Stephen Orr Spurrier, born on April 20, 1945, is a prominent figure in American football, both as a player and a coach. Known by his nickname "the Head Ball Coach," Spurrier's football journey began as a quarterback for the Florida Gators, where he won the prestigious Heisman Trophy in 1966. His success in college led to his selection by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1967 NFL Draft. Although his NFL playing career spanned a decade, he primarily served as a backup quarterback and punter. Spurrier's contributions to the game were recognized early, as he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1986.

After his playing days, Spurrier transitioned into coaching, where he made an even greater impact. He started as an assistant coach for several college teams, including the Florida Gators, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and Duke Blue Devils. It was during his time at Duke that he began to develop his innovative offensive strategies, which would later define his coaching career. Spurrier's first head coaching role came with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL, where he led the team to two playoff appearances in three seasons. When the USFL folded, Spurrier returned to college football, taking head coaching positions at Duke, Florida, and South Carolina, where he amassed 228 career wins and a 72% winning percentage.

Spurrier's coaching style was characterized by aggressive, high-scoring offenses, and he became known for his playful jabs at rival teams. His 1989 Duke team won the program's only ACC championship since 1962, and he remains the winningest coach in both Florida and South Carolina football history. Under his leadership, the Florida Gators won four consecutive SEC championships in the mid-1990s, a feat only surpassed by Bear Bryant's Alabama teams. In 1996, Spurrier coached Florida to a national championship, and his quarterback, Danny Wuerffel, won the Heisman Trophy, making Spurrier the only Heisman winner to coach another Heisman winner.

In recognition of his contributions to the University of Florida, the Gators' home field was renamed "Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium" in 2016. Spurrier retired from coaching in 2015 but briefly returned to lead the Orlando Apollos in the short-lived Alliance of American Football in 2019. His legacy as both a player and coach was further solidified when he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2017, making him one of only four individuals to be inducted as both a player and a coach.

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