Drayton's comment that the whole thing was blown out of proportion and the
source of this story, Miami Herald, say a lot about the situation.
These writers are already famous for making a soap opera out of a trip to the
7-11. Let's not spend too much thought on them. I think we'd be wasting our
time.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
-----Original Message-----
From: Jerry Belloit <bell...@clarion.edu>
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 09:41:16
To: <gatortalk@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [gatortalk] RE: [gatornews] Gatornews from Miami Herald and Palm
Beach Post courtesy of JunoGator
I saw this after I sent my previous comment. My old memory was correct.
This makes it even more remarkable that Urban Meyer called him. It also
confirms that Urban Meyer did not even talk with him significantly until he
called to offer him his old job back.
Jerry
From: gatorn...@googlegroups.com [mailto:gatorn...@googlegroups.com] On
Behalf Of Juno Gator
Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 9:27 AM
To: gatorn...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [gatornews] Gatornews from Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post
courtesy of JunoGator
Florida coach Urban Meyer settles differences with Stan Drayton, names him
new recruiting coordinator
By Ben <http://www.palmbeachpost.com/services/staff/ben-volin-12175.html>
Volin Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Stan Drayton looked at the caller ID, and had a hard time believing who was
on the other end of the phone.
It was Urban Meyer - the same Florida coach who ran Drayton out of
Gainesville after the 2007 season.
"I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't surprised," Drayton, who once again
is UF's running backs coach, said Wednesday. "But we're grown men, Urban
Meyer and I. All that stuff was blown out of proportion. The respect that we
have for each other was never compromised."
Their relationship is in such great shape that Meyer has named Drayton his
new recruiting coordinator, replacing former receivers coach Billy Gonzales,
who left for a job at LSU.
Drayton coached running backs during Meyer's first three seasons in
Gainesville, but left for rival Tennessee after the '07 season, and not on
the best of terms.
Upon leaving, Drayton told reporters that his relationship with Meyer was "a
little rough, a little rocky." Drayton reportedly didn't like the way
running backs were being used in Meyer's spread-option offense, and one of
Drayton's former players said Meyer used to belittle his position coach.
"I've seen Coach Drayton shed tears before," former running back Anthony Gay
told The Sporting News in 2008. "Not in front of (Meyer), but right after
practice because of how he acknowledged him, because of how he belittled
him."
Drayton coached under Phil Fulmer at Tennessee in 2008, then moved to
Syracuse in 2009 after Fulmer's staff wasn't retained.
"That was a great learning experience for me, two years away from the
University of Florida," Drayton said. "I realized that the grass is really,
really green around here. Things are in order and there's a structure in
place, and I'm just happy to be a part of that again."
Two years of distance apparently has resolved Drayton's and Meyer's issues,
because Meyer didn't waste any time re-hiring Drayton in January, the same
day Kenny Carter left Florida to become the running backs coach under
Charlie Strong at Louisville.
"We're in great shape, we understand each other, we respect each other, and
we're going to move forward," said Drayton, who turns 39 in three weeks.
On the recruiting trail, Drayton helped bring the Lakeland contingent to the
Gators in 2007 - including the Pouncey twins and Chris Rainey - and was
largely responsible for the recruitment of Riley Cooper and Jermaine
Cunningham, two players who likely will be taken in the first three rounds
of April's NFL Draft.
Drayton continued to recruit the state of Florida while at Tennessee and
Syracuse, so he has maintained most of his high school contacts.
Meyer has given Drayton the responsibility of recruiting two important areas
for the Gators - the Orlando/Lakeland area and Miami-Dade County.
Drayton said he was concerned about the future of Meyer and the program, but
"that lasted about two minutes after Urban called me," he said.
Meyer resigned from his job in December because of health reasons, only to
switch course and instead take an indefinite leave of absence, though Meyer
said he will coach the Gators for spring practice, which starts March 17.
"Any time you got to pick up and move a 2-year-old, a 5-year-old and a wife,
you're going to find out the ins and outs about that," Drayton said. "But I
heard it in his voice, nothing but confidence and excitement about getting
this thing going again. Obviously, you can tell I felt extremely comfortable
about the whole deal. I'm here, I'm ready to go."
--
GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions
2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions
2008 National Football Champions |
Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996),
Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
--
GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions
2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions
2008 National Football Champions |
Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996),
Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
