Gator Gridiron
Roger Franklin Williams
The special magic of the fabled '69 Gators was in full force last Monday at Del Frisco's Orlando where Gators of all eras come to pay tribute to recent College Football Hall of Fame electee Carlos Alvarez and teammates from the famed 1969 Florida Gators---fellow Super Soph John Reaves, Offensive Captain and All-SEC OT Mac Steen and SR DB Larry Williamson. Reaves, Alvarez and the guys re-counted their personal recollections of some to the most spectacular, dramatic and poingant events in Florida Gator Football history. From the incredible 70 yard bomb from Reaves to Alvarez on the first pass of their careers, to the improbable 59-34 blow-out of Number 1 ranked (by Playboy) 27 point favorite Houston in the 1969 season opener, to the stirring 14-13 upset of SEC regular season Champion Tennessee in the Gator Bowl, which gave the '69 team the distiction of posting the best record in Florida football history to that point, to the bizarre, ill-advised, previously denied coaching change announced by President Stephen O'Connell on the day after the Gator Bowl, Super Sophs Reaves, Alvarez, Co-Captain Steen and senior leader Williamson re-counted the whole wonderful, fantastik story of the overlooked, unheralded team that brought immeasurable and almost indescribable joy to Gators of their era and, sadly, brought and end to the Ray Graves Silver Sixties era.
In the days ahead, Gator Gridiron will post photos and videos of the first hand history and special magic that was captured that exciting evening at Orlando's premier upscale fine dining venue with the men who as youngsters created some of the most wonderful, dramatic and significant moments in the annals of Florida Gator football.
No comments:
Post a Comment