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Experience the University of Florida football program's fascinating 20th century journey, one that has brought enjoyment to millions and national recognition to the school.The University of Florida, the state's oldest and largest university, is recognized today as one of the country's most academically diverse public institutions. Though able to trace its history to 1853, the school did not begin its popular football program until the first few years of the 20th century. The program has had its share of scandals and embarrassments over time, but it has also produced two Heisman Trophy winners, a national champion, numerous players drafted into the professional ranks, and a visibility that consistently ranks the team in the top five in the country. Now attracting 85,000 fans to each of its home games, the Gators' football program has become a vital part of the University of Florida.
When the team won the national championship in 1996, no one could have predicted such success just 90 years earlier. Fortunately, that journey through the last century has been captured in great photographs that include formal portraits of teams, action shots on the field, views of the stadium simply referred to as "The Swamp" by fans, and snapshots from every decade. These images tell the story of the birth and growth of a football team.
About the author
In Fightin' Gators, author and professor Kevin M. McCarthy has compiled the first photo-history of the popular team. Illustrating the history of intercollegiate football at UF from its beginnings, when the school struggled to field a respectable team, to its recent past, when the Gators won the national championship, this pictorial retrospective draws on vintage images from university and state archives. Fans, students, and alumni alike will enjoy this glowing tribute to the team that has brought them pride and its distinctive heritage.
