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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Hereeeeeeee come's Leesburg's Bubba And Jimbo May Soon Be The Florida Battle Cry, October 24, 1978



By Stan McNeal
of the Leesburg Commercial
October 24, 1978

University of Florida Football fans have long been acquainted with the brothers Brantley and the gang of Gaffneys.

Well next year, the Florida Field announcer could go Hereeeeeeeeeeeee (and on for about a minute) come on the Gators.

The pair of former Leesburg Fighting Jackets could be playing together for Doug Dickey this year, except younger bro Jimbo banged up his knee before school ever started and, to keep his freshman year of eligibility, he didn't start classes in September.


But Bubba, now a junior after sitting out last year and part of another one with injuries, has made his presence known on the field enough for the both of them.

Even though he doesn't start, he's considered a first teamer. Yancey Sutton may start at weakside linebacker but Bubba plays just as much. And he will be playing a lot more, he's scheduled to start Saturday, since defensive end David Galloway has his foot in a cast with chipped ankle bone That's fine.



"Strongside end is a lot like offside linebacker," Bubba commented from his locker after the Army game.

Coach Doug Dickey doesn't feel Galloway absence will hurt the Gators too much. "They've both fine football players. They aren't going to make many mistakes," remarked the Gator coach about Bubba and his backup man.



Against the Cadets, Bubba played the first half at linebacker and then after Galloway got hurt, he moved to defensive end. It was at defensive end he came up with a 12-yard sack on the Army quarterback, one of 13 the Gators broke through for.

After the game, Bubba was asked what it feels like when the offense sputters time after time. His answer would make his high school coach Max Wettstein, a proud man.

"Defense is my job. Whenever they have the ball, I'll do all I can do to stop them"

The linebackers have been the main force behind the Gators stopping anybody this year. Scot Brantley and Bubba are the old men of the corps. Starters David Little and Sutton are sophomores.



The Gator defense is young but that won't stop Bubba from starting or Jimbo from getting in some action next year.

"Jimbo is a good football player, he would have played this year," Bubba claims.

"I was probably more disappointed than he was when he got hurt. But he'll be ready. Even though he just got out of a cast, he's lifting weights a lot," related Bubba.

One good thing could come out of Jimbo's injury. He'll get a head start on next year's freshmen in spring drills. That way he'll already be adjusted to the routine when practice starts in the fall.

He may already be used to the big-time atmosphere of Gainesville when he starts school in January.

At first I was real scared," Jimbo said about his first week at fall practice." Everybody seemed so much bigger than me, I was walking around looking up at everybody.



"But once we got into practice, it was not as tough as I thought it would be. They hit hard, harder than me, but there's not that much of a difference."

Jimbo got his knee out of a cast the Thursday before the Alabama game but he is still using crutches to get around. "The doctor says it is healing pretty good," says Jimbo.

At the present, Jimbo is not sure what he will major in at UF. Bubba, currently majoring in recreation but thinking about changing, is persuading his younger brother to take up forestry.

Studying isn't exactly high on Jimbo's priority list yet. He just wants to get back in the action on Florida Field so he can listen to the ring of hereeeeeeeeeeee come the Pratts.


Listen live on my790am or www.my790am.com Saturday February 25, 2012.


Former Leesburg High School and Florida Gators Football standout Bubba Pratt will make his first appearance on The Lake County Sports Show February 25, 2012.

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Resources
Stan McNeal
of the Leesburg Commercial
October 24, 1978


Leesburg Public Library
100 East Main Street
Leesburg, Florida 34748
VISIT ONE OF OUR BLOGS BELOW: 

Article provided by:
Gerald Lacey
Staff Writer
Carver Heights Quarterback Club
1986 Varsity Jackets Football Lettermen #82
Class of 1988 Leesburg High School
leesburgyellowjacketsfootball@yahoo.com
www.leesburgyellowjacketsfootball.com
















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