Napier continues a tradition that Steve Spurrier started with Gators

There was some confusion during halftime of the Florida Gators spring game Thursday night.

When the clock hit zero at the end of the second quarter, neither team left the field. UF staffers were busy hustling a table filled with small trophies to the 50-yard line.

First-year coach Billy Napier began to address his team, and then players started to walk up and were handed small trophies.

What was happening?

Napier was handing out awards for various performances or accomplishments throughout spring camp.

“I think I told each one of those guys when we were handing out awards, some of our leaders on defense, ‘Hey, we need to respond, get some stops.’ Certainly, the staff did a good job of changing it up a little bit in the second half,” Napier said after the game.

The spring game halftime awards show is a tradition that was started by former Florida coach Steve Spurrier. He held one all 12 years during his tenure.

“One of the best things we used to do was we gave all the awards at halftime of the spring game,” Spurrier said on the Gators Online Podcast. “We gave about 50 awards. The Everyday Award. Offense, defense, special teams. Hustle Award. Most Consistent. Big Play Award. Whoever made a big play.

“Those kids love hearing their name. We’d give them a little tiny trophy. Their parents are up there going crazy. Halftime awards. Especially the walk on kids. They got recognized in The Swamp, in front of a crowd. Picked up a trophy and that was a memory of a lifetime for some of those kids. We did it every year here. Halftime award show.” 

It isn’t something that past coaches have done, at least not publicly, but clearly is something Napier will do at Florida. The Head Ball Coach has made sure not to interject his opinion too much into Napier’s day-to-day routine. However, Napier is a historian and appears to be taking a page from the Hall of Famer’s playbook.

Complete list of Florida Gators spring awards

Channing Chowder Headhunter Award
Diwun Black
Jordan Young
Ethan White
Ja’Quavion Fraziars

Chris Doering I Like to Practice Award
Justin Shorter
Donovan McMillon
Tyreak Sapp
Daejon Reynolds

Jack Youngblood Defensive Lineman Award
Gervon Dexter

Lomas Brown Offensive Lineman Award
Kingsley Eguakun

Joe Haden Defensive Back Award
Tre’Vez Johnson
Jason Marshall Jr.

Emmitt Smith Running Back Award
Montrell Johnson

Danny Wuerffel Most Improved Player
Dante Zanders
Michael Tarquin
Derek Wingo
Jaydon Hill
Princely Umanmielen

Tim Tebow Leadership Award
Rashad Torrence II
Marco Ortiz
Trent Whittemore
Nay’Quan Wright

Vernell Brown Culture Award
Amari Burney
Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr.
Jeremy Crawshaw
Richard Gouraige
Desmond Watson

Steve Spurrier Commitment to Excellence Award
Trey Dean III
O’Cryus Torrence
Brenton Cox Jr.
Lorenzo Lingard

Reidel Anthony Receiver Award
Xzavier Henderson

Wilber Marshall Linebacker Award
Ventrell Miller

Community Service Award
Chief Borders
Josh Braun

Louis Oliver Outstanding Non-Scholarship Player Award
Adam Mihalek
Noah Keeter
Kahleil Jackson
Taylor Spierto
Justin Curtis
Mark Pitts
Justin Pelic

Fred Taylor Most Improved Freshman Award
Jack Miller III
Kamryn Waites
Justus Boone
Austin Barber
Devin Moore
Scooby Williams