Ray Graves
Encyclopedia
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. Graves is best known as the former head coach
of the Florida Gators football
team that represents the University of Florida
.
on December 31, 1918. 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
. Tennessee Wesleyan College, a small Methodist-affiliated college located in Athens, Tennessee
, recognized his athletic talent and offered him a full scholarship. Coach Robert Neyland
of the University of Tennessee recognized his stand-out play and arranged for Graves to transfer to Tennessee. After he graduated from Tennessee in 1942, he attempted to volunteer for the U.S. Navy following the United States' entry into World War II
, but he was rejected when he failed his physical because he was deaf in one ear. He would have been accepted only in a grave emergency.
, and then for two years at the University of Tennessee, where he was the team captain
of the Tennessee Volunteers football
team during his senior year in 1941. He replaced Norbert Ackerman as the starting center
in 1941. During his time as a Volunteer, he played in the Sugar Bowl
following his 1940 junior season, and he earned third-team All-Southeastern Conference
honors following his 1941 senior season.
selected Graves in the ninth round (seventy-third pick overall) in the 1942 NFL Draft
, and he played for the Eagles for three seasons, including the temporary 1943 merger of the Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers
known as the "Steagles
." 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
. In three NFL seasons, Graves played in twenty-eight games, starting in fifteen of them.
in 1943, but Tennessee did not field a football team that season due to World War II
. Graves was hired as an assistant coach for the Volunteers in 1944, and resigned as the offensive line coach following the 1945 season to play for the Eagles again. Following his playing career, Graves was the defensive coach at Georgia Tech
under head coach Bobby Dodd
. 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. Graves is widely credited with creating what was then known as the "monster defense"—the modern alignment of the free safety and strong safety in the defensive backfield.
Graves was hired as the new head football coach of the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida
, replacing fellow University of Tennessee alumnus
Bob Woodruff. He served as the Gators' head coach for ten years from 1960 to 1969. 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
(1964–1966), running back and future NFL first-round draft pick Larry Smith
(1966–1968) and defensive end and NFL Hall of Fame
inductee Jack Youngblood
(1968–1970).
Among the many highlights of the Graves era was the 1963 Gators' 10–6 upset victory over coach Bear Bryant
's 1963 Alabama Crimson Tide team in Tuscaloosa
. In one of the more interesting footnotes to his football legacy, Graves allowed Dr. Robert Cade
, a professor in the University of Florida College of Medicine
, to conduct dehydration
analysis and rehydration experiments using team members which led to the formulation of Gatorade
in 1965. After seeing the formula's potential in an intra-squad scrimmage, Graves asked Cade to make enough for the entire team for the next game against Louisiana State
; the LSU Tigers wilted in the 102-degree game-day heat, and the Gators came from behind to win in the second half. 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.
Graves' saved the best for last: his 1969 Gators posted a 9–1–1 record, upset the Tennessee Volunteers
, 14–13, in the Gator Bowl
, and were ranked fourteenth in the final AP Poll. After achieving an all-time win-loss record at Florida of 70–31–4 (.686) and four final top-twenty poll rankings (1960, 1965, 1966, 1969), Graves stepped down to make room for former Gators quarterback Doug Dickey
to return to his alma mater
as the new head coach of the 1970 Gators. Graves remained the winningest coach in Gators football history until his former quarterback, Steve Spurrier, surpassed him in 1996
.
Notably, Graves' Gators are also remembered for their remarkable academic success off the field as much as their athletic success on it. Ninety-three percent of his football players graduated from Florida with their undergraduate degrees, and more than half of the graduates ultimately earned law or medical degrees. Graves' Silver Sixties Gators remain a close-knit group, and have held an annual team reunion event with their coach every year since 1970.
After resigning 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
. 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. After he retired as the Gators' athletic director in 1979, he worked for another year as a special assistant for fundraising in the office of the university president.
Graves was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame
in 1972, the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1990, and the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1990. When Steve Spurrier returned to Gainesville as the Gators' head coach in 1990, he created the team's new most valuable player award, the Ray Graves Trophy, with the annual recipients selected by the players themselves. The Athletic Office at the University of Florida
's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
was named in honor of Graves during the 2005 Gator Football season.
. 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. 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.
. He retired in 1989, and continues to live in Tampa with his wife, Opal.
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 and former 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...
coach. He is a native of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and an alumnus
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
of the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, where he played college football. Graves is best known as the former head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the 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 that represents 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...
.
Early life and education
Ray Graves was born in Knoxville, TennesseeKnoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
on December 31, 1918. 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
Athletic 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...
. Tennessee Wesleyan College, a small Methodist-affiliated college located in Athens, Tennessee
Athens, Tennessee
Athens is a city in McMinn County, Tennessee, United States. It is the county seat of McMinn County and the principal city of the Athens Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Chattanooga-Cleveland-Athens Combined Statistical Area. The population was 13,220 at the 2000...
, recognized his athletic talent and offered him a full scholarship. Coach Robert Neyland
Robert Neyland
Robert Reese Neyland, MBE was an American football player and coach and and officer in the United States Army, reaching the rank of brigadier general. He served three stints as the head football coach as the University of Tennessee...
of the University of Tennessee recognized his stand-out play and arranged for Graves to transfer to Tennessee. After he graduated from Tennessee in 1942, he attempted to volunteer for the U.S. Navy following the United States' entry into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but he was rejected when he failed his physical because he was deaf in one ear. He would have been accepted only in a grave emergency.
College
Graves played college football first for a year at small Tennessee Wesleyan CollegeTennessee Wesleyan College
Tennessee Wesleyan College is a small liberal arts college founded in 1857, located in the East Tennessee city of Athens. It is affiliated with the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church...
, and then for two years at the University of Tennessee, where he was the team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
of the Tennessee Volunteers football
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
team during his senior year in 1941. He replaced Norbert Ackerman as the starting center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
in 1941. During his time as a Volunteer, he played in the 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...
following his 1940 junior season, and he earned third-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...
honors following his 1941 senior season.
Professional
The Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
selected Graves in the ninth round (seventy-third pick overall) in the 1942 NFL Draft
1942 NFL Draft
The 1942 National Football League Draft was held on December 22, 1941.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:-Round eleven:...
, and he played for the Eagles for three seasons, including the temporary 1943 merger of the Eagles and 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...
known as the "Steagles
Steagles
The Steagles is the popular nickname for the team created by the temporary merger of two National Football League teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, during the 1943 season...
." The Steagles were formed when 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...
had to limit rosters and cut back to eight teams because of manpower shortages during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In three NFL seasons, Graves played in twenty-eight games, starting in fifteen of them.
Coaching career
Graves was retained as a volunteer coach at the University of TennesseeUniversity of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
in 1943, but Tennessee did not field a football team that season due to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Graves was hired as an assistant coach for the Volunteers in 1944, and resigned as the offensive line coach following the 1945 season to play for the Eagles again. Following his playing career, Graves was the defensive coach at Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
under head coach Bobby Dodd
Bobby Dodd
Robert Lee Dodd was an American college football coach at Georgia Tech. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame as a player and coach, something that only three people have accomplished....
. Under Dodd, Graves and offensive coach Frank Broyles
Frank Broyles
John Franklin Broyles is a former American football player and coach, athletics administrator, and broadcaster. He served as the head football coach the University of Missouri in 1957 and at the University of Arkansas from 1958 to 1976...
, the Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are 8 men's and 7 women's teams that...
won 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...
championships in 1951 and 1952, the 1951 Orange Bowl, the 1952 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...
and the 1952 national championship. Graves is widely credited with creating what was then known as the "monster defense"—the modern alignment of the free safety and strong safety in the defensive backfield.
Graves was hired as the new head football coach of the University of Florida located 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...
, replacing fellow University of Tennessee alumnus
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
Bob Woodruff. He served as the Gators' head coach for ten years from 1960 to 1969. Graves led Florida to five bowl appearances during his tenure and coached several outstanding players at Florida, including quarterback and Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
recipient Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
(1964–1966), running back and future NFL first-round draft pick Larry Smith
Larry Smith (running back)
William Lawrence "Larry" Smith is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for six seasons during the 1960s and 1970s...
(1966–1968) and defensive end and NFL Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
inductee Jack Youngblood
Jack Youngblood
Herbert Jackson "Jack" Youngblood, III is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was a five-time consensus All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl...
(1968–1970).
Among the many highlights of the Graves era was the 1963 Gators' 10–6 upset victory over coach Bear Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
's 1963 Alabama Crimson Tide team in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
. In one of the more interesting footnotes to his football legacy, Graves allowed Dr. Robert Cade
Robert Cade
James Robert Cade was an American physician, university professor, research scientist and inventor. Cade, a native of Texas, earned his undergraduate and medical degrees, and became a professor of medicine and nephrology at the University of Florida...
, a professor in the University of Florida College of Medicine
University of Florida College of Medicine
The University of Florida College of Medicine is the medical school of the University of Florida. It is part of the J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center, with facilities in Gainesville and Jacksonville...
, to conduct dehydration
Dehydration
In physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...
analysis and rehydration experiments using team members which led to the formulation of Gatorade
Gatorade
Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
in 1965. After seeing the formula's potential in an intra-squad scrimmage, Graves asked Cade to make enough for the entire team for the next game against Louisiana State
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
; the LSU Tigers wilted in the 102-degree game-day heat, and the Gators came from behind to win in the second half. He told his friend 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...
head coach Hank Stram
Hank Stram
Henry Louis "Hank" Stram was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the American Football League's Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and the Chiefs of the NFL. Stram won three AFL Championships and Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs...
of the drink's effectiveness, a move that would eventually lead to Gatorade becoming the official sports drink of the NFL.
Graves' saved the best for last: his 1969 Gators posted a 9–1–1 record, upset the Tennessee Volunteers
1969 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 1969 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 1969 college football season. The Volunteers offense scored 328 points while the defense allowed 179 points. Led by head coach Doug Dickey, the Volunteers competed in the...
, 14–13, in the Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
, and were ranked fourteenth in the final AP Poll. After achieving an all-time win-loss record at Florida of 70–31–4 (.686) and four final top-twenty poll rankings (1960, 1965, 1966, 1969), Graves stepped down to make room for former Gators quarterback Doug Dickey
Doug Dickey
Douglas Adair "Doug" Dickey is a former American college football player and coach and college athletics administrator. Dickey is a South Dakota native who was raised in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida, where he played college football...
to return to his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
as the new head coach of the 1970 Gators. Graves remained the winningest coach in Gators football history until his former quarterback, Steve Spurrier, surpassed him in 1996
1996 Florida Gators football team
The 1996 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. This was the team's seventh season under head coach Steve Spurrier...
.
Notably, Graves' Gators are also remembered for their remarkable academic success off the field as much as their athletic success on it. Ninety-three percent of his football players graduated from Florida with their undergraduate degrees, and more than half of the graduates ultimately earned law or medical degrees. Graves' Silver Sixties Gators remain a close-knit group, and have held an annual team reunion event with their coach every year since 1970.
After resigning as Florida's head football coach, Graves remained the university's athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
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
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...
. 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. After he retired as the Gators' athletic director in 1979, he worked for another year as a special assistant for fundraising in the office of the university president.
Graves was inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame
Florida Sports Hall of Fame
The Florida Sports Hall of Fame is an association dedicated to honoring athletes with outstanding achievement in sports in Florida. It has expanded its goals to include encouraging physical fitness among Florida's citizens through the example of its honorees.The FSHOF was founded by the Florida...
in 1972, the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1990, and the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1990. When Steve Spurrier returned to Gainesville as the Gators' head coach in 1990, he created the team's new most valuable player award, the Ray Graves Trophy, with the annual recipients selected by the players themselves. The Athletic Office at 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...
's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field is the football stadium for the University of Florida and the home field of the university's Florida Gators football team. It is located on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. The stadium was originally built in 1930, and has been regularly...
was named in honor of Graves during the 2005 Gator Football season.
Steagles 60th anniversary
On August 17, 2003, the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of the Steagles in pregame and halftime ceremonies for the 2003 season opener at Heinz FieldHeinz Field
Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively...
. The Steelers recreated the era in their "Turn Back the Clock" ceremonies, including broadcasting in black and white on the Jumbotron
Jumbotron
A JumboTron is a large-screen television using technology developed by Sony, typically used in sports stadiums and concert venues to show close-up shots of the event. Although JumboTron is a registered trademark owned by the Sony Corporation, the word jumbotron is often used by the public as a...
and airing World War II footage during the national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
. 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. 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.
Later life
After resigning as the University of Florida's athletic director in 1980, Graves became vice president of Steinbrenner Enterprises in Tampa, FloridaTampa, 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....
. He retired in 1989, and continues to live in Tampa with his wife, Opal.
Head coaching record
See also
- 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
- Florida–Tennessee football rivalry
- History of the University of FloridaHistory of the University of FloridaThe history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
- List of College Football Hall of Fame inductees (coaches)
- List of Florida Gators head football coaches
- List of SEC Coaches of the Year
- List of University of Tennessee people
- University Athletic AssociationUniversity of Florida Athletic AssociationThe University Athletic Association, Inc. is a non-profit corporation that is responsible for maintaining the Florida Gators intercollegiate sports program of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida...