Florida Gators head coach Jim McElwain made headlines over the weekend after he was seen angrily scolding running back Kelvin Taylor following the young man’s throat-slashing celebration after a touchdown and now Taylor’s father, former Gator and NFL running back Fred, has responded.
Appearing on Dan Le Batard’s radio show earlier this morning, Taylor addressed McElwain’s actions and, believe it or not, he was incredibly classy about it.
“I thought it was a little bit of an overreaction, but I do understand coaching,” Taylor said.
Taylor continued: “He had his opportunity, and he punched one in. He got caught up in a celebration that his old man used to do. I throat slashed many times. I’ve even gotten fined for it. But he understands that he made, as coached called it, a selfish act.”
“Yeah, I do think it was a bit much … My son, he’s forgotten about it, so I don’t think it’s a big deal.”
A junior and former five-star recruit, Kelvin is currently the Gators’ leading rusher and clearly has moved on from what happened. He took to Twitter yesterday and had nothing but good things to say about his coach.
I love coach Mac!!! He's going make me a better person Got nothing , but respect for him! #GatorNation 🐊🐊
— Kelvin Taylor (@Kelvintaylor21) September 13, 2015
Now that the situation has blown over, all parties involved can now focus on Florida’s next game, which is a visit to Lexington to play Kentucky on Saturday.
Can’t get enough of Campus Sports? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay updated with the latest news and exclusive giveaways!
*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports