Billy Napier on being booed by home fans: ‘I probably would have done the same’

If you were one of the fans at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium who booed Florida football coach Billy Napier on Saturday, he heard you. He also agrees with you.

Things have not gone well for the Gators to start the 2024 season. While Florida did beat Samford 45-7 in Week 2, that was sandwiched between a pair of losses — a 41-17 loss to Miami in Week 1 and a 33-20 loss to Texas A&M in Week 3 on Saturday. Even the 33-20 final is misleading, as the Aggies led 33-7 deep into the third quarter, only for the Gators to score a pair of largely cosmetic touchdowns. Napier was soundly booed as he left the field at halftime. And while The Swamp was largely empty when Napier left the field at the game’s end, those who stayed loudly booed the coach as he returned to the locker room.

After the game, Napier was asked about the boos.

He made it clear that given Florida’s struggles this season, the program’s decorated history and the expectations that come there, the boos were understandable.

“I have no excuse — I have no negative comment about that,” Napier said. “Ultimately, when you play a certain way in this arena, you’re going to be criticized. This is one of those places where there’s history and tradition and expectations. A lot of really good football teams have played in that stadium in the past. When you play ugly ball, if it doesn’t look quite like we all want it to then hey, it comes with the territory. I probably would have done the same.”

[Photo Credit: Gators Online/YouTube]