We are 74 days away from Florida's Week 1 matchup against Long Island University set for Saturday, August 30, meaning it's time to start the countdown to Gator Football. To help the days pass and pay some homage to some of the all-time greats, we're going to be highlighting the best player to wear the jersey number connected to the number of days until kickoff.
Today, it'll be showcasing the greatest player to wear number 74 in Florida Football history. After some deliberation on number 75 yesterday, number 74 provided a simple decision. Before I introduce the honoree, I'll talk through a couple of honorable mentions. Three players to don 74 earned All-American status, but Jason Odom and Jeff Zimmerman didn't quite make the cut.
Odom played in Gainesville from 1993 to 1996, helping the Gators secure three SEC Championships. He was a two-time All-American and three-time all-SEC player as an offensive lineman. He played four NFL seasons and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame. Zimmerman also earned All-American honors twice and was the first Gator offensive lineman to be named an All-American as an underclassman. He played in The Swamp from 1983 to 1986 as an offensive lineman.
Jack Youngblood: Best Florida player to wear #74
Youngblood is likely a name you've heard before, even if it was not in relation to the Gators. Youngblood had an illustrious NFL career, playing 14 seasons and accruing five All-Pro and seven Pro Bowl selections before being inducted into the NFL's Hall of Fame. He was equally, if not more impressive, with the Gators.
He and his number 74 jersey were enshrined in the inaugural Florida Football Ring of Honor, cementing his place in Gator history. Youngblood accumulated 10 sacks in the 1970 season, landing an All-American and All-SEC berth. He was eventually inducted into the college Hall of Fame as well.
Youngblood was selected with the 20th overall pick in the 1971 NFL Draft and drew plenty of praise for his toughness on the field, playing in 201 consecutive NFL games and even playing through a fractured fibula in the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl of the 1979 season.
All in all, Youngblood goes down as one of the greatest Gators of al time at both the collegiate and professional level.