25 Cheers For 25 Years: “Are You Running a 4.3?”: How Steven Harris and Urban Meyer Drove Florida to Glory in 2006
Linebacker Brandon Siler #40 of the Florida Gators and Steven Harris #93 celebrate after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes after the 2007 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on January 8, 2007 in Glendale, Arizona. The Gators defeated the Buckeyes 41-14. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Before the trophies, the blowout win over Ohio State, and the confetti in Glendale, there was an ugly loss at Auburn — and a moment in the film room that Steven Harris still can’t forget.
“That Auburn game, man. It was tough,” Harris said. “We had five turnovers. Defense played like hell. And we still felt like we got cheated. But really? We just didn’t bring it. That loss stuck with us. It left a sour taste and that’s what turned our season around.”
The Gators were loaded in 2006, but they weren’t polished. Early in the season, there were growing pains. But the turning point wasn’t just about a scoreboard. It came in a team meeting, when Urban Meyer pulled up practice film from kickoff coverage and got honest with his players.
“He calls out one of our top guys. Says, ‘You run a 4.3, right?’ Then he plays the clip and asks, ‘Are you running a 4.3 here?’”
“Then he said, ‘Next time you don’t run a 4.3 on this film, we’ll get someone else who will.’”
That moment hit hard. “Urban was relentless,” Harris said. “He always said, play for four to six seconds, give relentless effort. That was our mindset.”
For Harris, that year wasn’t just about winning. It was about redemption. Harris had gone through legal issues early in his Florida career and even left the team at the beginning of the national championship season.
“I went through it all, man,” he said. “Got arrested my redshirt freshman year. Left the team my senior year. Fought with Coach.”
But Harris credits then defensive line coach Greg Mattison for pulling him back — literally.
“Coach Madison would drive to campus every day, wait outside my class, and just say, ‘Come back. Just come back.’ He did that for two straight weeks. Finally, I was like, alright, Coach. I’m coming back.”
And when he did, everything clicked. Harris got his special moment after years of hard work. It was special for him to come back into the team and finish the mission.
“That was everything to me. To come back, graduate, and win a national championship? You couldn’t write it better.”
The 2006 team was loaded with names: Dallas Baker, Ray McDonald, Brandon Siler. But when asked about a player that stood out that year, Harris recalled the impact of a freshman who hadn’t played a down yet.
“Spikes. Brandon Spikes. We all knew. From the moment he stepped on campus, we were like, ‘This dude is gonna be special.’ In practice, we were all already asking for him to play.”
And then there was Brandon James.
“Man, when he touched the field, you could feel it. Momentum changed instantly. Every time.”
That Gators team wasn’t just talented, it was connected. Seniors trusted the process, underclassmen bought in, and Meyer’s detail-obsessed culture took over.
“Urban showed you the numbers,” Harris said. “If you did your job — exactly your job — the results would follow. We believed that.”
When Florida stormed past Ohio State to win the national title 41–14, Harris stood on top of the mountain with a journey few could see from the outside.
“It was amazing. Just knowing what I’d been through — and then winning it all with my brothers. I’ll never forget it.”
For Steven Harris, the legacy of 2006 isn’t just a championship. It’s in the fight, setbacks, film-room callouts, and the coaches who wouldn’t give up on him.
Urban Meyer demanded speed, excellence, and championships. Harris and the Gators delivered.
