Danny Wuerffel encouraged by what he's seen from Billy Napier, Gators
Danny Wuerffel was in back in Gainesville over the weekend to take in Florida’s spring practice on Saturday.
The Gator Great and 1996 Heisman Trophy winner has been a regular at UF since Billy Napier was hired, supporting him publicly on Twitter and visiting the football program several times in recent months.
Wuerffel and Napier spent more than 20 minutes together after Saturday’s practice. The former Florida quarterback has enjoyed getting to know the new coach and his staff.
“We were just chatting about a whole lot of different things. I was telling him about a couple of plays we ran when I was on the flag football team,” Wuerffel said with a laugh. “I’ve been very encouraged at so many of the things that I’ve seen. The sheer number of quality people that are part of this program now, from all the coaches to the people doing all sorts of other aspects.
“The GatorMade program, Katie Turner and Bri [Wade] and what they’re doing with recruiting, it is really remarkable. I’ve been very grateful to have a little bit of bandwidth in my life, so I’ve been around a little more, and I’m enjoying it.”
Wuerffel visited the football program twice in February, hanging out with several coaches and players on Feb. 10 and then spending two days with the team Feb. 21-22.
Wuerffel participated in GatorMade’s business trip to Atlanta last month, meeting nine players for dinner at King & Spalding.
“I’ve had a chance to talk with the players at different times, really on the subject of leadership and trying to develop leaders. I met with some of them as a group and others individually; it has been really encouraging,” Wuerffel said. “I’m really excited to be associated with GatorMade and help really highlight some of the great stuff that they’re doing.”
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Wuerffel also shared his thoughts on the James W. “Bill” Heavener Football Training Center, UF’s new state-of-the-art, $85 million stand-alone facility that will open this summer.
“This facility is remarkable,” Wuerffel said. “I tried to tell them it is hard to know how fortunate you are when you don’t know how it used to be. We got little sprinkles, and [Steve] Spurrier would blow that whistle. ‘We’re going to the Florida gym. Take your cleats off.’
“The players have been really, really cared for well, which you have to do, but you also hope they appreciate it and don’t hope to expect that this is how the next part of their life is going to go.”
![Florida Gators wide receiver Eugene Wilson III (3) hauls in a pass while taking balls from a throwing machine during University of Florida Gators’ Spring football practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, March 28, 2024. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://on3static.com/cdn-cgi/image/height=215,width=393,quality=90,fit=cover,gravity=0.5x0.5/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/08/01212103/Untitled-design-80.png)
