University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame
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{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox award
| name = University of Florida
Athletic Hall of Fame
| image = University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame Logo.png
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption =
| awarded_for = Excellence in college sports
| presenter = University of Florida Lettermen's Association (F Club)
| host =
| date = {{Start date|2024|10|18}} (last induction)
| location = Gainesville, Florida
| country = United States
| reward = Honorary
| year =
| year2 =
| holder =
| website = [http://www.gatorfclub.org/hall-of-fame F Club]
}}
The University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame includes over 300 former Florida Gators athletes who represented the University of Florida in one or more intercollegiate sports and were recognized as "Gator Greats" for their athletic excellence during their college sports careers. The University of Florida, located in Gainesville, Florida, is a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and fields twenty-one intercollegiate sports teams, all of which compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Gator Greats are listed below in alphabetical order within each sport. Those listed include athletes from nine men's sports and nine women's sports. This list also includes "Distinguished Letterwinners", who are former Gators athletes who achieved distinction after graduation, as athletic coaches or administrators, professional athletes, or in public service or other career activities; and "Honorary Letterwinners," who were not former Gators athletes, but who distinguished themselves by their significant contributions to the success of the Florida Gators sports teams, including former championship Gators coaches. Distinguished Letterwinners and Honorary Letterwinners are listed below in alphabetical order in separate sections near the end of this article.
The Hall of Fame's Class of 2013 included Gator Greats Jeff Davis (wrestling), Josh Fogg (baseball), Rex Grossman (football), Riko Higashio (women's golf), Heather Mitts (women's soccer), Mike Pearson (football), and Chrissy Van Fleet (women's gymnastics); Honorary Letterwinner Ernestine Weaver (women's gymnastics coach); and Distinguished Letterwinner Larry Morris (football).[http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20120910/ARTICLES/120919983?tc=cr "9 UF Greats Join Hall"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913211955/http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20120910/ARTICLES/120919983?tc=cr |date=2012-09-13 }}, The Gainesville Sun (September 10, 2012). Retrieved September 12, 2012. The Class of 2014 included Gator Greats Aury Cruz (volleyball), Jenny Gladding (softball), Justin O'Neal (men's tennis), Keiwan Ratliff (football), Colleen Rosensteel (women's track and field), Mike Stanley (baseball) and Sarah Yohe (women's soccer), and Distinguished Letterwinner Harry Wilder (men's swimming).[http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=26205 "University of Florida Announces 2014 UF Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019152611/http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=26205 |date=2013-10-19 }}, GatorZone.com (September 11, 2013). Retrieved July 6, 2014.
The Class of 2015 included seven Gator Greats: Camilo Benedetti (men's golf), Matt Bonner (men's basketball), Beth Farmer (women's cross country; women's track and field), Nicole McCray (volleyball), Candice Scott (women's track and field), Camilo Villegas (men's golf), and Stephanie Zunich Donley (women's swimming). They were inducted on April 10, 2015.
Baseball
The following Gator Greats are former members of the Florida Gators baseball team:
class="wikitable" |
width=170 style="background:#0021A5;" | Name
! width=90 style="background:#0021A5;" | Sport ! width=77 style="background:#0021A5;" | Years ! style="background:#0021A5;" | Accomplishments |
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Robert F. Barnes
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1953, 1956, 1958 | In a college career interrupted by military service, Bobby Barnes lettered in 1953, 1956 and 1958.[http://web.gatorzone.com/baseball/media/2014/supplement.pdf 2014 Florida Baseball Media Supplement] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903185752/http://web.gatorzone.com/baseball/media/2014/supplement.pdf |date=2014-09-03 }}, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 88, 89–92, 95–97, 104, 106–108 (2014). Retrieved August 28, 2014. He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection twice—first as catcher, then as outfielder, and led the Gators with twenty runs scored in 1958. |
Cecil Beck
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1925–27 | Three-sport letterman Cecil Beck was a 100- and 200-yard sprinter nicknamed "Jack Rabbit". In football, the halfback memorably lifted his team over Washington & Lee with a 55-yard touchdown run; in baseball, the center fielder's swift base-running and heavy bat won him a contract with the Boston Braves. Beck was also a Phi Beta Kappa and two-time recipient of the Norris Trophy as the university's outstanding scholar-athlete.Robert Poznar, [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=H0cuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tskEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1374,4628680&dq=cecil-beck+florida&hl=en "Barracuda Beck Inducted To UF Hall"], Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal, p. 9D (April 8, 1984). Retrieved March 5, 2012. |
Harry L. Coe III
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1951–52 | Pitcher Harry Coe was an All-SEC selection in 1952. After his college career, he played four seasons of minor league baseball and put himself through law school. Coe later served as a circuit court judge and state attorney in Hillsborough County, Florida. |
Douglas M. Corbett
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1971–74 | Pitcher Doug Corbett was an All-SEC selection in 1974. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Minnesota Twins in 1980, and played eight MLB seasons with the Twins, the California Angels and the Baltimore Orioles. Corbett was an American League All-Star in 1981.Baseball-Reference.com, Players, [https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/corbedo01.shtml "Doug Corbett"]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
David M. Eckstein
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1994–97 | Infielder David Eckstein was a walk-on player who garnered All-SEC and All-American honors, and was a member of the Gators' 1996 College World Series team. In 1997, he compiled eighty-five runs, 125 runs batted in, and thirty-five stolen bases. He made his MLB debut with the Anaheim Angels in 2001, and in ten MLB seasons, he earned two World Series rings, and 2006 World Series MVP honors.Baseball-Reference.com, Players, [https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/eckstda01.shtml "David Eckstein"]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Joshua S. Fogg
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1995–98 | Pitcher Josh Fogg received All-SEC and consensus first-team All-American honors, and was a member of the Gators' 1996 College World Series team. He made his MLB debut with the Chicago White Sox in 2001, and subsequently played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds.Baseball-Reference.com, Players, [https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/foggjo01.shtml "Josh Fogg"]. Retrieved October 11, 2012. |
Matthew V. LaPorta
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 2004–07 | First baseman Matt LaPorta was a two-time first-team All-American, two-time first-team All-SEC, and two-time SEC Player of the Year (2005, 2007). He led the NCAA in 2005 with 26 home runs, coinciding in an appearance in the College World Series final against Texas. After his UF career, he was a member of the 2008 Summer Olympics team that won a bronze medal and played 4 years in the MLB with the Cleveland Indians. |
Perry C. McGriff Jr.
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1958–60 | Outfielder Perry McGriff was a two-time All-SEC selection and the Gators' first-ever two-time All-American in baseball. He also received All-SEC and All-American honors in football. McGriff was later elected to the Florida House of Representatives. |
Tom Moore
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1960, 1962–63 | Third baseman Tom Moore was a two-time All-SEC selection and a two-time first-team All-American. In 1962 and 1963, Moore led the Gators in batting average, hits and stolen bases. He still holds the team records for stolen bases in a single game and triples in a season. |
Louis Pesce
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1952–54 |
Robert G. Pitman
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1931–33 | Bob Pitman was the third baseman for the Gators in the early 1930s and received honorable mention All-American honors after leading the team with a .350 batting average. He later served as the backfield coach for the Gators football team from 1942 to 1945, and the head baseball coach in 1945. |
Quintus I. Roberts
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1931–33 | Q. I. Roberts was a standout Florida Gators baseball player from 1931 to 1933. Roberts became an educator and coach in the public schools of Putnam County, Florida. |
R. Rudy Simpson Jr.
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1951–54 | Pitcher Rudy Simpson was the Gators' first scholarship baseball player in 1951. Simpson was an All-SEC selection in 1954. |
R. Michael Stanley
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1982–85 | Catcher Mike Stanley was a member of the SEC All-Tournament Team in 1982, 1984 and 1985, and was a key member of the Gators' SEC regular season and tournament championship teams in 1982 and 1984. Often serving as the team's designated hitter, Stanley still holds the team records for runs scored and runs batted in. He played fifteen MLB seasons for the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Oakland Athletics.Baseball-Reference.com, Players, [https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stanlmi02.shtml "Mike Stanley"]. Retrieved July 6, 2014. |
Haywood C. Sullivan
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1951–52 | Haywood Sullivan was a two-sport standout in baseball and football, and is generally rated as the best passing quarterback of the first fifty-five years of the Gators football program. His equally strong baseball talent led to him receiving a Major League Baseball bonus contract from the Boston Red Sox in 1952, and he rose from team catcher, to general manager, and ultimately, to general partner of the Red Sox franchise. |
E. Burton Touchberry
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1954–57 | Burt Touchberry was a two-sport star in baseball and basketball. In baseball, he was a three-year starting pitcher and an All-SEC selection. As a senior in 1957, he pitched ten games, with twenty-eight strikeouts and an earned run average of 0.81—still the best single season ERA in Gators history. |
Preston M. Tucker
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 2009–12 | The all-time hits leader with 341, Preston Tucker made 2 All-American and All-SEC teams. He holds career records in at-bats, doubles, RBI, and total bases, while being second in games played, starts, home runs, and runs scored. The only Gator to make 4 straight Regional All-Tournament Teams, Tucker won 2 SEC titles and 2 Regional MOPs on his way to powering the three straight College World Series appearances from 2010–12, including a national runner-up finish in 2011. Tucker played 6 seasons in the MLB & KBO. |
Marc C. Valdes
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1991–93 | Marc Valdes ranks first or second in most major Florida pitching categories. The career leader in wins (31), starts (55), and innings pitched (394.2), Valdes threw for a career 3.13 ERA and 351 strikeouts, second all-time. After a freshman All-America appearance and College World Series appearance in 1991, Valdes pitched for 10 years in the MLB & NPB. |
S. Bradley Wilkerson
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1996–98 | Brad Wilkerson was an outfielder, a first baseman, and a three-time first-team All-American. In three years as a Gator, he compiled fifty-five home runs, 224 runs batted in, and forty-six stolen bases. After college, he won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. national team at the 2000 Olympics.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200418023328/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wi/brad-wilkerson-1.html "Brad Wilkerson"]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. He made his MLB debut with the Montreal Expos in 2001, and played eight MLB seasons.Baseball-Reference.com, Players, [https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wilkebr01.shtml "Brad Wilkerson"]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Dale J. Willis
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1954–56 | Pitcher Dale Willis was an All-SEC selection in 1956. As a senior, Willis posted three consecutive games with ten or more strikeouts, and averaged 11.9 strikeouts per game. Willis made his MLB debut with the Kansas City Athletics in 1963.Baseball-Reference.com, Players, [https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willida04.shtml "Dale Willis"]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Michael A. Zunino
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 2010–12 | Catcher Mike Zunino became the first Gator to win the Golden Spikes Award, doing so in 2012. A two-time first-team All-American and 2011 SEC Player of the Year, he compiled 47 home runs, 175 RBIs, and a .327 batting average while at Florida. He played 11 seasons in the MLB, being named an All-Star in 2021. |
Men's basketball
The following Gator Greats are former members of the Florida Gators men's basketball team:
class="wikitable" |
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Matthew R. Bonner
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1999–2003 | Forward & center Matt Bonner was a three-time All-SEC selection and was named an honorable mention All-American twice. He later went on to play 13 years in the NBA, winning 2 titles with the San Antonio Spurs. |
Corey W. Brewer
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 2004–07 | Forward Corey Brewer was a key member of the back-to-back national championship teams of 2006 & 2007, winning Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 2007. The first Gator to record a triple-double in program history, Brewer finished his career with 176 steals, the seventh-most in history. He went to play 13 years in the NBA, winning the 2011 NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks. |
Richard J. Casares
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1951–53 | Guard Rick Casares was a two-sport standout in basketball and football.[http://www.gatorzone.com/football/media/2014/media_guide.pdf 2014 Florida Gators Football Media Guide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912112946/http://www.gatorzone.com/football/media/2014/media_guide.pdf |date=2014-09-12 }}, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 74, 75, 76–86, 87–90, 91–93, 94, 95–96, 98–106, 107–116, 141–144, 146–159, 160, 171–175, 176–183 (2014). Retrieved August 28, 2014. In basketball, he was the Gators' leading scorer for two straight seasons, a two-time All-SEC selection, and a team captain. In 1951, he hit 13-of-13 field goal attempts against Georgia Tech. Casares was drafted by the Chicago Bears and played professional football for twelve seasons.Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CasaRi00.htm "Rick Casares"]. Retrieved September 28, 2011. |
W. N. "Ben" Clemons
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1928–30 | Ben Clemons was a three-sport standout athlete who played for the Florida Gators football, basketball and baseball teams for three years as a collegian. After his undergraduate career, Clemons returned as the basketball team's head coach from 1933 to 1936, the baseball team's head coach from 1934 to 1936, and an assistant football coach from 1933 to 1935. |
Daniel C. Cross Jr.
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1992–95 | Guard Dan Cross was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection, received All-American honors twice, and was a senior team captain. Memorably, Cross made a layup at the buzzer to defeat James Madison and advance in the 1994 NCAA Tournament, and was a major factor in the Gators' run to their first-ever NCAA Final Four in 1994. He led the team in scoring during the 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons. |
A. Curtis Cunkle Jr.
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1951–53 | Forward Curt Cunkle played in sixty-one games, scored 604 points, recovered 493 rebounds, and was a first-team All-SEC selection in 1953. |
Andrew D. DeClercq
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1991–95 | Forward-center Andrew DeClercq started 128 consecutive games for the Gators, still a program record. A three-time All-SEC selection, DeClercq's 958 career rebounds and 176 career blocks rank third and sixth all-time and were key in helping the Gators make their first Final Four appearance in 1994. |
Robert E. Emrick
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1954–57 | Forward-center Bob Emrick played in ninety-one games, scored 1,535 points, made 514 free throws, and pulled down 869 rebounds. He was a two-time All-SEC selection, and a senior team captain. Emrick led the team in scoring for three seasons, averaged 16.7 points per game, and remains tenth on the Gators' career scoring list. |
Taurean J. Green
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 2004–07 | Guard Taurean Green was a two-time second-team All-SEC selection and honorable mention All-American in 2007. He was a key member of the back-to-back national championship teams of 2006 & 2007, winning MVP of the SEC tournament in 2006. He accumulated 1,174 points, 242 rebounds, 400 assists and 124 steals during his career. |
Udonis J. Haslem
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1999–2002 | Center Udonis Haslem scored 1,781 career points, made 515 free throws, recovered 861 rebounds, and remains fourth on the Gators' all-time scoring list. He was the first player in Gators basketball history to play in four consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Haslem was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection, received All-American honors three times, and was a senior team captain. He played all twenty seasons of his NBA career with the Miami Heat, where he was on all 3 of the Heat's NBA championship teams.Basketball-Reference.com, Players, [https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hasleud01.html "Udonis Haslem"]{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203150207/http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hasleud01.html |date=2011-02-03 }}. Retrieved September 28, 2011. |
Brooks Henderson
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1963–65 | Guard Brooks Henderson played in sixty-six games, scored 1,001 points, pulled down 365 rebounds, and made 83.0 percent of his free throws. Henderson was a three-time All-SEC selection, and received All-American honors as a senior team captain. |
Joe Hobbs
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1956–58 | Guard Joe Hobbs was a first-team All-SEC selection, an All-American, and a senior team captain. He scored 1,331 points, completed 84.3 percent of his free throws, and averaged 23.9 points per game as a senior. Memorably, he scored forty-one points against Georgia in 1958—still one of the four highest-scoring performances in team history. Hobbs was the first Gator to receive All-American basketball honors. |
Alfred J. Horford Reynoso
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 2004–07 | Center Al Horford was a two-time All-American, 2006 SEC Tournament MVP and the man in the middle on the 2006 & 2007 national championship teams. He left Florida with 1,123 points, 869 rebounds (tied for 6th all-time), 187 assists, 94 steals, and 189 blocks (4th all-time). So far, he has played 18 seasons in the NBA, making 5 All-Star teams and winning the 2024 NBA championship with the Boston Celtics. |
Gary J. Keller
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1965–67 | Center-forward Gary Keller led the team in scoring during the 1965–66 and 1966–67 seasons. In three seasons, he played in seventy-six games, scored 1,104 points, and recovered 855 rebounds. Keller was a first-team All-SEC selection and an Academic All-American. He played two seasons in the ABA.Basketball-Reference.com, Players, [https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/kellega01.html "Gary Keller"]. Retrieved September 28, 2011. |
David Lee
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 2001–05 | Forward-center David Lee was a two-time second-team All-SEC selection and member of the 2005 SEC Tournament winning team, the first time in program history. He finished his career with 1,436 points and 869 rebounds, which is tied for sixth all-time. He played 13 years in the NBA, making 2 All-Star teams & winning the 2015 NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors. |
Michael L. Miller
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1998–2000 | Mike Miller will go down in basketball history as one of the most underrated shooters ever. A freshman All-American in 1998, his first-team All-SEC selection and last-second floater over Butler to avoid a first-round upset led to the Gators' first national championship appearance in 2000. This outstanding college career led to an even more successful 18-year NBA career, winning Rookie of the Year in 2001, Sixth Man of the Year in 2006 and back-to-back championships with the Miami Heat in 2012 & 2013. |
Tony Miller
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1971–73 | Guard Tony Miller led the Gators in scoring for three straight years, and led the SEC during the 1971–72 season with an average of 26.7 points per game. He was a first-team All-SEC selection, a senior team captain, an Academic All-American, and the recipient of an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship. Miller still holds the team record for most points scored in a single game (54). In three seasons, he scored 1,382 points. |
Joakim S. Noah
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 2004–07 | Center Joakim Noah will forever be a household name for Gator fans, making 2 first-team All-SEC teams, second-team All-American in 2007, winning back-to-back national titles, and being named the 2006 Final Four Most Outstanding Player. He finished his 3-year career with 1,133 points, 687 rebounds, 95 steals and 186 blocks, the latter being the fifth-most in program history. Noah then had a superb 14-year NBA career, making 2 All-Star teams, 3 All-Defensive teams and the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year award. |
Andrew Owens
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1968–70 | Forward Andy Owens was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection, an All-American, an Academic All-American, a senior team captain, and an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship recipient. He scored 1,445 career points, and averaged 27.0 points per game during the 1969–70 season—still the team record. Owens was picked in the 1970 NBA Draft, attended law school after a brief pro career, and became a lawyer and circuit court judge. |
Chandler E. Parsons
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 2007–11 | Forward Chandler Parsons was the 2011 SEC Player of the Year, becoming the first Gator to win the honor. He led the Gators to an SEC Championship win and Elite Eight appearance that year. He later played in the NBA for 10 years. |
Hans Tanzler
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1947–50 | Guard Hans Tanzler played in 100 games, led the Gators in scoring during the 1947–48 season, and scored 1,221 career points. He was an All-SEC selection, and a senior team captain. Tanzler was later elected mayor of the City of Jacksonville. |
Neal E. Walk
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1967–69 | Center Neal Walk was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection, a two-time All-American, and a senior team captain. He led the nation in rebounds per game during the 1967–68 season. In his three-year college career, he scored 1,600 points, completed 456 free throws, and pulled down 1,181 rebounds. The Phoenix Suns picked Walk in the first round of the 1969 NBA Draft, and he played in the NBA for eight seasons.Basketball-Reference.com, Players, [https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/walkne01.html "Neal Walk"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100925020148/http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/walkne01.html |date=2010-09-25 }}. Retrieved September 28, 2011. |
Scottie J. Wilbekin
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 2010–14 | Guard Scottie Wilbekin won the 2014 SEC Player of the Year award, SEC Tournament MVP, and NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player, becoming the only Gator to do so on his way to leading Florida to yet another Final Four appearance. A 2-time All-SEC honoree, he is still top 10 in games played, assists and steals in program history. He has had a successful pro career in Europe since leaving UF, winning the Turkish Cup, 3 Israeli Premier League championships, and the 2018 EuroCup while also being regular and postseason MVP. |
Chip Williams
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1973–75 | Center Chip Williams was a first-team All-SEC selection and a senior team captain. In three seasons as a Gator, he played in seventy-six games, led the team in scoring during the 1973–74 season, scored 1,246 points, completed 72.4 percent of his free throws, and recovered 775 rebounds. |
Ronnie Williams
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1980–84 | Forward Ronnie Williams was a four-year starter, the SEC Freshman of the Year, a four-time All-SEC selection, and a senior team captain. He led the Gators in scoring for four consecutive seasons, scored 2,090 career points (current team record) while completing 58.5 percent of his field goal attempts, pulled down 954 rebounds, and hit 546 free throws (current team record). |
Women's basketball
The following Gator Greats are former members of the Florida Gators women's basketball team:
Boxing
The following Gator Greats are former members of the Florida Gators men's boxing team:
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! width=90 style="background:#0021A5;" | Sport ! width=77 style="background:#0021A5;" | Years ! style="background:#0021A5;" | Accomplishments |
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John G. Joca
| align=center | Boxing | align=center | 1939–40 | Boxer Johnny Joca won the NCAA national boxing championship in the 135-pound weight class in 1940. Joca was the first Florida Gators athlete, in any sport, to win an individual NCAA national championship. |
Phillip D. O'Connell
| align=center | Boxing | align=center | 1929–30 | Phil O'Connell was the captain of the University of Florida boxing team for two years. During his professional welterweight boxing career, he compiled a record of six wins (one by knockout), two losses, and one draw. Afterward, he became a lawyer, municipal judge, and state's attorney. |
Carlos R. Proctor
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1929–30 | Carlos Proctor was a Gator heavyweight boxer as an undergraduate, and then served as the team's head coach until the boxing program was suspended during World War II. During his brief professional boxing career, Proctor posted two wins, both by knockout, with no losses. He was also a two-year letterman for the football team, and served as an assistant football coach for seven seasons during the 1930s. |
Football
The following Gator Greats are former members of the Florida Gators football team:
Men's golf
The following Gator Greats are former members of the Florida Gators men's golf team:
Women's golf
The following Gator Greats are former members of the Florida Gators women's golf team:
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! width=90 style="background:#0021A5;" | Sport ! width=77 style="background:#0021A5;" | Years ! style="background:#0021A5;" | Accomplishments |
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Karen Davies
| align=center | Golf | align=center | 1985–88 | Karen Davies won the individual SEC championship in 1986, led the Lady Gators to back-to-back NCAA national championships in 1985 and 1986, and set the present team record for most collegiate individual tournament victories (9). She was the SEC Freshman of the Year, the SEC Player of the Year, a four-time first-team All-SEC selection, and a three-time first-team All-American.[http://web.gatorzone.com/golf/women/media/2013/supplement.pdf Florida Women's Golf 2013–14 Media Supplement] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903185803/http://web.gatorzone.com/golf/women/media/2013/supplement.pdf |date=2014-09-03 }}, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 21–24, 26, 30 (2013). Retrieved August 28, 2014. Davies played on the LPGA Tour for fourteen years. |
E. Page Dunlap-Halpin
| align=center | Golf | align=center | 1984–87 | Page Dunlap was a member of the Lady Gators' back-to-back NCAA national championship teams in 1985 and 1986. Dunlap was also the individual NCAA national champion in 1986, shooting a 72-hole score of 291 to win by a single stroke. She was a first-team All-American, and won the Broderick Award in 1986. Dunlap is a member of the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) Players Hall of Fame.National Golf Coaches Association, [http://www.ngca.com/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3296 Players Hall of Fame]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Riko Higashio
| align=center | Golf | align=center | 1995–98 | Riko Higashio was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 1996, a three-time first-team All-SEC selection, and a first-team All-American and the recipient of the Dinah Shore Trophy in 1998. She tied for the lowest 18-hole round in Lady Gators history (67). Higashio turned professional in 1998, and played on the Futures Tour, LPGA Tour and LPGA Tour of Japan. |
Donna Horton White
| align=center | Golf | align=center | 1975–76 | In her two years as a Lady Gator, Donna Horton was a four-time collegiate medalist. In 1976, she competed in the World Cup and the Curtis Cup, and won the U.S. Amateur. She turned professional in 1977, and competed on the LPGA Tour for fifteen years, and won three LPGA tournaments. Horton is a member of the NGCA Players Hall of Fame. |
Cheryl Morley Pontious
| align=center | Golf | align=center | 1985–88 | Cheryl Morley was a member of the Lady Gators' NCAA national championship team in 1986, and won the individual SEC championship in 1988. She was a three-time first-team All-SEC selection, and a two-time first-team All-American. Morley is a member of the NGCA Players Hall of Fame. |
Deb Richard
| align=center | Golf | align=center | 1982–85 | Deb Richard won seven collegiate tournaments, including three consecutive SEC individual championships. She was a four-time first-team All-SEC selection, and a two-time first-team All-American. She was the individual runner-up, by a single stroke, at the NCAA Women's Golf Championship, the SEC Golfer of the Year, and winner of the Broderick Award in 1985. Richard is a member of the NGCA Players Hall of Fame. |
Women's gymnastics
The following Gator Greats are former members of the Florida Gators women's gymnastics team:
class="wikitable" |
width=170 style="background:#0021A5;" | Name
! width=90 style="background:#0021A5;" | Sport ! width=77 style="background:#0021A5;" | Years ! style="background:#0021A5;" | Accomplishments |
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Kristin Guise Lee
| align=center | Gymnastics | align=center | 1993–96 | Kristin Guise received a total of eleven All-American honors, including six first-team honors. Guise finished first in the SEC Championship all-around competition in 1995, and was recognized as the SEC Gymnast of the Year in 1996. |
Corey Hartung
| align=center | Gymnastics | align=center | 2006–09 | Corey Hartung received ten All-American honors. She won 58 titles, including 14 in all-around competition. She finished first in the SEC championship balance beam competition in 2008. |
Lynn McDonnell Keefe
| align=center | Gymnastics | align=center | 1981–84 | Lynn McDonnell received four All-American honors. McDonnell was a member of the Gators teams that won the AIAW national championship team in 1982, and three consecutive SEC championships in 1982, 1983 and 1984. She finished first in the SEC championship all-around competition in 1981 and 1982. |
Melissa Miller
| align=center | Gymnastics | align=center | 1986–89 | Melissa Miller earned six All-American honors. Miller finished first in the SEC championship all-around competition in 1988 and 1989. |
Elfi Schlegel-Dunn
| align=center | Gymnastics | align=center | 1983–86 | Elfi Schlegel received six All-American honors. She was a member of the Gators' SEC championship teams in 1983 and 1984. Schlegel turned in top-three performances in ten individual events at four SEC championship tournaments. |
Chrissy Van Fleet
| align=center | Gymnastics | align=center | 1997–2000 | Chrissy Van Fleet earned five first-team All-American honors, and six more second-team honors. Van Fleet led the Gators to a second-place NCAA finish as a sophomore in 1998, earned sixteen all-around victories during her career, and was the SEC Gymnast of the Year in 2000. |
Ann M. Woods-Smith
| align=center | Gymnastics | align=center | 1980–82 | Ann Woods earned five All-American honors. Woods was a key member of the Gators' SEC championship and AIAW national championship team in 1982. Woods placed among the top three in five different individual events at the 1982 SEC championships, and was recognized as the outstanding collegiate gymnast of 1981–82. |
Women's soccer
The following Gator Greats are former members of the Florida Gators women's soccer team:
class="wikitable" |
width=170 style="background:#0021A5;" | Name
! width=90 style="background:#0021A5;" | Sport ! width=77 style="background:#0021A5;" | Years ! style="background:#0021A5;" | Accomplishments |
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Erin Baxter McCorkle
| align=center | Soccer | align=center | 1995–98 | Midfielder Erin Baxter was a senior member of the Gators' 1998 NCAA national championship team. Baxter was a three-time first-team All-SEC selection and a three-time All-American. She was named the Soccer America Most Valuable Player of the 1998 season. |
Danielle Garrett Fotopoulos
| align=center | Soccer | align=center | 1996–98 | Forward Danielle Fotopoulos was a senior member of the Gators' 1998 NCAA national championship team. She was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection and a two-time All-American, and was named National Player of the Year by several organizations in 1998. Fotopoulos was a member of the U.S. national team that won the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. |
Stephanie Freeman Echarte
| align=center | Soccer | align=center | 2001–04 | Midfielder Stephanie Freeman was a two-time SEC Player of the Year and three-time All-SEC selection. An All-American in 2003, she won MVP of the SEC Tournament in 2004 in a year where she led the Gators with 17 goals & 37 points. |
Heather Mitts Feeley
| align=center | Soccer | align=center | 1996–99 | Defender Heather Mitts was a key member of the Gators' first NCAA national championship team in 1998, and was recognized as a first-team All-American in 1999. Mitts won Olympic gold medals as a member of the winning U.S. teams in 2004, 2008 and 2012, and was a member of the U.S. national team for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup tournament.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200418000738/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mi/heather-mitts-1.html Heather Mitts]. Retrieved September 12, 2012. |
Erika L. Tymrak
| align=center | Soccer | align=center | 2009–12 | Midfielder Erika Tymrak was a two-time All-American and three-time first-team All-SEC selection. The 2012 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, her 32 goals and third-best 40 assists helped the Gators to win 3 SEC championships during her college career. She most recently played for the NWSL's Orlando Pride and has signed to join the Tampa Bay Sun of the USL Super League. |
M. Abigail Wambach
| align=center | Soccer | align=center | 1998–2001 | Forward Abby Wambach was a member of the Gators' 1998 NCAA national championship team. She was a four-time first-team All-SEC selection, a two-time first-team All-American, and the Soccer America Most Valuable Player in 2001. Wambach won Olympic gold medals as a member of the winning U.S. teams in 2004 and 2012, and was a member of the U.S. national team for the 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200418000723/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wa/abby-wambach-1.html Abby Wambach]. Retrieved September 30, 2011. |
Sarah Yohe Cohen
| align=center | Soccer | align=center | 1996–99 | Sarah Yohe scored eighteen game-winning goals as a Gator. As a freshman, she kicked the winning goal in the Gators' first SEC championship. As a junior, she scored the team's only goal in the 1–0 victory over Santa Clara in the NCAA semifinals, sending the Gators to the 1998 NCAA championship. As a senior, she was SEC Player of the Year, a first-team All-SEC selection, a second-team All-American, and the national Scholar Athlete of the Year.GatorZone.com, [http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=27519 Sarah Yohe joins University of Florida 2014 UF Athletic Hall of Fame] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140803103913/http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=27519 |date=2014-08-03 }}. Retrieved July 6, 2014. |
Softball
The following Gator Great is a former member of the Florida Gators softball team:
class="wikitable" |
width=170 style="background:#0021A5;" | Name
! width=90 style="background:#0021A5;" | Sport ! width=77 style="background:#0021A5;" | Years ! style="background:#0021A5;" | Accomplishments |
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Kelsey Bruder
| align=center | Softball | align=center | 2008–11 | Kelsey Bruder was the first Gator softball player to win the NCAA's Top VIII Award and Honda Award, both in 2011. That same year, she won SEC Player of the Year and helped the Gators reach the Women's College World Series, making the all-tournament team. A two-time All-American, she played 3 years in the NPF before becoming an assistant coach for both Murray State and Florida's softball teams. |
Francesca Enea
| align=center | Softball | align=center | 2007–10 | Francesca Enea became the second Gator to make 3 All-America teams, helping lead Florida to its first WCWS appearances in 2008 & 2009. She finished her Florida career with the most home runs (61), RBIs (221), and total bases (431). After leaving UF, she played 4 years in the NPF before becoming an analyst for 12 years & returning to UF as an assistant coach in 2023. |
Jennifer M. Gladding
| align=center | Softball | align=center | 2003–04 | Pitcher Jenny Gladding was a junior transfer to the University of Florida. In two seasons as one of the Gators' starting pitchers, she compiled 285 strikeouts, an earned run average of 1.20, one perfect game and one no-hitter. She was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2003. |
Michelle Moultrie
| align=center | Softball | align=center | 2009–12 | Michelle Moultrie walked onto the Florida softball team in 2009. In a 4-year career, she made 2 All-America teams, was the 2012 SEC Player of the Year, and was a co-recipient of the Most Outstanding Player at the Women's College World Series in 2011, finishing with career records in batting average (.395) and stolen bases (83). Since leaving UF, she has been a member of the US women's national team, helping the U.S. win a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics. |
Stacey L. Nelson
| align=center | Softball | align=center | 2006–09 | Pitcher Stacey Nelson became Florida's first three-team first-team NFCA All-American. A two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year, she helped Florida make its first two WCWS appearances in 2008 and 2009. When she left, she held 15 single-season records and 15 career records, including wins (136), ERA (0.99), shutouts (60), and innings pitched (1141.2), as well as the second-most strikeouts in Florida history (1,116). |
Hannah Rogers
| align=center | Softball | align=center | 2011–14 | Pitcher Hannah Rogers became Florida's first four-team NFCA All-American. On top of that, she was named the 2014 Women's College World Series Most Outstanding Player as Florida won its first national championship, leading to an addition SEC Female Athlete of the Year award. When she left, she was second in most pitching categories. |
C. Chelsey Sakizzie
| align=center | Softball | align=center | 1997–98 | Chelsey Sakizzie transferred to the University of Florida as a junior. In just two seasons as the Gators' ace starting pitcher, she won sixty games, notched 557 strikeouts, and compiled an earned run average of only 1.14. In ninety-five appearances, she pitched seventy-one complete games, and threw twenty-seven shutouts. She was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection, the SEC Player of the Year, and an All-American. |
Men's swimming and diving
The following Gator Greats are former male members of the Florida Gators swimming and diving teams:
class="wikitable" |
width=170 style="background:#0021A5;" | Name
! width=90 style="background:#0021A5;" | Sport ! width=77 style="background:#0021A5;" | Years ! style="background:#0021A5;" | Accomplishments |
---|
St. Elmo "Chic" Acosta
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1939–40 | Chic Acosta won the 1939 individual SEC championship in the 50-yard freestyle event.[http://web.gatorzone.com/swimmingdiving/media/2010/supplement.pdf Florida Swimming & Diving 2013–14 Media Supplement] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120727002007/http://web.gatorzone.com/swimmingdiving/media/2010/supplement.pdf |date=2012-07-27 }}, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 81–84, 85, 86–90, 91, 102–107, 108–113 (2013). Retrieved August 28, 2014. |
Craig R. Beardsley
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1979–83 | Craig Beardsley was a butterfly specialist who was a member of the 1980 U.S Olympic team and the favorite to win a gold medal, but was unable to compete because of the American-led boycott of the Moscow Olympics. He was an eight-time All-American, and won two individual NCAA championships in the 200-meter butterfly. While he was a Gator, Beardsley held the world record in the 200-meter butterfly from 1980 to 1983. |
James L. Borland
| align=center | Diving | align=center | 1953–54 | Diver Jim Borland was an All-American who won two individual SEC championships in the one-meter and three-meter springboard diving events, making a major contribution to the Gators' SEC team championship in 1954. |
Gregory S. Burgess
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1991–94 | Greg Burgess earned twelve All-American honors, and won eight SEC championships & four individual NCAA titles in both the 200 and 400-meter individual medleys, while also setting four records in both events. While a student-athlete at UF, Burgess won a silver medal at the 1992 Olympics in the 200 meter IM. Following his graduation, he finished 8th at the 1996 Olympics & joined the Marine Corps in 1997, where he currently serves as a major after two tours in Iraq. |
Matthew J. Cetlinski
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1983–86 | Matt Cetlinski earned eight All-American honors, and won five individual NCAA titles in distance swimming events, including the 500-meter freestyle (twice) and the 1,650-meter freestyle (three times). Cetlinski won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay at the 1988 Olympics.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417162751/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ce/matt-cetlinski-1.html Matt Cetlinski]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Marcin Cieślak
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 2011–14 | Marcin Cieślak was a 25-time All-American and 23-time All-SEC selection. He won 9 SEC championships in the 200 & 400 medley relays, 100 & 200 flies, 200 IM, and 200 freestyle. He also won NCAA titles in 2014 in the 200-meter individual medley and 100-meter fly. He remains the leader in 10 different events in program history and competed for Poland in two events at the 2012 Olympics. |
Edmond "Tom" Dioguardi
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1966–67 | Tom Dioguardi was a freestyle specialist who received five All-American honors, and was an eight-time SEC individual champion—three times in the 50-yard freestyle, twice in the 100-yard freestyle, and three times in the 200-yard freestyle. Dioguardi was a major contributor to the Gators' SEC team championships in 1966 and 1967. |
Phillip A. Drake
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1956–58 | Phil Drake was a two-time All-American who won four individual SEC championships in 1957 and 1958, including the 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard butterfly (twice), and 200-yard individual medley. Drake was a major contributor to the Gators' SEC team championships in 1957 and 1958. |
Conor J. Dwyer
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 2009–11 | Conor Dwyer received twelve All-American honors and was a three-time national champion & eight-time SEC champion. A two-time SEC & NCAA Male Swimmer of the Year, Dwyer still holds six program records. Dwyer won gold medals at both the 2012 & 2016 Olympics as a member of the U.S. team in the 4x200-meter relay, as well as a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in the 200-meter freestyle. |
Shaune D. Fraser
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 2006–10 | Shaune Fraser received a school record twenty-seven All-American honors and was a three-time individual NCAA champion in the 200-yard butterfly (twice) and the 200-yard freestyle, where he broke the collegiate record in the 200-yard butterfly at the 2009 NCAA Championships. A resident of the Cayman Islands, Fraser represented them at 3 Olympic Games, where he was the flag bearer at the 2008 Games. |
Geoffrey S. Gaberino
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1981–84 | Geoff Gaberino received fourteen All-American honors and was the team captain when the Gators won back-to-back NCAA national team championships in 1983 and 1984. He swam the opening leg for the Gators' NCAA championship relay teams in the 4x100-meter and 4x200-meter freestyle relay events. Gaberino won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics as a member of the winning U.S. team in the 4x200-meter relay.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417164243/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ga/geoff-gaberino-1.html Geoff Gaberino]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Michael S. Heath
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1983–86 | Mike Heath earned nineteen All-American honors. He swam the anchor leg for the Gators' NCAA national championship relay teams in the 4x100-meter and 4x200-meter freestyle relay events in 1983 and 1984, and also won an individual NCAA title in the 200-meter freestyle. Heath won three gold medals (4x100-meter freestyle, 4x200-meter freestyle, and 4x100-meter medley relays) and a silver (200-meter freestyle) at the 1984 Olympics.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417121840/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/he/mike-heath-1.html Mike Heath]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Rogers B. "Tiger" Holmes | align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1941–42, | Tiger Holmes was the SEC champion in the 50-yard freestyle and a member of the Gators' SEC champion medley relay team in 1942. His college career was interrupted by his military service during World War II, but he returned to lead the team as captain after the war. A long-time financial supporter of Gators athletics, Holmes served as president of Gator Boosters, Inc.International Swimming Hall of Fame, ISHOF Gold Medallion Award, [http://www.ishof.org/awards/gm1998tholmes.htm Rogers B. "Tiger" Holmes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616094655/http://www.ishof.org/awards/gm1998tholmes.htm |date=2012-06-16 }}. Retrieved February 27, 2012. |
Patrick D. Kennedy
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1983–84 | Pat Kennedy was a nine-time All-American. He was a major contributor to the Gators' 1983 and 1984 NCAA national team championships, placing third in two events in 1983 (200-meter backstroke, 400-meter individual medley), and second in two events in 1984 (200-meter and 400-meter individual medley). Kennedy was a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and placed eighth in the 200-meter butterfly.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417164237/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ke/pat-kennedy-1.html Pat Kennedy]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
David E. Larson
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1978–81 | David Larson received twenty-one All-American honors, and was a member of the Gators' NCAA national championship relay teams in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay in 1979 and 1981. Larson won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics as a member of the winning U.S. team in the 4x200-meter relay.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417164241/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/la/david-larson-1.html David Larson]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Gerald S. Livingston
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1962–64 | Jerry Livingston was a four-time All-American who dominated the butterfly in the SEC, winning three consecutive individual SEC titles in both the 100-yard and 200-yard butterfly events. He was a major contributor to the Gators' SEC team championships in 1962, 1963 and 1964. |
Ryan S. Lochte
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 2002–06 | Ryan Lochte was a 24-time All-American who won seven NCAA titles & eight SEC titles as well as two NCAA Swimmer of the Year awards. He has won 90 medals in international competition, including 12 Olympic medals, the second-most by an American swimmer. In addition, he still holds 4 world records in Olympic competition. |
J. Stephen McBride
| align=center | Diving | align=center | 1960–62 | Diver Steve McBride was a two-time All-American who dominated diving in the SEC for three years, winning individual SEC championships in the one-meter and three-meter springboard diving events in 1960, 1961 and 1962. McBride was a major contributor to the Gators' SEC team championships in those same years. |
Mark A. McKee
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1968–71 | Mark McKee was a medley swimmer who received four All-American honors. He who won four individual SEC championships, including the 200-meter individual medley once, and the 400-meter individual medley three times. He was a major contributor to the Gators' SEC team championships in 1968 and 1970. |
A. Timothy McKee
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1972–74 | Tim McKee was a four-time All-American. He won six individual SEC championships, including the 200-meter backstroke (twice), 200-meter individual medley (twice), and 400-meter individual medley (twice). McKee competed at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics, and won three silver medals—one in the 200-meter individual medley, and two in the 400-meter individual medley.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417055203/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mc/tim-mckee-1.html Tim McKee]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Andrew M. McPherson
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1967–69 | Andy McPherson was a three-time All-American who won five individual SEC titles in three years, including the 100-yard freestyle (three times), the 50-yard freestyle, and the 200-yard individual medley. McPherson was a major contributor to the Gators' SEC team championships in 1967 and 1968. |
Alberto E. Mestre-Sosa
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1983–86 | Alberto Mestre earned seventeen All-American honors. He was a member of the Gators' NCAA national championship relay teams in the 4x100-meter and 4x200-meter freestyle relay events in 1983 and 1984, and also placed second in the 100-meter freestyle in 1984. Mestre was a member of the Venezuelan Olympic team in 1980 and 1984, and placed sixth in the 100-meter freestyle and fifth in the 200-meter freestyle in 1984.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200418045552/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/me/alberto-mestre-1.html Alberto Mestre]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Anthony C. Nesty
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1989–92 | Anthony Nesty received sixteen All-American honors. He won three consecutive individual NCAA championships in the 100-yard butterfly (1990–1992), one in the 200-yard butterfly (1990), and one as a member of the school's 400-yard medley relay team (1991). Nesty won a gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly at the 1988 Olympics, and a bronze medal in the same event at the 1992 Olympics.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417163836/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ne/anthony-nesty-1.html Anthony Nesty]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
James Ray Perkins
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1968–71 | Four-time All-American Jimmy Perkins was a breaststroke specialist who won an individual SEC title in the 200-yard breaststroke event in 1970, contributing to the Gators' 1970 SEC team championship. |
Edwin C. Reese
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1961–63 | Eddie Reese won seven individual SEC titles, including the 200-yard butterfly, 200-yard breaststroke (twice), 200-yard individual medley (three times), and 400-yard individual medley. He was a major contributor as the Gators swept three straight SEC team championships. Reese is the current head coach of the University of Texas swim team, and his Longhorn swimmers have won ten NCAA national team championships. |
Charles T. "Ted" Robinson | align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1953–54 | All-American Ted Robinson won three individual SEC titles in breaststroke events, including the 100-yard breaststroke in 1953, and the 200-yard breaststroke in 1953 and 1954. Robinson was a major contributor to the Gators' back-to-back SEC team championships in 1953 and 1954. |
Barry R. Russo
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1966–68 | Barry Russo was a two-time All-American in the breaststroke who won two individual SEC titles in the 200-yard breaststroke and a third SEC team title as a member of the Gators' 4x200-yard freestyle relay team. Russo was a key contributor to the Gators' back-to-back SEC team championships in 1966, 1967 and 1968. |
Christopher Snode
| align=center | Diving | align=center | 1977–80 | Chris Snode was the University of Florida's first individual Gator NCAA champion, winning the NCAA national championship in the three-meter springboard event in 1978. He received six All-American honors Snode was Great Britain's first world diving champion (1979) and a member of the British Olympic team in 1976, 1980 and 1984; he placed among the top ten divers in the world in both platform and springboard diving at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, and won the first FINA World Cup in the three-meter in 1979.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200418040553/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sn/chris-snode-1.html Chris Snode]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Blanchard E. Tual
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1965–67 | Blanchard Tual dominated the backstroke events at the SEC championships for three consecutive years, sweeping the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke in 1965, 1966 and 1967, and making major contributions to the Gators' three straight SEC team championships during those same years. |
E. Craig White
| align=center | Diving | align=center | 1954–56 | Craig White was a rare All-American athlete who won individual SEC championships in both swimming and diving events. White swept the one-meter and three-meter springboard diving events, while also swimming a leg for the Gators' winning team in the 400-yard freestyle relay, and making a major contribution to the Gators' 1954 SEC team championship. |
Bruce L. Williams
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1968–71 | Bruce Williams was a five-time All-American who won a total of five individual SEC championships in 1968 and 1969, including the 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard freestyle (twice), 500-yard freestyle, and 1,650-yard freestyle. Williams was a major contributor to the Gators' SEC team championship in 1968. |
David Lopez-Zubero
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1978–81 | David Zubero was a member of the Gators' relay teams that won the NCAA national championship in the 4x200-yard freestyle relay while setting a new American record in 1979, and again when the Gators won the NCAA championship in same event in 1981. He received fourteen All-American honors. Zubero won a bronze medal in the 200-meter butterfly at the 1980 Olympics.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417170221/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/lo/david-lopez-zubero-1.html David López-Zubero]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Martin López-Zubero
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1988–91 | While swimming for the Gators, Martin Zubero won four individual NCAA national championships—the 200-meter individual medley, the 400-meter medley relay, and twice in the 200-meter backstroke—received fifteen All-American honors, and was recognized as the 1991 NCAA Male Swimmer of the Year. Zubero won the gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke at the 1992 Olympics.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417163822/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/lo/martin-lopez-zubero-1.html Martín López-Zubero]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Women's swimming and diving
The following Gator Greats are former female members of the Florida Gators swimming and diving teams:
class="wikitable" |
width=170 style="background:#0021A5;" | Name
! width=90 style="background:#0021A5;" | Sport ! width=77 style="background:#0021A5;" | Years ! style="background:#0021A5;" | Accomplishments |
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Elizabeth L. Beisel
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 2011–14 | Elizabeth Beisel earned eighteen All-American honors as a Gator swimmer, and won two NCAA titles, one in the 200 backstroke & one in the 400 IM. She also made 20 All-SEC teams & won 9 SEC titles. She won two medals at the 2012 Olympics–silver in the 400 IM & bronze in the 200 back. |
Tami L. Bruce
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1986–89 | Tami Bruce earned thirteen All-American honors as a Gator swimmer, and won six individual NCAA national titles and one NCAA national relay title as a member of a Gators relay team. Bruce was a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic team and placed fourth in the 400-meter freestyle and fifth in the 800-meter freestyle events.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417162815/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/br/tami-bruce-1.html Tami Bruce]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Caroline S. Burckle
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 2005–08 | Caroline Burckle received twenty-three All-American honors and the Honda Award & NCAA Swimmer of the Year in 2008. She won two national titles later that year in the 200 & 500-meter freestyle and at the Olympics, she won a bronze medal in the U.S. 800-meter freestyle relay. |
Amy L. Caulkins
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1980–83 | Amy Caulkins received twenty-two All-American honors in four years of college swimming. She also won one individual NCAA national title in the 100-meter freestyle event, another NCAA national title as a member of the Gators winning 200-meter medley relay team, and was a key contributor to the Gators' 1982 NCAA national team championship. |
Tracy Caulkins Stockwell
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1982–84 | In three years a Gator swimmer, Tracy Caulkins earned twenty-one All-American honors—the maximum number possible three years. She won sixteen NCAA national titles, including an unprecedented twelve individual NCAA titles, and four more NCAA titles as a member of the Gators relay teams. Unable to compete in the 1980 Moscow Olympics because of the American-led boycott, Caulkins won three Olympic gold medals in 1984.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417090430/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ca/tracy-caulkins-1.html Tracy Caulkins]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Julie Gorman
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1987–90 | Julie Gorman received thirteen All-American honors during her four years as a college swimmer. She won four individual NCAA national titles, including the 100-meter individual medley, the 200-meter individual medley, and the 100-meter butterfly twice; she won two more NCAA national titles as a member of the Gators' winning relay teams in the 400-meter medley relay. |
Nicole L. Haislett
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1991–94 | Nicole Haislett was able to swim every stroke well, and received twenty-eight All-American honors in her four years as a Gator swimmer—the maximum number possible. She won six individual NCAA national titles, and two NCAA titles as a member of Gators relay teams. Haislett also won three world championship titles in 1991, and three Olympic gold medals in 1992.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417090459/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ha/nicole-haislett-1.html Nicole Haislett]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Susan E. Halfacre
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1973–76 | Susan Halfacre received three All-American honors. Remarkably, she served as the head coach of the Gators women's team while competing as an athlete for three years. Under her guidance, the Gators finished eighth, eighth and nineteenth in three AIAW national team championships. Halfacre won an individual AIAW national title in the 400-meter freestyle, and two more AIAW national titles as a member of Gators relay teams. |
Renee A. Laravie-Kelly
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1977–79 | Rene Laravie received ten All-American honors during her three-year college swimming career. She won three individual AIAW national titles, including the 100-meter breaststroke, 100-meter and 200-meter individual medley events, and two more AIAW national titles as a member of the Gators' winning relay teams in the 800-meter freestyle relay. Laravie was a key contributor to the Gators' 1979 AIAW national team championship. |
Kristen Linehan Omli
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1988–91 | Kristen Linehan was a thirteen-time All-American who won NCAA titles in the 100 & 200-yard backstroke in back-to-back years, as well as team titles in the 200 & 400-medley. She also won 5 individual SEC titles–three times in the 100-yard backstroke, and twice in the 200-yard backstroke, on top of three SEC relay championships. |
Mimosa L. McNerney
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1993–96 | Mimosa McNerney was a long-distance freestyle specialist. During her four years as a Gator swimmer, she earned seven All-American honors, and won four individual NCAA national championships—three times in the 1,650-meter freestyle, and once in the 500-meter freestyle. |
Megan Neyer
| align=center | Diving | align=center | 1982–84, | Diver Megan Neyer was a favorite to win a gold medal as a member of the 1980 U.S Olympic team, but was unable to compete because of the American-led boycott of the Moscow Olympics. As a Gator, she received eight All-American honors–the maximum number possible for a college diver. Neyer also won eight individual NCAA national titles, sweeping the one-meter and three-meter springboard events all four years she competed. |
Gemma M. Spofforth
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 2007–10 | Gemma Spofforth was an eleven-time All-American who won seven NCAA titles–three each in the 100 & 200-yard backstrokes, and once in the 200-yard freestyle relay. She was also a key contributor to helping the Gators win the national team championship in 2010. She represented the Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics, finishing fifth in the 100-meter backstroke. |
Dara G. Torres
| align=center | Swimming{{efn|Torres also played volleyball for the Gators in the 1989 season (part of the 1989–90 school year), after having exhausted her NCAA eligibility as a swimmer. NCAA rules allow five total academic years of athletic eligibility, though no more than four in any one sport.{{cite press release|url=https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/press-releases/ncaa-names-2014-silver-anniversary-award-winners |title=NCAA names 2014 Silver Anniversary Award winners |publisher=NCAA |date=November 14, 2013 |access-date=November 27, 2014}}}} | align=center | 1986–89 | Demonstrating her versatility, Dara Torres earned twenty-eight All-American honors in four years as a college swimmer—the maximum number possible. She won three individual NCAA national titles and was a member of five Gators relay teams that won NCAA national championships. Torres is a twelve-time Olympic medalist, most recently winning three silver medals in the 2008 Olympics as a 41-year-old.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417041515/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/to/dara-torres-1.html Dara Torres]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Kathleen Treible Slaton
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1981–84 | In four years as a Gator swimmer, Kathy Treible received twenty-eight All-American honors—the maximum number an individual college swimmer can earn. She was a key member of the 1982 Gators women's team that won the NCAA national team championship, winning three individual NCAA national titles in breaststroke events in 1982, for a total of six individual NCAA titles and five NCAA relay team titles during her career. |
Mary Wayte Bradburne
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1984–87 | Mary Wayte earned twenty-six All-American honors during her four years as a Gator swimmer. She won eight NCAA national titles, two in individual events, and six more as a member of Gators relay teams. In two different Olympics, Wayte won four Olympic medals, including two golds, a silver and a bronze.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417162755/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wa/mary-wayte-1.html Mary Wayte]. Retrieved September 12, 2011. |
Stephanie Zunich Donley
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1988–91 | Stephanie Zunich earned twenty All-American honors during her four years as a Gator swimmer. She won back-to-back NCAA titles in the 100 breaststroke, as well as five more as a member of Gators relay teams. |
Men's tennis
The following Gator Greats are former members of the Florida Gators men's tennis team:
class="wikitable" |
width=170 style="background:#0021A5;" | Name
! width=90 style="background:#0021A5;" | Sport ! width=77 style="background:#0021A5;" | Years ! style="background:#0021A5;" | Accomplishments |
---|
Harold C. "Chap" Brown
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1975–78 | Chap Brown was a four-time All-SEC selection. |
Mark B. Merklein
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1991–94 | Mark Merklein was a four-time All-SEC selection and a four-time All-American. He and partner David Blair won the NCAA national doubles championship in 1993. Merklein won the NCAA national singles championship in 1994. During the 1994 NCAA tennis tournament, he dominated the competition, losing only one set. |
Hamid Mirzadeh
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 2001–05 | Hamid Mirzadeh was a five-time All-American selection & a four-time first-team All-SEC. He led the Gators to 2 SEC titles and was the only Division I player to advance to the singles & doubles quarterfinals at the 2004 NCAA Championships. |
Jeffrey A. Morrison
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1998–2000 | Jeff Morrison was a three-time All-SEC selection and a four-time All-American. Morrison won the NCAA national singles championship in 1999, losing only one set of thirteen played against six NCAA tournament opponents. |
Armistead C. Neely
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1967–69 | Armistead Neely was a three-time All-SEC selection and two-time All-American. Neely won SEC singles championships in 1967 and 1969, and SEC doubles championships in 1968 and 1969. Neely later served as the Atlanta WCT Peachtree Grand Prix event director, the circuit coordinator for the USTA, and head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide men's tennis team. |
Justin M. O'Neal
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1997–2000 | Justin O'Neal was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection, and a three-time All-American. O'Neal holds the Gators record for career singles victories. |
Greg Ouellette
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 2005–08 | Greg Ouellette was a five-time All-American and four-time first-team All-SEC. The 2008 SEC Player of the Year, he was a member of the 2005 SEC champipnship team & finished with the fifth-most overall wins in program history at 181. |
James G. Pressly Jr.
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1967–69 | Jamie Pressly compiled a 60–3 singles record in three years, and was an SEC doubles champion and three-time SEC singles champion. Pressly was a three-time All-SEC selection and a 1969 All-American. |
James A. Shaffer
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1961–62, | Jim Shaffer was a two-time SEC singles champion (1961, 1962), and received All-American honors in 1961 after advancing to the NCAA singles championship quarterfinals. |
William A. Tym
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1961, | Bill Tym was a two-time SEC singles champion, and a 1963 All-American. Tym later served as the head coach of the Vanderbilt Commodores men's tennis team, and also as the president and executive director of the United States Tennis Association (USTA). |
Women's tennis
The following Gator Greats are former members of the Florida Gators women's tennis team:
class="wikitable" |
width=170 style="background:#0021A5;" | Name
! width=90 style="background:#0021A5;" | Sport ! width=77 style="background:#0021A5;" | Years ! style="background:#0021A5;" | Accomplishments |
---|
Judy Acker-Smith
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1975–78 | Judy Acker was named to the first-ever All-America women's tennis team in 1976. Acker and her doubles partner, sister Sherry Acker, finished third in the AIAW national championship tournament, leading the Lady Gators to a fifth-place finish in the AIAW national team championships in 1977. Again led by Acker, the team finished fourth in the 1978 AIAW national championship tournament. |
Jillian Alexander Brower
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1989–91 | Jillian Alexander received three All-American honors. Alexander and her partner Nicole Arendt won the 1991 NCAA doubles national championship, winning twelve of thirteen sets played in the six rounds of the NCAA tournament. |
Nicole J. Arendt
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1988–91 | Nicole Arendt was a six-time first-team All-SEC selection, and earned eight All-American honors—four each in singles and doubles. She and her partner Jillian Alexander won the 1991 NCAA doubles national championship, losing only one tournament set of thirteen played. Arendt also was the singles runner-up at the 1990 NCAA national tournament. As a professional, she won sixteen doubles tournaments. |
Dawn A. Buth
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1995–98 | Dawn Buth received seven All-American honors: four in doubles and three in singles. Buth and partner Stephanie Nickitas won the 1996 and 1997 NCAA doubles national championships, and lost in the final of the 1998 NCAA championship. She was also a member of the Gators' NCAA national championship teams in 1996 and 1998. |
Jill N. Craybas
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1995–96 | Jill Craybas was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection and a two-time All-American. She won the 1996 NCAA singles tennis national championship, winning twelve of thirteen sets that she played in the tournament. Craybas was also a member of the Gators' NCAA national championship team in 1996. As a touring pro, she has won five singles events. |
Cissie Donigan
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1979–82 | Cissie Donigan was a first-team All-SEC selection and an All-American. Donigan won two SEC singles championships, once as the team's No. 5 player, and once as the No. 1. She also won two SEC doubles championships, both times with partner Ilene Friedland. |
Lauren Embree
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 2009–13 | Lauren Embree was a five-time All-American & three-time SEC Player of the Year who helped lead the Gators to the 2011 & 2012 NCAA national championships, winning NCAA Championships Most Outstanding Player in both. She left with 236 total wins, the fifth-most in program history, a .880 singles winning percentage (3rd), and a .935 winning percentage in dual match singles (2nd). She served as an assistant coach at Pepperdine before returning to Florida as an assistant coach from 2019-2023. |
Andrea M. Farley
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1990–93 | Andrea Farley was a three-time first-team All-SEC selection, and a three-time All-American. Farley was a member of the Gators' 1992 NCAA national championship team. |
Alexis Gordon
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 2002–04 | Alexis Gordon was a four-time first-team All-American and a five-time first-team All-SEC. The 2004 SEC Female Tennis Player of the Year was also a member of the Gators' 2003 NCAA national championship team. |
Jill Hetherington Hultquist
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1984–87 | Jill Hetherington was a four-time first-team All-SEC selection and received four All-American honors. She won four straight SEC singles championships, three as the team's No. 2 singles player, and once at No. 1; she also won three consecutive SEC doubles championships. Hetherington won fourteen events as a pro, and is currently the head coach of the Washington Huskies women's tennis team. |
Jessica Lehnhoff
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1999–2002 | Jessica Lehnhoff was a seven-time All-American who won the 2001 NCAA women's doubles championship with her partner Whitney Leiho. She was also a member of the 1999 & 2001 SEC championship teams for the Gators. |
Stephanie I. Nickitas
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1996–99 | Stephanie Nickitas was a six-time All-American: twice in singles and four times in doubles. With partner Dawn Buth, she won the NCAA doubles national championships in 1996 and 1997, and played for a third NCAA doubles title in 1998 before losing in the final. Nickitas was also a member of the Gators' NCAA national championship teams in 1996 and 1998. |
Lisa Raymond
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1992–93 | In two years as a Lady Gator tennis player, Lisa Raymond was a three-time first-team All-SEC selection, and earned All-American honors in 1992 and 1993, after winning the 1992 and 1993 NCAA singles national championships. She was also a member of the Gators' 1992 NCAA national championship team. As a professional, she has won nine Grand Slam doubles events, most recently the 2011 Wimbledon doubles championship.Women's Tennis Association, Players [http://www.wtatennis.com/player/lisa-raymond_2257889_6840 Lisa Raymond]. Retrieved October 1, 2011. |
Shaun Stafford-Beckish
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1987–88 | Shaun Stafford was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection and an All-American in 1987 and 1988. She advanced to the final of the 1987 NCAA singles national championship before losing. She returned to the final in 1988 and won the NCAA singles national championship, after sweeping six tournament opponents in twelve straight sets. |
Alice Luthy Tym
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1961–64 | Alice Luthy became the de facto founder of the Florida Gators women's tennis team when she organized the University of Florida intercollegiate women's tennis club team in 1961. She later married Gator All-American Bill Tym, and became a touring professional tennis player. As a college tennis coach, she led the Chattanooga Lady Mocs to two AIAW small-college national championships. |
Men's track and field
The following Gator Greats are former male members of the Florida Gators track and field teams:
class="wikitable" |
width=170 style="background:#0021A5;" | Name
! width=90 style="background:#0021A5;" | Sport ! width=77 style="background:#0021A5;" | Years ! style="background:#0021A5;" | Accomplishments |
---|
Keith A. Brantly
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1982–84 | Distance runner Keith Brantly received All-American honors in the indoor two-mile run and twice in the 10,000-meter run. He won the SEC outdoor championships in the 10,000 meters in 1982 and 1983. Brantly was a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team, and finished twenty-eighth in the world in the Olympic marathon run.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200418033512/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/br/keith-brantly-1.html Keith Brantly]. Retrieved September 30, 2011. |
Beaufort A. Brown
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1973–75 | Sprinter Beaufort Brown won the SEC and NCAA indoor national championships in the 600-yard run in 1973. Brown was an All-American as a member of the Gators 4x440-yard relay teams that won the NCAA indoor championship in 1975, and three SEC indoor championships and one outdoor championship in the same event. |
Kerron S. Clement
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 2003–05 | Kerron Clement was an eleven-time All-American who finished with 7 SEC titles and 4 NCAA titles–two in the 400-meter hurdles, one in the 400-meter sprint, and the last anchoring Florida's 4x400-meter relay team. Clement has won 4 gold medals at the World Championships & 2 Olympic golds in the 400-meter hurdles & 4x400-meter relay for the U.S., as well as a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in the 400-meter hurdles. |
R. Michael Cotton
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1971–73 | Pole-vaulter Mike Cotton earned All-American honors with a vault of seventeen feet in 1973. He won three SEC championships in the pole vault—one indoor and two outdoor. |
Omar Craddock
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 2010–13 | Omar Craddock earned seven All-American honors with the Gators, winning the NCAA indoor triple jump championship & back-to-back outdoor titles in 2012 & 2013. In addition, he helped Florida win their first indoor national championship in 2010 & their first SEC outdoor championship in 25 years. |
Scott Dykehouse
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1977 | In 1977, javelin thrower Scott Dykehouse received All-American honors for his NCAA national championship throw of 258 feet, five inches, and also won the SEC outdoor championship in the same event. |
Jeffery B. Demps
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 2008–2012 | Jeff Demps won three straight NCAA indoor titles in the 60-meter run from 2010–2012 in addition to winning both the 100-meter and 4×100-meter titles at the 2010 outdoor championships. He finished his track career with 4 NCAA team titles and 2 SEC team titles. In addition to an outstanding track career, Demps also ranks top 10 all time in career rushing yards for the Gators. |
D. Mark Everett
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1987–90 | Middle-distance runner Mark Everett was a member of the Gators' relay team that won the NCAA indoor national championship in the 4x400-meters in 1988, four consecutive SEC outdoor championships and three of four SEC indoor championships in the same event. Everett also won both the NCAA indoor and outdoor national championships in the 800-meter run in 1990, and four consecutive SEC outdoor championships in the 800 meters. |
William A. Freeman
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1974–76 | Pole vaulter Will Freeman won three SEC indoor championships and two SEC outdoor championships in his event. He earned All-American honors with a vault of seventeen feet in 1976, and was a member of the first Gators team to win an SEC indoor track championship in 1975. He has been the head coach of the Grinnell College track team since 1980.Grinnell College, Athletics, Men's Track, [http://www.grinnell.edu/athletics/mtrack/wfreemanmtrk Head Coach Will Freeman] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419132214/http://www.grinnell.edu/athletics/mtrack/wfreemanmtrk |date=2012-04-19 }}. Retrieved April 7, 2012. |
Ellis B. Goodloe
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1957–59 | Sprinter Ellis Goodloe won an SEC indoor championship in the 60-yard dash, and SEC outdoor championships in the 100-yard dash and three times as a member of the Gators' 4x110-yard relay team. |
J. Lewis "Papa" Hall Jr.
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1950–52 | Papa Hall was a two-sport Gator standout in football and track and field. As a member of the Gators track and field team, Hall won the individual NCAA national championship in the high jump in 1951 and again in 1953, as well as the 1953 SEC championship in the same event. He was recognized as an All-American in 1951 and 1953. |
Michael M. Holloway
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1988–90, 1992 | Mike Holloway won four SEC outdoor championships in the pole vault in 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1992, and one SEC indoor championship in 1992. Holloway earned three All-American honors with vaults over eighteen feet. |
Ronald L. Jourdan
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1968–70 | High jumper Ron Jourdan was a two-time All-American, and won the NCAA indoor national championship in the high jump in 1969. He won four consecutive SEC indoor and outdoor championships in the high jump in 1969 and 1970. Jourdan was a member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic team, and was the first Gators track and field athlete to participate in the Olympic Games.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200418075707/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/jo/ron-jourdan-1.html Ron Jourdan]. Retrieved September 30, 2011. |
Jack D. McGriff
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1940–41 | Sprinter Jack McGriff was a standout 100-yard dash specialist whose undergraduate career was interrupted by World War II. After serving as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army air forces, he returned to Gainesville and was elected team captain by his teammates in 1946. He later served as a member of the Florida Board of Regents. |
Dennis A. Mitchell
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1985, 1987–89 | All-American sprinter Dennis Mitchell won the NCAA indoor national championship in the 200 meters in 1988, and the NCAA outdoor national championship in the same event in 1989. He was also a member of the Gators' indoor national championship relay team in the 4x400-meters in 1988. Mitchell won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the 4x100-meters relay in 1992, and a silver in the same event in 1996.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417094554/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mi/dennis-mitchell-1.html Dennis Mitchell]. Retrieved September 30, 2011. |
John Morton
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1967–69 | With consecutive throws of 181 feet, discus thrower John Morton earned All-American honors in 1967 and 1968. Morton won one SEC indoor championship in the shot put, and SEC outdoor championships in the shot put twice and the discus three times. |
R. Earl Poucher
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1953–56 | Pole vaulter Earl Poucher was an All-American and the NCAA outdoor national champion in his event in 1954. Poucher also won four straight SEC outdoor championships in the pole vault. |
James Pringle
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1978–80 | High jumper Jim Pringle was a two-time All-American who won the NCAA indoor national championship in his event in 1979, and SEC indoor championships in 1979 and 1980. |
Christian Taylor
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 2009–11 | Christian Taylor was a four-time NCAA champion in the triple jump & won 2 NCAA team titles. Since then, he has won 4 world championships (2011, 2015, 2017, 2019) & 2 Olympic golds in the triple jump in 2012 & 2016. |
W. Henry Wadsworth
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1960 | Pole vaulter Henry Wadsworth earned All-American honors and was the NCAA national runner-up in 1960. Wadsworth also won SEC outdoor championships in the pole vault and high jump that same year. |
Josh Walker
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 2002–05 | Josh Walker was a six-time All-American, capturing the NCAA outdoor 110-meter hurdles national championship in both 2004 & 2005. He held the school record for the 110 hurdles for over 14 years and was a member of the 2004 SEC indoor championship team. |
William J. "Bumper" Watson | align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1954–55, 1958 | Bumper Watson was an All-American in the 100-yard dash in 1955 with his NCAA national runner-up time of 9.7 seconds. Watson won the SEC outdoor championship in the 220-yard dash in 1955, and was a member of the Gators' SEC-winning relay team in the 4x110-yard event in 1954, 1955 and 1958. |
Women's track and field
The following Gator Greats are former female members of the Florida Gators track and field teams:
class="wikitable" |
width=170 style="background:#0021A5;" | Name
! width=90 style="background:#0021A5;" | Sport ! width=77 style="background:#0021A5;" | Years ! style="background:#0021A5;" | Accomplishments |
---|
Nekita Beasley
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1991–92 | Nekita Beasley was an eight-time All-American who won the 1991 & 1992 NCAA outdoor 800-meter titles, 1992 indoor & outdoor 4x400-meter relay NCAA titles, 3 SEC 800-meter titles and the 1991 SEC outdoor 4x400-meter relay title. She finished her career as the school record holder for the 800-meter in both indoor & outdoor categories. |
Hazel M. Clark-Riley
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1996–99 | Middle-distance runner Hazel Clark received twelve All-American honors, and was a three-time NCAA national champion in the 800-meter run (twice indoors, once outdoors). She also won four SEC indoor and two outdoor championships in the 800 meters, one in the 1,500 meters, and was also a member of four different SEC championship relay teams. Clark finished seventh in the world in the 800 meters at the 2000 Olympics.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200418023538/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/cl/hazel-clark-riley-1.html Hazel Clark-Riley]. Retrieved September 30, 2011. |
Beth Farmer
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1982–85 | Beth Farmer was a six-time All-American, four for track & two for cross country. She won 4 SEC titles, two for the 10K outdoor & two for the 3K indoor. |
Michelle Freeman
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1991–92 | Michelle Freeman was a member of the Gators' relay that won the NCAA indoor and outdoor national championships in the 4x400-meters, won an individual NCAA outdoor national championships in the 100-meter hurdles, and received eight All-American honors. Freeman finished sixth in the world in the 100-meter hurdles and won a bronze medal as a member of Jamaica's team in the 4x100-meter relay at the 1996 Olympics.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417051838/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/JAM/summer/1996/ATH/ Michelle Freeman]. Retrieved September 30, 2011. |
Heidi Hertz Sweet
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1976 | Heidi Hertz won the 1976 NCAA indoor national championship in the pentathlon with a total of 3,805 points. She was the first Gators women's track and field athlete who won an individual NCAA national championship. |
Anita Howard
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1990–91 | Sprinter Anita Howard received seventeen All-American honors. She was a member of the Gators' relay teams that won the NCAA indoor nation championship in the 4x400-meter event in 1990, and the NCAA indoor and outdoor national championships in the same event in 1992. Howard also won an individual NCAA outdoor championship in the 400-meter run in 1992. |
Kisha Jett
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1995–98 | Kisha Jett was a nineteen-time All-American, the most in Florida history. A three-time SEC champion (one 55 meter, two 4x400 outdoor relay) and 1996 NCAA indoor 200 meter bronze medalist, she held the 200 meter record for 12 years and helped Florida to win 3 SEC team titles. |
Mariam Kevkhishvili Machavariani
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 2007–10 | Mariam Kevkhishvili tied the school record with 5 individual NCAA shot put titles as well as 5 SEC shot put titles. An eight-time All-American, she was the second woman in NCAA history to win consecutive indoor & outdoor shot put titles and helped the Gators win two SEC titles. |
Leah Kirklin Anderson
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1990–92 | Six-time All-American Leah Kirklin won three NCAA national championships in the triple jump (two indoors, one outdoors). She was also a four-time SEC champion in the triple jump (twice indoors, twice outdoors). |
Genevieve LaCaze-Gregson
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 2008–12 | Genevieve LaCaze became the first Gator to break the ten-minute mark in the 3000 meter steeplechase at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championships, a record that still stands. In addition, she was a four-time All-American, six-time All-SEC selection, and three-time SEC outdoor champion, becoming the first woman in SEC history to sweep the 1500 meter, 3000 meter, and 5000 meter events at the outdoor championships. She competed for Australia at both the 2012 & 2016 Olympics. |
Colleen Rosensteel
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1986–89 | Colleen Rosensteel was a six-time All-American in track and field. She dominated the SEC throwing events during the 1988 and 1989 indoor and outdoor seasons, winning six SEC individual championship—four times in the shot put and twice in the discus. After college, she competed in judo at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympics, reaching the semifinals in 2000.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200418023408/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ro/colleen-rosensteel-1.html Colleen Rosensteel]. Retrieved July 6, 2014. |
Candice H. Scott
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 2001–05 | Candice Scott was a ten-time All-American who won 5 NCAA titles–three in the indoor weight throw and two in the hammer throw. A ten-time SEC champion, she holds school records in both categories. |
Rochelle Steely
| align=center | Cross country | align=center | 1982–84 | Shelly Steely earned two All-American honors in cross country and three in track. In addition to SEC indoor championships in the distance medley relay in 1984 and the two-mile run in 1985, Steely dominated the outdoor distance events in 1984 and 1985, winning two SEC championships in the 3,000 meters, two in the 5,000 meters, and one in the 10,000 meters. She finished seventh in the world in the 3,000 meters at the 1992 Olympics.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200418115736/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/shelly-steely-1.html Shelly Steely]. Retrieved September 30, 2011. |
Becki Wells
| align=center | Cross country | align=center | 1995–97 | Becki Wells was a five-time track All-American who won the 1997 NCAA indoor mile title and the 1997 outdoor 1,500 meter title. A 2-time SEC cross country champion, she also won 6 SEC titles in track as well as 4 team titles in both sports. She held the mile & 1,500 meter school records for over 13 years. |
Women's volleyball
The following Gator Greats are former members of the Florida Gators volleyball team:
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width=170 style="background:#0021A5;" | Name
! width=90 style="background:#0021A5;" | Sport ! width=77 style="background:#0021A5;" | Years ! style="background:#0021A5;" | Accomplishments |
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Jane Collymore
| align=center | Volleyball | align=center | 2002–05 | Jane Collymore was a three-time All-American, a three-time All-SEC selection, and two-time SEC Player of the Year. She led the Gators to four consecutive SEC championships, an appearance in the NCAA championship final in 2003, and ranks second all-time in attacks (4,076), third in aces (176), and fourth in both kills (1,629) and points (1,944). |
Áurea Cruz
| align=center | Volleyball | align=center | 2000–03 | Aury Cruz was a three-time first-team All-American, a three-time first-team All-SEC selection, and three-time SEC Player of the Year. Cruz holds the Gators career records for kills (1,855) and points (2,188.5), and led the Gators to four consecutive SEC championships and an appearance in the NCAA championship final in 2003. She was also a member of the Puerto Rican national team. |
Aycan Gokberk
| align=center | Volleyball | align=center | 1992–95 | Aycan Gokberk was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection, a three-time first-team All-American, and a two-time Academic All-American. She was the SEC Player of the Year in 1993 and 1995. During her four years as a Gator, she had 1,721 career kills, the team won four consecutive SEC championships, and made NCAA Final Four appearances in 1992 and 1993. |
Benavia Jenkins
| align=center | Volleyball | align=center | 2000–03 | Benavia Jenkins was a three-time All-American and a four-time first-team All-SEC selection. Jenkins holds the Gator career record for most blocks (601), and led the Gators to four consecutive SEC championships and an appearance in the NCAA championship final in 2003. She currently serves as an assistant coach at Michigan after 4 seasons as the head coach at East Tennessee State. |
Jenny Manz Theis
| align=center | Volleyball | align=center | 1996–99 | Rightside hitter Jenny Manz was a three-time first-team All-SEC selection and a two-time All-American. She was the SEC Player of the Year in 1998 and 1999. During her four-season career as a Gator, Manz had 152 service aces, the team won four consecutive SEC championships and made NCAA Final Four appearances in 1996, 1997 and 1998. |
Nicole McCray Thorn
| align=center | Volleyball | align=center | 1999–2002 | Nicole McCray was a three-time All-American and three-time first-team All-SEC selection. She was the SEC Player of the Year in 2000 and played on four SEC championship teams, including the team that made a Final Four appearance in 2002. She ranks third all-time in blocks with 529. |
Angie McGinnis
| align=center | Volleyball | align=center | 2004–07 | Angie McGinnis was a three-time All-American and SEC Player of the Year in both 2006 & 2007. She is also the career leader in total assists (5,784) and assists per set (12.88). |
Kelly A. Murphy
| align=center | Volleyball | align=center | 2008–11 | Kelly Murphy became the first Gator to make four All-America teams. An SEC Player of the Year, National Freshman of the Year and two-time NCAA Regional all-tournament team member, she holds Florida career records with 76 double-doubles and 30 triple-doubles. She also won a bronze medal with the U.S. national volleyball team at the 2016 Olympics. |
Gudula Staub
| align=center | Volleyball | align=center | 1991–92 | Gudula Staub was a two-time first-team All-SEC selection and a two-time first-team All-American. She was the SEC Player of the Year in 1992. She averaged 5.36 points per set, third on the Gators' career records list. During Staub's two-year college career, the Gators won two consecutive SEC championships, and appeared in the NCAA Final Four in 1992. She also represented Germany in women's beach volleyball at the 2000 Olympics.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, [https://web.archive.org/web/20200417222804/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/gudula-staub-1.html Gudula Staub]. Retrieved September 28, 2011. |
Wrestling
The following Gator Greats are former members of the Florida Gators wrestling team:
Distinguished Letterwinners
The following list of Distinguished Letterwinners includes former Florida Gators athletes who have achieved distinction in their careers after college; among them are notable head coaches, political officeholders, business executives, and educators.
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width=170 style="background:#0021A5;" | Name
! width=90 style="background:#0021A5;" | Sport ! width=77 style="background:#0021A5;" | Years ! style="background:#0021A5;" | Accomplishments |
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Jerry "Red" Anderson
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1964–66 | Red Anderson played football while he was a University of Florida undergraduate, and was the senior team captain of the Florida Gators football team in 1966. Anderson later became a college football coach, and served as a long-time assistant for four different programs, including fourteen seasons for the Gators. As an assistant coach under Steve Spurrier, Anderson served as the defensive line coach and assistant head coach. Under coach Ron Zook, Anderson served as defensive line coach. He was also the interim head coach of the UCF Knights in 1984. |
J. Eldridge Beach
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1947–50 | Eldridge Beach joined the U.S. Marine Corps straight out of high school and saw action in the South Pacific, where he received the Purple Heart for wounds sustained at the Battle of Okinawa and a Presidential Unit Citation before being discharged in 1946. After four seasons playing running back for the Gators, he joined the Florida Highway Patrol in 1951, but left the following year. After a 5-year absence, he rejoined the FHP in 1957, rising through the ranks to become a colonel and eventually Director of the FHP from 1972-1982. |
Steve Beeland
| align=center | Tennis | align=center | 1967–69 | Steve Beeland was a 4-time SEC champion, winning twice in singles & twice in doubles with his partner Armistead Neely. He became the head coach for the Florida women's tennis team from 1982-1984, where he led them to two undefeated conference records and SEC first-place finishes in 1982 & 1984. He then became the head men's coach from 1985-1988. |
Floyd T. Christian
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1934–36 | Floyd Christian played football and basketball while he was a University of Florida undergraduate, and was the senior team captain of the Florida Gators basketball team in 1937. Christian was a highly decorated World War II veteran who was later elected Commissioner of Education for the State of Florida. |
Douglas A. Dickey
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1951–53 | Doug Dickey was the Gators' starting quarterback in 1952 and 1953, and led the team to its first-ever NCAA-sanctioned bowl game in 1952. He later became the head football coach of the Tennessee Volunteers and the Florida Gators, winning two SEC championships with Tennessee. After retiring from coaching, he served as the Tennessee Volunteers athletic director, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach.{{College Football HoF|id=2136|name=Doug Dickey|accessdate=September 28, 2011}} |
Jimmy Dunn
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1956–58 | Jimmy Dunn was a three-year starter at quarterback and free safety, became the first quarterback to lead the Gators to three consecutive victories over the Georgia Bulldogs, and received the Fergie Ferguson Award in 1958. He later became the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Volunteers and the Gators under head coach Doug Dickey. |
William E. Harlan
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1963–76 | Bill Harlan was a strong Gator swimmer in the late 1940s, and became an instructor in the physical education department. He later served as the head coach of the Florida Gators men's swimming and diving team for thirteen years, during which his swimmers won eight SEC team championships and compiled a dual meet record of 109–25. |
C. Kimberlin Helton
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1967–69 | Kim Helton was the starting center for the Gators football team from 1967 to 1969. Helton later became the offensive coordinator for the Miami Hurricanes during their first national championship season, the offensive line coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston Oilers and Los Angeles Raiders of the NFL, and the head coach of the Houston Cougars football team. |
Gelindo Infante
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1960–62 | Lindy Infante was a running back for the Florida Gators football team from 1960 to 1962. He later became the head coach of the Jacksonville Bulls of the USFL, and the Green Bay Packers and the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL. |
Jack Katz
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1962–64 | Jack Katz was a two-way offensive and defensive lineman for the Florida Gators football team. Katz later became the founder, president and chief executive officer of the Panama Jack Company. |
Tommy R. Kelley
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1960–62 | Tom Kelley was a two-way offensive and defensive lineman for the Florida Gators football team. He was chosen to the 1960 All-SEC Sophomore team. Kelley became a well-known civil engineering consultant in the greater Orlando, Florida area, a long-time Gators booster, and a president of the F Club."[http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=15784 Eight 2009 Honorees Inducted Into UF Athletic Hall of Fame] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004070832/http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=15784 |date=2012-10-04 }}," GatorZone.com (April 17, 2009). Retrieved February 19, 2013. |
Julian B. Lane
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1934–36 | Julian Lane was a two-way offensive and defensive lineman, and the senior team captain of the Florida Gators football team in 1936. Lane was later elected Mayor of Tampa, and afterward, as a member of the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate. |
William J. "Red" Mitchum | align=center | Football | align=center | 1948–51 | Lineman Red Mitchum was a Gators football letterman in 1950 and 1951, and the first student to serve as master of ceremonies at the university's homecoming pep rally, Gator Growl.Michael DiRocco, "[http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/051903/spo_12576823.shtml Ex-Gator Mitchum dies]," The Florida Times-Union (May 19, 2003). Retrieved March 16, 2012. As a graduate, he became a roving ambassador and successful fundraiser for the Florida Gators sports program, and a well-known speaker at Gators alumni events remembered for his humorous anecdotes of Gators football in the 1940s and 1950s.Hairston, Tales from Gator Swamp, pp. 1–6. |
R. Larry Morris
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1970–72 | Larry Morris was a Gators football letterman in 1970 and 1972. He later served as a graduate assistant football coach in 1973, and became a prominent trial attorney and financial supporter of the Florida Gators sports program. |
Stephen C. O'Connell
| align=center | Boxing | align=center | 1935–38 | Steve O'Connell won the SEC middleweight championship as a member the Florida Gators boxing team. O'Connell served as an associate and chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court, and later became the first alumnus to serve as the president of the University of Florida. The university's main indoor sports arena, O'Connell Center, bears his name. |
Frederick S. Ridley
| align=center | Golf | align=center | 1973 | Fred Ridley was a member of the Florida Gators men's golf team in the 1970s. He won the U.S. Amateur Championship in 1975, and was elected president of the United States Golf Association in 2004. Most recently, he became chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, host and organizer of the Masters Tournament, in 2017. |
William A. Shands
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1908 | Bill Shands played for the Florida football team before it was known as the "Gators," and was one of its stars in the early 1900s. He became an attorney and was elected to the Florida Senate; his fellow state senators later selected him as the senate president. Shands is remembered as the legislative driving force behind the founding of the University of Florida medical school and teaching hospital—now known as Shands Hospital. |
George A. Smathers
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1934–36 | George Smathers was a standout member of the Florida Gators men's basketball team from 1934 to 1936 and was its captain as a senior. Smathers was later elected to the U.S. House of Representative (1947–1951) and the U.S. Senate (1951–1969) from the state of Florida. |
Dennis K. "Dutch" Stanley | align=center | Football | align=center | 1926–28 | Dutch Stanley was a two-way end on the great Florida Gators football teams of 1927 and 1928. He later returned to his alma mater as the Gators head football coach from 1933 to 1935. He was also the head coach of the Gators tennis team and track and field team, and later served as the founding dean of the university's College of Health and Human Performance for over thirty years. |
Larry L. Travis
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1960–62 | Larry Travis was an All-SEC two-way offensive and defensive lineman for the Florida Gators football team. After graduation, he was an assistant football coach for five Division I football programs, including Florida, and became the associate athletic director for the U.S. Naval Academy and Georgia Tech, then the athletic director for Kansas State and Western Carolina. Travis is currently the mayor of High Springs, Florida."[http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=21249 Florida Announces 2012 UF Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019081452/http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=21249 |date=2013-10-19 }}," GatorZone.com (September 7, 2011). Retrieved October 1, 2011. |
Keith R. Tribble
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1974–76 | Keith Tribble was an offensive lineman for the Florida Gators football team in the mid-1970s. Tribble became the chief executive officer of the Orange Bowl organizing committee, and later became the athletic director of the University of Central Florida Knights sports program."[http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=20351 Eight Gators To Be Inducted Into UF Athletic Hall of Fame Friday Night] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003191413/http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=20351 |date=2012-10-03 }}," GatorZone.com (April 8, 2011). Retrieved October 1, 2011. |
Harrison M. Wilder
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1961–63 | Harry Wilder was a key contributor to the Gators' three consecutive SEC swimming and diving championships in 1961, 1962 and 1963, as a member of five conference champion relay teams. Wilder later became the owner of a successful group of McDonald's franchises, a long-time member of the board of directors of Gators Boosters, Inc., and a major financial supporter of the Florida Gators swimming and diving teams. |
Honorary Letterwinners
The following list of Honorary Letterwinners includes former coaches whose Florida Gators teams won national championships, one who later became the Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, another who later served as the U.S. Army four-star general commanding United Nations armed forces during the Korean War, and the university medical researcher who formulated the sports drink Gatorade.
class="wikitable" |
width=170 style="background:#0021A5;" | Name
! width=90 style="background:#0021A5;" | Sport ! width=77 style="background:#0021A5;" | Years ! style="background:#0021A5;" | Accomplishments |
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Stewart M. "Buddy" Alexander
| align=center | Men's golf | align=center | 1988–2014 | Buddy Alexander was the head coach of Florida's men's golf team for 27 years, winning national championships in 1993 & 2001, 8 SEC titles and 6 SEC Coach of the Year awards during his tenure. |
Ruth Alexander
| align=center | Administrator | align=center | 1972–81 | Ruth Alexander was the driving force behind the founding of the Florida Gators women's sports program. As a physical education professor and associate athletic director, she assumed responsibility for the rapid expansion of the Florida Gators women's sports program during the 1970s. Alexander was also a key person in the organization of the AIAW, the governing body for women's college sports until 1983.Norm Carlson, "[http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=7076 Norm Carlson Looks Back . . . Dr. Ruth Alexander] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102083904/http://gatorzone.com/story.php?id=7076 |date=2010-01-02 }}," GatorZone.com (June 1, 2004). Retrieved October 2, 2011. |
Charles W. Bachman Jr.
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1928–32 | Charlie Bachman was the head coach of the 1928 Florida Gators football team that produced a new national scoring record and the best win–loss record in the first eighty-nine years of Gators football. Bachman was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1978.{{College Football HoF|id=1509|name=Charlie Bachman|accessdate=September 28, 2011}} |
Percy M. Beard
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1937–64 | Percy Beard was an Olympic silver medalist in the 120-meter hurdles in the 1932 Olympics. He became the head coach of the Florida Gators track and field team in 1937 and let the team for twenty-eight seasons, including two SEC team championships. Drawing on his Auburn civil engineering education, Beard developed the first all-weather track in 1959. He is the namesake of the university's track and field facility."[https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1990/03/28/ex-gator-coach-beard-dies-leaves-mark-on-track-world/ Ex-Gator Coach Beard Dies, Leaves Mark On Track World]," Orlando Sentinel (March 28, 1990). Retrieved October 2, 2011. |
B. E. "Buster" Bishop
| align=center | Men's golf | align=center | 1964–78 | Buster Bishop was the head coach of the Florida Gators men's golf team for fifteen years. During his tenure, the Gators men's golfers won four SEC team championships and two NCAA national team championships—including the 1968 NCAA national team championship—the first national team championship, in any sport, in Florida Gators history."[http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=7750 Former Coach Buster Bishop Passes Away At Age 84] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004070602/http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=7750 |date=2012-10-04 }}," GatorZone.com (November 21, 2004). Retrieved October 2, 2011. |
Otis Boggs
| align=center | Broadcasting | align=center | | |
Andy Brandi
| align=center | Women's tennis | align=center | 1984–2001 | Andy Brandi was the head coach of the Florida Gators women's tennis team for seventeen years. During his tenure, the Lady Gators won fourteen SEC team championships, and three NCAA national team championships, in addition to finishing as the national runners-up in five other NCAA tournaments. Brandi was recognized as the national coach of the year five times."[http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=3024 Women's Tennis Coach Andy Brandi Resigns] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004070503/http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=3024 |date=2012-10-04 }}," GatorZone.com (May 29, 2001). Retrieved October 2, 2011. |
Rebecca L. Burleigh
| align=center | Women's soccer | align=center | 1995–2021 | The very first head coach of the Florida Gators women's soccer team, Becky Burleigh built a team that went from the bottom of the pile to NCAA champions in 4 years. Other than that 1998 national championship team that went 26-1 and earned Burleigh the National Coach of the Year award, she took Florida back to the College Cup 3 years later and overall, the Gators went to 22 NCAA tournaments during her 26-year tenure. A five-time SEC Coach of the Year, she led the Gators to 14 SEC regular season & 12 SEC Tournament titles, coaching 37 All-Americans and 15 SEC Players of the Year over time. Her 513 career wins (431 at Florida) place her 8th all-time in career wins and her .745 winning percentage (.709 at Florida) places her tied for 20th all-time. |
J. Robert Cade
| align=center | Sports medicine | align=center | 1961–2004 | Robert Cade was a professor of nephrology at the University of Florida College of Medicine. During the 1960s, he and his research team conducted experiments with Florida Gators football players regarding water and electrolyte loss during athletic competition. His team's experiments in rehydration and electrolyte replacement led to the formulation of the sports drink Gatorade.Douglas Martin, "[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/28/business/28cade.html?ref=obituaries J. Robert Cade, the Inventor of Gatorade, Dies at 80]," The New York Times (November 28, 2007). Retrieved October 2, 2011. |
Norman G. Carlson
| align=center | Sports Information Director | align=center | 1963–2011 | Norm Carlson is a University of Florida alumnus and former sports journalist who was the sports information director of the Florida Gators sports program from 1963 to 2002. Since then, Carlson has served as an assistant athletic director and the historian of the program.Norm Carlson, "[http://www.gainesville.com/article/20060802/MAGAZINE11/60801041?p=1&tc=pg My life with the Gators]," The Gainesville Sun (August 2, 2006). Retrieved October 2, 2011. |
Jimmy Carnes
| align=center | Track & field | align=center | 1965–76 | Jimmy Carnes was the head coach of the Florida Gators track and field team, with 93–3 record in dual meets. Carnes was also the founder of the Florida Track Club, founder of the Sunshine State Games, head coach of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, and the first president of USA Track & Field.Pat Dooley, "[http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110305/ARTICLES/110309688/-1/news?Title=Former-UF-track-coach-Jimmy-Carnes-dies-of-cancer- Former UF track coach Jimmy Carnes dies of cancer]," The Gainesville Sun (March 5, 2011). Retrieved October 2, 2011. |
Conrad G. Demro Jr.
| align=center | Financial contributor | align=center | | Conrad Demro was an Army veteran & proud UF alum in both World War II & Korea who worked as a certified public accountant. He was a member of various organizations, including Pi Kappa Phi, Kappa Delta Pi, Florida Blue Key, and Delta Chi. In addition to helping with these various organizations, Demro served on the Board of Directors for the UF Athletic Association, the UF Foundation and was even President of the UF Alumni Association before his passing in 2003. |
William J. Donovan Jr.
| align=center | Basketball | align=center | 1996–2015 | Billy Donovan led the Gators to 4 Final Four appearances, where they won back-to-back national championships in 2006 & 2007. They also won 4 SEC tournaments & 6 SEC regular season titles, and Donovan was named SEC Coach of the Year 3 times. Since leaving Florida, Donovan has served as a head coach in the NBA for both the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Chicago Bulls. |
George Edmondson
| align=center | Football mascot | align=center | 1949–2008 | George Edmondson, more commonly known as "Mr. Two Bits," served as an unofficial mascot and cheerleader at Florida Gators football games played at Florida Field for almost sixty years. Edmondson began to lead the home crowd in the "Two Bits" cheer during the darkest days of Gators football in the late 1940s, through eight SEC titles and three national championships. |
John R. Eibner
| align=center | Football, | align=center | 1950–73 | John Eibner was an assistant coach for the Florida Gators from 1950-1966. He left coaching to become the director of fundraising, a position he served in until his death in 1973. |
Eugene Ellenson
| align=center | Football, | align=center | 1960–69 | Gene Ellenson was an assistant coach and the defensive coordinator of the Florida Gators football team from 1960 to 1969. He was revered by his players for his pregame motivational speeches. Ellenson later served as an associate athletic director and the head of Gator Boosters, Inc.Jack Hairston, "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ukpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LuoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2504,4715324&dq=gene-ellenson+hall+of+fame&hl=en Chandler, Ellenson worthy additions to UF Hall of Fame]," The Gainesville Sun, pp. 1C & 2C (April 14, 1989). Retrieved November 2, 2011. |
George F. "Bud" Fernandez
| align=center | Head equipment manager | align=center | 1971–2003 | After serving his country for 28 years as a command sergeant major in the U.S. Army, George "Uncle Bud" Fernandez became the head equipment manager at the University of Florida in 1971, a position he held until 1992. He then became the Director of Athletic Equipment & assistant to the athletic director, where he served until his retirement in 2003. |
Sol Fleischman
| align=center | Broadcaster | align=center | | "Salty" Sol Fleischman was a colorful figure on the televisions of Florida and the Tampa area for over 48 years. Starting as a broadcaster for WDAE straight out of high school in 1928, Fleischman could always be found giving opinions on sports and occasional fishing advice once in a while. Moving to WTVT in 1956, he remained a mainstay until his retirement in 1981. |
Jeremy N. Foley
| align=center | Administrator | align=center | 1976–present | Jeremy Foley started at the University of Florida in 1976 as an intern in the University Athletic Association. Ten years later, he was named interim athletic director and in 1992, became full-time athletic director, a position he held until 2016. Since retiring in 2016, he has stayed active in the university as AD emeritus. |
Skip Foster
| align=center | Swimming, | align=center | 1981–2016 | Skip Foster was hired as an assistant coach for Florida's swimming & diving team, where he served until 1990. He won 2 national championships (1983 & 1984) and coached 38 All-Americans during then. He was promoted to head coach in 1991, where he served 2 years until returning as an assistant coach before leaving the team in 1995. Going 18-4 in his 2 years as head coach, he won the 1991 SEC Coach of the Year & NCAA Men's Coach of the Year awards while also winning SEC championships in both years. He went on to work with the University Athletic Association for over 20 years until his retirement in 2016. |
Dave Fuller
| align=center | Baseball | align=center | 1947–76 | Dave Fuller was the head coach of the Florida Gators baseball team for thirty years, and the longest serving coach in the history of the Florida Gators intercollegiate sports program. His 557 wins as the Gators baseball coach are more than any other coach, in any sport, in Gators history. |
Frank Genovar
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1930–51 | Frank Genovar was the first head coach of the Florida Gators swimming and diving team, and served in that role for twenty-two years. During his tenure, the Gators won five SEC team swimming championships. He also coached the Florida Gators men's tennis team in 1941. |
Gary R. Gerson
| align=center | Financial contributor | align=center | | As a student at the University of Florida in 1952, Gary Gerson helped to create the first tutoring & counseling program for student-athletes to utilize. 3 years later, he became the youngest CPA in the United States. The founder of Gerson Preston Robinson & Co. has helped to tutor Florida's student-athletes for over 70 years & counting. Appointed to the UF Foundation in 1984, Mr. Gerson has continued to use his influence to give back to his community, serving on various organization bounds in the Miami area. He was awarded an honorary membership to the Florida Blue Key fraternity in 2007. |
Richard Giannini
| align=center | Administrator | align=center | 1966–70, | Richard Giannini was hired as the assistant sports information director in 1966, where he served for 4 years. After stints as Duke's assistant AD & the NCAA's marketing & licensing director, he returned to UF in 1977 and served as senior associate AD for 10 years before leaving to become the CEO of Raycom Management Group, Inc., where he served until 1994. From 1995-2012, he served as the athletic director at both the University of Louisiana, Monroe and the University of Southern Mississippi. In 2013, he became the executive director of the Bahamas Bowl and served until 2021. |
Mandell Glicksberg
| align=center | Professor, | align=center | 1953–97 | A former JAG officer in the U.S. Air Force, Mandell Glicksberg joined the University of Florida as a law professor in 1953, a position he served in until his retirement in 1997. While at UF, he served as faculty advisor of the Florida Law Review, became president of the University Athletic Association Board of Directors in 1965, and served as the university's faculty representative to the SEC & NCAA for over 25 years. In the late 1980s, he became a member of the SEC Executive Committee and served as Secretary of the SEC. He was also the co-chair on the SEC committee that helped implement women's sports programs in compliance with Title IX. |
S. Ray Graves
| align=center | Football, | align=center | 1960–69 | Ray Graves was the head coach of the Florida Gators football team from 1960 to 1969. He coached the Gators to their first two major bowl appearances, compiled a 4–1 record in bowl games, and an overall win–loss record of 70–31–4. His seventy wins made him the winningest coach in the first sixty-five years of Gators football. Graves was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990.{{College Football HoF|id=1883|name=Ray Graves|accessdate=September 28, 2011}} |
Ben Hill Griffin Jr.
| align=center | Financial contributor | align=center | | Ben Hill Griffin Jr. was a University of Florida alumnus and namesake of the university's football facility, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Griffin made his family fortune in citrus, cattle, and land development, and was a strong financial supporter of Florida Gators sports. |
Ben Hill Griffin III
| align=center | Financial contributor | align=center | | Ben Hill Griffin Jr. was a University of Florida alumnus and a generous contributor to the Florida Gators sports program. Griffin was president of Alico, Inc., an agribusiness and land development company, and Citrus Hill, the family-owned citrus-growing business. |
Spessard L. Holland
| align=center | Supporter | align=center | | Spessard Holland was an alumnus of the University of Florida College of Law. Holland was one of the founders of the law firm that became Holland & Knight, and was later elected governor of the state (1941–45) and a U.S. Senator from Florida (1946–71). |
Daniel T. McCarty
| align=center | Supporter | align=center | | Dan McCarty was a University of Florida alumnus and decorated U.S. Army officer in World War II. He was elected speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and governor of the state. |
Alfred A. McKethan
| align=center | Financial contributor | align=center | | Alfred McKethan was a University of Florida alumnus, citrus grower, cattleman and banker who served as the president of a small county bank that would become SunTrust Bank. McKethan was also a generous supporter of the Florida Gators sports program. He is the namesake of Alfred A. McKethan Field at the university's baseball facility, Florida Ballpark. |
J. Hillis Miller Sr.
| align=center | President | align=center | 1947–53 | J. Hillis Miller served as the fourth president of the University of Florida for six years in the late 1940s and early 1950s. A strong supporter of intercollegiate athletics, Miller was responsible for several key decisions that led to changes in the administration and financing of the Florida Gators sports program, and the upgrading of the university's sports facilities. |
Bill Potter
| align=center | Men's tennis | align=center | 1952–77 | Bill Potter was the head coach of the Florida Gators men's tennis team for twenty-six seasons. During Potter's tenure, the Gators won four SEC team championships. |
Randy Reese
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1976–90 | Randy Reese was the head coach of the Florida Gators swimming and diving teams for fifteen years. During his tenure, the Gators men's and women's swimmers and divers won a combined seventeen SEC team championships, and four national team championships. Reese received four national coach of the year honors. |
Mimi Ryan
| align=center | Women's golf | align=center | 1973–94 | Mimi Ryan was the first coach of the Florida Gators women's golf team. During her twenty-one years as head coach, Ryan's Lady Gators won six SEC team championships, and back-to-back NCAA national team championships in 1985 and 1986. |
Harold L. "Tom" Sebring
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1925–27 | Tom Sebring was a law student who served as the head coach of the Gators football team for three seasons in the mid-1920s. The team's 8–2 record in 1925 and 7–3 record in 1927 were the two best in the first twenty-one years of the Gators football team. Sebring became a justice of the Florida Supreme Court, a judge at the Nuremberg Trials, and the dean of the Stetson University College of Law. |
George Steinbrenner
| align=center | Financial contributor | align=center | | George Steinbrenner was the principal owner of the New York Yankees, and several Tampa and Great Lakes-based shipping concerns. Steinbrenner was also a generous financial contributor to the Florida Gators sports program, and he and his wife donated the funds to build the Steinbrenner Band Hall. |
G. A. "Pat" Summerall
| align=center | Supporter | align=center | | Placekicker Pat Summerall was a native of Lake City, Florida, and a ten-season veteran of the NFL before he became a national broadcaster for CBS Sports and Fox Sports. |
John J. Tigert IV
| align=center | President | align=center | 1928–47 | John Tigert was the third president of the University of Florida, and a strong advocate of intercollegiate sports. As a Vanderbilt undergraduate, he was an All-Southern halfback and a Rhodes Scholar. He later served as the U.S. Commissioner of Education for seven years. As university president, he was responsible for the construction of Florida Field, and was instrumental in the formation of the Southeastern Conference. |
Gregg Troy
| align=center | Swimming | align=center | 1998–2018 | Gregg Troy served as swimming & diving coach at the University of Florida for 21 years, winning the 2010 NCAA women's championship, 2 SEC women's championships, and 6 SEC men's championship on top of 3 combined NCAA Coach of the Year awards. Troy was also named head coach of the U.S. national swimming team at the 2012 Olympics, where he saw 16 medals won in 17 events. |
James A. Van Fleet
| align=center | Football | align=center | 1923–24 | James Van Fleet was a U.S. Army major and professor of military science in the university's ROTC program when he became the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. During his tenure, the Gators received their first national recognition with high-profile games against Alabama, Army, Georgia Tech and Texas. He later served as the commanding general of United States and United Nations armed forces during the Korean War. |
Alfred C. Warrington IV
| align=center | Financial contributor | align=center | | Alfred Warrington is a major financial contributor to the Florida Gators sports program, and the University of Florida generally. He is the namesake of the university's Warrington College of Business Administration, and previously served as chairman of the university's board of trustees. He was formerly a national partner in Arthur Andersen and a principal investor in Waste Management, Inc. |
Ernestine Weaver
| align=center | Women's gymnastics | align=center | 1980–92 | Ernestine Weaver served as the head coach of the Florida Gators women's gymnastics team for twelve formative seasons. Her Lady Gators gymnasts were perennial conference and national contenders, won six SEC team championships and the 1982 AIAW national team championship, and made eleven consecutive appearances at the NCAA national championship tournament. |
G. Robert Woodruff
| align=center | Football, | align=center | 1950–59 | Bob Woodruff served as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team and the athletic director of the Florida Gators sports program. His football teams won more games in ten years than those of any other coach in the first fifty-four years of Gators football. As athletic director, Woodruff expanded facilities, created a strong base of alumni and booster support, and put the program on a sound financial footing for the first time. |
Everett M. Yon
| align=center | Athletic Director, | align=center | 1925–28 | Everett Yon played for the Florida Gators football team in 1914 and 1915, and the Gators baseball team in 1915 and 1916. Yon returned to the university as a U.S. Army captain and ROTC instructor, and served as athletic director of the Florida Gators sports program from 1925 to 1928. Yon returned again as a retired army colonel after World War II, and served as the president of Gator Boosters, Inc. until his death in 1966. |
See also
{{Portal|Baseball|College football|Tennis}}
- Fergie Ferguson Award
- Florida Gators
- Florida Sports Hall of Fame
- Gator Football Ring of Honor
- History of the University of Florida
- List of Florida Gators baseball players in Major League Baseball
- List of Florida Gators football All-Americans
- List of Florida Gators in the NFL draft
- List of Florida Gators in the NBA
- List of Florida Gators men's golfers on the PGA Tour
- List of Florida Gators in the WNBA
- List of Florida Gators women's golfers on the LPGA Tour
- List of Florida Gators tennis players
- List of University of Florida alumni
- List of University of Florida Olympians
- University Athletic Association
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Footnotes
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References
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
Bibliography
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140903185752/http://web.gatorzone.com/baseball/media/2014/supplement.pdf Florida Baseball 2014 Media Supplement], University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2014).
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140903222448/http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2014/media_guide.pdf Florida Football 2014 Media Guide], University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2014).
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140805004923/http://www.gatorzone.com/gymnastics/media/2014/supplement.pdf Florida Gymnastics 2014 Media Supplement], University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2014).
- [http://www.gatorzone.com/basketball/men/media/2013/guide.pdf Florida Men's Basketball 2013–14 Media Guide]{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2013).
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140903185758/http://web.gatorzone.com/golf/men/media/2013/supplement.pdf Florida Men's Golf 2013–14 Media Supplement], University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2013).
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140903185902/http://web.gatorzone.com/tennis/men/media/2013/supplement.pdf Florida Men's Tennis 2013–14 Media Supplement], University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2013).
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140903185901/http://www.gatorzone.com/soccer/media/2014/supplement.pdf Florida Soccer 2014 Media Supplement], University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2014).
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140804145628/http://www.gatorzone.com/softball/media/2014/supplement.pdf Florida Softball 2014 Media Supplement], University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2014).
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140808201821/http://web.gatorzone.com/swimmingdiving/media/2013/supplement.pdf Florida Swimming & Diving 2013–14 Media Supplement], University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2013).
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140804003528/http://www.gatorzone.com/volleyball/media/2013/supplement.pdf Florida Volleyball 2013 Media Supplement], University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2013).
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20150924021105/http://www.gatorzone.com/basketball/women/media/2013/supplement.pdf Florida Women's Basketball 2013–14 Media Supplement], University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2013).
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140903185803/http://web.gatorzone.com/golf/women/media/2013/supplement.pdf Florida Women's Golf 2013–14 Media Supplement], University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2013).
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140903185905/http://web.gatorzone.com/tennis/women/media/2013/supplement.pdf Florida Women's Tennis 2013–14 Media Supplement], University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2013).
- McEwen, Tom, The Gators: A Story of Florida Football, The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama (1974). {{ISBN|0-87397-025-X}}.
External links
- [http://www.gatorfclub.org/hall-of-fame University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame] – Official webpage maintained by the F Club, the University of Florida lettermen's association.
- [http://www.gatorzone.com/ GatorZone.com] – Official website of the Florida Gators sports program.
{{Florida Gators athletic program navbox}}