quote:

Originally posted by VivaAshtabula:
All hail the Cuban Comet!


ALL HAIL "THE PASS" !!!

quote:

Originally posted by ca.alvarez:

quote:

Originally posted by VivaAshtabula:
All hail the Cuban Comet!


ALL HAIL "THE PASS" !!!

Thanks for the picture. That was against FSU my sophomore year and the picture appeared in SI and incredibly, the Tallahassee Democrat. Our teams never lost against FSU and were part of the longest winning streak, (nine, 1968 to 1976) in the series. I am hoping the current Gator teams (4 and counting)surpass that streak.

High Altitude Gators

quote:

Originally posted by Muncie-Nole:
Well, well, well. Mr. Alvarez has made an appearance on the gsmb & I'm impressed !!! If he ever wrote his autobiography I'd definitely buy a copy.

If the truth be known, his best game was at a little stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, when it actually took hours to get there from North Miami High School. And BTW, we LOST the game 21-19. However, that was one of the few occasions members of our PIONEER BAND could actually cheer for the team . . . and it wasn't any school cheer, but "Alvarez, Alvarez, Alvarez, clap, clap, CLAP! What a player. I still have NOT forgiven FSU for NOT making him a NOLE. He would have looked much better in Garnet & Gold and I wouldn't have to remember that infamous catch from Reeves!

All the Best, Carlos if it is REALLY YOU! Class of 68, Oh My, OOOOOOOOH MY!

quote:

Originally posted by ca.alvarez:

quote:

Originally posted by rdearing1:
I doubt if there is any video of that game. No one taped games in those days and it was a night game late in the season by two teams with poor records and no TV. I was there. The sad thing is the failure to mention the fact that Curci was holding the ball and running every play using up clock to end the game so Reaves would not get the ball back. Everyone in the stands knew that, and so did Otis Boggs, UF's play by play announcer, who was broadcasting the game on radio. All the media jumped Dickey - but many of us thought it was a masterful move!

I was there playing (Carlos Alvarez) and you got the point precisely----Miami was way behind and Curci was running the ball so John Reaves would not break the record. From a sportsmanship standpoint, what can be worse than not trying to win the game so that the opposing team does not break a record? Miami did play on the "dark" side that night and there were a couple of major pass interference penalties on their defensive backs against me. The rivalry was intense. Jumping in the Dolphin pool (the Miami Herald or the old Miami News had great pictures of it) was something all the seniors had planned to do if we won the game since it was our last game ever for Florida. That was great fun. A couple of us also tried to climb the flag pole. Yes, it was crazy but so were the times and I do not have time now to go totally into it. It was a night game and there is video footage of the play. And almost 40 years later Miami needs to quit whining about it.

quote:

Originally posted by ca.alvarez:

quote:

Originally posted by rdearing1:
I doubt if there is any video of that game. No one taped games in those days and it was a night game late in the season by two teams with poor records and no TV. I was there. The sad thing is the failure to mention the fact that Curci was holding the ball and running every play using up clock to end the game so Reaves would not get the ball back. Everyone in the stands knew that, and so did Otis Boggs, UF's play by play announcer, who was broadcasting the game on radio. All the media jumped Dickey - but many of us thought it was a masterful move!

I was there playing (Carlos Alvarez) and you got the point precisely----Miami was way behind and Curci was running the ball so John Reaves would not break the record. From a sportsmanship standpoint, what can be worse than not trying to win the game so that the opposing team does not break a record? Miami did play on the "dark" side that night and there were a couple of major pass interference penalties on their defensive backs against me. The rivalry was intense. Jumping in the Dolphin pool (the Miami Herald or the old Miami News had great pictures of it) was something all the seniors had planned to do if we won the game since it was our last game ever for Florida. That was great fun. A couple of us also tried to climb the flag pole. Yes, it was crazy but so were the times and I do not have time now to go totally into it. It was a night game and there is video footage of the play. And almost 40 years later Miami needs to quit whining about it.

quote:

Originally posted by Muncie-Nole:

quote:

Originally posted by Muncie-Nole:
Well, well, well. Mr. Alvarez has made an appearance on the gsmb & I'm impressed !!! If he ever wrote his autobiography I'd definitely buy a copy.

If the truth be known, his best game was at a little stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, when it actually took hours to get there from North Miami High School. And BTW, we LOST the game 21-19. However, that was one of the few occasions members of our PIONEER BAND could actually cheer for the team . . . and it wasn't any school cheer, but "Alvarez, Alvarez, Alvarez, clap, clap, CLAP! What a player. I still have NOT forgiven FSU for NOT making him a NOLE. He would have looked much better in Garnet & Gold and I wouldn't have to remember that infamous catch from Reeves!

All the Best, Carlos if it is REALLY YOU! Class of 68, Oh My, OOOOOOOOH MY!

quote:

Originally posted by PastyStoole:
Carlos, were you at Florida when Coach Ellinson gave his famous speech to the team about his participation in the Battle of the Bulge? That has to be one of the most inspiring moments in Gator history. I'd love to hear your thoughts about it.

quote:

Originally posted by ca.alvarez:

quote:

Originally posted by PastyStoole:
Carlos, were you at Florida when Coach Ellinson gave his famous speech to the team about his participation in the Battle of the Bulge? That has to be one of the most inspiring moments in Gator history. I'd love to hear your thoughts about it.

No, I did not hear the speech although I did hear from my defensive teammates about it. Coach Ellinson gave another speech that may have even been more memorable. The night before the Houston game in 1969 the team was gathered in a conference room and coach Ellinson gave the "Impossible Dream" speech about achieving things beyond once grasp and the brotherhood of men when achieving difficult things at difficult moments. He did talk about the Battle of the Bulge in that speech. He blended his own war experience with other stories and gave one of the most motivational speeches I have ever heard. I still remember the team walking out of the conference room in total silence as if they had just heard God speak. We were all ready to do whatever it took the next day---we were brothers on a mission. One of the things I learned early on was how emotional the game of college football can be. Some coaches have the ability to inspire a team to play at their very best and of course, some don't. Coach Ellinson had the ability and anyone who ever played for him will agree with that. I don't know what the formula is but part of it is that the team has got buy into the coach as a person, trust the coaches judgment and the coach has got to have the ability to communicate. In a way, think of those qualities and you can see how Tebow and Coach Meyers are able to motivate over a season, which is no easy task.

quote:

Originally posted by goodhitta06:
I believe its 5 and counting...but who's counting.

quote:

Originally posted by He15man:

quote:

Originally posted by ca.alvarez:

quote:

Originally posted by PastyStoole:
Carlos, were you at Florida when Coach Ellinson gave his famous speech to the team about his participation in the Battle of the Bulge? That has to be one of the most inspiring moments in Gator history. I'd love to hear your thoughts about it.

No, I did not hear the speech although I did hear from my defensive teammates about it. Coach Ellinson gave another speech that may have even been more memorable. The night before the Houston game in 1969 the team was gathered in a conference room and coach Ellinson gave the "Impossible Dream" speech about achieving things beyond once grasp and the brotherhood of men when achieving difficult things at difficult moments. He did talk about the Battle of the Bulge in that speech. He blended his own war experience with other stories and gave one of the most motivational speeches I have ever heard. I still remember the team walking out of the conference room in total silence as if they had just heard God speak. We were all ready to do whatever it took the next day---we were brothers on a mission. One of the things I learned early on was how emotional the game of college football can be. Some coaches have the ability to inspire a team to play at their very best and of course, some don't. Coach Ellinson had the ability and anyone who ever played for him will agree with that. I don't know what the formula is but part of it is that the team has got buy into the coach as a person, trust the coaches judgment and the coach has got to have the ability to communicate. In a way, think of those qualities and you can see how Tebow and Coach Meyers are able to motivate over a season, which is no easy task.

Didn't realize Carlos Alvarez was actually posting on the GSMB

quote:

Originally posted by Muncie-Nole:
Just wanted EVERYONE to know on the GSMB that ca.alvarez is NO fake!!!!!! He's the REAL DEAL.

Only Carlos would have known the names of the people he mentioned above.

BTW, that 1971 game at Florida field with FSU really stuck the knife in, and was much harder to take than any blow-out ever was in the series. Living in Tallahassee must have been rough for you during the 19 or 20 year "Dry Spell" at Doak under Bowden.

Thank you for being part of the GSMB. Hearing YOUR viewpoints concerning games from the past and for the future will be interesting. For us rivals, it will be a "Breath of Fresh Air!"

As someone mentioned concerning writing a book, I too, would be interested in hearing about your earlier games against some of the HS teams back in the 60's. For me, I can still remember getting ready to perform prior to PRIMETIME against Norland and you scored a TD giving us the lead. Talk about a passing duo, I wonder whatever happen to those Viking GREATS????????

I wonder, what game did YOU consider in HS as being the most exciting? That Miami High game --- during the disaster of 67 --- has to be up there.

quote:

Originally posted by Merritt Island Gator:
The Flop was in 1971. Reaves and Alvarez's senior year. I wasn't at the game but I remember yelling at the radio in the fourt quarter, "Let'em score, let 'em score". And the Gators did the "Flop" to let Miami score! What the Canes that hate the Gators so much don't seem to remember is that Miami (and Curci) were behind, running the ball, and not even trying to score in order to keep the ball from the Gators and keep the Gators from a shot at the record.

quote:

Originally posted by ca.alvarez:

quote:

Originally posted by goodhitta06:
I believe its 5 and counting...but who's counting.

You are absolutely right---my bad. I was counting Coach Meyer's record (unprecedented against FSU) and forgot to add (writing to fast) the great victory by Coach Zook in his last game. What a great victory in Tallahassee when the Noles officially named their field "Bobby Bowden Field!!!!!!!!!!" For those of us that live in Tallahassee, that gave us bragging rights for a lifetime...........

quote:

Originally posted by Muncie-Nole:
I am so excited about NEXT season IF Mr. Alvarez will be making a post or two! The stock of this GSMB has really risen with his appearance. . . maybe some of our past posters will make a return (like Diva5). I don't want to get my hopes up. However, this is a very GOOD thing. It sure would be great if some Seminole greats like Dunn or Ward would do something similar over on Warchant. I think the place would FREAK-OUT COMPLETELY!

quote:

Should have been 6 in a row

Refgate '03

As a dreamer of dreams and a travelin' man,
I have chalked up many miles...
Read dozens of books about heroes and crooks,
and I learned much from both of their styles...

quote:

Originally posted by Muncie-Nole:
Hey Chief, 4th & 14 man! Get over it! Your defense didn't get the job done when they needed to. It's time to move on past THAT game like us Noles have had to do AFTER the Fenner Fiasco.

quote:

Originally posted by boredasalways:
Anyone know where I can find a video of it? My dad loves to tell me about it and I'd like to see it someday. It was a little before my time.

quote:

Originally posted by TommyGator:

quote:

Originally posted by Muncie-Nole:
Hey Chief, 4th & 14 man! Get over it! Your defense didn't get the job done when they needed to. It's time to move on past THAT game like us Noles have had to do AFTER the Fenner Fiasco.

Apparently, someone forgot to tell your big chief nolie, T.K., that the nole(aber)nation has moved on. He has changed the record book to reflect the Fenner (non)catch game as a WIN for your team. Discuss.....

herb
myspace.com/herbcochley

quote:

Originally posted by jereed16:
Carlos, what do you consider to be your best moment as a Gator?

Thanks,

quote:

Originally posted by ca.alvarez:

quote:

Originally posted by jereed16:
Carlos, what do you consider to be your best moment as a Gator?

Thanks,

Again, thanks for all the comments in this forum. I have really enjoyed the interaction. It is difficult to pick "my best" moment as a Gator. I assume you mean while I played football because there were many great Gator moments for me outside of that while I was at Florida and after I graduated. And during my playing time I was fortunate to have many moments that I will never forget, many of which are personal and probably never noticed by the fans. For example, the friendships I developed with my teammates and coaches at Florida are the highlight of my Gator playing days. And there are many stories in that sentence.

That said, I will mention a few of my favorites on the field. One was playing Miami in the Orange Bowl my sophomore year and setting game and season Florida and SEC records for catches and yardage. It was a game that I felt I could catch anything thrown to me and my legs felt fresh the whole game. It is what athletes call being in the "zone." I caught 15 passes for something like 235 yards but we left one behind when John underthrew me (John was nearly perfect that night) on what would have probably been a 99 yard reception. And at the end, my last catch was a touchdown catch on a play that the coaches called (but didn't have to given the game situation) so I could catch one more touchdown pass in front of my home town crowd that included many Cubans (including many in my family)that had never seen a football game before. That was special and I always appreciated Coach Pancoast (our offensive coordinator) and Coach Graves for their thoughtfulness.

My junior year we beat Georgia and I caught 2 touchdown passes in the 4th quarter for a come-from-behind victory. A great team effort and one of the best team victories in my college career. Jack Youngblood was part of a great Gator goal line stand that turned the game around. What was a special moment was catching the last touchdown pass in the 4th quarter. Only one Georgia defensive back was between me and the end zone when I caught the long pass from John. I caught the ball in the middle of the field and as I cut towards the right corner of the north end zone, Willie Jackson blocked the Georgia defensive back perfectly and made my run possible. What made it even sweeter, is that the defensive back that got blocked had covered me my sophomore year and had made me have my worst game as a sophomore---he was all over me that game. I still remember his eyes when he knew it was inevitable that he was going down as Willie rolled him to the ground. Interestingly, I met the Georgia defensive back many years later and we shared many fond memories of our battles on the field.

Another memory was my senior year and my last game on Florida Field. We were playing Kentucky and it was a close game into the 4th quarter when I went deep along the east sidelines heading into the north end zone. It was one of those beautiful Gainesville autumn, late afternoon where the sun is low in a brilliant orange with a backdrop of the bluest of skies. I was very open on the route since the defensive back had over-committed thinking it was going to be a curl route. John and I had looked at each other in the huddle and knew that we would do this one more time--just the way we had started it our sophomore year. There was never any doubt. I still remember the perfect pass by John and it was almost as if I could see every seam of the football as it was spiraling towards me in what seemed like slow motion. I swear time stood still in that moment for me as I was going full speed down the east sidelines. I caught the ball in full stride, raced into the end zone and immediately a thought exploded into my head that I should (and somehow could)throw the football out of the stadium. So I threw the football as far as I could into the north stands on an adrenalin high that still gives me goose pumps. No, the ball never left the stadium (laws of physics apparently don't play Gator football) but that moment was incredibly sweet even though it cost me my only penalty in my Gator career. It is always for me what college football is all about---passion and fun. That "tradition" of trying to throw the football out of the stadium on your last game at Florida Field your senior year was duplicated by Travis McGriff (he was told about it by Lee McGriff--his dad and a great Florida wide-receiver and friend)and Bubba Caldwell in 2007.

Many, many more memories and it just always reminds me that is great to be a Florida Gator...........

quote:

Originally posted by mtn2top:

quote:

Originally posted by ca.alvarez:

quote:

Originally posted by VivaAshtabula:
All hail the Cuban Comet!


ALL HAIL "THE PASS" !!!

Thanks for the picture. That was against FSU my sophomore year and the picture appeared in SI and incredibly, the Tallahassee Democrat. Our teams never lost against FSU and were part of the longest winning streak, (nine, 1968 to 1976) in the series. I am hoping the current Gator teams (4 and counting)surpass that streak.

Is it true that they developed super glue from a substance found naturally on your fingers?

There may still be a few green splinters in my tail from the south end zone bleachers. What a great place it was to watch the Super Sophs in the first Gator game I attended. That's one of the few things I regret from a program that has become so successful. It's very expensive for Florida high school players and students to come to UF games now. Our coach brought anyone from our HS school team to that game who could make it. Who could afford to do that today?

I was also able to make it to the Vandy game that year and later to the Gator Bowl. That must of been a very difficult game to prepare for knowing that Coach Graves was leaving and Doug Dickey replacing him. What a satisfying and close win to end a sensational Gator season!

quote:

Originally posted by SaltLakeGator:
Carlos,

Meyer often talks about welcoming back the former players to the program. He seems to have gone out of his way to "re-connect" with them.

Have you felt the change and how has it affected the program?

quote:

Originally posted by ca.alvarez:

quote:

Originally posted by SaltLakeGator:
Carlos,

Meyer often talks about welcoming back the former players to the program. He seems to have gone out of his way to "re-connect" with them.

Have you felt the change and how has it affected the program?

Yes. I can not say enough positive things about how Coach Meyer has reconnected former players back to the program. He has done an unbelievable job made even more so when you think of all the other things he has had to do in the last 4 years. The recently completed Gateway of Champions complex at the stadium is part of his effort to permanently remember and honor the history of Gator football. Another example is a luncheon for all of us with the current players the Saturday before the first game of the year. He has strongly encouraged all of us to attend practices and other events. Coach Meyer has not only made us feel welcomed but more importantly, he has made us feel that we are an important part of his program. Coach Meyer often talks about his love for the history of the game and that shows so clearly with the way he has treated former players that until 4 years ago he did not know. He did this from day 1 of his arrival at Florida. He also expects us to do our part in representing the University of Florida and in some fashion contribute in keeping the program strong. I can assure you that he has the solid support of former players regardless for whom they played. He has certainly motivated me to become more involved. I do not know specifically how it has affected the overall program but I can only think that the effect has been very positive. Certainly recruits and current players can see how former players are valued and the program begins to feel like becoming part of a family. Many schools make the "family" forever claim but few walk the talk.

quote:

Originally posted by ca.alvarez:

quote:

Originally posted by PastyStoole:
Thank you Carlos for representing our University so well over the years. I often think of that group under Graves (and Ellison) as the guys who laid the foundation for Gator greatness. You were certainly a huge part of that and I can't thank you enough. I lost my father last year and he often recounted stories about Reeves to Alverez and many others.

A couple of other thoughts on items raised in these postings and rather appropriate given the Obama inauguration tomorrow. Willie Jackson and Leonard George were the the first two African-American players at Florida. They were in the class behind me. Willie was a gifted runner and receiver (best pure athlete on the team and could play either tailback or wide receiver) and you can see from his sons that also played at Florida the great gene pool in that family. Leonard was not quite as naturally talented but always gave 100% and ended up playing defensive back at Florida even though he was a tailback in high school. I feel privileged to have been their teammate and friend. They deserve our eternal thanks because it was not easy for them back then(I still remember separate black and white bathrooms in some areas)including a black student walkout of the university in 1970 that put Leonard and Willie in very difficult positions. They handled it with class and honor and I will never forget the team meeting where Leonard talked about the difficulty of the situation for him. HBO has recently carried a documentary on the integration of college football in the south and generally the documentary is fine on the broader issues but is lacking on the specific facts and gives too much credit to Alabama for the integration gains in the late 60's early 70's. Even though I had my problems with Coach Dickey when he came to Florida for other reasons, he should have been given more credit for the integration gains while he was at Tennessee. He recruited African-Americans before most realized that it was the morally (and athletically) correct thing to do.

We (former players, fans, coaches and administration) all contributed to what the program is today. I call it each contributing a brick (physically and emotionally) to Florida Field and that is what makes Florida Field so special to the Gator Nation. To have played at Florida was an honor for me and I still get the same adrenalin rush I use to get when the team first comes on the field for the game. I think most former players will admit to that. To have that in your memory bank is special. I am still baffled why any recruit from the state of Florida would go anywhere else. It is not even close. And hell yes I am biased.................

quote:

Originally posted by rdearing1:
Years of watching Florida football - that game with UK on Doug's Rug was late in the year - a beautiful clear fall day. UK won 14-7 and Derrick Ramsey was their quarteback. As I recall, there were only 2 penalties in that game. For years (though we lost) I called it the Perfect Game...

quote:

Originally posted by SaltLakeGator:

quote:

Originally posted by ca.alvarez:

quote:

Originally posted by SaltLakeGator:
Carlos,

Meyer often talks about welcoming back the former players to the program. He seems to have gone out of his way to "re-connect" with them.

Have you felt the change and how has it affected the program?

Yes. I can not say enough positive things about how Coach Meyer has reconnected former players back to the program. He has done an unbelievable job made even more so when you think of all the other things he has had to do in the last 4 years. The recently completed Gateway of Champions complex at the stadium is part of his effort to permanently remember and honor the history of Gator football. Another example is a luncheon for all of us with the current players the Saturday before the first game of the year. He has strongly encouraged all of us to attend practices and other events. Coach Meyer has not only made us feel welcomed but more importantly, he has made us feel that we are an important part of his program. Coach Meyer often talks about his love for the history of the game and that shows so clearly with the way he has treated former players that until 4 years ago he did not know. He did this from day 1 of his arrival at Florida. He also expects us to do our part in representing the University of Florida and in some fashion contribute in keeping the program strong. I can assure you that he has the solid support of former players regardless for whom they played. He has certainly motivated me to become more involved. I do not know specifically how it has affected the overall program but I can only think that the effect has been very positive. Certainly recruits and current players can see how former players are valued and the program begins to feel like becoming part of a family. Many schools make the "family" forever claim but few walk the talk.

Awesome. That is the way it should be.

quote:

Originally posted by Termigator:
This is the Greatest thread in the history of the internet. Thank you Mr. Alvarez!

------------------------------