help a kid grow to adulthood, great. But we’re not paying 6mil for a life coach.

 

[Joegator96]

There’s a lot of truth to his post, Joe. Ftr, I believe this is mostly coach speak and shouldn’t be looked at too deeply. But no, I don’t believe the focus should be on developing young men. With rare exceptions, most of the players leave UF, and every other university, about the same as they entered, only with more tattoos. These kids are 18 when they arrive and only get limited time with the coaches over a few years. The ones that make major strides in terms of character likely wanted to do so. Lawrence Wright comes to mind. Outside of that, most don’t change much, and I seriously doubt guys like Smart, Saban, etc lie awake at night hoping they do. That’s the job of parents. So again, no. If it happens that we help a kid grow to adulthood, great. But we’re not paying 6mil for a life coach.

We are also not paying 6M to bring in a coach who recruits sociopaths either who happen to run a blistering 40. I guess we will find out it appears most here don't care how they act off the field, so be it. Like I said let's just make going to class and being a decent respectful student/ athlete optional. Then we can be Thug U North or Free Shoe U South. Sign em up.

 

[soflagator]

We are also not paying 6M to bring in a coach who recruits sociopaths either who happen to run a blistering 40. I guess we will find out it appears most here don't care how they act off the field, so be it. Like I said let's just make going to class and being a decent respectful student/ athlete optional. Then we can be Thug U North or Free Shoe U South. Sign em up.

This sociopath with the blistering 40. How are his hands?

I’m just asking.

 

[AuggieDosta]

Just to clarify, I did start my post off with, "great letter..." so put me in the camp with all the graduates from Ox's camp. But the letter was what we've seen from previous coaches so I think it's a little bit of CoachSpeak. However, he does seem hungry and eager to make his mark here (@UF and in the SEC) and in the sport of football, unlike many older coaches we've had at UF thet were just playing along to get along, and so I'm optimistic that he will do great things at UF.

As for the stuff about making his players into men and guiding them...I'm all for that as many kids today do not get nurtured and do not have fathers present and/or do not have positive role models as parents. And college can be a place where you stretch your wings and find out about yourself but it is absolutely, also, a place where most find out about boundaries and repercussions from going past them. CBN will do great things at UF and with our boys and his tough love and fatherly approach is exactly what we need at UF during this era of instant gratitude and "what can YOU do for ME" vs the opposite.