On This Day in Gators History: Aug. 25, 1964
Saturday, August 25, 2012 | Chris Harry
Ray McDonald, a wide receiver for Florida's great teams of the 1980s, was born in Belle Glade, Fla.
That's McDonald (left), alongside Penn State tailback D.J. Dozier, when he graced the cover of Sports Illustrated on Nov. 11, 1985, after the Gators defeated Auburn to ascend to No. 1 in the nation.
McDonald's son, Ray Jr., was an outstanding defensive lineman for UF's 2006 national championship team. Dad was a four-year letterman for the Gators from 1982-85 and a prime target for quarterback Kerwin Bell during the 1985 season when Florida went 9-1-1.
The lone defeat of that season, by the way, came the week cover boy McDonald -- at the time, just the second UF athlete ever to make the SI front -- hit the stands and mere days after the Gators were voted No. 1 for the first time in school history.
An ugly 24-3 loss against Georgia, no less.
Can you say “SI jinx?
