CFB analyst praises "Swamp Kings" documentary for extensive locker room scenes: "I love the locker room scenes"
The Netflix documentary "Untold: Swamp Kings" has intrigued college football fans nationwide as it examines Urban Meyer's time at the University of Florida from 2005 to 2010.
One of its most ardent supporters has been college football analyst Josh Pate, who recently discussed the docuseries and stressed its distinctive appeal.
After watching episodes two and three of the documentary, Pate pointed out what he loved most about "Untold: Swamp Kings" on his "Late Kick" show.
"I love the locker room scenes," Pate said.
The Netflix documentary shows unseen footage of the Gators' locker room shenanigans, giving an inside look at the team under Meyer. "Swap Kings" also has glimpses of the team's meetings, practices, training sessions and workouts.
Pate said there is no foolproof plan for sustained success, particularly when a team goes for back-to-back national championships, as the Florida Gators were. He built on this by mentioning other college football coaches like Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher, who faced similar issues after winning titles.
Pate emphasized the challenges coaches have in maintaining excellence in a highly competitive sport.
On a lighter note, Pate noted the frequency with which the players would consume the energy drink "Gatorade" in the footage and made a tongue-in-cheek comment about it.
"As far as I'm concerned, if we wanted to replace the stars on the American flag, you put a can of Gatorade on there," Pate said.
Other reactions to "Swamp Kings"
Not everyone has been enthused by the "Untold: Swamp Kings" documentary.
Cam Newton, who was on the Gators team before transferring to Auburn, has a unique insight into the behind-the-scenes episodes.
Newton stitched a Barstool Sports content creator on TikTok, and he wasn't pleased with how some players were portrayed in the documentary, which seemed a bit Tim Tebow-heavy.
"I've never received a national championship ring from the University of Florida, but that's another conversation for a different day. Some of the things that I did not like about the documentary was how they played Chris Leak, in my opinion. … Granted, Tebow was everything and some. But let's not try to dim the lights off of Chris Leak."
Fans have complained about the interesting characters and storylines left out of the series. Some of the barely mentioned players include controversial tight end Aaron Hernandez and the Pouncey twins.
Newton added his voice to the fans complaining about the documentary missing key personalities:
"Lastly, where were these players? I really wanted to hear from Percy Harvin, Joe Haden. The Pouncey twins. There was so much that they left out. But other than that, it was a good documentary."
Urban Meyer's Florida reign was far from perfect, and "Swamp Kings" will undoubtedly divide opinion, but it does offer an exciting perspective into college football at the top level.