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'He carried it off the field' - Steve Spurrier explains the story behind iconic moment he shared with Hall of Fame coach in 1998

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Ragan | Last updated May 30, 2025 2:36 PM ET

Steve Spurrier's coaching career is full of incredibly memorable moments.

From his time at Duke to winning a national championship (and six SEC championships) at Florida to reviving South Carolina, Spurrier is more than deserving of being recognized as a Hall of Famer (Spurrier is actually in the College Football Hall of Fame as a player and as a coach).

One of Spurrier's most memorable on-field moments happened after the final whistle blew in the 1998 Citrus Bowl.

Spurrier led the Gators to a 21-6 win against Joe Paterno and the Penn State Nittany Lions in the 1998 Citrus Bowl.

When the two coaches met at midfield for the post-game handshake, Spurrier famously put his Gators visor on Paterno's head. Paterno quickly removed the hat as the two coaches shared a laugh.

Via A To Z Sports

Spurrier appeared on the NFFOnDemand podcast this week and he detailed the story behind that moment with Paterno.

"I said let's have a little bet," explained Spurrier. "Whoever wins the game, I'll put a Penn State hat on or I'll give you my visor and you can wear it off the field.

"They put us on an airplane and we went to the Daytona Beach Quarterback Club and spoke to that group on a Monday or a Tuesday night and then flew back....on the way back I said, 'Why don't we have this little [bet]'. If we win, you wear the visor. I'll wear the Penn State hat [if Florida loses]. So I gave it to him right after the game -- I was trying to put it on him. He was like, 'I got it, I got it'. So he carried it off the field. Later I met some parents of a prospect that went up there (to Penn State) and they said he had that Gator visor in his office. So that was probably better that he could tell that story every time somebody came in."