SEC Media Days – Urban Meyer

SEC Media Days kicked off on Wednesday, marking the official start of the 2008 football season for fans and media across the south.

Florida Gator coach Urban Meyer and his trusty sidekick Tim Tebow took front stage in Hoover, Alabama as media members flocked in record numbers to cover the event.

I’ve filtered through most of the Tebow quotes but it’s impossible to recap this interview without mentioning the returning Heisman Trophy winner, repeatedly.

Here are the highlights:

-According to Meyer, it’s a combination of talent, discipline, and leadership that makes a football team. Talent can get you to 7 wins, discipline can bump you to 8 or 9, but it’s leadership that causes truly great things to happen to a program.

Tebow has decent leadership capabilities, right coach?

“Tim? I’m sure anybody in here can answer that for you. It’s as good as I’ve ever seen”

It’s worth noting that the word leader(ship) was used 14 times in the transcript of Meyer’s time at the podium.

-The SEC has several of the top coaches in the country and Meyer understands that as well as anyone. I suppose it’s safe to assume that Florida is one of the schools expecting to win the SEC.

“I looked around that room, understand I counted right off the top of my head nine programs that they think they’re going to win the conference championship, nine right now. “

-A couple of years ago Meyer noted his goal was for Florida to be the fastest team in the SEC. He was asked how close that is to becoming a reality.

“That’s all relative. However, ten flat, you know, meters, typical Chris Rainey, whenever he hears a guy runs ten flat, the fastest 18 year old to ever run track, his name is Jeff Demps, he’s on our campus now, I don’t know if he can catch a ball, but he can run like hell. Chris Rainey beat him in a race the other day.”

-How healthy is Percy Harvin and how important is it to have someone besides Tebow lead the team in rushing?

“Harvin is doing good. I’d say he’s close to 80, 90%, which is still a little bit ahead of schedule. His attitude has been tremendous. He’s bench pressing 400. There’s a part that says line ’em up at tailback and let him go. I think he’d be one of the best tailbacks in the country.”

-Meyer was asked if he had ever seen anyone with the popularity of (the already legendary) Tim Tebow.

“I loved it when I was getting pushed in the back by security in Times Square, physically I was getting pushed in the back because they thought I was like hanging around Tim trying to get an autograph or something. I hate to say this, I was. I wanted to get a Christmas present for my son.”

“He deserves it. He’s a helluva guy. “

-Speedster Percy Harvin has added (an impressive) 20 pounds since last season according to Meyer, although I have no idea what it means to be rocked up (is that even legal?).

“Percy is 205 pounds now. Last year he was 185. We rocked him up.”