Starting quarterback Don Gaffney in action during his Gators career in the early 1970s. (File photo/Associated Press)
Florida's First Black QB: Don Gaffney Reflects 50 Years Later
Thursday, November 2, 2023 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The 19-year-old college sophomore who stepped onto the field at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium 50 years ago was not as mindful of the moment's significance as the 69-year-old man is today.
"There was no big statement that was made by me or any real reflection or anything like that," Don Gaffney said over the telephone Thursday. "I knew that my job was to go out and do the best that I could to help us win."
On Nov. 3, 1973, a sunny afternoon in "The Loveliest Village on the Plains," Gaffney became the first Black quarterback to start for the University of Florida. Gaffney's start came a season after Tennessee's Condredge Holloway became the first Black quarterback to start for a Southeastern Conference team.
Gaffney recalls the moment then-Gators coach Doug Dickey approached him on the sideline about 10 minutes before kickoff. Gaffney was seated next to teammate Wayne Fields when Dickey came over and handed him a football.
"Don, you got it," Dickey told him.
A publicity photo of Don Gaffney during his Gators playing career. (Photo: UAA archives)
"When he put the ball in my hand, I didn't have time to think about anything," Gaffney said. "Coach didn't give me time to be nervous. I was able to get a good night's sleep, and I wasn't worried about the start. I felt like I was going to play, certainly, but I didn't know I would get the start."
Gaffney said Fields turned to him and offered encouragement. The two remain close friends and plan to be a Saturday's Florida-Arkansas game, often reuniting with former teammates at a tailgate outside the north end zone of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
"This is what we've been waiting for," Fields told him.
Gaffney got the starting nod over incumbent David Bowden and backups Chan Gailey and Robbie Davis. With an assist from tailback Vince Kendrick (119 yards, 1 TD), Gaffney led the Gators to a 12-8 upset win over the Tigers, Florida's first win at Auburn in 46 years. Gaffney finished 6 of 10 for 70 yards passing and added 22 yards on the ground. His 22-yard touchdown pass to Joel Parker in the first half opened the scoring and helped quiet a hostile crowd.
Gaffney entered the game more concerned about contributing to the Gators than his place in school history. While he had heard of Holloway, he had limited knowledge of the headlines associated with him becoming the first Black starting quarterback in the SEC in an era before ESPN, cable TV and the internet.
"When I first heard his name, I didn't know if he was black or white. It didn't matter," Gaffney said. "When I signed with the Gators, the story became a little bit bigger."
Gaffney was more familiar with Georgia Tech quarterback Eddie McAshan, the first Black quarterback to start for a major Southeastern university when he debuted for Georgia Tech in 1970. McAshan played at Gainesville High before bolting up Interstate 75 to play for the Yellow Jackets.
"I didn't even think about the fact that I was a Black quarterback in that situation," Gaffney said. "I think the Gator coaching staff had a great deal to do with that. I was relaxed. It was after the game [when I first thought about it], only because one of the reporters in the locker room afterward asked me if I understood the significance of what just happened."
Five decades later, Gaffney deeply appreciates his place in school history for the Orange & Blue faithful who know and understand the program's past.
"It was an honor," he said.
The Black quarterback storyline continued to have an extended shelf life after Gaffney's career was over, but times change, and today, some of the game's most famous players — Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, to name a few — are successful Black quarterbacks in the NFL. Florida's two previous quarterbacks before Graham Mertz, this year's starter, were Black (Anthony Richardson and Emory Jones).
Gaffney's name has lingered prominent with the Gators long after his historic playing career. He grew up in Jacksonville. His younger brothers Derrick, Johnny and Reggie followed him to UF. Derrick later starred in the NFL, as did Derrick's son, Jabar Gaffney, who was inducted into the UF Athletic Hall of Fame last month.
He was the original.
Gaffney's performance in the win at Auburn launched what the media called a "November to Remember" 50 years ago. Florida defeated Georgia, Kentucky and Miami to go undefeated that month and then closed the regular season with a 49-0 demolition of Florida State.
The game story of Don Gaffney's starting debut in the Pensacola News-Journal the morning of Nov. 4, 1973. (Photo: Via Newspapers.com)
Gaffney said he is asked more about the 11-10 win over Georgia that season than his starting assignment at Auburn. Gaffney's 18-yard touchdown pass to Lee McGriff and two-point pass to tight end Hank Foldberg Jr. late in the fourth quarter lifted the Gators to an unforgettable victory over the Bulldogs.
"It was a bit more dramatic," Gaffney said. "For me, it was fabulous. Here I go from a kid selling drinks at the Georgia game to playing in the Georgia game. Once I signed with the Gators, I knew at some point, I might have an opportunity to play in that game. I didn't know it would happen that quickly, but I'm glad it did. And I didn't know it was going to be in such dramatic fashion, but I'm glad it was."
Gaffney experienced the typical ups and downs in his playing career, on and off the field. He was booed by fans when he struggled, a difficult period as a player, and indicative of the era, Gaffney received hateful letters and death threats in the mail because of the color of his skin. Gaffney persevered and led the Gators to three consecutive bowl games from 1973-75.
Gaffney remains appreciative of how Dickey handled the situation and is pleased that in today's world, a starting Black quarterback isn't headline news the way it once was.
"The pressure of being the starter, I didn't have it because I didn't know," Gaffney said. "You see a lot of guys [today] who look like me, and it's not a big deal. But it really was significant at that point. I didn't know; maybe if I had known, it would have bothered me a little. But I didn't have that problem. I just went out there and did what I could do.
