Charley Pell

[78]

As we look ahead, I thought it might be interesting to look back at Charley Pell, the man who took over the program before the 0-10-1 1979 season and quickly turned it into a national powerhouse. The 1984 team, which Pell built from the ground up, still ranks among the best ever at Florida. You can also thank him for Florida Field being converted from a second-rate barn into a first-flight college football stadium.

It all happened under Pell, the dynamo Bear Bryant disciple, along with the infamous scandal that did him in.

The story isn't about the coach but rather the tragically flawed figure behind the coach and how depression shaped his life. Listen in particular to Ward Pell, his wife.



Edit: Not sure if it's happening to you, but the video is somehow starting for me at the 17:00 mark. You'll need to wind it back manually. Sorry about that.

 

[oxrageous]

 

[MidwestChomp]

Wait, where did that Beatles video go?

 

[78]

Larry "Dr. O" Ochab
Tim Groves
Cris Collinsworth
Tyrone Young
Scot Brantley

What a group of outcasts.

 

[78]

Wait, where did that Beatles video go?

Don't you go pointing out my shortcomings.

 

[stephenPE]

Charlie got the ball rolling.............great man............was crucified for doing the same things all
those MTHFRCKERS In the major SEC cities were doing..............fck all of them,

 

[78]

Charlie got the ball rolling.............great man............was crucified for doing the same things all
those MTHFRCKERS In the major SEC cities were doing..............fck all of them,

God, if he doesn't sound like the Bear in this vid. Pell was a chain smoker. You can hear it.

 

[stephenPE]

IF he had gone back to Tuscaloosa they would have returned to glory and all that stuff he did here would have been business as usual there. Hell, they were still doing it almost 25 years after they burned charlie at the stake here...........they can all GO to HELL

 

[gatormandan]

Give em hell!

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

Charley Pell had some memorable quotes:

" I want my players to think as positively as the 85 year old man who married a 25 year old woman and bought a five bedroom house next to the elementary school. "

 

[78]

The Throwin' Mayoan.



How many walk-on freshmen quarterbacks step into an SEC starting lineup and click right away? This kid was something special.

And the running backs on that team.

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

Here's an old saying you may have heard that offers some perspective on the house of Florida football:

" Charley Pell built it. Ben Hill Griffin paid for it. Steve Spurrier lived in it. "

 

[stephenPE]

Here's an old saying you may have heard that offers some perspective on the house of Florida football:

" Charley Pell built it. Ben Hill Griffin paid for it. Steve Spurrier lived in it. "

nailed it..............and we all lived it up in it..............when SOS came back

 

[jdh5484]

The Throwin' Mayoan.



How many walk-on freshmen quarterbacks step into an SEC starting lineup and click right away? This kid was something special.

And the running backs on that team.

Don't forget the big uglies aka The Great Wall.

 

[jdh5484]

Here's an old saying you may have heard that offers some perspective on the house of Florida football:

" Charley Pell built it. Ben Hill Griffin paid for it. Steve Spurrier lived in it. "

Truth.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Don't forget the big uglies aka The Great Wall.

Who could forget them.....Big Lomas is on the CFB Hall of Fame ballot again....

 

[GatorStud]

You be talking my generation now, couldn't help but love those teams and watching the transformation, what a time to be baptized a Gator... indoctrinated for Life!

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

I dare say that the 1984 team would have given Spurrier's best teams a run for the money. The 1984 team lost the first game of the season to Miami, tied LSU in the second game, then went on a 9 game win streak. After they got rolling when they took the field you knew they were going to win.

 

[78]

By today's standards, we'd have called the '84 team dull. We seldom passed, and when we did we did it with purpose and precision. Even with Ricky Nattiel and Frankie Neal available as wideouts. We had college football's premier offensive line and we ran the ball with three tremendously talented backs, Neal Anderson, John L. Williams and Lorenzo Hampton, who almost equally shared the load. Kerwin Bell was the quarterback and his play that year belied that of a freshman.

Defensively, we locked down, allowing 15 ppg. Some of the names on defense: Tim Newton, Jarvis Williams, Alonzo Johnson (who the following year was college football's best outside backer), Adrian White. That had to have been one of the top defenses in college football that year. We shut out two opponents, including Georgia.

If you were to try and compare this team, you'd look more to some of the Saban teams from maybe six or seven years ago, when the game plan was more plain vanilla. Pell was a disciple of Bear Bryant and Hall followed suit with the roster furnished after Pell resigned. Nothing fancy. Block, tackle, run the ball and win.

 

[MJMGator]

By today's standards, we'd have called the '84 team dull. We seldom passed, and when we did we did it with purpose and precision. Even with Ricky Nattiel and Frankie Neal available as wideouts. We had college football's premier offensive line and we ran the ball with three tremendously talented backs, Neal Anderson, John L. Williams and Lorenzo Hampton, who almost equally shared the load. Kerwin Bell was the quarterback and his play that year belied that of a freshman.

Defensively, we locked down, allowing 15 ppg. Some of the names on defense: Tim Newton, Jarvis Williams, Alonzo Johnson (who the following year was college football's best outside backer), Adrian White. That had to have been one of the top defenses in college football that year. We shut out two opponents, including Georgia.

If you were to try and compare this team, you'd look more to some of the Saban teams from maybe six or seven years ago, when the game plan was more plain vanilla. Pell was a disciple of Bear Bryant and Hall followed suit with the roster furnished after Pell resigned. Nothing fancy. Block, tackle, run the ball and win.

Best stable of backs I've ever seen behind one of the best OLs. That was a tough friggin football team.