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Gators to welcome back 1984 championship team for Kentucky game

On3 imageby:Keith Niebuhr•08/27/24•

On3Keith

They beat the odds. They started slow. They finished fast. They faced adversity. They played with an NCAA investigation hanging over their heads. And … they still won the Southeastern Conference championship, becoming the first Florida Gators football team to ever do so.

The year was 1984. And that was truly the first Year of the Gator.

Florida finished that season 9-1-1 having won nine straight games to close the year. The Gators ended up No. 3 in the AP rankings, then the best mark in program history.

Now, that team is coming home.

Florida’s University Athletic Association announced Tuesday it is welcoming back Florida’s first on-field SEC championship squad for the Oct. 19 home game against Kentucky. Per an official release, “The team members will participate in Gator Walk and be recognized on the field during the game.”

Honoring the 1984 Florida Gators against Kentucky is symbolic

Back in 1984, the Gators clinched the SEC title with a 25–17 win at Kentucky. After first declaring Florida as the SEC champions, the league voted to strip the Gators of the title the following May. But that Florida squad still remains one of the most beloved in program history.

“We are excited to welcome the 1984 Gators football team back to campus for the Kentucky game and Homecoming weekend,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin told FloridaGators.com. “It will be a wonderful opportunity to recognize them for their special accomplishments while allowing them the opportunity to reconnect with their teammates and friends.”

The 1984 Gators team included several of the greatest players in school history.

The team’s freshman quarterback, Kerwin Bell, was the SEC Player of the Year that season. Running backs Neal Anderson and John L. Williams became first-round picks. Offensive tackle Lomas Brown was a consensus All-American and generally is regarded as the best offensive lineman the school has ever produced. Receiver Ricky “the Rocket” Nattiel was a big-play machine.

On defense, the Gators were led by players such as defensive lineman Tim Newton, linebacker Alonzo Johnson and safety Adrian White. The team also featured another name of note: safety Vernell Brown. His son, Vernell Brown II, later played for the Gators, too. Now, his grandson, receiver Vernell Brown III, is a touted Florida commit.

Gall Hall coached UF the final 8 games in 1984

 Charley Pell began the season as coach but due to the program’s ongoing NCAA troubles, he was forced to resign after three games. Galen Hall, then the team’s first-year offensive coordinator, was named interim coach and Florida went 8-0 under his direction.

Which players and coaches will be in Gainesville for this event is unclear. Hall, 84, is retired and lives in central Florida. Bell is the head coach at Western Carolina. Unfortunately, his team has a game that day.

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