Former Troy Trojans and Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall took the podium on Tuesday for the first time at SEC Media Days as the head coach of the Florida Gators, and he did not disappoint.
One of the reporters in the room made the unfortunate mistake of forgetting to turn off the ringer on their cellphone, and it just so happened to go off while Sumrall was answering a question. The reporter got the full player treatment with Sumrall jokingly threatening to throw the entire podium.
"You would be kicked out of our team meeting. I swear. You're lucky I'm not gonna throw this freaking podium right now. That drives me crazy." – Jon Sumrall to a reporter whose phone went off during his SEC Media Days press conference 😆 pic.twitter.com/w7zwItdPWO
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) July 22, 2026
“You would be kicked out of our team meeting. I swear,” Sumrall said to a huge laugh from the crowd. “You’re lucky I’m not gonna throw this freaking podium right now. That drives me crazy. I would say ‘who is that’ but I’m not gonna embarrass you.”
It’s safe to say Sumrall is an intense guy who runs an intense program. With a trip to Auburn in week three — a place where many suspected he would wind up getting the job during the cycle — Sumrall is going to get the chance to re-introduce himself to the state of Alabama.
Hearing both Sumrall and Alex Golesh talk for the first time this week in Tampa raised the anticipation not only for that game, but for the season as a whole.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
