Fightin Gators

The University of Florida, the state's oldest and largest university, is recognized today as one of the country's most academically diverse public institutions. Though able to trace its history to 1853, the school did not begin its popular football program until the first few years of the 20th century. The program has had its share of scandals and embarrassments over time, but it has also produced two Heisman Trophy winners, a national champion, numerous players drafted into the professional ranks, and a visibility that consistently ranks the team in the top five in the country. Now attracting 85,000 fans to each of its home games, the Gators' football program has become a vital part of the University of Florida. When the team won the national championship in 1996, no one could have predicted such success just 90 years earlier. Fortunately, that fascinating journey through the last century has been captured in great photographs that include formal portraits of teams; action shots on the field; views of "The Swamp"; and snapshots of fans from every decade. These images tell the story of the birth and growth of a football team, a team that has brought enjoyment to millions and national recognition to the University of Florida.

What is it about sports that turns otherwise sane people into raving lunatics? Why does winning compel people to tear down goal posts, and losing, to drown themselves in bad keg beer? In short, why do fans care? In search of answers, Warren St. John seeks out the roving community of RVers who follow the Alabama Crimson Tide from game to game. A movable feast of Weber grills and Igloo coolers, these are hard-core football fans who arrive on Wednesday for Saturday’s game: The Reeses, who skipped their own daughter’s wedding because it coincided with a Bama game; Ray Pradat, the Episcopal minister who watches the games on a television beside his altar while performing weddings; and John Ed, the wheeling and dealing ticket scalper whose access to good seats gives him power on par with the governor. In no time at all, St. John buys an RV (a $5,500 beater named The Hawg) and joins the caravan for a full football season, chronicling the world of the extreme fan and learning that in the shadow of the stadium, it can all begin to seem strangely normal. Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer is not only a hilarious travel story, but a cultural anthropology of fans that goes a long way toward demystifying the universal urge to take sides and to win.

Tall tales and historical stories of Florida's alligators

Examines the history and tradition that takes place on football Saturdays at the University of Florida.

Travis Gardner lives to play quarterback. He's a standout QB by the middle school, and he's prepared to put everything he has into the game. Then Gainesville University's head coach makes Travis a promise: Travis will have a place on the team, and a scholarship to go with it. He just has to get through high school first. As Travis starts ninth grade, he'll have to earn his teammates' trust and dodge opponents aiming to sack the star quarterback. But his biggest challenge might be staying focused in the face of sudden fame. Because now the pressure is on, and Travis has to prove himself with every pass.

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