Ray Graves dies

[Skeptic]

Those of a certain age will remember Ray Graves, a long-time assistant to Bobby Dodd who went to Florida as HC and in his 3rd game in 1960, beat Dodd and GT, 18-17, when a back named Lindy Infante was ruled to have scored when everybody in that end zone, and I was one of them, saw clearly he had stepped out. Pictures later showed it. Dodd never uttered a word save to say, "The game is over." What was more memorable was that Dodd's son, Dodd Jr., a backup QB and punter for Graves, completed a pass out of punt formation to keep the drive going. Graves finished as AD with a terrific w-l record, having led Florida to national prominence. Their gain was Tech's loss. Alas, a fellow named Frank Broyles, also a former Dodd assistant, wound up with a great career at Arkansas when most everybody thought the edge of the world was Arkansas. Three hall of fame coaches there, and it helps explain the Tech dominance in that era.

 

[augustabuzz]

Those of a certain age will remember Ray Graves, a long-time assistant to Bobby Dodd who went to Florida as HC and in his 3rd game in 1960, beat Dodd and GT, 18-17, when a back named Lindy Infante was ruled to have scored when everybody in that end zone, and I was one of them, saw clearly he had stepped out. Pictures later showed it. Dodd never uttered a word save to say, "The game is over." What was more memorable was that Dodd's son, Dodd Jr., a backup QB and punter for Graves, completed a pass out of punt formation to keep the drive going. Graves finished as AD with a terrific w-l record, having led Florida to national prominence. Their gain was Tech's loss. Alas, a fellow named Frank Broyles, also a former Dodd assistant, wound up with a great career at Arkansas when most everybody thought the edge of the world was Arkansas. Three hall of fame coaches there, and it helps explain the Tech dominance in that era.

And during the mid 1960s, Coach Graves had a QB coach named Pepper Rodgers, whose protege, Steve Spurrier won the Heisman.

 

[Skeptic]

I think I have some faint memory that sometime while Rodgers was in Gainesville he and some other coaches, or maybe just friends, went deep sea fishing and the boat blew up or some such thing. I think he was hurt but just have no further memories of it. Does anybody? I know this era is going to have its own memories, but it will have to go a long way to beat that bunch and their accomplishments.

 

[jacketup]

Bobby Dodd's record after Graves and Broyles left was similar to Chan Gailey's record at GT. The UF connection weaved throughout is interesting.

 

[takethepoints]

My sister went to UF when Graves was the coach there (she was homecoming queen). Their annual for her senior year had a really funny picture in the sports section. UF was notoriously bad on offense that year. They put a picture of Graves and his closest assistants in the annual all wincing as if they had seen a really bad hit put on one of their players. The caption: "Dammit, we've got the ball again!"

Coach Graves didn't mind; he was as easy going as Coach Dodd and almost as good a football coach.