• Jon Sumrall faces tense moments during photoshoot with live alligator
• Tense moments as coach handles the alligator

Florida coach Jon Sumrall had a nerve-wracking experience last week while taking part in a promotional photoshoot with a live alligator.

After his first spring practice, Sumrall joked: “I probably would have looked like Chubbs from Happy Gilmore if the alligator had gotten near my hand,” adding with a smile, “It was fun, but definitely a little tense, too.”

He had expected to work with a small alligator, about a foot long, like the ones you might see on a riverboat tour in Louisiana, with its mouth taped shut.

Instead, he was confronted by a seven-foot (two-meter) alligator. “I was thinking, what am I even doing here? During COVID, I wasn’t allowed to get this close to people, so how am I supposed to get near an alligator?” he said.

The alligator moved back and forth in front of the cameras while Sumrall tossed a football, occasionally showing signs of aggression.

“When I started to feel a little comfortable, I stepped four or five feet closer, and suddenly it started hissing and lunging at me. I thought, what is happening here? I need to back off!” he recalled.

Despite the tense moments, the photoshoot continued, and they completed the shots successfully. Sumrall called it “an unforgettable experience” but added: “I don’t think I’ll be doing this again anytime soon, though it was fun.”