We are 73 days away from Florida's Week 1 matchup against Long Island University set for Saturday, August 30, meaning it's time to count down the days until Gator Football. To help the time pass and pay homage to some of the all-time greats, we're going to highlight the best player to wear the jersey number corresponding to the number of days until kickoff.
The countdown will continue with the best player to wear number 72. After honoring a recent UF graduate yesterday, we go back in history to anoint the best number 72.
Larry Gagner: Greatest Gator to ever wear number 72
Gagner spent three seasons in Gainesville, spanning from 1963 to 1965, and was a dominant two-way player. His size, speed and strength allowed then-coach Ray Graves to deploy Gagner at guard, center, defensive tackle and linebacker.
Despite manning several positions, Gagner earned plenty of recognition for his efforts. He was a two-time All-SEC First Team recipient and landed first-team All-American honors in his final season with Florida.
As a member of the 1965 squad, Gagner would help lead the Gators to the Sugar Bowl, which was the just the fifth bowl game Florida has ever appeared in and the first time Florida played in something other than the Gator Bowl.
He's since earned a spot in the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame.
Gagner was selected in the second round of the 1966 NFL Draft by Pittsburgh and, coincidentally, was also drafted in the third round of the American Football League draft shortly after by Miami. He elected to play in the NFL, but a car accident derailed his career. He played in just 60 NFL games
He wound up settling in Tampa and worked an array of jobs while also investing in land along Ormond Beach. Ganger has also been heavily involved in the art scene since stepping away from football.