Florida coach Jon Sumrall said his teenage son left the Gators’ loss to South Carolina early and later sent him a blunt message about the defeat.
Speaking Monday on his weekly “Gator Talk” show, Sumrall recounted asking his wife where their son Sam was after Florida’s 38-19 loss at home. She told him the 13-year-old had left because he could not watch the team lose, Sumrall said.
After speaking with his players in the locker room, Sumrall checked his phone and saw a text from Sam: “Dad, I don’t know if this is forgivable.” Sumrall replied that his son had also done things he might find difficult to forgive, according to the account he shared on the show.
Sumrall also described comforting his 13-year-old daughter, who was crying as the team left the field near the Florida band. He said she told him she hated seeing him lose.
The loss came after Florida opened the season 4-0, according to the source report. South Carolina led 17-10 at halftime and pulled away in the second half. Florida had beaten Ole Miss 52-28 two weeks earlier, then lost to Missouri before facing the Gamecocks.
Sumrall took over as Florida’s coach this season after four seasons at Troy and Tulane, the report said. His remarks focused on his family’s response to the loss rather than a detailed assessment of the game.
