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John Brantley IV stepped off Florida Field for the last time in November, leaving behind his starting quarterback position and his college football career forever.
What he did not leave behind was a legacy that has been around for decades.
The Brantleys have been part of the Florida football program for generations, starting with John’s uncle, Scot Brantley, in 1976.
Planning to stay in Florida the rest of his life, Scot chose UF over schools like Ohio State and Alabama with no regrets.
With daughters graduating from the university as well as his nephew, the connections and emotional attachments run deeper than just the football program. Scot loves not only the athletic aspect of the University of Florida, but also understands its academic excellence.
Years after his playing career, Scot has gone out of his way to let Gators head coach Will Muschamp know he will always be open to helping out the program in any way possible.
For the first time last season, Scot had the chance to be an actual fan, tailgating and sitting in the stands to cheer on the star quarterback as a proud uncle. When asked what he anticipates for John’s career, he says with all the ups and downs last season brought, he is only excited for John’s future.
As a former player at Florida, Scot says there are differences in the program now than when he was a player. Still, he acknowledges football is still football, and the basics haven’t changed.
After playing four years of college football at Florida followed by eight years in the NFL in Tampa Bay, Scot moved on to broadcasting, hosting talk shows for both teams. He had the chance to follow the Buccaneers all the way to their single Super Bowl win in 2002, and see the Gators win two national championships. With an attachment to both places, Scot has had the best of both worlds in experiencing such exciting events for the teams he once called his own.
After 22 years in radio, Scot recently gave up his broadcasting career in order to simply enjoy family and time off. He says that it is not always about the money, but rather taking time to just live.
Scot Brantley is now coaching football alongside his brother John Brantley III at Trinity Catholic in Ocala, Florida. While Scot’s playing career is over, he continues to stay in shape and enjoys football as not only a former player and coach, but as a true fan of the game.
