Larry Gagner
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Joseph "Larry" Gagner (born December 30, 1943) is a former American college and professional football
player who was a guard
in the National Football League
(NFL) for five seasons in the 1960s and 1970s. Gagner played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Pittsburgh Steelers
and the Kansas City Chiefs
of the NFL.
in 1943. He attended Seabreeze High School
in Daytona Beach, Florida
, where he was a standout two-way prep player for the Seabreeze Sandcrabs high school football
team. The Sandcrabs posted a 19–2–1 overall win-loss record during Gagner's junior
and senior
years, and laid claim to the state football championship his junior year. In 2007, forty-six years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association
(FHSAA) named Gagner to its "All-Century Team," recognizing him as one of the thirty-three greatest Florida high school football players of the last 100 years.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played offensive guard for coach Ray Graves
' Florida Gators football
team from 1963 to 1965. He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection in 1964 and 1965, and a first-team All-American in 1965. As a senior lineman, Gagner participated in the 1966 Sugar Bowl
, the Gators' first-ever major bowl appearance. He graduated with a bachelor's degree
in fine art
s in 1967, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."
, and also by the Miami Dolphins
in the third round (eighteenth pick overall) of the 1966 American Football League
(AFL) Draft. Gagner signed with the Steelers and played regularly at guard from until , starting 14 games.
In March 1970, Gagner was involved in a serious traffic accident near his home in Ormond Beach, Florida
in which he broke his hip. The injury and the resulting rehabilitation kept him from playing during the and seasons. Gagner was traded to the New York Giants
and then the Denver Broncos
while injured and didn't take the field for either team. In , he returned to action as a reserve lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs
but never was able to perform as he had before his injury and decided to retire during preseason training camp in . In his NFL career, Gagner appeared in fifty-nine games.
In 1974 and 1975, Gagner played sparingly for the Jacksonville franchise of the World Football League
before finally retiring from football for good when the league folded.
neighborhood of Tampa, Florida
, where he is a working artist.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was a guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) for five seasons in the 1960s and 1970s. Gagner played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
of the NFL.
Early life
Gagner was born in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
in 1943. He attended Seabreeze High School
Seabreeze High School
Seabreeze High School is a high school located in Daytona Beach, Florida. The school has been named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.- Notable alumni :...
in Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
, where he was a standout two-way prep player for the Seabreeze Sandcrabs high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team. The Sandcrabs posted a 19–2–1 overall win-loss record during Gagner's junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
and senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
years, and laid claim to the state football championship his junior year. In 2007, forty-six years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association
Florida High School Athletic Association
The Florida High School Athletic Association is an organization whose purpose is to organize sports competition for high school It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations ....
(FHSAA) named Gagner to its "All-Century Team," recognizing him as one of the thirty-three greatest Florida high school football players of the last 100 years.
College career
Gagner received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played offensive guard for coach Ray Graves
Ray Graves
Samuel Ray Graves is a former American college and professional football player and former college football coach. He is a native of Tennessee and an alumnus of the University of Tennessee, where he played college football...
' Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1963 to 1965. He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) selection in 1964 and 1965, and a first-team All-American in 1965. As a senior lineman, Gagner participated in the 1966 Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
, the Gators' first-ever major bowl appearance. He graduated with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in fine art
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
s in 1967, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."
Professional career
Gagner was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round (nineteenth pick overall) of the 1966 NFL Draft1966 NFL Draft
The 1966 National Football League Draft was held on November 27, 1965. It was the last draft in which the NFL and the AFL drafted their players separate of one another. As a result, many players selected by teams from both leagues would choose to play for the more established NFL, or in a rarer...
, and also by the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the third round (eighteenth pick overall) of the 1966 American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
(AFL) Draft. Gagner signed with the Steelers and played regularly at guard from until , starting 14 games.
In March 1970, Gagner was involved in a serious traffic accident near his home in Ormond Beach, Florida
Ormond Beach, Florida
Ormond Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 36,301 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 37,929. Ormond Beach is the northern neighbor of Daytona Beach and is home to Tomoka State Park.-History:Ormond Beach was...
in which he broke his hip. The injury and the resulting rehabilitation kept him from playing during the and seasons. Gagner was traded to the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and then the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
while injured and didn't take the field for either team. In , he returned to action as a reserve lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
but never was able to perform as he had before his injury and decided to retire during preseason training camp in . In his NFL career, Gagner appeared in fifty-nine games.
In 1974 and 1975, Gagner played sparingly for the Jacksonville franchise of the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
before finally retiring from football for good when the league folded.
Life after football
Gagner and his wife Doris live in the Seminole HeightsSeminole Heights
Seminole Heights is a neighborhood and district located in central Tampa. As of the 2000 census, the district had a population of 24,567 .-Description:Seminole Heights is known for its historic craftsman style bungalows from the early 20th century...
neighborhood of Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, where he is a working artist.
See also
- 1965 College Football All-America Team1965 College Football All-America TeamThe 1965 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Central Press Association, Football Writers...
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1960–1969
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of Kansas City Chiefs players
- List of Pittsburgh Steelers players
- List of University of Florida alumni
External links
- LarryGagner.com – Official website for Larry Gagner's artworks.