Good man Ray Graves took a tumble leaving Tampa Bay Downs a while back, banged his head and doing some repairable damage to an arm and a leg. He’s recovering nicely, he said, at assisted living recuperation center Manor Care in Carrollwood, earlier fixing up at St. Joe’s Hospital.

“Got scratched and scraped a bit, Thomas, but I’ll be fine. Good as new. Well ...,” said the 60s head football coach of the Florida Gators.

“Got to bounce back,” he threw in. 

Ray Graves was 90— nine-0h, 9-Zip - “three months and 14 days ago,” he said. 

And, except for the fall, well, he is doing pretty doggone good. Bride Opal, his one and only, as he is her one and only, just turned 88. And she is fit fine, too. They were at the horse track for an afternoon, a favorite attraction of them both. They are pretty good at handicapping the horses. Don’t bet much, but are regulars in the clubhouse during the Thoroughbred meets of the Downs.

“Ray must have misstepped,” said Opal of her rangy former Gator and Philadelphia Eagle end. When he played, he was bigger than most. But he was best known the decade he coached the Gators out of humdrum into the Silver of Sixties.

When you think of Graves and Florida you think of their shedding of the mediocrity. Steve Spurrier was recruited and won the Heisman before returning years later for a fine coaching career, and Graves’ Gators advanced to the bigger time, Dr. Richard Cade and his origination of Gatorade, and the defining play of the Graves career, the decision to go for two points and make it for an 18-17 win over his old coach and school, Bobby Dodd at Georgia Tech.

“He says he’ll be fine. He had some difficult moments,” said Opal. But Ray is a brave man. Hard to change his mind. When he first went into St. Joe’s, well, Jerri and Steve Spurrier were among the earliest to come by. Plenty have since.”

“Tough to get old, Thomas, eh? They say there are benefits to growing old. Have to wait and see some, except that people like you and me and Opal have gotten this extra time to be around,” Graves added in a raspy voice. “We’ve had some times, haven’t we? Like Spurrier’s 41-yard field goal to beat Auburn. He’d not kicked a field goal since the first game of the season at Northwestern. But he came over and said he could do it. I knew if Spurrier said he could, he would. He did. I can see it now,” said Graves.

Missed almost as much as coaching by Graves is bass fishing. A lefty, he could get his rod and reel ready and in the water before you could get your bait on. He was/is as good a caster as anyone anywhere. I know. When I was assembling material for The Gators, a history of Florida football, we went fishing. He outfished me 20-1, out cast me 1000-l, in north Florida and around Lake Okeechobee. He is a master. His personal best was a 13-pound bass. Opal caught one of 12.

Ray and Opal both had class, both had style. Win or lose, win big or lose big, the Graves had the media and friends and coaches to their home after a home game in Gainesville, for food, drink and another shot at the coaches, generally gripping about nothing, except perhaps the officiating. The Graves, when they were in coaching, as now, understood the media. Generally, they were always available. They did not dodge problems or controversy. He turned out rosters of men who went on to achieve, and they love him and Opal.

The Sixties was a spontaneous growth from those good times of Graves and associates, and they remain loyal and to their university and their coaches to this day. The minute they learn Graves is having a tough time of it, they’ll check it out. Graves also continued allegiances with alumni of his time. There will be no end to it.

After coaching at Florida, Graves was athletic director at Florida for a dozen years, then came to Tampa to work for George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees, here and in Tallahassee. In all that they have done, Ray and Opal carry no grudges, few regrets (just a few losses that should have been wins).

They are easy forgivers, grateful for their good, long lives and three daughters who live in Pinellas. Ray and Opal forgive, even those of us who said the Gators, down 0-20, should not have gone for two points after a first score, a second score, then a third for the 20-18 Sugar Bowl loss.

“Don’t believe I remember that,” said Graves, from his recuperating bed.

No Gators do.