The Boys from Old Florida: Inside Gator Nation

In The Boys From Old Florida, Buddy Martin takes the reader beneath the surface of Florida football as, without bias or sugar coating, he skillfully excavates the truths behind "The Gator Nation."In this book, Martin, a Florida native, has chronicled the real stories of Gator coaches and players through their own eyes and in their words over a 55-year period since 1950-and not all are valentines. All but one of the coaches interviewed were asked to leave or move up by the school. Some players became estranged or never really felt appreciated. Yet, others are forever grateful for their experience as Gator players and feel a sense of brotherhood.Liberating moments such as the arrival of Ray Graves come to life through the words of some-body who experienced it firsthand. Martin's fresh investigations have bolstered his sharp memory of those moments as they unfolded, including Graves' firing after a fairy-tale season with his "Super Sophs." Read more