Suffering from allergies? Gators coach Jim McElwain has the cure

By Adam Silverstein
April 1, 2016

Football

Image Credit: ESPNI

Jim McElwain is many things for the Florida Gators as the team’s head football coach. He’s a father figure, leader, mentor and boss.

He’s tasked with ensuring players reach their potential on the field, do well in school, stay out of trouble. Assistant coaches and staff members hope to learn from him so their careers can advance, a chance to increase their responsibilities and paychecks.

But McElwain has proven to be more than that to this point. He’s a chef as he likes to describe making peanut butter and jelly (with squeeze jelly, of all things) and grilled cheese sandwiches. He’s also a music critic who can go on and on about big bands and the music of his day.

On Friday, McElwain gave an indication that he also wants to be a pseudo-physician, or at least a home remedy expert. Entering his media availability in his normally jovial mood, McElwain asked how the reporters were doing, to which SEC Country’s Zach Abolverdi replied that his allergies were acting up.

McElwain’s ears perked up. He knew he had a solution.

“Local bee honey. Make sure that it’s from right this area. I don’t know if you’re going to take it straight or what. I know when I was kid, we made it with boiled water, put a shot of whiskey and a thing of honey and, you know what, it [worked] 100 percent,” the coach said before altering his recipe. “Well, take the whiskey out. Just go with the [honey], although [the whiskey] helps it go down maybe a little bit and at least you’ll forget about your allergies.”

Classic McElwain — fun, eccentric and probably right-on. Considering allergy season started a bit early this year, you may want to jot this recipe down.