Kiffin was on Dan Patrick's show this morning, and he managed to talk the game without dropping more trash.
The main quote is this, "I don't think you could ever find someone [Tebow] that wills himself to win as much as him," Kiffin said.
Kiffin is an astute public relations guy, he is finding ways of staying in the news, but the question is what kind of players will this ultimately attract?
Ben Volin has a piece today that a number of 5 star recruits have "a rude awakening" when they come to Florida because they don't play immediately, have to work hard, and earn their spots.
"Coming in, you're all-world, you know? And you get here, and the guy to your right is just as good as you," said sophomore Deonte Thompson, a former five-star recruit from Glades Central who was rumored to be transferring after a redshirt freshman season.
This year, redshirt freshman linebacker Brendan Beal, coming off ACL surgery and battling three other players on the depth chart, has considered transferring.
Senior linebacker Ryan Stamper said he frequently counsels sophomore backup linebacker Lerentee McCray to persevere and be patient. Last year, linebacker Mon Williams transferred to Eastern Illinois.
Lane Kiffin said emphatically to Dan Patrick that he tells recruits that they'll be able to play immediately at UT, but is that a good plan?
Perseverance breeds character, in the same way strength and conditioning gives the competitive edge that in the end wins tough games in the fourth quarter when the game is on the line. Florida was able to beat both Alabama and Oklahoma because they had more steam in the fourth.
Maturity and depth on a team are as important as conditioning and a good game plan.
The Florida - Tennessee rivalry is definitely back, but with the underlying philosophies of these two programs we feel confident in saying that Florida will have the upper hand.
Photo: John Raoux
