Billy Napier emphasizing that Gators ‘operate in truth’ after loss
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When Florida coach Billy Napier opened his Monday press conference, he offered his outlook on the Kentucky game as it relates to his players.
This is the first time they’ve had to bounce back from a loss under the new coaching staff.
“When you’re presented with challenges and adversity in life, I think that there’s opportunity. And it’s important that we operate in truth, that we keep it technical, you know, when you try to help the players maintain perspective,” Napier said. “I think that it’s very important that you take full advantage of the things that come with an experience like this. It gives you a chance to recenter and certainly evaluate where you’re at as a team.”
That evaluation must be honest and up front. Napier has mentioned the importance of operating in truth before, but that’s even more critical coming off a loss.
The coaches and players can’t lie to themselves about what needs to be fixed or ignore them, even if the truth hurts. Napier isn’t one to beat around the bush.
“It comes back to really evaluating the game independent of the result. Is the effort good? Are the fundamentals good? Is the communication where it needs to be? If we’re having execution issues, why? I think each individual player, each position group, each unit, right? What is each part of the organization relative to is preparing for the game throughout the week. So many people contribute to a football team, so a loss gives you a chance to hit the reset button, recenter,” Napier said.
“Everybody kind of gets hit in the gut, and I think sometimes it’s healthy. The key is that you don’t waste it, right? That’s when I say operate in truth. I say, ‘Hey, let’s call it exactly like it is.’ What caused us to get the result that we had there, and what can we do to position our team. Myself, what do we need to do to position our team for success in the future?”
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In other Florida football news
- Rave reviews for true freshman Trevor Etienne: “He looks a lot like Travis did at Clemson.”
- Everything South Florida’s Jeff Scott had to say about Florida Gators coach Billy Napier.
- Gators in the NFL: How former Florida players performed in Week One.
UF recruiting roundup
- Florida is trending heavily ahead of the commitment date for four-star safety Bryce Thornton.
- Four-star defensive lineman Jordan Hall, a top-30 recruit, recaps his most recent Florida visit.
- Four-star DT and UCF commit John Walker will visit the Gators for a third straight weekend.
- An On300 linebacker is scheduled for his second up-close look at the Gators and first game.
- UF’s running back rotation under Jabbar Juluke appeals to On300 prospect Anthony Carrie.
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