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Campus History
Fightin' Gators: A History of the University of Florida Football (FL)
Experience the University of Florida football program's fascinating 20th century journey, one that has brought enjoyment to millions and national recognition to the school.
The University of Florida, the state's oldest and largest university, is recognized today as one of the country's most academically diverse public institutions. Though able to trace its history to 1853, the school did not begin its popular football program until the first few years of the 20th century. The program has had its share of scandals and embarrassments over time, but it has also produced two Heisman Trophy winners, a national champion, numerous players drafted into the professional ranks, and a visibility that consistently ranks the team in the top five in the country. Now attracting 85,000 fans to each of its home games, the Gators' football program has become a vital part of the University of Florida.
When the team won the national championship in 1996, no one could have predicted such success just 90 years earlier. Fortunately, that journey through the last century has been captured in great photographs that include formal portraits of teams, action shots on the field, views of the stadium simply referred to as "The Swamp" by fans, and snapshots from every decade. These images tell the story of the birth and growth of a football team.
The University of Florida, the state's oldest and largest university, is recognized today as one of the country's most academically diverse public institutions. Though able to trace its history to 1853, the school did not begin its popular football program until the first few years of the 20th century. The program has had its share of scandals and embarrassments over time, but it has also produced two Heisman Trophy winners, a national champion, numerous players drafted into the professional ranks, and a visibility that consistently ranks the team in the top five in the country. Now attracting 85,000 fans to each of its home games, the Gators' football program has become a vital part of the University of Florida.
When the team won the national championship in 1996, no one could have predicted such success just 90 years earlier. Fortunately, that journey through the last century has been captured in great photographs that include formal portraits of teams, action shots on the field, views of the stadium simply referred to as "The Swamp" by fans, and snapshots from every decade. These images tell the story of the birth and growth of a football team.
128 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 2000
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About the author
Kevin M. McCarthy
56 books7 followersProfessor of Linguistics at the University of Florida (1969-2005).
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 10, 2019
Fightin' Gators tells the history of University of Florida football, and its contributions to the overall growth and excellence of the school, through well-captioned pictures. Focusing on the school's football program and many well-known athletes and coaches that came out of it, the book captures faces and moments in time that a Gator fan will love to learn about or relive. Pictures rotate through scenic, portrait, and action shots. Chapters are divided in terms of decades/coaches, but the content within each chapter covers coaches, athletes, and general program trivia. The author points out the many namesakes for which buildings were named/renamed, and why they were chosen for those honors. The beauty and history of the school and its football legacy really comes alive in these pages. There were some redundancies that got annoying, such as repeating multiple times how the Gator is a better mascot than that of other schools, which is why I deducted a star. Otherwise this is a great collection of photographs that are well organize into a cohesive story.
Displaying 1 of 1 review