Read-Only Topic|
Go
|
New
|
Find
|
Notify
|
Tools
|
Heisman Gator Location: Gainesville In My Dreams
Registered: February 17, 2008
Posts: 1025
|
Posted
Fair coach? Those in the know say Coach Graves was one of the most knowledgeable football coaches of his time and an exceptional man. Carlos we need you back now.
 |
True Gator Location: Gatorville
Registered: February 05, 2009
Posts: 731
|
Posted
This was a great read, thanks Carlos.
I was wondering what you recall from Jimmy Barr. If this is the same Jimmy Barr I know his sons well and graduated from Florida with them. I have spent many game days with Mr. Barr and he has some great stories. Was just wondering if you have any thoughts to share so I can surprise him a little. I wasn't around to enjoy your play, but from the stories you seem like a special player and an even better person. Thanks for sharing. “All the president is, is a glorified public relations man who spends his time flattering, kissing, and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway.” Harry S Truman |
All-American Gator Registered: December 23, 2008
Posts: 858
|
Posted
Mr. Alvarez, what can you tell us about John Clifford? After reading about him in the article about him stepping down from PK Yonge, he sounds like a great guy and football player. I read he had the single season record for interceptions at UF in 1970 that was not broken until 1990, and he still shares the Gator interception record of 3 picks in one game.
Link **** "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money" - Margaret Thatcher |
|
Resident Nole True Gator Registered: May 01, 2008
Posts: 597
|
Posted
I just have one question I'd like to ask you concerning NMHS. Due to this outstanding thread, I pulled out the old yearbooks and blew the dust off them. In the "68 Conestoga," I had kept one of the football programs which band members had to sell and get advertisements for (just so that we could pay for those buses to home and away games). I noticed in the picture of the offense that Donny Lewis was in the backfield. Was he the Quarterback??? I always thought he played defense and remember him catching that interception during the Carol City game our junior year. Who really was the Quarterback during OUR senior year? If I could have had one wish back then, it would have been the QB from Norland HS!
  |
|
All-American Gator Registered: December 23, 2008
Posts: 858
|
Posted
Of course that was a little before my time, but I went to Miami Norland HS. Graduated in 1982, and then went to UF from 1982 to 1986. Interesting that you mention my old high school. **** "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money" - Margaret Thatcher |
|
Senior Gator Location: Home Of The GATORS
Registered: December 16, 2008
Posts: 413
|
Posted
This is the best thread I have ever read! It is swollen with history and information, as well as packed with great stories!!
This thread was an honor to read. Carlos...THANK YOU!!!! |
|
Redshirt Gator Registered: January 16, 2009
Posts: 29
|
Posted
John Clifford was an absolutely great guy, teammate and football player. He had great football sense and that is what enabled him to set the single season interception record. He did not have blazing speed but made up for that with his knowledge of the game and instincts to get himself in the right position. He was not a "knock-you-out" with a hit safety but was a sure tackler knowing there aren't many defensive guys left after he committed on a play. John was (and I am sure still is) a very funny guy. Probably in the top five funny guys during my stay at Florida. He could do a dead-on imitation of Doug Dickey or Ray Graves. I noticed that his very successful style of coaching was called "laid-back" (without giving away proficiency and results) by at least one commentator and I can definitely see John coaching that way. I have no doubt his players loved playing for him. |
|
Redshirt Gator Registered: January 16, 2009
Posts: 29
|
Posted
Donnie Lewis, The Fonz, started as middle linebacker and quarterback for the 1968 North Miami team. Sort of like Tim Tebow except Donnie never had the offensive skills Tebow had although he shared Tebow's toughness. My friend since our Boy's Club days, he was a guy I would trust with anything. Tough as nails, wild by heart and totally loyal to his friends. He almost got me killed (literally) after my freshman year at Florida and that is a story I will discuss at some point when I write the book. I know Donnie really upset some people in high school with some of the the things he did. But I always had a soft spot for Donnie and when you know his rough background like I did and went to battle in the football field and elsewhere with him many a time, well, he was like a brother to me during those years. |
|
Redshirt Gator Registered: January 16, 2009
Posts: 29
|
Posted
I may have disagreements with the offensive schemes during the Dickey era but you will never hear me say anything but positive things about Coach Dunn. A superb human being and a generous, smart and kind man. He was always considerate of the players even under very difficult circumstances. He was also a great (and incredibly tough) player for Florida (and he was very small even by yesterday standards) and I remember seeing a run he made during his career at Florida that was worthy of an ESPN top ten plays. I hope he is doing well. |
|
Redshirt Gator Registered: January 16, 2009
Posts: 29
|
Posted
Coach Graves was a superb coach with outstanding knowledge of the game. By the time I played for him he let the offensive and defensive coordinators handle the major part of the coaching end of things but he was definitely involved in all aspects of the team and was the rock-solid linchpin that made everything work. Remember that a college head football coach is much more than a guy who knows x's and o's. He has to be a leader, an organizer and an inspirational voice as well as holding the trust of the team and the coaches, among other things. No easy task and Coach Graves was excellent at all of that. You will never hear a 60's player say anything negative about Coach Graves. You can read over the years the highly complimentary comments, in every respect, by Coach Spurrier, Youngblood and others that played for him. I knew players that never played a down at Florida because they got injured their freshman year and they held on to their scholarship with no strings attached except do well academically. He had that kind of integrity and total commitment for the guys he recruited. I do not know why he stepped down as the football coach at Florida. He has never said why, or at least I have never heard a full explanation. It could have been that he had gotten tired of the daily stress of the position and he did give an incredible part of his life to Florida football in the 60's. I feel fortunate to have experienced his coaching and mentoring. |
|
The Bartender Bull Gator  Location: Bookstahuda watchin' elephants fly...
Registered: February 21, 2008
Posts: 8872
|
Posted
Well said.... |
|
Resident Nole True Gator Registered: May 01, 2008
Posts: 597
|
Posted
OK, here is a question that OLE timers and even the youngsters on this gsmb would like to know. WHO is the BIGGEST RIVAL with the gators? Is it really divided up into certain eras or is there a MAJOR one for ALL time!??????
With this answer, I won't have to read numerous threads asking the same question over and over again! BTW, since YOU live in Tallahassee or close to it, which has been your favorite/& WORSE game against the NOLES there for the University of Florida? Thanks, Carlos |
|
Redshirt Gator Registered: January 16, 2009
Posts: 29
|
Posted
The interesting thing about the rivalry question is that I never have seen the word "rivalry" adequately defined when the question is asked. A rivalry can have many characteristics. The word rivalry is sometimes implicitly defined as a along time opponent (FSU, Georgia), sometimes implicitly defined as an opponent that one plays most years and the games are very important in conference or national standing (FSU, Georgia, Tennessee), sometimes defined as an opponent that is geographically near (FSU, Georgia, Miami), sometimes implicitly defined as an opponent that because of some recent event or circumstance the games have more emotional content (South Carolina, LSU, FSU). Another way to look at it from a players standpoint is the game where getting emotionally ready for the game is basically on automatic response and in many cases that is due to playing against guys you have been playing against all your life or a school you have rooted against all your life. Generally for Florida that would be FSU and Miami. And by the way, to be a truly great rivalry, regardless of the definiton, the games over time have to be competitive. Navy/Notre Dame, Florida/Vanderbilt, do not fit that criteria. So as one can see, year in and year out, FSU seems to fit all categories for a "rivalry" and I think it is greatest Florida rivalry. This of course can change but truly great rivalries do not change from year to year or even decade to decade---Ohio State/Michigan, Alabama/Auburn, USC/UCLA, Army/Navy. I think Florida/FSU has a decade or two to catch up to those rivalries and it will depend on the quality of the teams in the future. Another way to ask the question for what is the best rivalry is to ask which game do you want to win if you can only win one game any year all other things being equal. So for Michigan you can bet it is Ohio State and not Notre Dame. I think for Florida it is FSU with Georgia coming a close second. Again on a given year, say Peyton Manning playing at Tennessee, that one game we would want to win could change but the question assumes no extra special circumstance in any given year. And then again, all of this comes down to a personal choice. Personally for me it is FSU--it always has been. I think a poll of former players would rate FSU first, Georgia second, and probably Miami third but given our scheduling that would shift depending on the decade. I think for players in the last 20 years, Georgia or Tennessee would battle out for second or third and maybe even first. I have two games at Doak Campbell that are especially memorable for me. One is when in Coach Zook's last game at Florida the Gators beat FSU the day the Seminoles named the field after Bobby Bowden. Sweeeeet!! Great team effort. And this was specially sweet given the previous year's game at Florida Field where the refs changed the outcome of the game. (That is the only college game I have ever seen--I was there--that a series of bad calls changed the outcome of the game.) Another favorite game at Doak was the 1986 game (I was there) when in the driving rain, Ricky Nattiel caught a touchdown pass in the 4th quarter to win that game. It was a great defensive stop by Florida in the 4th quarter and some great passing and catching in rain that was a classic Florida downpour. My least favorite at Doak was 1994 and the comeback by FSU from 31-3 to tie the game. I was there. I remember thinking after we were ahead 31-3 that one more score by us and FSU has no chance. We never got that score. Warrick Dunn killed us with that simple swing pass. Hats off to FSU for that effort. |
True Gator Location: French Riviera
Registered: July 30, 2008
Posts: 723
|
Posted
What memories! Carlos, the first game I ever attended at Florda Field was opening day 1969 vs. Houston. They had a fellow named Elmo Wright. Guess we know how that game turned out! I remember thinking....this is Gator football live...Awesome! Thanks for the great memory.
|
|
Mutts President Bull Gator  Location: Stating the Union
Registered: February 18, 2008
Posts: 6154
|
Posted
As a Gator living in tally for the last ten years, thank you for acknowledging that sham that was the 2003 UF-fsu game.
Mike Rich spoke to my seventh grade class at Rawlings elementary school in Gainesville. Very inspirational. He told us the jumping in the pond story. Bubba McGowan was one of my High school coaches at Santa Fe H.S. (Alachua). He could be humorous. If someone got beat on a play he would say "he ate your lunch!" Our H.S. practices were much as you described. I recall fighting for ice, and eating it our of my helmet. Thank you again. ***** LLTGN! |
|
The Bartender Bull Gator Location: Bookstahuda watchin' elephants fly...
Registered: February 21, 2008
Posts: 8872
|
Posted
I was in the Navy stationed in Iceland for the Choke at Doak. We actually got the game and watched it with a group of friends. I was the big Gator fan of the group. What a terrible sinking feeling that was... |
Heisman Gator Location: floating on a spring-fed lake in mandarin
Registered: February 17, 2008
Posts: 2023
|
Posted
Mike Rich was maybe my favorite player off that 69 team. He was the player who was always one of the last mentioned, kind of a workman in a gang of superstars. But he really contributed in his own way. herb myspace.com/herbcochley  |
Heisman Gator Location: Jax Beach
Registered: February 15, 2008
Posts: 1484
|
Posted
Carlos, I spoke to Bruce Cutright today. He wanted me to ask you about a trip around the Daytona speedway after the Gator Bowl in 69. Little fun with the loaner cars?
 "He asked me 'Did I hold onto the ball?"' Meyer said. "I told him he did and he winked at me and said 'It's great to be a Gator.' " |
Redshirt Gator Location: past Lakeland
Registered: February 17, 2008
Posts: 72
|
Posted
that was my first Gator game i attended. Houston had white-shoed Elmo Wright and came in ranked #1 i believe. I saw Reaves kill us (Lakeland) when he played for Hillsboro. later partied with him one night (details omitted) |
|
Senior Gator Registered: February 17, 2008
Posts: 315
|
Posted
Tampa Robinson... I was at that game, too... |
Redshirt Gator Location: OBX North Carolina
Registered: June 11, 2008
Posts: 30
|
Posted
Just had to say thank to Carlos and make a post in this most historic of threads!!!
I've been here since the original Board...you know, back when 17 had the meltdown and Batgirl was around! |
|
Senior Gator Location: Home Of The GATORS
Registered: December 16, 2008
Posts: 413
|
Posted
Hi Carlos:
Do you keep in contact at all with John Reaves. I got to know him a little bit in the 90's. I respect his privacy but do you know how he is? Does he know how many Gators still think of him? If this is an uncomfortable or difficult question, please skip. |
True Gator Location: Section 59, Row 7. Since it was New
Registered: April 14, 2008
Posts: 685
|
Posted
Just to show the Depth of the Gator Nation... I also watched the Choke at Doak in Iceland.  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... |
Redshirt Gator Location: Quezon City, Philippines
Registered: March 28, 2009
Posts: 30
|
Posted
Wow time flew pretty fast for me with this thread. Next thing you know it's 5:22am Manila time already.
Thank you to Mr. Alvarez and to the rest of the posters for such interesting and enlightening stuff. It's always nice to see first hand accounts on events shared and passed on to the younger Gator fans such as myself. |
All-American Gator Location: Louisiana
Registered: February 18, 2008
Posts: 710
|
Posted
Awesome, Welcome Mr. Alvarez!
   |
| Powered by Social Strata | Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
 | Please Wait. Your request is being processed... |
Read-Only Topic