Muschamp fights through adversity

— -- GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Will Muschamp has a 17-inch steel rod on display in his office.

It was implanted in his leg following a high school baseball injury that nearly ended his college football career before it started.

If you ask him about it, the first words from his mouth are those of his father: Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you handle it.

It's something he says all the time now. As a tribute to his father's wisdom, Muschamp often turns to this thought in times of trial.

There is no doubt he has seen some of his toughest trials in the past year.

In his third season as coach of the  Florida Gators, his team crumbled under a rash of injuries and posted a 4-8 record, the school's worst since 1979.

Off the field was worse. In May, Muschamp's father, Larry, died suddenly at 79 after complications following intestinal surgery.

"He was very close to Larry," Will's mother, Sally, said this week, "and I know that he, like all of us, is hurting. But I don't think the others have had the adversity that Will's had."

Muschamp has chosen to embrace adversity. That's the advice his father always gave. But in his youth, Will didn't always see positives in the struggle.

Muschamp was born in Rome, Georgia, the youngest of three boys. He spent nearly a decade growing up in Gainesville, following in the shadows of brothers Mike, who was seven years older, and Pat, who was five years older.

"We were very fortunate," Mike said. "We had two very loving parents and a great environment to grow up in, and [he had] two brothers who cared deeply about him and enjoyed beating the crap out of him."