This is a tough one.
It’s difficult because I am not sure how to present it.
It’s something I was thinking about the other day because in the history of Florida football, there have been great players on teams that were not so great.
But I don’t want to say their talents were wasted. Or do I? No, in almost every case, that player went on to success one way or another.
Still, these were players that were better than their records.
So, here you have it for the latest Dooley’s Dozen, 12 Gator football players that Florida didn’t get the most out of. Dang, that sounds too negative. OK, 12 players who were great on mediocre teams?
Whatever we want to call it, here it is.
1
Cris Collinsworth (1979)
Gordon Morioka/The Enquirer
Collinsworth was the spokesperson for the team that is now known as “lovable losers”, but at the time was simply an 0-10-1 team. The first one produced by Charley Pell had some bad luck, including the Brantley brothers for the season in the second game.
But 0-10-1 is 0-10-1. Collinsworth caught 41 passes and only two of them went for touchdowns.
2
John Reaves and Carlos Alvarez (1970-71)
Foster Marshall, Jr./Florida Times-Union
The transition was not smooth. Ray Graves was forced out and Doug Dickey was the new coach, and a team that went 9-1-1 in 1969 went 11-11 in the last two seasons.
Those teams had an All-American receiver and the all-time leader in passing yards when he finished. The change in coaching philosophy was not good for the Super Sophs.
3
Emmitt Smith (1987-89)
Allen Dean Steele/Allsport
Blasphemy, I tell you. The guy is in the Ring of Honor so what am I talking about? He was twice a top 10 finisher in the Heisman voting. Florida leaned on him all three years he was in Gainesville.
But the teams were nothing to write home about. In Emmitt’s three…
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