10 Questions: Tulane player goes in-depth on Sumrall

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Offensive lineman Darion Reed has spent the last three seasons at Tulane, the first under former Green Wave head coach Willie Fritz, and the last two under current Florida head coach Jon Sumrall.

In order to get to know Sumrall a little better from a player’s perspective, Reed answered the following 10 questions for Inside the Gators.

1) You were at Tulane before Houston hired Willie Fritz away – what were some of the differences between how Coach Fritz ran things compared to Jon Sumrall?

“Coach [Jon] Sumrall and Willie Fritz ran their programs very differently. Tulane has always been a player-led program, but Coach Fritz was more old-school, and the feeling of connection and overall inclusion was nonexistent. On every team, some players are more important than others in different ways, some on the scout team, some multi-year starters. What Sumrall did a marvelous job of was hammering into our heads, into our everyday activities, into our workouts, our meetings, our team events, our practices, everything, he always emphasized connection and togetherness. In the offseason, he does this thing called ‘Break Bread Brothers’ where you’ll be randomly assigned a new player each week from a completely different position group on the opposite side of the ball. You ask questions, get to know them, and then you tell the team about your brother at the end of the week, at random. This is one example, but togetherness is the whole motto, and that’s a big reason Sumrall wins so much is because the players want to play for each other because we love one another.”

2) You were already at Tulane when Coach Sumrall arrived. What do you remember about his first time meeting with the existing players? What was his message to the players who were already there?

“My first impression of Coach Sumrall was much like the first impression of him that the fans got. He wasn’t big on BS, and he wanted to win no matter what. He told us early on that he wanted players to stay, he wanted to build relationships, he wanted buy-in, and he wanted to win with what we already had. Obviously, he’d have some portal additions, but he was big on continuity. During the coaching search in December of 23, Sumrall was the guy I wanted, and that a number of my teammates wanted compared to every other candidate. This was because you knew that he could win.”

3) How would you describe Coach Sumrall’s approach to communicating with his players?

“Sumrall’s approach to communication is straightforward. Every head coach will get information from their assistants, but Sumrall doesn’t hesitate to talk to players one-on-one. The worst thing a coach can do is feed you sunshine and rainbows, and Sumrall has never been that. He’s very blunt, and I have always respected that.”

4) What are your impressions of him from a personal standpoint after being around him these last two years?

“Personally, I think that’s where he shines the most. He greets every player the same, from the starting quarterback to the lowest guy on the depth chart; he greets and treats every player the same. He often gets emotional because he talks about and operates on things that are genuinely important to him.”

5) After the Ole Miss loss, Sumrall had this to say: “I told them it’s never okay to lose. Anybody who tells you it’s okay to lose, get away from them for the rest of your life.”

“It’s never okay to lose is absolutely his day-to-day approach. When we do the gauntlet during winter workouts, we are competing with another guy every day. It’s marked and recorded. After we lose games, Sumrall is always bothered in the deepest, darkest parts of his soul. If there’s one thing I can say about him, he absolutely hates to lose, and he never will lose in the same way twice. Priority one is always the players, but a close second is winning. Players’ feelings don’t win games, and Sumrall attacks complacency like it’s the black plague, and he never forgets losses, even ones from years ago. If a team beat us the year before, examples being Army and Memphis, Sumrall the whole week will emphasize “We owe them one.”

6) Is there a story or anecdote from a practice, meeting, game, etc, that would best crystallize who Sumrall is as a coach, or show what is in store for Florida players?

“I have one that Sumrall says relatively often that always fires up the players. He tells us in team meetings. “If I have to fight the other team’s head coach, I’m beating his ass.” He says that, and sometimes in different ways, but that is who he is. He tells us, and most importantly shows us that he’s not losing.”

7) Maybe the most important hire a coach will make is the S&C Coordinator. What is Rusty Whitt like?

“Rusty Whitt is the favorite strength coach that I’ve ever had. The biggest and most important factor in his offseason workout program is discipline. Everything starts and ends with that. From showing up to everything 10 minutes early, to making sure you use the right foot on a drill, making sure you turn the right way on a drill, making sure you say the right thing, etc., everything in and out of the workouts all starts and ends with discipline. With this philosophy, those who are lacking in discipline and those who are lacking in self-motivation will be weeded out very quickly. Whitt is unbelievably smart, and he’s always adapting and listening to what the players need.”

8) What were the in-season and offseason workouts like as far as intensity, types of matt drills, days, and times? What is a Whitt S&C program like from a player’s perspective?

“In-season workouts are intense but calculated. We will squat and power clean, but neither for absolute maxes. All of our workouts are about speed, squats, and cleans included. They don’t bury you in the offseason or in season. We work out early in the morning during off seasons, and don’t do two-a-days where we come back later. There are different groups by position and or side of the ball, and some will lift while some are running. It’s very efficient and effective.”

9) What makes Sumrall stand out? What makes him different?

“His player prioritization is what makes him different. Whether that’s taking care of players in camp or late in the season, or if it’s team events and things. It all starts with the players. As he would say, the coaches don’t run out onto the field, and a great team is led by the players. He gives players space to grow, and to lead, and won’t overstep into player matters so that the players can handle it and develop as men, which ultimately makes better players and a better team.”

10) What advice would you give current Florida football players?

“The main advice I could give them is to buy in. It may be completely different than what they’ve known, it may make them uncomfortable to interact with those that they don’t know. The best thing you can do is to buy in, and with that, you’ll win games, which is a promise, but most importantly will become a better man.”

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