Honoring Galen and the 84 gators

Galen was bald before bald was cool

 

Still around? I guess when most people get north of age 75, it is either a blessing or a curse to still be around (LOL).

The irony about honoring Galen and the 84 Gators is that Galen happens to be 84 years old (God Bless him).

Galen deserves to included in this honor. Yes, I admit that Pell left him a hell of good team. However, Galen did a hell of a coaching job in not just keeping the team togeher, but in running thrrough a gaunlet of adversity (Pell getting fired), keeping the team together, and guiding them to an unbelievable 9-1-1 season. One of the best highlights of that season the 27 to 0 beat down of UGA.

 

Good times in '84. So much better than ... this. I was there for it all back then. So glad Galen is getting some love.

Too bad Charley can't, he was a good man, I used to see him around the stadium offices after hours and he always said hi how are you no matter how hard things were.

 

Glad Galen is finally being welcomed back. He was a hell of a coach. We received some of the harshest sanctions and he never had a losing season.

It is criminal that the NCAA never let him or Pell coach again. Many coaches did far worse things and still coached.

 

Galen was definitely mistreated by the process but did eventually coach at Penn State for several years before finally retiring.

 

I was at UF during that 84 season. Experienced the downs of the rough start and announced investigation - the ups of 8-0 finish including the first win at Jax in a while (I was there it was pandemonium ) and an overall #1 ranking in the Power polls and the first SEC championship. Then the anger of having the SEC strip the championship months later.

 

'1984 SEC Champions' needs to be up on the wall

 

As an Eighties Gator, I always despised the way Charley and Galen were treated. As much as ANYONE, they built the Florida program...

 

That's because we were babies.

 

One of my favorite memories is of Charlie, Pell and Marshall Criser Running across Florida field, pumping their arms in the air after the USC win.

 

Charley tried to circle the field but fell out, he was a heavy smoker. What a day that was. Willlllllllber.

 

Galen is a good man. He deserves this honor.

 

About FREAKIN time! Ya'll have any idea how many members of the 84 and 85 squads have passed?

The treatment meted out by the SEC, the NCAA and even UF, towards these coaches and players, is nothing short of CRIMINAL!

 

How are they bring honored?

Doing 2 bits, or something else?

 

If Georgia can claim an extra fake win over us, then we should claim an EARNED SEC championship. Bama claims national titles based on worse criteria.

 

Per Pod Up with Matthews, there's a whole weekend of events for them, golf outing, barbecue, along with them being introduced at the end of the 1st quarter. John L. Williams will be Mr. 2 Bits. Some players from '84 are expected to attend the off the field events but want nothing to do with the football program. Seemed like some players are harboring animosity over how that team was treated by the UAA and/or UF. Maybe someone else can shed some light on that last part.

 

He coached the Orlando WLAF team as well.

I'm biased by arriving at UF in 85, but Galen Hall is underrated in Gator history. He coached through crippling sanctions and still recruited well enough to stock the cupboard for Spurrier's first year. The way he was fired was a shame.

 

He had a few stints as a head coach in the pros like the World League or NFL Europe, and even a bit as a position coach with the Cowboys. He then became Paterno's last OC, his first time back in the NCAA. He was at his alma mater for several years before that entire staff was let go because of the scandal.

Galen's teams were my first Gator memories and and I 'm glad they're finally getting a small piece of the over due recognition they've deserved for so long.