“Altogether now, heave-ho.” Yeah, these are the University of Florida’s three Heisman Trophy winners–Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel, and Tim Tebow. I blocked for Steve (Spurrier, #11) my junior year as an offensive guard, and played defensive tackle my senior year (his junior year). I got to know Steve and Jerri Spurrier quite well through the frequent get-togethers held by Aunt Katie and Uncle Willie (Bill O’Neal) at their Long Pond lake house just outside of Melrose, Florida, some twenty-five miles from Gainesville. Treasured memories never to be duplicated nor forgotten. Lucky me. We all were truly blessed by the continuing Southern hospitality shown to us (athletes especially) by the O’Neals.

In my book, Dancing in the Shadows, I site a barbecue outing at their Long Pond lake house where Uncle Willie cooked a huge number of chickens for a large number of Florida footballers and their dates on a double bed-springs grate, just arbitrarily placed over the fire. Southern “Cracker” ingenuity in its finest hour.