Jack Strickland is a retired AP writer who is active in the war against cancer. He, himself, is a survivor.
As a reporter he covered many of the major stories in Florida.
He lives in Gainesville where he is an advocate for cancer patients of all ages. Jack finds special joy in getting
sports stars and teams involved in the care young cancer victims. He claims that the athletes benefit from the involvement
as much as the patients. He says he managed to miss many tackles as a football player long ago, and learned that defeat can be
temporary and serve as the foundation for success.
• Colorful, big-hearted basketball star Dwayne Schintzius was too young to die - Big man Dwayne Schintzius left the mark of his oversize talent and larger -than- life personality on UF basketball history...
• Nothing as beautiful as a Jewish wedding - Vivi and Dave gave their vows as prosaic columnist kept a close watch on shaky dad ...
• God must have some special purpose for you, the doctors marveled - Modern medicine couldn't explain this victory over terminal Merkle Cell Carcinoma...
• Doors have not clanked shut on privatization; Glades may be next - Governor, power brokers may take a "one by one" approach. Meanwhile, an assortment of officials have gone to jail. ...
• Gator gymnastics team cheers cancer patients at Hope Lodge, will ‘pink-out’ for cancer tonight - Lending courage to all, the coach and team are champs in sports and champs in life, with fund-raiser tonight. ...
• Cinderella will wait for her brave young prince to return from war in Afghanistan - Dreams put on hold as young couple lives a Cinderella fairy tale ...
• How I got an education during night in emergency room - Special bonds made; families in distress often suffer outside and alone ...
• The children with cancer are so innocent and so helpless - A view from inside the hospital shows that life on the edge creates new heroes ...
• I learned a lifelong Bible lesson of charity on a city bus - People often surprise you when you least expect or deserve it. ...
• How UF’s Don Gaffney broke quarterback color barrier, Auburn jinx – as Auburn comes to play again - First black quarterback in SEC met his big test on the field in 1973 when he started Auburn game, but his "best performance" may have been a speech. ...
• Ray Shaw’s life was a living textbook on how to help others in need - Ray Shaw seemed surprised when they named him an "earth angel" but his life served to teach others how to help people in need. ...
• Cancer victim’s courage inspires special sunset ceremony on Florida beach - In warm memory, daughter, son-in-law renew wedding vows on the beach where ashes of parents were scattered. ...
• They left hospital for the last time, in a red sports car - A sweet romantic interlude, a Corvette, and the battle against cancer are described by columnist Jack Strickland who watches a couple leave Shands Hospital. ...
• Explosive Gator stars Grossman, Gaffney reunite; they could march Redskins back to Super Bowl - Fun-and-gun offense Gator greats Jabar Gaffney and Rex Grossman are together again. The Washington Redskins have signed the dynamic duo. A decade ago the quarterback and wide receiver captured the imagination of the entire nation....
• “Bouncing Betty” and a story of wounded Vietnam vet’s life-changing friendship - Legs mangled, veteran Bill showed compassion and found help for debilitating pain from a landmine in Viet Nam. ...
• End of world is around corner, authorities predict - While the demise of Earth is predicted, many people seem to be skeptical. ...
• Gore tells victim’s parents he has become different person; his death takes 19 minutes at Raiford - Remorseful killer David Alan Gore, strapped to gurney, was dead in 19 minutes after lethal injection. ...
• Bragging about what you’ve done can get you to the death chamber quite a bit faster - Prisoner set for execution April 12 could have learned a lot from Charles Profitt....
• FAMU professors patent new medication for schizophrenia - African-Americans suffer three times rate of schizophrenia says recent research ...
• Murder comes without any warning as rage can build in state’s prisons - Any prisoner can become dangerous and there are ways to make deadly weapons and time to do it. ...
• Many innocent may languish in prison on corrupt testimony, legislative payment shows - Dillon case, Pitts and Lee demonstrate that justice is sometimes difficult to come by in Florida...
• Clues to a murder: forensic botanist finds the little things in death - David Hall helps law enforcement trap the bad guys with botanical clues...
• Honduras jail fire recalls horrific Florida prison blaze where 38 perished amid lingering questions - A scene of racial fights, the Florida road prison in Jay exploded into fire in 1967, leaving truth yet to be fully told. ...
• Waterhouse executed proclaiming innocence - Convicted murderer Robert Waterhouse, 65, died by lethal injection at the Florida State Prison in Starke, with unsettling words....
• Florida Senate kisses an emotional goodbye to prison privatization - Public prisons get a valentine as senate proposal fails in a 19-21 vote; meanwhile, execution slated today...
• Group alleges more financial links to privatization; vote could be today - A watchdog group alleges that privatization backers have financial links the effort ...
• Florida A&M Rattlers have played in 25 of the 46 Super Bowls - Dallas star Bob Hayes won a Super Bowl ring and an Olympic gold medal. ...
• Freedom rider rabbi remembers his arrest in Tallahassee airport 50 years ago - Ministers eventually served sentence, worked as road crew before release from jail ...
• Second Harvest signature soups will help fight child hunger on Wednesday at Capitol - One in six people locally struggle for enough to eat ...
• Cancer patient slips away from hospital to give stranded bus riders a last Christmas gift - In his battle with cancer, he relied on city buses . . . and now he had a plan to help people who didn't know the buses were down for the day. ...
Explosive Gator stars Grossman, Gaffney reunite; they could march Redskins back to Super Bowl
August 10, 2011Gainesville
Gator greats Jabar Gaffney and Rex Grossman are together again. The Washington Redskins have signed the dynamic duo. A decade ago the quarterback and wide receiver rewrote Florida football history. They captured the imagination of the entire nation with their colorful All American performances for the Florida Gators.
Professional football sent them on their separate ways. Gaffney was drafted by the Houston Texans. Grossman went to the Chicago Bears. Both have bounced around the National Football League. The two of them played in separate Super Bowls in colorful careers that have made both of them multi-millionaires.
Recently, Grossman has been the back-up quarterback for the Washington Redskins. He started the final three games of last season as new Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan seemed to settle on him as the quarterback of the future for Washington.
Gaffney played for Denver last season. He was credited with assisting another Gator All American, rookie Tim Tebow, adjust to the NFL. He was slated to be Tebow’s primary receiver and motivator in a new wide-open Bronco’s offense. Denver changed coaches at the end of last season. That changed everything in Denver. It is unclear if Tebow is the quarterback of choice of the new coaching staff.
Coach Mike Shanahan seized the opportunity to grab Gaffney. He is very familiar with Gaffney and Grossman as Gators. Coach Shanahan is a former assistant coach at the University of Florida. His offensive genius, there, catapulted him to fame and fortune in professional football.
Gaffney said he was minding his own business in Denver. He was happy and expected to end his playing career wearing Denver orange and blue. The ten year veteran hopes to play another four or five years.
Out of the blue, Washington offered Denver a lucrative trade for Gaffney. Denver accepted. It is big business. Gaffney had little say in the matter. But, any reservations he had about signing with Washington evaporated when Washington offered him a quarter-of-a-million-dollar pay raise for the 2011 season. The multi-million-dollar contract makes it easier for Gaffney to move from Denver’s familiar orange and blue colors to Washington’s burgundy and gold, which are distressingly similar to the colors of Gators arch rival Florida State.
Everything is up in the air in Washington. Several outstanding quarterbacks and wide receivers reported to camp this week as preseason practice got underway. Gaffney and Grossman will have to earn the starting jobs. The smart money is riding on them not only winning the starting jobs, but leading the Redskins back to greatness, too.
Gaffney and Grossman have a rich and colorful history together. As a freshman at the University of Florida, Gaffney got into some trouble. Coach Steve Spurrier suspended him from the football team. He was not allowed to practice with the team. Grossman was lost on the depth chart behind several quarterbacks who seemed to have much more talent and promise.
The two “rejects” worked out together in private in their “exile.” They developed a special awareness of what the other would do as football plays unfolded in the heat of competition. This special perception and bond resulted in spectacular plays that electrified football fans, everywhere, during their college careers.
That first year together, Gaffney was voted the most outstanding college freshman football player in America. Grossman was a contender for the Heisman Trophy. As they settled into their All American status, the bonds of their friendship grew stronger.
A decade later, football fans fondly remember Coach Spurrier’s wide open “Fun-And-Gun” offense that showcased the talents of Gaffney and Grossman. One play stands out in the memories of Gator loyalists. The Gators were trailing late in the fourth quarter. They were driving as time was running out. The excited Gator center snapped the ball a count early. Grossman was in the shotgun.
The ball went over his head. Grossman turned, running toward the opposite goal, he caught the ball on the first bounce as the unblocked defensive linemen caught up with him. In desperation, Grossman heaved a “Hail Mary” toward the corner goal post where he knew Gaffney would go on a broken play. Gaffney did not disappoint. He knew the routine. He and Grossman had developed that scenario when they were working out in “exile.”
Gaffney made a spectacular game winning touchdown catch. The sell out crowd at the Swamp went wild. When Gaffney and Grossman got to the sidelines, Coach Spurrier was livid. His treasured “ball play” had been massacred. He demanded to Know, “Just what in the God ****** Hell was that!”
In profound wisdom and eloquence frequently displayed by Gaffney, he responded, “That, Coach, was a game winning touchdown.”
Gaffney and Grossman played for fun at the University of Florida as they took college football to a whole new level. Together, again, they will play for millions of dollars as they try to take Washington back to the Super Bowl.
It’s a whole new ballgame. But, some things never change. This week, Gaffney didn’t talk about the money or the challenges involved in going to his new team. He said Washington will be better for his mother. She can get direct flights out of Jacksonville, to and from Washington, without changing planes, as she travels to and from his games. That will be much easier on Mom.
He didn’t say anything about the benefits for his dad, former Gator Great and New York Jets wide receiver, Derrick Gaffney. As always, whether you play free for fun or play for millions, dads have to fend for themselves.