Norm Carlson The original SID at UF

[stephenPE]

Nom Carlson has been a legend seemingly beloved by the fans, coaches, and sportswriters. The great Florida Gators sports information director who was the man behind Steve Spurrier claiming the Heisman Trophy died at the age of 90, on May 10, Friday. Fans poured in their "rest in peace" condolences to the tweet posted by Florida Gators on X. Besides being a sports information director, Carlson has been known as a historian. The passing away of their beloved "Normie" did leave the broadcasting and sportswriter community at a huge loss.

Carlson's Florida legacy will be missed​

Longtime University of Florida has been known by the name of Carlson. It has been more than 60 years ago that he joined his alma mater and took the helm of the athletic program's public relations. Even though he officially retired in June 2002, for another decade maintained an office at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium as the football team's official historian. Affectionately referred to as "Mr. C" by his colleagues, Carlson ensured to share his immense knowledge with anyone who stopped by his office. When he retired, he held a record of having worked in 462 consecutive UF football games. This earned him a place next to Spurrier and was associated with "We Are the Boys" and "Mr. Two Bits" in Gators football lore. One of his sons who is also a former sportswriter Doug Carlson, stated, "He had opportunities in the NFL, in Major League Baseball and with countless other universities and bowl games because people liked him and he was good at what he did. But he was a Gator to his core and didn't care if there was more money to be made elsewhere." Acknowledging his contribution to Gators football made fans share their condolences.

He was a big part of SOS getting that Heisman. Great man, great representative of UF. He KNEW the gator history. RIP , Norm.

MSN

 

[CaribGator]

a foundation builder to helping the Gator Nation become great

RIP Norm

 

[deuce]

A Legend, to be sure!

RIP

 

[gatormandan]

 

[MJMGator]

Worked with his son about 30 years ago. Got to meet him several times. Great family and great Gators!

 

[Theologator]

I’ve got the “vault” UF published some years ago. It’s like a multimedia scrapbook built from Carlson’s memories and mementos. Need to pull it out in his honor.


RIP Norm. A true Gator great.

 

[TN G8tr]

RIP Norm, a GREAT GATOR! He will be missed.

 

[fischerwood]

ONE OF A KIND, Rest easy Norm

 

[stephenPE]

Saying goodbye to the man behind Florida’s football legends

Norm Carlson’s imprint on Florida football isn’t as well known as many of the legends. But his quiet influence was felt for four decades.

www.gainesville.com

great story about him today in the Sun.

Legend has it that nobody ever said a bad word about Norm Carlson. That’s not quite true.

It was at a Florida basketball practice 70 years ago. A walk-on was trying to impress the skeptics at Alligator Alley. It wasn’t working.

“You’re the worst player in the history of Gator basketball,” coach John Mauer said.

Approximately 50 years later, Carlson retired as one of the most influential people in the history of Florida athletics. To which anyone too young to have seen Danny Wuerffel play might say, “Norm Who?”

Carlson was Florida’s “Sports Publicity Director,” at least that was the job title when he was hired in 1963. It changed to “Sports Information Director” to “Assistant Athletic Director” over the years. None of which capture the role Carlson played at UF.

 

[Double Gator Dad]

So sorry to hear about his passing.
Norm Carlson was in many ways the heart and soul of the athletics program for nearly my entire life.
He was the guru of all things gator athletics and truly loved the program.

Nearly every connection to my early days as a gator fan is gone now and each loss hurts more.

RIP Mr Carlson.

 

[Gatordiddy]

So sorry to hear about his passing.
Norm Carlson was in many ways the heart and soul of the athletics program for nearly my entire life.
He was the guru of all things gator athletics and truly loved the program.

Nearly every connection to my early days as a gator fan is gone now and each loss hurts more.

RIP Mr Carlson.

Same for Otis Boggs. I got to know him working at WRUF ... what a great guy.
I was visiting my godmother in Carrollwood years back and she said... "let's go across the street. I want you to meet my neighbor".
We walked over to the house and into the open garage and there was Ray Graves... also a great guy.
Gonna be a sad day around here when SOS goes.

 

[Spurffelbow833]

Gonna be a sad day around here when SOS goes.

He's saving his best shot at Georgia for his death bed. You just know it.

 

[secgator]

Back in '93, four of us drove over to Baton Rouge for the UF/LSU game. Never having been to BR I was looking forward to just experiencing everything, knowing full well we were gonna flatten LSU. We stayed at the same hotel as the Gator team/personnel did 15 miles or so away in Gonzalez, LA. As we were packing our car that morning to head down and try to find a parking place, the team was also getting on their buses. A nice older guy came over to our car, saw we were decked out in Gator apparel and asked if we wanted his parking permit. He had his wife with him and told us they wanted to ride with the team so he didn't need his permit. We thanked him and thought "our lucky day, we'll get some decent spot now". Off we go...I kept trying to place the guy because he looked familiar based on photos I had seen in newspapers and football programs.....then it dawned on me it was Norm Carlson. Norm was in a blue sport coat with the orange tie, his wife all dressed up in her O/B.....they weren't dressed like mere fans, they were dressed like VIPs so that's what made me keep trying to place him. His last instructions to us as we thanked him several times...."when any police or security try to wave you off or turn away, just hold this card up so they can see this side".

As we got closer to the stadium, every place was getting full and we were still a couple of miles from the stadium. As we got closer and closer, cops began to wave us to turn right or left as the parking lot they were in charge of was full. We flashed the card and it was like "Oh Chit--let em through". We felt important and special....lol. They said, "Sorry me guys I didn't see that permit. You need to go this way" Happened again....and again....and by this time we were like REAL close to the stadium. I mean spitting distance and we were thinking we were in Bull Gator/Bull Tiger parking....top dog stuff. Best parking I had ever had at any stadium. We were about to park and a security guy came over and said we could stay if we wanted to, but our card allowed us to park over in THAT lot(pointing). We about dropped a load....we had parking inside Tiger Stadium along side coaches parking, administration, right beside the team bus parking, in other words--THIS was indeed as top dog as it gets. We parked, high fived each other, and then had a great time at the slaughterfest 58-3 game that Saturday night in BR.. Just being in that parking lot gave us food, drink, restroom facilities, and other privileges "fans" just don't get. To say we were grateful is an understatement. And pure blind luck. The whole point of this story is to show how nice Norm Carlson (and his wife) were. Simply go out of his way to walk over to us 4, offer super special parking and perks, to folks he didn't know but simply did so out of kindness.....wow. Both of them were absolutely the nicest and in our case the most generous folks you would ever want to meet.

I wrote him a thank you note when we got back home the next week and sent it to the school. He wrote back shortly afterwards thanking me for the kind words and hoped he could do it again sometimes at another away game.

Class act. RIP.

 

[wrpgator]

Back in '93, four of us drove over to Baton Rouge for the UF/LSU game. Never having been to BR I was looking forward to just experiencing everything, knowing full well we were gonna flatten LSU. We stayed at the same hotel as the Gator team/personnel did 15 miles or so away in Gonzalez, LA. As we were packing our car that morning to head down and try to find a parking place, the team was also getting on their buses. A nice older guy came over to our car, saw we were decked out in Gator apparel and asked if we wanted his parking permit. He had his wife with him and told us they wanted to ride with the team so he didn't need his permit. We thanked him and thought "our lucky day, we'll get some decent spot now". Off we go...I kept trying to place the guy because he looked familiar based on photos I had seen in newspapers and football programs.....then it dawned on me it was Norm Carlson. Norm was in a blue sport coat with the orange tie, his wife all dressed up in her O/B.....they weren't dressed like mere fans, they were dressed like VIPs so that's what made me keep trying to place him. His last instructions to us as we thanked him several times...."when any police or security try to wave you off or turn away, just hold this card up so they can see this side".

As we got closer to the stadium, every place was getting full and we were still a couple of miles from the stadium. As we got closer and closer, cops began to wave us to turn right or left as the parking lot they were in charge of was full. We flashed the card and it was like "Oh Chit--let em through". We felt important and special....lol. They said, "Sorry me guys I didn't see that permit. You need to go this way" Happened again....and again....and by this time we were like REAL close to the stadium. I mean spitting distance and we were thinking we were in Bull Gator/Bull Tiger parking....top dog stuff. Best parking I had ever had at any stadium. We were about to park and a security guy came over and said we could stay if we wanted to, but our card allowed us to park over in THAT lot(pointing). We about dropped a load....we had parking inside Tiger Stadium along side coaches parking, administration, right beside the team bus parking, in other words--THIS was indeed as top dog as it gets. We parked, high fived each other, and then had a great time at the slaughterfest 58-3 game that Saturday night in BR.. Just being in that parking lot gave us food, drink, restroom facilities, and other privileges "fans" just don't get. To say we were grateful is an understatement. And pure blind luck. The whole point of this story is to show how nice Norm Carlson (and his wife) were. Simply go out of his way to walk over to us 4, offer super special parking and perks, to folks he didn't know but simply did so out of kindness.....wow. Both of them were absolutely the nicest and in our case the most generous folks you would ever want to meet.

I wrote him a thank you note when we got back home the next week and sent it to the school. He wrote back shortly afterwards thanking me for the kind words and hoped he could do it again sometimes at another away game.

Class act. RIP.

I was at that 58-3 come-from-behind victory. We sat waaaaay up in that gaudy addition that is higher than the top of the light standards on the opposite side. From there the players look like ants. I looked down and saw the space shuttle go by. At the end of the game, the escalators “broke down”. It took forever to exit. The Tiger fans we parked near were a blast to hang out with pregame. Those coon-asses were not stingy with their booze or the jambalaya. LSU campus is not real pretty for a southern university. I didn’t think so anyway. Yellow stucco buildings as I recall.

~ almost forgot, Rest in Peace, Norm Carlson. There was no better Gator football historian. I met him at the alumni center years ago. A genuine smile tells so much about a person.