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| Ray Graves | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | December 31, 1918 |
| Place of birth | Knoxville, Tennessee |
| Position(s) | Center Head Coach Athletic Director |
| College | University of Tennessee |
| NFL Draft | 1942 / Round 9 |
| Career record | 70-31-4 |
| Playing stats | Pro Football Reference |
| Playing stats | DatabaseFootball |
| Team(s) as a player | |
| 1942 1943 1946 |
Philadelphia Eagles Phil./Pitt. Steagles Philadelphia Eagles |
| Team(s) as a coach/administrator | |
| 1951-1959 1960-1969 1960-1979 |
Georgia Tech (assistant) University of Florida (HC) University of Florida (AD) |
| College Football Hall of Fame | |
Samuel Ray Graves (born December 31, 1918) is a former college and professional football player, who is best known as the former head coach of the University of Florida Gators football team.
Contents |
Playing career
Graves played college football first for a year at small Tennessee Wesleyan College,[1] and then for two years at the University of Tennessee, where he was the team captain during his senior year in 1941.[2] He was then drafted during the ninth round of the 1942 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he would play for three seasons. This includes the temporary merger of the Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1943 known as the "Steagles."[2] The Steagles were formed when the National Football League had to limit rosters and cut back to eight teams because of manpower shortages during World War II.[2]
Coaching career
Graves started his coaching career as the defensive coach at Georgia Tech under head coach Bobby Dodd.[3] Under Dodd, Graves and offensive coach Frank Broyles, the Yellow Jackets won Southeastern Conference championships in 1951 and 1952, the 1951 Orange Bowl, the 1952 Sugar Bowl and the 1952 national championship.[4]
Graves was hired as Florida's head coach in 1960 to replace fellow Tennessee alumnus Bob Woodruff. Graves led Florida to five bowl appearances during his tenure and coached several outstanding players at Florida, including quarterback and Heisman Trophy recipient Steve Spurrier (1963-1966), running back and future NFL first-round draft pick Larry Smith (1966-1969)[5] and defensive back and NFL Hall of Fame inductee Jack Youngblood (1968-1970).
Among the many highlights of the Graves era was a 10-6 upset victory over Bear Bryant's 1963 Alabama team at Tuscaloosa.[6] In one of the more interesting footnotes to his football legacy, Graves invited Dr. Robert Cade, then a Florida professor, to begin the experiments that led to the invention of Gatorade. He told his friend Kansas City Chiefs head coach Hank Stram of the drink's effectiveness, a move that would eventually lead to Gatorade becoming the official sports drink of the NFL.
In 1969, despite achieving an all-time win-loss record at Florida of 70-31-4,[7] Graves stepped down to make room for former Gators quarterback Doug Dickey to return to his alma mater as head coach for the 1970 season. Graves remained the winningest coach in Florida football history until his former player, Steve Spurrier, surpassed him in 1996.[8] Graves was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on December 4, 1990.[9]
After stepping down as Florida's head football coach, Graves remained the university's athletic director until 1979, a position he had also held since becoming the football coach in 1960. His remaining tenure as athletic director was notable for the University of Florida's embrace of the challenges and opportunities in women's college sports presented by Title IX.[10] Under Graves' guidance, Florida's women's sports program began its climb to become one of the top ten women's programs in Division I sports.
The Athletic Office at University of Florida's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was named in honor of Graves during the 2005 Gator Football season.
Steagles 60th Anniversary
On August 17, 2003 the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Steagles in pregame and halftime ceremonies for the 2003 season opener at Heinz Field. The Steelers recreated the era in their "Turn Back the Clock" ceremonies, including broadcasting in black and white on the Jumbotron and airing World War II footage during the national anthem. All live entertainment was done to reflect the 1940s.
Graves was on-hand as six of the nine surviving members of that Steagles team were honored by the Steelers during halftime. [11] During the festivities, the Steelers gave each of the six members a replica Steagles jersey to wear. The jersey worn by Graves was returned to the team after the festivities. It was sold by the Steelers a month later, to Bill Ponko, a private collector of sports memorabilia to benefit a local charity.
Personal
Graves was born in Knoxville, Tennessee on December 31, 1918.[1] He was the son of a Methodist minister, and he realized that his best (and perhaps only) opportunity to attend college would be to earn an athletic scholarship.[1] Tennessee Wesleyan College, a small Methodist-affiliated college located in Athens, Tennessee, recognized his athletic talent and offered him a full scholarship.[1] Coach Robert Neyland of the University of Tennessee recognized his stand-out play and arranged for Graves to transfer to Tennessee.[1] After graduating from Tennessee in 1942, he attempted to volunteer for the U.S. Navy, but was rejected when he failed his physical because he was deaf in one ear.[12]
After resigning as the University of Florida's athletic director in 1980, Graves became vice president of Steinbrenner Enterprises in Tampa, Florida.[13] He retired in 1989, and continues to live in Tampa with his wife, Opal.
References
- ^ a b c d e Julian M. Pleasants, Gator Tales: An Oral History of the University of Florida, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, p. 189 (2006). ISBN 081300544.
- ^ a b c Elizabeth McGarr, "A Team of Two Cities," Sports Illustrated (August 23, 2007). Retrieved September 16, 2009.
- ^ Pleasants, Gator Tales, p. __.
- ^ College Football Data Warehouse, Georgia Tech Yearly Results: 1950-1954. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
- ^ A Smith to Remember," Sports Illustrated (September 19, 1966). Retrieved September 16, 2009.
- ^ Alabama would not lose again in Tuscaloosa until 1982.
- ^ College Football Data Warehouse, All-Time Coaching Records, Ray Graves Records by Year. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ^ Associated Press, "Spurrier out at Florida," Sports Illustrated (January 9, 2002). Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ^ "Ray Graves enters College Hall of Fame," Gainesville Sun, p. 1C (December 5, 1990). Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ^ Bil Gilbert & Nancy Williamson, "Women In Sport: A Progress Report, Sports Illustrated (July 29, 1974). Retrieved September 16, 2009.
- ^ Gerry Dulac, "Steelers Notebook: Simmons will play vs. Eagles," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (August 15, 2003). Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ^ Pleasants, Gator Tales, p. 193.
- ^ College Football Hall of Fame, Hall of Famers, Ray Graves Member Biography. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
Bibliography
Pleasants, Julian M., Gator Tales: An Oral History of the University of Florida, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida (2006).
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bob Woodruff |
University of Florida Head Football Coach 1960 - 1970 |
Succeeded by Doug Dickey |
| Preceded by Bob Woodruff |
University of Florida Athletic Director 1960 - 1979 |
Succeeded by Bill Carr |
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