Players were instructed by Jon Sumrall that they had to earn back the Gator emblem that he removed from Florida’s practice equipment by putting in effort and performing well.
After Florida struggled to a 4-8 record in 2025, Jon Sumrall took over a mess in Gainesville. The new head coach felt his players required a visual cue of how far the program had deteriorated. Sumrall disclosed during his media session at halftime of the Auburn-Florida basketball game on January 24 that the Gators players arrived to the offseason workouts wearing simple attire with no logos. No Gator head. There is no script lettering. Wake-up calls at 6 a. m. and nothing else than bare material.
Sumrall informed the media that “we haven’t earned a damn thing. ” “You have to earn the right to wear the Florida Gator emblem, ‘Gators’ in script across your helmet, or the Gator head. “
Social media didn’t need an overtime period to decide how it felt about the move.
One fan questioned Sumrall’s sanity. “Been saying it for months, dude needs major mental help”
Another joked about the equipment staff scrambling. “The Florida Equiptment Department rn: ‘Alexa, order 300 blank orange t-shirts’”
A third kept it short. “Cringe is next level.”
One user pointed out the irony. “I guess he already earned it.”
Another wasn’t having the criticism. “Some of y’all man”
One fan doubted Sumrall’s longevity. “Wonder how long he will last”
A different commenter tied it to money. “I guess he earned it by being paid so much.”
And finally, someone saw it as wasteful. “Wasting clothes”
Sumrall’s approach screams old-school accountability in an era where players transfer at the first sign of discomfort. Whether it motivates his roster or backfires spectacularly won’t be clear until September.
