Gator Engineering is synonymous with the great College of Engineering and its most prized product -- our graduates. The first reference to a Gator Engineer appears in the 1959 issue of The Florida Engineer in an article about engineers playing UF football. We thought, during all this great time in Gator History, you'd get a kick out of our history.

 

"Florida Engineer Salutes Gator Engineers" printed in its entirety from the 1959 issue of The Florida Engineer.

 

 

Contrary to popular opinion, all football players do not go to college and do nothing but play football. Modern college football is certainly no place for all the brawn and no brain football player as he is so often depicted. In football today, mental fumbles probably cost more games than any other single factors. For this reason today’s football player must be able to think quickly and accurately.

 

We in the College of Engineering are justly proud of our contribution to the Florida Gator football team. At present there are fourteen football players (varsity, red shirts and B team) taking engineering courses. From the freshman team there are an additional nice football players, bringing the total to twenty-three from engineering.

 

It is really hard to take engineering and play football, but it can be done, and is being done by these men. It is hard enough trying to to study after spending a day in class, but is even harder after having spent an afternoon on the football field in addition to to the regular class load. The main trouble encountered by the football players is the fact that most of the laboratory classes are held in the afternoons. The players are allowed to miss practice on Mondays and Fridays to attend labs but even taking two labs a semester puts students a little behind in courses. As  a result, many of the football players end up gong an extra semester of two in order to receive their degree. 

 

Dick Brantley, starting left tackle from St. Augustine, is a mechanical engineering major. Dick was married during the summer and now lives in a trailer near campus with his wife, Alice. Dick plans to graduate in February, 1961.

 

Pat Patchen is a good example of the mentally alert football player. Although Pat is normally an end, he has been moved to center mainly to take advantage of his quick reflexes and quick judgement on defense. Pat is probably one of the best pass defending line backers in the country. An example of his smart playing was the pass he deflected to Partin in the Rice game earlier this season. Pat is majoring in Electrical engineering and has a 3.76 average. He’s probably the most intelligent linebacker in the country also.

 

Junior right end, Nick Arafaras from Tarpon Springs is another example of a person being able to play football  and make good grades at the same time. Nick had a 4.0 during football season last year. Nick is majoring in Electrical.

 

Sophomore center, Bill Hood from Lakeland is another of the Electrical majors on the team. Bill has over a 3.0 average and will certainly be one of the great centers of Florida Football before he graduates. 

 

Jim Young form Vero Beach is also a sophomore center. Jim is also a pitcher on the baseball team. Jim must be camera shy because we couldn’t find a single picture of him on campus. Jim is majoring in civil engineering. 

 

Don Senterfit, the fire plug right guard hailing form Pensacola, has better than a 3.0 in Mechanical Engineering.

 

Lloyd Jones, a tackle from Jacksonville is also a Mechanical major. Owen Howard and Don Johnson are Civil Engineering majors. Floyd Dean is an Electrical and Don Loucks, Sam Mack, and George Tedder are taking engineering courses, but haven't picked a department yet.

 

Our contributions to our unbeaten Freshman team are Cash, Dodd, Entzminger, Ginn, Green, Hickenloper, Holland, Peters and Starling. This group makes up almost have of the starting Freshman team. These men have a long hard way ahead of them, but it’s well worth the fight. In the next few years these men will be some of the Gator stars.

 

Because of the fine way in which they represent the College of Engineering to the rest of the University and other schools, we salute the Fighting Gator Engineers.