7 Days to Gator Football – #7 Danny Wuerffel (’92-’96)

Daniel Carl Wuerffel was born in my favorite city, Pensacola, Florida, as the son of a minister and Air Force chaplain. At Fort Walton Beach High School, he won the Florida 4A state championship right there at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium over the highly touted, perennial power St. Thomas Aquinas. As quarterback for the Florida Gators under Steve Spurrier, Danny become one of the most highly decorated players in Gator history. He won the 1996 Heisman Trophy, the 1996 Bowl Alliance National Championship, four consecutive SEC titles from 1993 to 1996, the Draddy Trophy, 1st-team Academic All-American ’95 and ’96, 1st-team All-American ’95, consensus All-American ’96, Sammy Baugh Trophy winner ’95, Davey O’Brien Award winner ’95 and ’96, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Award winner ’96, NCAA Quarterback of the Year ’96, team MVP ’95 and ’96, Gainesville Sun’s UF Team of the Century ’99, and Florida Gator’s 100th Anniversary Team ’06. He finished his career 708/1,170 for 10,875 yards, 114 touchdown passes, 163.56 passer rating, and 9.74 touchdown percentage. Most of those stats were SEC or NCAA records at one time. Danny was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Association Hall of Fame as a Gator Great in 2006.

Danny Wuerffel High School Championship

Year	Comp	Att	Comp %	Passing	TD	INT
1993	159	273	58.2	2230	22	10
1994	132	212	62.3	1754	18	9
1995	210	325	64.6	3266	35	10
1996	207	360	57.5	3625	39	13

18 Days to Gator Football – #18 Louis Oliver (’85-’88)

From walk-on to 1st-team All American. Louis Oliver III was born in Belle Glades, Florida. In 1985 he walked onto Galen Hall‘s Florida Gators and earned a spot as the starting safety and team captain. He racked up 11 career interceptions, made the 1st team All-American team in ’87 and ’88, and the All-SEC team in the same years. In addition, he earned SEC Academic Honor Roll honors twice, as well as the Gators’ Fergie Ferguson Award. Louis was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Association as a Gator Great in 2000. Louis is generally considered one of the greatest defensive backs to ever play for the Gators. With Louis and Jarvis Williams in the defensive backfield, the Gators were a force to be reckoned with.

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• 26 Days to Gator Football – #26 Jarvis Williams (’83-’87) (walterkilar.wordpress.com)

21 Days to Gator Football – #21 Fred Taylor (’94-’97)

Frederick Antwon Taylor hails from the Gator talent hotbed Pahokee, Florida, where he initially played linebacker before switching to tailback. By the time he arrived in Gainesville to play for Steve Spurrier‘s Gators he was an already accomplished running back, having been named to the FHSAA “Top 100 Greatest Players” list. Fred immediately made an impact on the Gators with his unique blend of size, agility, and power, helping them win the Bowl Alliance National Championship in 1996 and earning himself 1st-team All-SEC honors, Walter Camp All-American recognition, and team MVP selection. He was so good that he helped usher fellow running back Elijah Williams to switch to defensive back. He is the #4 in school history with 3,075 yards, and 31 touchdowns. His impact on Gator lore was enough for him to be inducted into the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame in 2008 and the University of Florida Athletic Association Hall of Fame as a Gator Great in 2010.

26 Days to Gator Football – #26 Jarvis Williams (’83-’87)

Jarvis Eric Williams of Palatka, Florida played hard hitting defensive back for head coach Galen Hall from 1984 to 1987, where he was a key contributor on two of the Gator’s best seasons, the 9-1-1 ’84 and ’85 seasons. Jarvis is remembered for a slobberknocking hit on ‘Cane receiver Melvin Bratton, rendering him unconscious. When he wasn’t knocking out receivers he was leading the team with ten career interceptions, and led the team in tackles (77) and punt returns (20 for 222 yards). For his hard hitting efforts, Jarvis was named 1st team All-SEC and All-American. He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Association as a Gator Great in 2001, seven years after retiring from the NFL.

33 Days to Gator Football – #33 Errict Rhett (’89-’93)

33 – Errict Rhett, RB (1989-93)

Emmitt who? Errict Undra Rhett, from Pembroke Pines, Florida, picked up right where Emmitt left off as tailback during Steve Spurrier‘s triumphant return to Gainesville as savior and head ball coach. Even though it was rumored that Spurrier wanted a pass-happy offense, Errict broke Emmitt’s career rushing record with 4,163 rushing yards, and finished with 34 rushing touchdowns, 1,230 receiving yards, and two touchdown receptions. (Yeah, I know, he did it in four years, not three.) Not bad for a running back that nobody thought could surpass Emmitt, much less the presumed starter, Willie McClendon. Before each game or practice, Errict would pray to not fumble the ball. It turns out that Willie had a problem with fumbling the ball. All that hard work and a little bit of prayer must have paid off for Errict. Once he gained the starting role, Errict’s consistent running and low fumble rate helped the mighty Gators win the 1991 and 1993 SEC Championship Game. He was MVP of the 1994 Sugar Bowl in their victory over West Virginia, 1st team All-SEC in 1991 and 1993, and was inducted by the University of Florida Athletic Association as a Gator Great in 2005.

55 Days to Gator Football – #55 Scot Brantley (’76-’79)

55 – Scot Brantley, LB (1976-79)

Scot Eugene Brantley of Chester, South Carolina and Ocala, Florida is the most recognizable of the 1970’s Gator linebackers. He played under Doug Dickey and Charley Pell from ’76 to ’79. Scot ranks 2^nd on the career tackles list and has 2 of the top 7 single season totals. His brother, John Walter Brantley III (’75-’79), was a quarterback for the Gators in the late 1970s and his nephew, John Walter Brantley IV (’07-’11), is currently a quarterback for the Gators. Some say that his brain injury in ’79 was one of the key reasons (out of many) that the Gators struggled in that 0-10-1 season. For his ferocity on the field, Scot Brantley was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Association Hall of Fame as a Gator Great, and the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame.

75 Days to Gator Football

75 – Lomas Brown, T (1981-84)

Lomas Brown, Jr. of Miami, FL, is widely regarded as the best offensive lineman in UF history, best athletes in Florida high school history and among the best Gators at any position of all-time. Brown was a member of the Gator offensive line under Charley Pell and Galen Hall in the early 80’s that was affectionately referred to as “The Great Wall of Florida”. Joining him on the Great Wall of Florida were Phil Bromley, Billy Hinson, Crawford Ker and Jeff Zimmerman. With Kerwin Bell at QB and Neal Anderson and John L. Williams in the backfield, the 1984 Gators went 9-1-1 in what could have been our first SEC Championship. Years later, the University of Florida Athletic Association added Lomas Brown to the annals of the Hall of Fame as a Gator Great.