By Matt Smith
SouthernPigskin.com

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In 25 seasons as a college head coach at Duke, Florida and South Carolina, Spurrier has provided countless memorable moments, both on the field and in front of the microphone.

Its hard to believe, but South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier will turn 70 on Monday. In 25 seasons as a college head coach at Duke, Florida and South Carolina, Spurrier has provided countless memorable moments, both on the field and in front of the microphone.

To celebrate the Head Ball Coachs milestone birthday, over the next few days, well reflect on his quarter-century in college football by looking back at some of Spurriers greatest players, games and, of course, quotes.

We begin today with Part 1: The 10 best quarterbacks that played under Spurrier.

10. Jesse Palmer (Florida, 1997-2000)

Before he was on The Bachelor, and before he was a well-known commentator, Palmer was a freshman from Canada who was called upon to fill in for the suspended Doug Johnson in a critical road game against undefeated Auburn in 1997. Palmer led an upset victory that afternoon in Jordan-Hare Stadium, and shuffled in and out of the starting lineup for the next three-and-a-half seasons. He never could get a firm grasp on the starting role, but did throw for 3,755 yards and 31 touchdowns at Florida before spending five seasons in the NFL.

9. Dylan Thompson (South Carolina, 2011-2014)

Thompson was stuck behind Connor Shaw for his first three seasons, only seeing action when Shaw was injured (which happened quite a bit). Thompsons biggest moment came in the 2013 Outback Bowl (most known for Michigans Vincent Smith being separated from his helmet by Jadeveon Clowney). Thompson threw the game-winning 32-yard touchdown pass to Bruce Ellington with 11 seconds remaining to defeat the Wolverines. When Thompson finally took over the full-time role last year, the Gamecocks defense was in shambles, and the team stumbled to a 7-6 record, little fault of Thompson.

8. Anthony Dilweg (Duke, 1987-1988)

Spurriers greatest reclamation project wasnt Florida or South Carolina. It was Duke, his first stop as a college head coach. His first pupil in Durham was Dilweg, who led Duke to a 7-3-1 record in 1988, when he was named ACC Player of the Year (Florida State was still an independent at that time). His 3,824 passing yards in 1988 remain a Duke record. Dilweg spent three seasons in the NFL with the Packers and Raiders.

7. Terry Dean (Florida, 1991-1994)

Dean split time with Danny Wuerffel for his final two seasons in 1993 and 1994, leading the Gators to their first SEC Championship Game victory in 1993 after taking over for Wuerffel at midseason. An Academic All-American, Dean lost his starting job for good in 1994 after a home loss to Auburn while ranked No. 1, as Wuerffel turned the tables from the previous season. Deans biggest victory came over 11-0 West Virginia in the 1994 Sugar Bowl, routing the national title-contending Mountaineers, 41-7. Dean threw for 3,420 yards and 39 touchdowns in his Florida career.

6. Stephen Garcia (South Carolina, 2008-2011)

Spurrier has always treated his players like men, especially in his later years. Unfortunately, Garcia was one player who couldve used a disciplinarian for his head coach. He was suspended multiple times for off-field incidents (mostly curfew and alcohol-related) before being permanently dismissed from the team midway through the 2011 season. His performance in an upset of No. 1 Alabama in 2010 was one of the best by a Spurrier quarterback, but inconsistency marred his career. He is the only quarterback to lead the Gamecocks to an SEC East title, doing so in 2010. He stood at 7,597 career yards at the time of his dismissal.

5. Doug Johnson (Florida, 1996-1999)

Johnson may be Exhibit A for how Spurrier has historically juggled his quarterbacks. In three seasons, Johnson rotated in and out of the lineup, both for on-field and off-field reasons. He won his first five games in 1997, but missed curfew prior to a loss to LSU and was suspended for a big game at unbeaten Auburn the following week. He rotated plays with senior Noah Brindise in a memorable upset of No. 1 Florida State in 1997, considered by many Gators fans to be the greatest game ever played in The Swamp. Johnson led Florida to a win in the 1999 Orange Bowl and finished with 7,114 career yards and 62 touchdowns.

4. Connor Shaw (South Carolina, 2010-2013)

Shaw was far from the prototypical Spurrier quarterback, as the Georgia native never met a hit that he didnt like. Shaw played through various injuries to lead the Gamecocks to three 11-win seasons, the only three in the history of the program. Shaw never lost a start in Williams-Brice Stadium, taking over the starting role from Garcia after a home loss to Auburn in 2011. The Gamecocks next loss in Columbia was the first game after Shaws departure 3 last August against Texas A&M. Shaws final career numbers were 6,074 yards, 56 passing touchdowns and 17 rushing touchdowns. Shaw is entering his second season as a backup quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.

3. Shane Matthews (Florida, 1990-1992)

Like Dilweg at Duke, Spurrier inherited Matthews upon his arrival at Florida in 1990. Matthews turned out to be a perfect fit for the early Spurrier, always staying cool and collected in the pocket. The Gators won one official SEC title and one unofficial title with Matthews at the helm (Florida was on NCAA probation in 1990), and nearly shocked eventual national champion Alabama in the inaugural SEC Championship Game in 1992. Matthews 9,287 yards rank third in school history, and he went on to play 13 seasons in the NFL.

2. Rex Grossman (Florida, 2000-2001)

cSexy Rexyd may have been the best pure passer Spurrier has coached. He led the Gators to the SEC title in 2000 and a BCS bowl victory in 2001. He was likely denied the 2001 Heisman Trophy because he was conlyd a redshirt sophomore, and no underclassman had ever won the award that time. Since 2007, five of eight Heisman winners have been freshmen or sophomores. Grossmans career closed with 9,164 yards in three seasons, but he will always be remembered for his incredible 2001 season (3,896 yards and 34 touchdowns), Spurriers final one in Gainesville.

1. Danny Wuerffel (Florida, 1993-1996)

Spurrier lost the honor of being the only Florida quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy in 1996 when he coached Wuerffel to sports most prestigious individual award. Wuerffel threw for 3,625 yards and 39 touchdowns in 1996, as Florida won its fourth consecutive SEC title. The Gators also won their first national title that year, with Wuerffel backing up his Heisman triumph in resounding fashion with a 52-20 rout of Florida State in the Sugar Bowl. His 10,875 career yards were the second-most in SEC history at the time his career ended, and currently stand No. 6 overall.