The Ol' Head Ball Coach is back in the SEC and taking on his old team, the Gators. Each day, we look at a different aspect of him.
By MIKE STEPHENSON, ANTONYA ENGLISH
Published November 11, 2005
For many, the first image that comes to mind when thinking of Spurrier is of him wearing - or hurling - a visor. Some call him Darth Visor.
The Times even published a make-your-own South Carolina visor when he was introduced as the Gamecocks' coach. But here's the story on Spurrier's choice of headgear.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Spurrier developed his affinity for visors as a teenager playing golf. He found them more comfortable than a baseball cap, longtime friend and former Florida sports information director Norm Carlson said.
When he became a coach, the visors came with him. Spurrier likes the flexibility and stylishness of wearing a hat without completely covering his head.
MOTIVATING FACTOR
If Spurrier is throwing his visor, it means bad things are happening for his team. Alabama players made it a goal to provoke Spurrier for this season's game: "I heard it's a pretty big thing whenever he throws it," defensive back Roman Harper told the Decatur (Ga.) Daily. "Hopefully, we have him so mad he can't even throw it."
THE NEW LOOK
Spurrier still wears visors during games, but the hot seller in South Carolina these days is the Spur Lid, a bucket hat with the top cut out. Spurrier designed it on vacation last summer.
"I was down at the beach and had one of these floppy hats, and I figured I could ride on a bike on the beach with a floppy hat and nobody would recognize me," he said. "It was too hot, so I just cut the hole out of the top, and it's very comfortable."
