GATORS AT 100

1950s: Memorable Moments And Players

By JOEY JOHNSTON

Published: Jul 12, 2006

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

Oct. 21, 1950 - Bob Woodruff's first great victory. Gators upset No.13-ranked and unbeaten Vanderbilt 31-27 on the road.

Nov. 4, 1950 - Woodruff spends $150 on long underwear for the team as it faces a snowy game in Kentucky. Final: Kentucky 40, Florida 6.

Oct. 25, 1952 - Rick Casares puts on a one-man show as the Gators beat Georgia (30-0) for only the second time in past 11 seasons.

Jan. 1, 1953 - Florida's first bowl game. Gators drop No. 12-ranked Tulsa 14-13 at the Gator Bowl, capping an 8-3 season.

Oct. 25, 1954 - Gators play superb defense to defeat No.5 Georgia Tech 13-12 on the road.

Nov. 24, 1956 - Gators (6-1-1 overall, 5-1 in SEC) lose their shot at a league title in a 28-0 defeat to Georgia Tech in Jacksonville.

Nov. 22, 1958 - Gators defeat Florida State 21-7 behind Jimmy Dunn's two TDs as the state rivalry finally begins.

Dec. 27, 1958 - Mississippi beats Florida 7-3 in the Gator Bowl. The Gators highlight? A 77-yard punt by Bobby Joe Green (who also had an 82-yarder, a school record that still stands, against Georgia).

Oct. 10, 1959 - Woodruff elects to sit on the ball with time remaining, settling for a 13-13 tie at Rice. "I will gamble to win, but I'll never gamble to lose," Woodruff says in a puzzling postgame news conference.

Nov. 28, 1959 Gators upset 12th-ranked Miami 23-14, knocking the Hurricanes from an Orange Bowl bid. But it's not enough to save the job of Woodruff, who is forced to resign.

PROMINENT PLAYERS

G John Barrow (1953-56) - Consensus All-American and SEC lineman of the year in 1956.
RB Rick Casares (1951-53) - All-around athlete who played every backfield position, then shined in NFL.
G Joe D'Agostino (1951-53) - All-SEC first teamer as junior and senior.
QB Doug Dickey (1951-53) - Extremely intelligent and savvy, setting stage for later coaching career.
WR Don Fleming (1956-58) - Excellent All-SEC target, even on teams that largely emphasized the run.
QB Jimmy Dunn (1956-58) - Pound for pound, Coach Bob Woodruff said, his best Gator player.
DT Vel Heckman (1956-58) - Continually disrupted opposing offenses with his quickness.
OT-DT Charlie LaPradd ( 1950-52) - The first great Gators interior lineman.
RB Jackie Simpson (1953-56) - Broken-field runner who once scored on 100-yard interception return against Mississippi State.
QB Haywood Sullivan ( 1950-51) - Standout passer and baseball catcher. Skipped senior season after getting $75,000 from Red Sox.

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THROUGH THE YEARS

Year Rec. Coach Bowl

1950 5-5 Woodruff
1951 5-5 Woodruff
1952 8-3 Woodruff Gator vs. Tulsa, W 14-13
1953 3-5-2 Woodruff
1954 5-5 Woodruff
1955 4-6 Woodruff
1956 6-3-1 Woodruff
1957 6-2-1 Woodruff
1958 6-4-1 Woodruff Gator vs. Ole Miss, L 7-3
1959 5-4-1 Woodruff

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Information from the following sources was used in this series: University Athletic Association; Independent Florida Alligator; UF library; Samuel Proctor Oral History Program; UF athletic department historian Norm Carlson; "Go Gators: An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory," by Peter Golenbock; "The Gators," by Tom McEwen; "Go Gators," by Arthur Cobb; "100 Years of Gator Football, 1906-2006," edited by Norm Carlson and Timothy O.Davis; "Stadium Stories: Florida Gators" by Peter Kerasotis.