Netflix helped set the tone for the upcoming college football season with their critically acclaimed documentary on Johnny Manziel that was released on Aug. 8. But following its profile on the talented but troublesome Heisman Trophy winner, the streaming giant has plans for another CFB documentary that has garnered plenty of intrigue: “Swamp Kings.”
When Does ‘Swamp Kings’ Come Out?
Next on deck from Netflix’s “Untold” sports series? Swamp Kings spotlights the University of Florida’s string of winning two college football national titles in three seasons from 2007 to 2009. The premiere will be aired on Tuesday, Aug. 22, on the streaming app.
What is anticipated to get featured in the film? Not only will Netflix interview former head coach Urban Meyer and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, but it will go over how those Gator teams became a polarizing blend of wins, titles, and multiple arrests.
While Florida had won a previous national title with Steve Spurrier back in 1997, the Meyer-led teams were considered the most dominant and most controversial.
Meyer guided national title wins over Ohio State and Oklahoma but won with larger-than-life personalities and players who ended up on a police blotter.
Notable Players Likely To Be Mentioned in Documentary
Again, the Florida teams of that era produced some polarizing names still remembered in college football and NFL lore.
Among Meyer’s more notable players was the late Aaron Hernandez, who starred at tight end for Meyer’s UF teams. Hernandez became known for his excessive partying at Florida, which led to his early run-ins with the law. And that was before he was sentenced to prison for first-degree murder in 2015 before taking his own life in 2017.
But also on those Gator teams was Percy Harvin, an ultra-talented wide receiver who also took direct snaps at quarterback on designed runs.
Harvin got involved with drug use during his Gainesville days and tested positive for marijuana at the NFL Scouting Combine, hurting his draft stock. He was still one of three Gators wideouts drafted in 2009 and was selected No. 22 overall.
The show is additionally set to feature the Pouncey brothers, Mike and Maurkice, who not only starred in the offensive trenches for the Gators but became personal friends of Hernandez, which is likely to be detailed in the documentary. Both drew backlash for their support of Hernandez following the murder of Odin Lloyd, even donning “Free Hernandez” hats in 2013.
Also featured will be the man called the “alpha” of the Gators’ defense: linebacker Brandon Spikes. The multi-time All-American linebacker established himself as the defensive dominator for Florida … and had a notable sideline clash with Tebow during the 2009 season that the show says carried over into the locker room.
Meyer coached Florida for six seasons and went 65-15. He’s the last head coach to lead the Gators to a national title win. Since his resignation in 2010, Florida has gone through four different head coaches and has produced four double-digit winning campaigns in their last 13 seasons.