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| Former Leesburg High School and Florida Gators football standout Bubba Pratt at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. |
By Gerald Lacey
Staff Writer
Carver Heights Quarterback Club
May 9, 2012
LEESBURG - Former Leesburg High School and Florida Gators Standout Bubba Pratt has played in some big games in his playing career at the University of Florida. In 1976 Pratt and the Florida Gators traveled to El Paso, Texas to face Texas A&M in the 42nd Sun Bowl. It was the only time that Sun Bowl has not been played in December.
The game featured a big time performance from kicker Tony Franklin. Franklin (Philadelphia Eagles), Lester Hayes (Oakland Raiders), Wes Chandler (San Diego Chargers) went on to star in the NFL.
The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl (first played 1902, played annually since 1916) .
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| Jesse Hunnicutt of Texas A&M wraps up Bill Kynes of Florida for a sack in the Sun Bowl on January 2, 1977. |
For its first 24 years of existence the game was played on January 1 (New Year's Day)
or January 2; since then, with the exception of a January 2 game in
1977, the game has been played in December with the last 15 games played
on or near December 31.
No game was played during the calendar year
1976; the next Sun Bowl was scheduled for Jan. 2, 1977. Texas A&M
defeated Florida, 37-14, on the Jan. 2 game. The Aggies barefooted kicker Tony Franklin
kicked the longest field goal in Sun Bowl and NCAA post-season history,
62 yards. Franklin was inducted into the Legends of the Sun Bowl. The
largest crowd in Sun Bowl history at that time was on hand – 31,896.
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| Lester Hayes Texas A&M |
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| #66 Scott Hutchinson University of Florida and George Woodard Texas A&M |
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| Texas A&M barefooted kicker Tony Franklin |
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| Tony Franklin celebrate after kicking a NCAA record setting field goal |
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