Garcia: The day I finally pleased Coach Spurrier
I’m shocked.
I couldn’t be more shocked.
This greatest era in South Carolina football history ended sometime Monday. Coach Spurrier announced his retirement, and I couldn’t be more shocked. I’ve texted some teammates and that’s the sense most of us have.
First let me say this: Coach Spurrier and I got into many, well-documented head-butting competitions during my career there. I wish I wasn’t so bleepin’ hard-headed!
Second, he is one of the most competitive people on this rock we live on. Third, anybody who has spent time around him could recognize he has looked slightly less fiery over the past few weeks. That was hard to watch for me, almost like you could see this day approaching faster than we thought was possible.
I hated seeing that damn visor fly on the ground when I played for him, but I miss that intensity.
Our blowups and my suspensions drew headlines, but we shared plenty of good times, too.
We beat No. 1-ranked Alabama, at home, in 2010. It was South Carolina’s first win ever against a No. 1 team. I threw three touchdown passes. Coach Spurrier didn’t really talk much to players after the game, except to hand out game balls and give a little speech. But he told me after that game that it was one of the best he’s ever had a quarterback play.
When he told me that, I was ecstatic. I finally pleased coach Spurrier.
My favorite moment was coming back to his 10-year reunion this past offseason. He asked me to stand up and he honored me. I was very hesitant to come back to Columbia, but I felt I owed him the respect of coming to that event. We obviously left on not-so-great terms, but we have a great relationship now and I was very honored when when he singled me out and asked me to stand.
We talked for 30-45 minutes privately at the function and it was a great convo. I just wish our relationship was like that when I was playing for him. I was extremely hard headed and wasn’t a fan of his coaching style. That was my loss, obviously.
Coach Spurrier saw it all during his coaching career and was never satisfied. He wanted, no, he demanded perfection, especially from his quarterbacks. I wish I would have listened to his coaching more than I did. I didn’t like or enjoy being castrated in front of my teammates, so I would tune him out.
That said, I have the absolute utmost respect for the man. He has the best wife in the history of wives in Jerri Spurrier. She is the best. He won a Heisman as a player. He won a national title as a coach and God only knows how many other achievements during his career.
As I explained to Connor Shaw, Dylan Thompson and all the other quarterbacks who were there with me, we are part of a unique fraternity. Playing for coach Spurrier is one of the most challenging things you will do as a quarterback! Hats off to you coach Spurrier!
I love ya man. Cheers!