Crowley's Books

  In 1989, the Gators brought back a legend to be the new head coach. His name was Steve Spurrier. After his 10 year playing career in the NFL, Spurrier went into coaching with stops at Florida, Georgia Tech, and Duke as an assistant before being the head coach for the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits going 35-19 in three seasons making it to the playoffs twice. After the USFL folded (thanks to Donald Trump), Spurrier was hired by the Duke Blue Devils to be the head coach in 1987, where he went 20-13-1 including winning a share of the ACC title in 1989. He brought his pass happy offense which many people didn’t think would work in the SEC.  Also, his tenure as coaching didn’t really start on a high note when Emmitt Smith left early for the draft which was the first time juniors can do that. Spurrier didn’t ask Smith to leave but didn’t ask him to stay either. Some could say that Spurrier should have asked Smith to stay but two ended up in good situations with Smith going to the Dallas...

Where to start? Let’s go to the beginning briefly if I can. The Florida Gators started their program officially in 1906 where the Gators started 5-3. The program didn’t really take off until the 1950’s where the Gators under Bob Woodruff where he led the Gators to their first official bowl game (Technically their first bowl game in the 1912 season in Cuba but it wasn’t sanctioned by the NCAA) in 1952 in the Gator Bowl where they beat Tulsa 14-13. It was also the first season where the Gators finished in the top 20 in the AP poll. Woodruff led the Gators to a 53-42-6 (yes ties were allowed back then) and another bowl game appearance (again the Gator Bowl) in 1958. Then came Ray Graves who took over for Woodruff as head coach and led the Gators to new heights leading them to five bowl game appearance in his decade as coach including the Sugar Bowl in 1965 and the Orange Bowl in 1966 and Steve Spurrier became the first Heisman winner for the Gators in 1966. That 1966 season was the first ...

       Where to begin, probably when I first started to become a Gators fan. At first became aware of college football in 1993 and where I first rooted for the ……… Florida State Seminoles. I know I know. I was a big Charlie Ward fan during that 1993 season a team that also had future Tampa Bay Buccaneer players in Mr. Derrick Brooks and Warrick Dunn. Also, you got to legendary coach Bobby Bowden.   I was sad when the Seminoles lost to Notre Dame but later on being happy when Charlie Ward won the Heisman and the Noles won the national title. Also, I was happy when the Noles beat the Gators that season in Ben Hill Griffin stadium. I remember as a nine-year getting into an argument with a couple of soccer players around my age over the rivalry before the game if I recalled in a McDonalds. I won that argument. However, I wasn’t that aware that players left school for the NFL, graduate, etc. was I was so hurt of Charlie Ward leaving that I become a Gator fan and...