Sumrall Reflects on Spurrier as Gators Unveil New 60s-Themed Throwbacks

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The Florida Gators will officially wear new throwback uniforms this season, honoring the 60th anniversary of Steve Spurrier's Heisman Trophy in 1966.

Florida will rock blue helmets with a white jersey and pants. The blue helmets, similar to that of the one wore in 2020, will have grey facemasks, an orange center stripe with white accents and a white circle with orange block F and orange outline on each side. The jerseys will have blue numbers on the sides and an blue-orange-blue shoulder stripes. That same stripe combination will be on the pants, which have been worn with the throwbacks worn in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2025.

Head coach Jon Sumrall, during the offseason, teased having a throwback option after the program brought them back last season. Florida previously wore a blue throwback jersey with a white helmet in 2019, a blue helmet in 2020 and an orange helmet in 2021 and 2025. Florida has not announced when they will wear the new throwback uniform.

"Seen them, excited about them, look forward to them," Sumrall said on Monday. "A long way off from us actually wearing them, but I do think they're a cool tribute and such a cool look."

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Honoring Steve Spurrier’s 1966 Heisman season 🐊 pic.twitter.com/vW1e0poJ21
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) August 10, 2026

Spurrier became the program's first of three Heisman Trophy winners in 1966, throwing for 2,012 yards and 16 touchdowns while leading the Gators to an 8-2 finish in the regular season and No. 11 ranking. He is also known for kicking a game-winning 40-yard field goal against Auburn, which all but secured the Heisman Trophy.

After a 12-year career in the NFL, Spurrier turned to coaching, and after a one-year stint as Florida's quarterbacks coach, returned to the program in 1990 as the head coach. In 12 seasons, he became the program's all-time leader in total wins (122), all-time leader in winning percentage by a full-time coach (81.7 percent) and won six SEC titles and the program's first national title. He also became the first Heisman Trophy winner to coach a Heisman Trophy winner when Danny Wuerffel won the award in 1996.

After retiring from coaching, he returned to UF in 2016 as an ambassador and has remained with the athletics department since. Sumrall reflected on Spurrier's legacy during Monday's press conference, saying he remembers attending the 1993 SEC Championship Game as a child and watching Spurrier coach from his seat. Florida, of course, defeated Alabama to win its first SEC Championship Game and Spurrier's second overall conference title as the Gators' head coach.

"I've grown up watching this conference and this school and the people that have been a part of the history of this program. So to be in the same role as a guy like Coach Spurrier, I don't know about starstruck, but it's almost like pinch yourself. Is this real? Like, wow," he said. "Because you work so hard to grow as a professional in your career and to get to a spot where I'm getting to do the same job day in and day out that he did, and he did it at a ridiculously high level. I'm always blown away that I get the privilege to walk the same walk that somebody like he did."

Florida head coach Jon Sumrall praised Spurrier for his support as he takes over the Gators' football program. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sumrall also reflected on having Spurrier in his corner since being named the head coach last December, saying that both Spurrier and his wife, Jerri, have been consistent faces at events and great sources of support for him and his wife, Ginny.

"They're unbelievable people," Sumrall told Florida Gators on SI. "Caring, compassionate, obviously won at the highest level here. I think I've had the most fun just hearing him tell stories. Being able to catch him when we do recruiting dinners at Spurrier's, he'll come hang out for the first hour or so of the dinner. To be able to stand at the bar at Spurrier's and hear him tell stories from games. He can remember like every play. He's got this brilliant collection of memories.

"It's fun, man. Colorful personality. Nothing like him. He is Florida football."

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