You see this gator head? (Still pointing to the gator head logo) That says championship in every sport, not just basketball but every sport.

Out there today, we need juice, we need excitement, we need leadership.

Everything you do out there, you do with all your might, everything.

You go out there, you get the crowd excited!

Everything you do, everything!

Thank you to everyone who is involved, because it is very special what you do. It’s very inspirational to me to get to meet you, to get to know you. Over the past year and a half to get to understand what goes on and what you do is truly an honor. It’s very prestigious and I am very humbled to be here.

I believe that athletes, students, individuals deserve to be praised when they have worked hard to accomplish something. This event is not for me. I don’t deserve to be honored. I haven’t done anything. But you athletes, you have accomplished a lot that is extremely special. I am here to honor you and to say, “Well done.”

It’s incredible what you’ve done. It’s inspiring for me because you are the best of the best. You are leaders, you are role models and you’re the best of your generation. Through my speech tonight I hope you’re encouraged, I hope you’re inspired, I hope you can learn something. But also know that I am inspired by you, and to keep it up.

Along the way there’s going to be a lot of obstacles, a lot of adversity, a lot of people who will tell you you’re not good enough. I’m here to tell you that you are. Everyone that tells you that you’re not is because they didn’t accomplish something.

All of you facing tough decisions in your life right now, having to pick between schools, having to decide what you want to do with your future, I’ve got a little advice for you — trust God with it and do what you’re passionate about. That’s why I went to the University of Florida. I chose to go with someone I believed was passionate (Urban Meyer).

Success comes in a lot of ways, but it doesn’t come with money and it doesn’t come with fame. It comes from having a meaning in your life, doing what you love and being passionate about what you do. That’s having a life of success. When you have the ability to do what you love, love what you do and have the ability to impact people. That’s having a life of success. That’s what having a life of meaning is.

For all you young people, you’re going to have an opportunity to do a lot of things in your life. Choose to do what you love. Choose to do what you’re passionate about, not what gives you the most money, not what gives you the most fame. That is fleeting, and that is fake. That will never give you happiness.

Every day that I step on a football field, baseball diamond, basketball court, classroom, event, whatever it is, I try to live my life with passion.

Passion is not adrenaline. A lot of people can get adrenaline when they start something. They can get real fired up and motivated. That’s not passion. Passion is when it’s hard. Passion is when you don’t want to wake up early in the morning. Passion is when you don’t want to stay up late studying but you do. Passion is something that comes from deep down inside. It is not when I’m on the field and I throw my arms up (in celebration). That’s adrenaline. Passion is all the nights you can’t see me working. Passion is all the nights you stay up training for your football game. Passion is when you’re tired and still doing what you know is right and what needs to be done. That’s passion.

Do you love what you do, and do you live with passion? If you do, it will affect everyone around you. Passion is contagious because not a lot of people have it. People want to be around passion. Ultimately I believe that it will make you successful in whatever its is that you want to do. If you have passion in your life, if you are willing to sacrifice for what you love, I believe you’ll be successful at it. I believe all of you (Winged Foot nominees) have done that, and that’s why you’re here.

Do you have the ability to finish strong? So many people have the ability to start something. Very few have the ability to finish strong because it’s very hard. There are a lot of trials, a lot of tribulations, a lot of adversity you will all face many times. Do you have what it takes to finish strong?

Things are going to be hard. There are so many obstacles. But if you already realize that and set in your mind that, “Whatever comes my way, I’m going to overcome it,” … you’re going to finish strong, like we did in 2008 (at Florida) in winning the national championship.

Sports mean a lot to a lot of people in this room, but at the end of the day, they’re just sports. It’s not life. It isn’t just finishing strong in sports. Do you have what it takes to finish strong in life?”