The numbers are in and it appears the Florida universities did well in the intense competition of recruiting their football players of the future, to be available this season ahead and beyond. Those involved hope and believe these kids will meet the talent and academic requirements of their coach-recruiters, and, I suppose, the academic and administrative requirements so much in the news these days.

It seemed like a good time to call an old head coach so long involved in these matters of public attention and annual concern. He just had a birthday and weighs about 189, that which he did when he played the college game at Tennessee.

Ray Graves was 89 this past New Year’s Eve and he and wife Opal celebrated life in their Tampa home off the Carrollwood golf course with a toast to their good and long life together.

“Looked like the Gators did all right in recruiting,” he said.  “I hope so. I liked those times. Not all coaches do. I liked going to homes of the players and meeting their parents.”

He meant it. He would have. Nice and charming, these two, Opal and Ray.

Graves recruited well, which surely led to him coaching well, in the Sixties. He remembered the big moments of his time, those leading to the advancement of the Gators to the upper echelon of the college game: a win over Houston on a long John Reaves pass to Carlos Alvarez, a 40-yard field goal by Steve Spurrier to beat Auburn (it was the first ever for Spurrier) in 1966, and a long touchdown run by Larry Smith in the Orange Bowl the next year to assure the win over Georgia Tech (27-12). These first came to his football mind as he thought back on his years at Florida. 

“1966 was also the Gatorade year. Our Dr. Cade had been wanting me to try out his energy drink, which he called Gatorade,” said Graves. “Dr. Cade had come to our practices and urged me to try the drink on our B team and to our freshmen. Seemed to help.”

Then came the Orange Bowl and Georgia Tech, in Miami.

“I knew Larry Smith would be running all over the field all day so I told Dr. Cade we’d give it to our star back,” said Graves. “Gators all over will remember how Smith, late in the game, broke through a hole and outran the world to the end zone. He ran so fast he almost ran out of his football pants. Much of the run, he had to use one hand to keep his pants up. They had began to slip downward early on. He kept them up.”

What a moment it was for all, including Dr. Cade, whom Graves remembers being on the sidelines. Nobody ever looked back — not Dr. Cade, not Gatorade investors, not Graves, not Smith, not Florida. Of course, the Gators began using the drink regularly. The product is sensationally successful, and so has been Smith. He had a fine career with the pros, and now is a fine, busy attorney in Tampa.

“Be sure to note that we increased the size of pants for Smith in the future, and how proud we are of him and Dr. Cade. The drink is a world beater,” said Graves. “Most in the world give the Gators all the credit. Most of it, anyway.”

When will colleges know the real results of the present recruiting class, coach?

“Two or three years, minimum. Only a handful are sure bets.” Graves said.

We can’t all wait that long, coach.