Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In preparation for a Gator Bowl showdown against Ole Miss to cap the 1958 season, Gators head coach Bob Woodruff, not exactly a Knute Rockne-type orator in his era, made rare headlines for what came out of his mouth.

"Jimmy Dunn is the best football player, pound for pound, who ever played in the Southeastern Conference,'' Woodruff told reporters.

Heady praise for a 147-pound quarterback preparing for his final college game. However, when Woodruff spoke those words, Dunn was a shining star amidst the most memorable stretch of his career, leading Florida to November wins over Georgia, Arkansas State, Florida State and Miami.
 

In a 7-6 win over Georgia, Dunn made his most famous play, racing through the Bulldogs' defense for a 76-yard game-winning touchdown run. In three games against the Bulldogs, Dunn never lost.

James "Jimmy" Dunn, a Tampa resident and standout quarterback at Hillsborough High prior to the University of Florida, passed away Wednesday due to complications from hip replacement surgery. He was 81.

Dunn factored heavily into the Florida-FSU rivalry, too. He originally signed a one-year scholarship with the Seminoles, but after being named Most Valuable Player in the 1955 Florida High School All-Star Game, Dunn changed his mind and signed a four-year offer from Florida.

FSU head coach Tom Nugent remained bitter as Dunn become part of Gators lore, leading the Gators to a 21-7 victory over FSU in the first meeting between the schools in 1958.
 
"He was a star back in the '50s. A big star,'' Gators radio analyst Lee McGriff said. "There's plenty of people that still remember Jimmy Dunn."

McGriff developed a close relationship with Dunn over the years. By the time McGriff joined the Gators as a receiver in the early 1970s, Dunn was the team's offensive coordinator under head coach Doug Dickey.

Following his UF playing career from 1956-58, Dunn served a stint on Florida head coach Ray Graves' staff from 1960-63. He left for Tennessee and became the Vols' offensive coordinator from 1964-69 on Dickey's staff.

When Dickey replaced Graves at Florida, Dunn came along as offensive coordinator and spent the next eight seasons at UF. Dunn later spent time on Steve Spurrier's staff with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL and multiple stints coaching in the Arena Football League.

McGriff recalled Dunn's upbeat coaching style and creative use of the wishbone offense at Florida -- drawing praise from Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer at the time -- as defining memories.

"He was a happy guy. He wasn't a yeller or screamer. He was forever a young-acting guy," McGriff said. "He was always trim and active. Coach Dunn definitely made an impact with the Gators."

Dunn is a member of the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame in Jacksonville and recognized as a "Distinguished Letterwinner" in the UF Athletic Hall of Fame.