Florida coach says his players have received death threats

This season has been tough on the Florida Gators football team.

Players had to deal with Hurricane Irma, which forced the cancellation of their second game. And, through a difficult 3-3 start marked by injuries and suspensions, they have weathered another kind of storm.

Disgruntled fans have hit them with death threats, their coach said Monday.

“There’s a lot of hate in this world,” coach Jim McElwain told reporters. “And a lot of anger.”

McElwain said the vitriol has extended to his family as well.

“You’re in the business, that’s all part of it, you get it,” he said, adding that the rage becomes tougher to deal with when “when it’s directed to your players, when it’s directed toward families, wives, that sort of thing.”

McElwain gave no details about the threats, saying only that they were a “pretty good testament to what’s going on out there nationally … a lot of angry people.”

After consecutive losses to No. 23 Louisiana State and Texas A&M, the unranked Gators will face No. 3 Georgia on Saturday.

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