Well, it was a little awkward for us too! Oliver Barry CRS, GRI Real Estate Broker PARKS Real Estate Services 305 B Indian Lake Blvd Suite 220 Hendersonville TN 37075 Office: 615-826-4040 Mobile: 615-972-4239 [email protected]
Begin forwarded message: > From: Shane Ford <[email protected]> > Date: September 3, 2016 at 9:03:17 AM CDT > To: GatorNews <[email protected]> > Subject: [gatornews] [SUN]: Dooley: It's like old times for Spurrier family > Reply-To: [email protected] > > Dooley: It's like old times for Spurrier family > > > Jerri Spurier, center, and her daughters Amy Moody and Lisa King, are back in > The Swamp, on the field now named for the husband and father who took them > away from Gainesville but now has brought them back. > > Submitted photo > By Pat Dooley > Gainesville SUN Columnist > Published: Saturday, September 3, 2016 at 6:01 a.m. > Last Modified: Friday, September 2, 2016 at 7:15 p.m. > It was always about the hugs and, if you were one of the lucky ones to get > one, you never forgot them and always looked forward to them. > > They were long and warm and sincere and they lasted forever. It was as if > Jerri Spurrier never wanted to let go because it meant saying goodbye for > another two years. > > Eventually, they would end and she'd walk away and you would feel jealous of > all the people at South Carolina who could feel her genuine warmth every day. > > Five times she made the trip to The Swamp, the stadium her husband named. In > many ways, the stadium is a living scrapbook of her life. > > “It's 50 years of emotion,” she said. “It's the field goal against Auburn and > sitting in the stands as a student and celebrating championships. Every bit > of it is so much.” > > While Steve Spurrier coached at South Carolina, there was something so > awkward about seeing Jerri and daughters Amy Moody and Lisa King wearing the > colors of the team that was trying to beat the Gators. > > But blood is thicker than diplomas, so the three UF graduates had no choice. > Father, husband, they trump orange and blue. > > Today, the three women are back. > > It's different. > > It's normal. > > “Florida is my school,” Jerri said. “This is where everything is.” > > And when the Gators open their season against UMass, it will be different > again because of the naming of the field for the iconic Head Ball Coach. > > “I can wear orange and blue again,” Lisa said. “I actually went and bought > some new Gator clothes.” > > Ever since Spurrier took the head coaching job at South Carolina in late > 2004, it has been a strain once a year for the ladies of the family, > especially every other year when the game took place in Gainesville. > > Not anymore. > > Not today. > > “The first year we came back, I figured I'd go tailgate with my friends and > sit in my dad's seats that he still had from Florida,” said Lisa, who lives > in Columbia, S.C. “But I realized, no, I need to sit on the other side with > the South Carolina people. > > “This game, I can go and it'll be like old times.” > > No stress. > > No conflicting feelings. > > Jerri won't be sitting in the visiting athletic director's box like she has > on her last five trips to the stadium. > > “She loves to sit with the coaches' wives,” said Amy, who lives in Panama > City. “But at Florida, I never let her sit in the stadium. I made her sit > upstairs because I knew how hard it was for her.” > > Here's an example of how stressful those games at UF were for the family -- > Amy's husband, Jay, always stayed home when Florida and South Carolina played > in The Swamp. > > This is a guy who has been a lifelong Gator fan, who has a kindergarten > picture of himself in a Gator jersey. > > “Too confusing,” Amy said. > > You can understand why. Here's your team, your alma mater. You're a lifetime > member of the UF Alumni Association and your boys, your Gators, are playing > your father-in-law who is a legendary coach and a larger-than-life > personality. > > Wake me when it's over, right Jay? > > It all changed when Spurrier decided he had enough coaching and left South > Carolina last season. But it really changed when he was named > ambassador/consultant and moved into 303 B on the third floor of the > University Athletic Association where the sign in the door reads “Historical > Library.” > > And it really changes today when he entertains the crowd with a Mr. Two Bits > routine and UF puts his name on the field where his life changed so many > times. > > “What a beautiful opportunity for my Dad to end his career like this,” Amy > said. “I'm going to be overwhelmed.” > > She won't be alone. > > “It's going to be thrilling,” Jerri said. “I can't even imagine how I'm going > to feel. I've just got to get there.” > > She will. > > Back home where she belongs. > > Contact Pat Dooley at 352-374-5053 or at [email protected]. And follow > at Twitter.com/Pat_Dooley. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sent From Shane's iPhone > Go Gators! & Skål Vikes! > ALPCA #8756 > Europlate #1045 > -- > -- > 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) > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "GatorNews" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- -- 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) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
