CNNSI article

[Yomar]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/news/2002/07/21/redskins_spurrier_ap/

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -- Steve Spurrier walked to the white board on the wall in his office, picked up a marker and started drawing a trick play.

"I'll show you the one we ran against FSU," said Spurrier, his hand busily squiggling little circles and triangles. "You'll say, 'That was a gimmie play.' And it was. You see, that's pretty high percentage."

On the board was a halfback option misdirection pass play over the middle. Sure, that might be "high percentage" in the Fun 'N' Gun, but many NFL head coaches would quietly file it away under "way too risky."

After 12 successful years at the University of Florida, Spurrier opens his first NFL training camp Monday when the Washington Redskins report to Carlisle, Pa., bringing a fresh approach many of his players think is long overdue.

He is new and different, a maverick who talks of winning games by four touchdowns in a keep-it-close league.

"I was talking to a guy who was with the Tampa Bay Bucs, and he was telling me [former head coach] Tony Dungy said, 'If it's a big game, let's make sure it's close in the fourth quarter.' Well, I always like to have about a four-touchdown lead if you can -- so no matter what happens in the fourth quarter, we'll still be in good shape. It's just a difference in philosophy."

Steve Spurrier

Head coach,

Washington Redskins

"He has the same type of swagger, the same type of personality that we have," linebacker LaVar Arrington said. "Coaches are always so set apart from us. Sometimes you don't even feel like you can talk to your head coach, but he's very close to how we are."

Spurrier's legend is already well-documented. As a quarterback at Florida, he won the Heisman Trophy and once spontaneously ran onto the field to kick a game-winning 40-yard field goal because he didn't feel it was in the regular kicker's range.

As the head coach at Florida, he won one national championship, six Southeastern Conference titles and produced some of the most dynamic offenses ever seen in the college game. He was also known for throwing his visor in a tantrum and would yank and promote quarterbacks like a day-trader shuffling stocks.

Now Spurrier is trying the big leagues, buoyed by a record five-year, $25 million contract from owner Dan Snyder. It's a new setting, but the coach isn't changing his ways: In other words, the quarterback merry-go-round is still in operation.

"They will all know that if they start, they go bad, the next guy's going to get a chance," Spurrier said. "If they're really struggling, my experience coaching quarterbacks is that it has helped a guy to hit the bench for half a game. After he watches, he's a lot better quarterback."

Spurrier's training camp will be a 180-degree swing from Marty Schottenheimer's tough regimen of a year ago. Practices will be shorter and less physical. There will be a curfew, but the alarms Schottenheimer placed on the dorm doors are gone.

"We don't have a whole lot of rules," Spurrier said. "But if we have a player that embarrasses our team, we can get rid of him easily."

Spurrier was hired in January, and he's had an entertaining learning curve adjusting to the NFL bureaucracy. He called himself a rookie as he dealt with free agency for the first time and had an awkward moment on draft day when he knew so little about the Redskins selections. In the early weeks, he occasionally caught the team's public relations staff off guard by announcing player moves before they were official.

"Is Gatorade one of our league sponsors?" Spurrier asked after a spring practice as he looked at a logo on his visor. "It is? OK, I can wear the visor then. I don't want to break any rules."

Spurrier has repeatedly said his biggest adjustment will be the ordeal of cutting players en masse on the league's roster cutdown dates. He can't keep 100 on his roster any more.

"Cutting some players is going to be difficult," Spurrier said. "I was out there watching those 10 wide receivers and thinking, 'Gosh, we can only end up with six of them.' Got to cut four of them -- I don't want to cut any of them."

Spurrier also suggested that the NFL allow all the players on the roster to be active for every game. Current rules mandate that seven players be declared inactive before kickoff.

"I wish we would make all 53 eligible," Spurrier said. "That way you don't have to worry so much about injuries as you do now. But that's not the way the NFL owners want to do it."

Spurrier likes to quote others, including John Wooden, his favorite coach. His own words are sometimes used to take subtle digs at the league's status quo.

"I was talking to a guy who was with the Tampa Bay Bucs," Spurrier said, "and he was telling me [former head coach] Tony Dungy said, 'If it's a big game, let's make sure it's close in the fourth quarter.'

"Well, I always like to have about a four-touchdown lead if you can -- so no matter what happens in the fourth quarter, we'll still be in good shape. It's just a difference in philosophy."

The debate in college circles was whether Spurrier won in Florida more because of his system or more because of a superior availability of talent. Those theories will be put to the test immediately because the Redskins don't have proven starting talent at quarterback or receiver, and the middle of the offensive line is a huge question mark.

In other words, if he can score a lot of points with this group, Spurrier will truly earn the title of offensive genius - even if the coach himself contends that his offense isn't rocket science.

"If they play real tight, throw it over their head," Spurrier said. "If they play way back, throw it short."

It does sound very simple -- until he starts drawing it with his marker.

[Yomar]

"Cutting some players is going to be difficult," Spurrier said. "I was out there watching those 10 wide receivers and thinking, 'Gosh, we can only end up with six of them.' Got to cut four of them -- I don't want to cut any of them."

so we know more or less how many WRs SOS is planning on keeping.

"We don't have a whole lot of rules," Spurrier said. "But if we have a player that embarrasses our team, we can get rid of him easily."

SOS meet the salary cap. I know he was a little harsh on Big Daddy earlier in the off season for missing workouts...don't think the Skins have the luxury of cutting him, DLine depth issues aside

"He has the same type of swagger, the same type of personality that we have," linebacker LaVar Arrington said. "Coaches are always so set apart from us. Sometimes you don't even feel like you can talk to your head coach, but he's very close to how we are."

I think this along with his playcalling ability is SOS's biggest asset. Should be a lot of fun

[Luca Brasi]

Originally posted by Yomar

"If they play real tight, throw it over their head," Spurrier said. "If they play way back, throw it short."

Why couldn't Marty figure this out?

[Art]

The part I liked most was the thoughts on the very standard NFL coaching belief of, "Let's be there in the fourth quarter with a chance to win." This mentality is hideous. Yet, an amazing number of coaches go into games thinking that way. Don't take chances. Play field position. Be close in the fourth quarter with a chance to win. Marty actually said that during a halftime interview one game last year and I almost lost it.

You should want to go into the second quarter with the game won. If you do, more power to you. If you don't and you are behind, you've got time to catch up . I hated "being there" in the fourth with a chance to win.