Steve Spurrier received a “grand” ovation when he stepped onto the field during Monday’s CFP National Championship Game.
Steve Spurrier has a long history in the state of Florida for his coaching career. He was the head coach at the University of Florida from 1990-2001 before going to the NFL. Appearances were also made during his time at South Carolina, as the Gamecocks played Florida there in an SEC game every other season.
At Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Spurrier would be welcomed onto the field during the coin toss. Peyton Manning would make an appearance too. They were there after being announced as part of the 2017 College Football Hall of Fame Class.
However, when the Head Ball Coach’s name played over the stadium sound system, everyone booed him. The fan reaction can be heard below:
Spurrier getting booed https://t.co/Je2AscMmae
— Jack Crosby (@JCrosbyCBS) January 10, 2017
Spurrier played against Alabama plenty of times too during his time in the SEC when running both Florida and South Carolina, so a negative reaction could be expected. However, given that Clemson is an in-state rival of South Carolina, it’s possible that the boos came from plenty of Tiger fans in attendance at Raymond James Stadium.
Spurrier won the National Championship with Florida in the 1997 Sugar Bowl, his only one as a head coach. His Gators would defeat Florida State, 52-20. On Monday, he will watch on as Alabama and Clemson have their rematch in the CFP Title game. Last year’s matchup saw the Crimson Tide win in arguably one of the best college football games of the season.
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Steve Spurrier had a fantastic career as a head coach and is a valuable member for the College Football Hall of Fame. However, on this night, not everyone at the game was a fan of the 71-year-old.