Obscure Gators history

[stephenPE]

My wkout room is a shrine to gator football. I have something of everything. I was reading the license plates on the wall and one iconic plate stood out. The one celebrating the 1991 SEC title. OUR first title the other bastrddds in the SEC could not take away. A quick recount shows that Spurrier's 1991 Florida Gators compiled the first-ever ten-win season in program history, an overall record of 10–2 and a perfect SEC record of 7–0. Injuries in the Sugar Bowl let the old man beat SOS and I have no clue wtf happened in Syracuse NY.
But here is my obscure discovery. The tag came from here. Tag Express 4475 Peachtree Lake Dr
Duluth , GA 30096. My first thought was flying the American flag made in China. Does not sound cool. But now as I sit and reflect what better way than to rub it in jawja's maws than to have THEM make our tags celebrating our dominance.

 

[stephenPE]

a little more added history.......Alvin Butler, Coach Dickey and Wayne Fields........Old school from the 70s. I think this is very recent.

 

[rogdochar]

Possibly not so obscure, but I love this story. UF grad (2003), Ryan Asdourian, played Albert here for 4 years. Got scooped up by Microsoft to Seattle where he became Blitz the Seahawk mascot. Finds out he has MS yet keeps on chugging, rising at Microsoft and still Blitzing on the field. And heads up MS awareness program in a big way. Inspiring story to read/ Makes it great to be a Florida Gator.,
Maybe some you watched and cheered with this Albert?

https://www.foxsports.com/florida/story/former-uf-mascot-now-making-noise-for-seahawks-010814

 

[stephenPE]

 

[Swampy!]

Being carried on the shoulders of Zach Pillar and Cooper Carlisle. Wish those boys were on our o-line still.

 

[NVAGATOR86]

Stephen PE's post about the 91 season bought back a lot of memories. The high point for me was being at the game in Ben Hill when we finally won an SEC championship that we could keep. The lows were being at the 2 games we lost in 91-92. My boss at the time was a big SU alumni and he invited me to come up from Fort Lauderdale to the 91 game. First time and hopefully the last time I saw a game in the Carrier Dome. I knew we were in trouble when Kirby Dar Dar (real name) ran a reverse back for a TD on the opening kick off. I found a copy of an old Sun Sentinel article written by our boy Robbie Andreu. Pretty much sums up the bad day at the Dome.

Then I made up for that game by going to the 92 Sugar Bowl . That was a game we should have put away early but as said, injuries and a guy named Jerome Bettis, gutted us up the middle.

GATORS GET 'TAIL KICKING' SYRACUSE VICTORY REVERSES FORTUNES OF NO. 5 FLORIDA

 

[NOLAGATOR]

Coach,

It's a shame your political views are not as classy as your choices in sports.

But I still love ya. I pray, one day you'll see the light.

AND until you do...its almost time...smell the sweat and cut grass?

AND ...ALL WILL BE RIGHT WITH THE WORLD.

 

[Theologator]

The 1991 F$U game was the loudest game, start to finish, I’ve ever seen. The crown and Darren Mikell were on Casey Weldon’s back the whole game. Place exploded when Frier the Crier got cut down as a tipped ball drifted his way, preserving the 13-9 win. GREAT year, great game.

There have been loud moments (1997 F$U, 2006 SC, 1995 & 1999 Ut), but I think that was the loudest game.

 

[stephenPE]

Then I made up for that game by going to the 92 Sugar Bowl . That was a game we should have put away early but as said, injuries and a guy named Jerome Bettis, gutted us up the middle.

I was at that game, too. We had the game early but kicked FGs. I think SOS took that lesson and made up for it the following years. I remember we down to 3rd string LBs in the 2nd half and Bettis killed us. AND I heard we partied hard in NO before the game. It was a good lesson for SOS.

The 1991 F$U game was the loudest game, start to finish, I’ve ever seen. The crown and Darren Mikell were on Casey Weldon’s back the whole game. Place exploded when Frier the Crier got cut down as a tipped ball drifted his way, preserving the 13-9 win. GREAT year, great game.

I agree completely. I thought it 14-9, a very unlike Spurrier game. My ears were ringing with the volume of noise. One of the greatest games ever played in Gville. Turns out it was 91. I thought it was later than that.

 

[Theologator]

Then I made up for that game by going to the 92 Sugar Bowl . That was a game we should have put away early but as said, injuries and a guy named Jerome Bettis, gutted us up the middle.

Shane was not a willing runner that game. He repeatedly had acres of open field in front of him but wouldn’t run.

Gregg Diamond was a walk-on LB from Lakeland that we had to use due to injuries to Tim Paulk and others. He was roughly 5’10” 200. He told me that his first play he met Bettis in the hole up the middle, got trucked but hung on and dragged him down 8-9 yards upfield. Bettis popped up then reached down with one hand and grabbed Diamond by his pads at he sternum, effortlessly pulled him up and said, “Welcome to the game, 51.”

 

[NVAGATOR86]

I was at that game, too. We had the game early but kicked FGs. I think SOS took that lesson and made up for it the following years. I remember we down to 3rd string LBs in the 2nd half and Bettis killed us. AND I heard we partied hard in NO before the game. It was a good lesson for SOS.

I agree completely. I thought it 14-9, a very unlike Spurrier game. My ears were ringing with the volume of noise. One of the greatest games ever played in Gville. Turns out it was 91. I thought it was later than that.

I heard the same about the partying and Steve confirmed it later. There was also the rumor that before the game a waiter asked Lou Holtz what was the difference between Cheerios and ND. Answer "Cherrios belong in a bowl". Lou of course used it to motivate his boys. Lou also claimed that before he paid the check at dinner he asked the waiter "what is the difference between a golf pro and Lou Holtz". Answer "Holtz doesn't give tips"

Good stuff.

 

[stephenPE]

I have found an even more obscure (to me anyway) figure in gator history. I thought I knew all the great ones but this guy has moved way up now. I am reading this new Lombardi book (more later) and it is the definitive book about the modern NFL moving into the age of TV and championships. There was mention of a player named John Symank from Fla. A def. back. Playing for Lombardi in those magic years when he became the greatest NFL coach of all time (the trophy is named for him ) So I look up Johnny Symank and lo and behold he was a gator and Packer great. From wikP:
Symank accepted an athletic scholarship to transfer to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Bob Woodruff's Florida Gators football team in 1955 and 1956.[3] Woodruff later ranked Symank as one of the five best defensive backs to play for the Gators during the 1950s, and one of the ten best offensive backs of the decade.[4]

While he was a Gator, he earned two varsity letters in both football and track, and became a captain in the university's ROTC unit. Symank graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1957, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great

I had never heard of him in gator lore. And I thought I knew all the great Packers having read the Kramer book many years ago. This from the Packer years. : Green Bay Packers scout Jack Vainisi "discovered" Symank, and the Packers subsequently selected him in the twenty-third round (268th pick overall) of the 1957 NFL Draft.[6] Despite Symank making the NFL record books his rookie season with nine pass interceptions,[7] Green Bay finished the 1957 season with a losing 3–9 record.................

He is only 5-11 and at 180 pounds he is the lightest man on this squad. Compared with the others he looks like a baseball infielder, but he is a football player. . . . There is no actor in Symank. He is serious and intense, and in a game he would just as soon break your leg as not. He has made it in this league because he gets a great deal more out of himself than his ability and size justify . . . but John gets the maximum out of himself in every game, and if I had thirty-five others like him I would have a far better team than I have. ”
— Coach Vince Lombardi, describing Johnny Symank
as a professional football player in Run to Daylight.

He once put a lick on Johnny Unitas that kept him out of some games and Johnny was rarely injured. He made great plays to ensure their first two NFL titles. You can read about him. John Symank - Wikipedia

 

[krisl648]

First touchdown the Gators scored in the Spurrier era? Anyone know who scored it?

Answer will come later

 

[GatorKen714]

First touchdown the Gators scored in the Spurrier era? Anyone know who scored it?

Answer will come later

Dexter McNabb (I admit I cheated - it was on wikipedia)

 

[krisl648]

You are correct GatorKen...I attended HS with him at Walton High.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

I heard the same about the partying and Steve confirmed it later. There was also the rumor that before the game a waiter asked Lou Holtz what was the difference between Cheerios and ND. Answer "Cherrios belong in a bowl". Lou of course used it to motivate his boys. Lou also claimed that before he paid the check at dinner he asked the waiter "what is the difference between a golf pro and Lou Holtz". Answer "Holtz doesn't give tips"

Good stuff.

For some reason, I thought it was Spurrier who said it - perhaps because it sounds like something he would say. Knowing Holtz, he probably made the whole story up. To be fair though, I seem to remember ND not being very highly ranked for getting an invite to the Sugar Bowl. Mrs. G., before she was the missus, and some friends went to the game. I was invited, but had to work the 31st and the 2nd and couldn't go. Watched on TV and still remember wincing at ND playing successful smash mouth in the fourth quarter. When she returned to Atlanta she told me that while she hadn't personally seen any of the players partying, other folks she talked to who had been there all week confirmed that it had happened.

 

[Captain Sasquatch]

Loudest moment I've personally experienced at the Swamp was Andre Debose's TD on the first play against Bama in '11. The rest of the game was a sh*t show, but the noise that emanated from that building when he caught that pass made me go deaf for a moment.

 

[soflagator]

Nice thread, stephen.

On the '91 season, that was one of my favorite seasons and teams of all time. Often very much overlooked when our "best" lists are compiled. I was on the field for the fsu game and it was epic. Still vividly remember fsu's Lee scampering down the sideline right in front of me for a TD, and the tipped pass and tackle of their WR by White and Speer in the endzone. Crazy to think how long ago that was.

That season was one of my reasons for never scheduling some meaningless OOC game given the tests we already face each season. Sandwiching Syracuse between Alabama(which was basically the same team that won it all a year later, and didn't lose another game in '91) and tennessee made no sense. Especially considering we still played Auburn and Lsu on the road, uga in Jax and the noles. That team was good enough to beat anybody, but lost consideration because of that Carrier Dome debacle. We weren't motivated at all in that Sugar Bowl, and ND unfortunately had heard 6 weeks of criticism about how they didn't belong. Never a good recipe.

Side note on Bettis' domination mentioned above. In the 1994 UF preseason book, there was an entire article on Kevin Freeman, a Senior LB that had finally stepped up in his final Spring and was set to be counted on for the upcoming year. In it he stated that a hit he took trying to stop Bettis on a play in that Sugar Bowl was so jarring that he spent the next 2+ years just trying to recover mentally. It shook his confidence that bad. Insane.

 

[Frozen Gator]

Stephen PE's post about the 91 season bought back a lot of memories. The high point for me was being at the game in Ben Hill when we finally won an SEC championship that we could keep. The lows were being at the 2 games we lost in 91-92. My boss at the time was a big SU alumni and he invited me to come up from Fort Lauderdale to the 91 game. First time and hopefully the last time I saw a game in the Carrier Dome. I knew we were in trouble when Kirby Dar Dar (real name) ran a reverse back for a TD on the opening kick off. I found a copy of an old Sun Sentinel article written by our boy Robbie Andreu. Pretty much sums up the bad day at the Dome.

Then I made up for that game by going to the 92 Sugar Bowl . That was a game we should have put away early but as said, injuries and a guy named Jerome Bettis, gutted us up the middle.

GATORS GET 'TAIL KICKING' SYRACUSE VICTORY REVERSES FORTUNES OF NO. 5 FLORIDA

I've always thought Tim Paulk getting hurt cost us the Sugar Bowl against ND.

 

[soflagator]

Loudest moment I've personally experienced at the Swamp was Andre Debose's TD on the first play against Bama in '11. The rest of the game was a sh*t show, but the noise that emanated from that building when he caught that pass made me go deaf for a moment.

You're right. It gets lost in the shuffle because of the ultimate outcome, but that was loud. At 4-0, there was still a lot of optimism in that team, and it had the feel of a signature game. Add in all-day drinking for the late kickoff and it was a great few minutes.

Funny story from that day...a former Alabama DB(can't remember name) was at the Swamp restaurant and was absolutely hammered. Total loudmouth prick who did nothing but taunt all afternoon every Gator in sight. Just not a good guy. I just remember thinking to myself, this guy needs to get smacked. Anyway, read an article on Monday morning that after the game, an Alabama fan had decided to go and taunt the players themselves as they left the locker room with their families and got knocked out by a player(Easley) who was being questioned by police. Long and short, it was that guy. DE had heard enough, dropped his plate of wings and decked him.

After the 4 hour drive upon Saturday, and the 4 hour drive home on Sunday, it made the whole thing a little better.