Fifty Fabulous Floridians

This article was written for Canespace by SolarCane...

 

There seems to be a never ending debate about which state's high schools turn out the best athletes.

 

During these debates California, Texas and Florida are always the top three states mentioned.  After pondering this for awhile, it was only natural for me to investigate how former Florida high school hot shots did after the prom. 

 

So I [Solar seen below wearing Canespace (C-L) at the Canespace UNC tailgate party in Chapel Hill with CaneSteeler (L), 404Canes (C-R) and Canez1 (R)] sat down with Canespace blogger Six and we went through literally hundreds and hundreds of Florida high school athlete's resumes. 

 

To make the list the first and most important criteria was the athlete had to be born in the state of Florida.  Six and I decided early on that only 50 would be considered for the list leaving hundreds of really good athletes to sit on the bench.  We had different guys at different positions.  We defended our own guys and questioned each others choices.

The final fifty list was revised and adjusted nine times over a three week period.  In the end I think we came up with a fair and impartial list of pretty amazing Florida born, Florida schooled athletes.  The list is in the order I ranked the players.  I will include Six's [seen below outside Tropicana Field at a Rays game with 86Cane (L), and Mr and Mrs. OcalaCane (R)] picks also in a corresponding article.

 

The article is meant to inform you about some guys whose careers you might not be familiar with, and also to have you state the players you think should have been mentioned.  The biographies will be more detailed as the list winds towards the coveted number one Floridian.
　
Also receiving consideration were: Darryl Dawkins, Rubin Carter, Wes Chandler, Randy Shannon, Daunte Culpepper, Warren Cromartie, Fireball Roberts, Neal Colzie, Don Garlits, Alvin Harper, Hal McRay, George Mira, Jose Canseco, Herb Score, Lorenzo White, Bobby Allison, Davy Allison, and about a thousand others.
　
A collection of Florida born, Florida schooled athletes that made us proud.


Counting down from Number Fifty to number One we begin with…

#50 Tim Tebow
 
88 TDs passing 57 TDs rushing, 15 INTs in four seasons

 

2006 season
SEC All-Freshman Team
SEC Freshman of the Week

2007 season
Walter Camp Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week
Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week, three times
Davey O'Brien Award winner
Heisman Trophy winner
Maxwell Award winner
Walter Camp Award finalist
Sporting News Player of the Year
Harley Award winner
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American football team
Manning Award finalist
Rivals.com National Offensive Player of the Year
Rivals.com SEC Offensive Player of the Year
First-team All-SEC (Associated Press, Coaches,
Associated Press SEC Offensive Player of the Year
Associated Press Player of the Year
First-team All-American by: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, Walter Camp Football Foundation, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, CBS Sports, College Football News, Rivals.com, and Scout.com
James E. Sullivan Award, awarded to the Nations top amateur athlete
Roy F. Kramer SEC Male Athlete of the Year.Third Florida Gator to win this award, Danny Wuerffel (won twice) and Ryan Lochte.
ESPY for Male Athelete of the year.

2008 season
First-team All-America by College Football News.
Disney Spirit Award
ESPY for Best Male College Athlete
Heisman Trophy finalist
Manning Award winner
Maxwell Award winner
Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week
2008 SEC Championship Game Most Valuable Player
First-team All-SEC (AP, Coaches, Rivals.com
Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year
Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Wuerffel Trophy winner

2009 season
William V. Campbell Trophy (The Academic Heisman") winner
Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Heisman Trophy finalist
First-team All-SEC (AP, Coaches, Rivals.com
Second-team All-America (Walter Camp Foundation)
Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year

#49 Willie Galimore
 

Galimore possessed incredible speed and lateral movement; many of the opposing players of the time stated that they believed Galimore could run side-to-side down the field just as fast as most men could in a straight line. Galimore was killed in an automobile accident on July 27, 1964.  His son, Ron Galimore, was the first Black U.S. Olympic gymnast.

 

#48 Harold Carmichael

Carmichael was elected to four NFL Pro Bowls.

Carmichael is Director of Player Development and Alumni for the Philadelphia Eagles.  He is from Jacksonville, Florida and is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played 13 seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles (1971–1983), and one season for the Dallas Cowboys(1984). He played college football at Southern University. Atypical for his time, he was an extremely tall receiver (standing 6 foot 7 inches). Selected to four NFL Pro Bowls in his NFL career, and led the league in receptions and receiving yards during the 1973 season. He finished third in receiving yards in 1978with 1,072 and was second in receiving touchdowns in 1979with 11. He was also the Eagles' top receiver of Super Bowl XV, with six catches for 91 yards. He ended his career with 590 receptions for 8,985 yards with 79 career touchdown catches, along with 64 rushing yards on nine carries. He still ranks 18th all-time in career touchdown receptions. NFL 1970s All-Decade Team by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

#47 Rick Casares

Richard Jose Casares was born in Tampa, Florida and is a former American football fullback in the National Football League and the American Football League. He played college football for the University of Florida. Casares was then drafted in the 1954 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, where he played from 1955 to 1964. Casares led Chicago in rushing from 1955 through 1960. In 1956, Casares led the NFL in rushing with 1,126 yards. At the time, this was the second most yards gained in a single season in the NFL. Behind Casares' hard-nosed rushing, the Bears advanced to the NFL championship that year. Their foe, the New York Giants, completely stifled Casares and went on to crush the Bears, 47-7. Casares played several more years for the Bears, then went on to play for the Washington Redskins in 1965, and in 1966 for the American Football League's Miami Dolphins. Casares retired as the Bears' all-time leading rusher with 1,386 carries, 5,657 yards, and 49 rushing touchdowns. His Chicago rushing records weren't broken until Walter Payton shattered them in the 1980s.

#46 Vince Coleman

Vincent Maurice Coleman attended Jacksonville, Florida) is an American former Major League Baseball player, best known for his years with the St. Louis Cardinals. Primarily a left fielder, Coleman played from 1985 to 1997and set a number of stolen base records. He was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed.  He attended William M. Raines High School in Jacksonville. He began setting records as a college player. In 1981, he set the all-time single season stolen base record at Florida A&M with 65 steals in 69 attempts. He led NCAA Division I that year in both total steals and stolen base percentage. While at Florida A&M, Coleman was also a kicker and punter on the football team, where he followed in the footsteps of his cousin, Greg Coleman who was also a punter at FAMU in the 1970s and went on to a 12-year career in the NFL. Coleman was named to the all-conference team in both 1980 and 1981 and is fondly remembered by FAMU football fans for kicking a game-winning 34-yard field goal in an unlikely 16-13 Rattler win over Division I-A University of Miami in 1979.

 

Selected in the 1982 Major League Baseball Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. Coleman continued his record breaking ways in the minor leagues, where he still holds the all-time professional mark for stolen bases in a single season with 145 for Macon of the South Atlantic League in 1983; notably, Coleman set the mark despite missing a month of the season with a broken hand. He further demonstrated his speed and base stealing ability with 101 steals for the Louisville Redbirds of the American Association before being called up to the majors.

 

Called up to the Majors in 1985 Coleman led the league in steals his rookie season and stole over 100 bases in each of the following two seasons as well, making him the only player in the 20th century to post three consecutive seasons of 100 or more.  Before signing as a free agent with New York, Coleman led the National League in stolen bases in every season he played with the Cardinals (1985-1990), becoming one of just four players ever to lead his league in six consecutive seasons.  In 1987 he posted a .289 batting average and a .363 on base percentage while totaling 180 hits, 109 stolen bases, and 121 runs scored. He stole second and third base in the same inning 13 times that year.

 

I'll be back next week with numbers 45 through 41.

I'm sure you will find a couple you might not have thought about, and will have a couple Six and I didn't think about either.

Comments

[DZ8]

1st!

[DZ8]

Now that I've read the article... GREAT STUFF!

I always love learning more history and this is a unique take on the Florida Boyz.

[solarcane]

soup,
nice job with the pics and editing the material thanks!

you will love this when it gets down in crunchville numbers!

[solarcane]

dz still rocking in the free world

[canesteeler]

I have taken a break from commenting on the blog but I had to comment and say great article!

[solarcane]

thanks dz,
a lot of the higher numbers are from wiki,
/si/espn. nfl.com etc.
Six and I were hoping to get a bunch of Florida atheletes' stories told over the next couple weeks.
It will get more detailed and personal as we move forward.

[solarcane]

thanks vince,.

It will be really interesting I hope!

[DZ8]

I read U and Six with a little back 'n forth email exchange then Six had family matters to attend to. So this is what was behind all that... nice job.

[Cat 5 Cane]

Dad’s a Diehard ‘Cane

Denzel Perryman By Allen Wallace
National Recruiting Editor... Super prep.
Date: Apr 12, 2010

LB... Denzel Perryman 5-11, 217, 4.6-40... grew up following Miami and says the Hurricanes are only about 10 minutes from his house. “I love the program,” Perryman said. “They have great history and growing up I always watched Miami football.” The ‘Canes were his first offer when he was only a freshman. “I like coach Randy Shannon a lot. He’s rebuilding them and the team is getting better every year. They should be..."

Highschool... Coral Gables
2008 As a sophomore, recorded 105 tackles, four sacks, and two interceptions.

2007 As a freshman, he led the team in tackles as the starting middle linebacker.

Inside the U... Video's and more
http://insidetheu.com/recruiting/recruitview.php?v=634

Gator bait...interested
http://rivals.yahoo.com/florida/football/recruiting/player-Denzel-Perryman-100094

Pictures
http://images.google.com/images?rlz=1T4ADFA_enUS368US369&q=Denzel+Perryman&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=TKrDS4KQNML78Ab8g9DdCA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CB4QsAQwAw

Hummmm... This kid is looking good!!!

[Canez1]

There has to be a better pic out there of me........ LOL

Terrible!

Good article tho Soiler!!

GO CANEZ!!!!!

[canezilla]

damn tebow,i bet mommy is proud of all those awards.

[Canez1]

Big Vince always good to hear from ya bro!!

GO CANEZ!!!!!

[elliott]

But in the last 30 years, standards themselves have been eroded and destroyed. Instead it's what can I do for myself to get by and feel good.

WOW! I can not believe you are that closed minded of a person. To say someone is acting like a boy because they like to wake and bake is crazy. Let the man burn for crying out loud its only weed. It's not like he is injecting heroin or snorting coke early in the morning. Marijuana smoking can be very spiritual at times so who are we to judge another man. Let the man live for crying out loud. I am done with the topic and I know I have a bad habit of coming on here and defending the stoners. Just think about what you just stated on the previous blog for one second man.

[SOUP]

nice job with the pics and editing the material thanks!

Posted by: solarcane | April 12, 2010 at 07:13 PM

It's my job, it's what I do. ;-)

[SOUP]

Canez1...U are one ugly mofo! Vince and 404 look very handsome in that photo. What happened to U? LOL

[86Cane]

Philly, Fran and Nomad...got your $$$ today. Spring Game DVDs mailing tomorrow AM to the above and UMike, GatorHator and one more that I can't remember?

BTW...The Source sent 6 more so if U want one let me know.

[86Cane]

Canespace LOF 2010. Check your picks:

Manny Navarro: James / Telemaque
Captain Optimist: Byrd / Regis
OGV: Streeter / Nelson
pb: Stoudland / Petri
Esteban: James / Regis
Money: Jacenard Hankeris / Alldon Harrailey
Keoki: Berry / Ojomo
Playa: Benjamin / McCarthy
404Canes: Benjamin / Ray Ray
DZ8: Berry / Telemaque
Troutman: Berry / Ray Ray
DolFan386: Berry / Ray Ray
Brevard: Linder / Nelson
ChicagoCane: Gordon / Regis
Lyquid Enigma: Miller / Reid
McDade: Miller / TBA
Native: Hill / Porter
LessisMore: Miller / Telemaque
Jersey: Berry / McCarthy
Massive: Miller / Porter
Texas: Byrd / TBA
OcalaCane: Berry / Ray Ray
Montreal: Berry / Spence
Canezilla: Byrd / Ray Ray
Sarasota: Berry / Ray Ray
Cat5: Sanders / Futch
Roach: Berry / Holmes
Shwarma: Thompkins / Regis
Nashville: Davon Johnson / Regis
MDCane: Cleveland/ Regis
Fran: Hill / Robinson
CaneSaw: Benjamin / Porter
SJMPARMAN: Thompkins / Futch
CaneFan561: Jermaine Johnson / Micanor Regis
Chris: Streeter / Telemaque
DaUinHouston: Byrd / McCarthy
The U: James / Ray Ray
CalGaryCane: Miller / Ray Ray
WooBird: Miller / Telemaque
Macjones: Berry / Forston
Doc Ibis: Washington / McGhee
Elliot: Benjamin / Spence
Seoul: Streeter / Ray Ray
Teflon: Ford / DVD
Philly: Miller / Ojomo
MWD: Benjamin / Telemaque
Dyrty: Miller / Ojomo
Buddy: Thompkins / Futch
GURU: Gordon / Ojomo
Brownsub: Cooper / Spence
Iraqi: Berry / Spence
HearACane: Gordon / Lewis
UpNorth: AJ II / Ray Ray
StuckinCali: Berry / McCarthy
Pbcane: Miller / Buchannon
Boca: Thompkins / Ray Ray
Sebastian: Franklin / Reid
TripleC: Byrd / McCarthy
USAF: Byrd / Robinson
Beericane: Franklin / Regis
Slim: Gordon /Vernon
Ohio: Miller / Ray Ray
Canezitis: Ford / McCarthy
CaneRock: Horn / Robinson
4Real: Thompkins / Dye
JCanes: Ford / Telemaque
WillieWill: Byrd / Telemaque
j.w.: Benjamin / Telemaque
Ungar: Ford / Ojomo
DAT: Miller / Ojomo
86Cane: Miller / McCarthy
bg1906: Franklin / Telemaque
Sniper: Benjamin / Ojomo
Nova: Dye / Miller
Col. Sanders: Gordon / DVD
fmCane: Storm Johnson / Ray Ray
8thMan: Byrd / Futch
Hurriphin: Benjamin / Ray Ray
SwagGirl: Berry / Telemaque
Alpharetta: Berry / McCarthy
Solar: Collier / Collier
CGNC: Hill / Ojomo
Aqua: #3 / #90
TJL: Thompkins / Ojomo
UMike: Berry / McCarthy
Myndraize: Benjamin / Armstrong
Loco: Berry / Regis
87Canes: Washington / Regis
RCCF: Miller / Armstrong
Windy1: James / Ray Ray
AlexD: Berry / DVD
Fighting Ibis: Storm / Davis
Conch: Berry / Ray Ray
Latin: Berry / Spence
27th Ave: Miller / DVD

[Esteban]

elliott...i'm pro legalize it but until its legal its dumb for someone to tweet that they are going to wake and bake when they are already on the substance abuse watch list.

[Playa..The Blogger Formerly Known as Rashad]

Soup!!!
Just got home from work and checked the mail. Got the package!! Thanks. I'll send Legend his. Thanks for the work you do. Looking forward to seeing you for the start of the 2010 season!

[86Cane]

The hits just keep on coming...

University of Miami junior catcher Yasmani Grandal has been named Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday. The award is the first for Grandal in his career and the second ACC weekly honor for the Hurricanes this season after Chris Hernandez was named Pitcher of the Week for the week of March 15-21.

Grandal recorded arguably the most productive week of his collegiate career, going 11-for-20 with four home runs, 10 RBI and seven runs scored in five games. He homered in both mid-week games against FAU - hitting a two-run blast in Boca Raton on Tuesday and a three-run shot against the Owls at home on Wednesday - before belting a pair of two-run homers against No. 25 Virginia Tech on Saturday.

The Miami native opened the weekend against the Hokies by recording a hit in each of his first six at-bats, going 4-for-4 with a pair of runs scored on Friday before opening the game Saturday with the homers in his first two at-bats. Grandal recorded multiple hits in four of UM's five games on the week, added three walks to his 11 hits and reached safely on 14-of-23 plate appearances on the week.

Grandal has been the ACC's top hitter through the first five conference weekends.

[Doc Ibis]

I wanna change my offensive pick to Laron Byrd instead of Brandon Washington

[86Cane]

Doc...fixed it.

Playa...U got it bro!

There should be several other packages arriving today. Please post if U got one.

[solarcane]

soup \ Six

Each Thursday if Six has different athletes than mine at a number I'll post his choices and that will give him three days to take flak or be proclaimed a sports wizard.
He can explain his reason for his choices.
Each Saturday afternoon I'll send Soup the next five to give him a couple days to scrounge pictures and clean up the article.

[solarcane]

I want to change my LOf pics for a guy thats on the roster.

[Cat 5 Cane]

Well Hell...... Ohhh Soup!
I want to tweek my picks too...

Scratch... Sanders... Like the kid but just too many guys in front of him to see PT.

Insert... TE, Chase Ford and My Man Futch, to raise hell in 2010.

Picking Ford is a stretch too, with Wesley and Gordon there already, but coming in with experience should elevate his status... here's hoping Whipple wears the kid out.

[Cat 5 Cane]

Solar... Good subjuct for an article... NICE!

[Old Skool]

Interesting article. Thanks guys
Knowing Six is involved
We'll probably be seeing other Bay area athletes like
John Matuszak
Marty Lyons
Gary Sheffield
Lou Pinella
Al Lopez

[Six]

I always wondered what 86 did with that pic taken of all of us at The Trop

Now I know

solar - I'll resend you my final list in your email

I already know I'm going to catch some flak for who I have at #48 and #47

[Six]

solar - email sent

[solarcane]

cat5 thanks always means a lot coming from you

[solarcane]

skool Six has some crazy ka ka at some of his #s lol

[solarcane]

Six I'm on it

I'm just your corner worker, you're the one that's gotta protect yourself at all times.

I'll get your picks up tomorrow night for the first go and then it will be "the survey says............"

[Six]

Haha

That's fine. I can defend my picks with ease, absolute complete ease - and I have stats to back it up

People have to remember, they have to look at the overall body of work of these athletes

And I can guarantee that 80 something % of the people won't look at that fact - esp. when some of those picks are Canes

[solarcane]

Six, read it,
yes you will catch hell.
I could even tell you the exact nicks that will be bitching like the E-Trade baby in timeout

This is bullshyt... bullshyt!!!

lol

[Six]

And if people had just a small idea of just how many athletes are from the state of Florida ....

It's absolutely amazing to try and take on naming the top 50 in our minds

[Six]

solar - that's fine, haha, I can't wait for it

I WANT them to bring it to me

Arguments over it will only make everyone better for it, becoming more educated about the people we're discussing

But I'll tell you this - they better bring something to the table that doesn't just involve:

"He's so much bigger .... He sucks .... He's faster .... He shouldn't even be in the Top 40 ...."

If they're going to argue it, they better bring facts and figures and legitimate reasoning behind it

You and I both know and agree that a certain person on our list will get completely BLASTED for being ranked where he is ...... even though he's basically considered the greatest ever at his sport, and a lot of people don't even consider it at sport - even though I guarantee none of them could do what he does

They'll have some dumb argument against it

[solarcane]

Six the fact that we looked over at least 300 names a piece and ended up with the same ultra elite final athletes meant we nailed it or neither one of us knows a damn thing about sports.

[solarcane]

Overall body of work is how I picked everyone of mine.

With Tebow shattering every college record there is I had him at 50 because he hasn't done anything in a pro uniform over the course of a career.

Jacory won a National Championship as a high schooler, and QB at The U. Does that give him the creds to be considered a top 50 Floridian?
Only time will tell.

[solarcane]

Vince Colemans cousin

Greg Coleman who was also a punter at FAMU in the 1970s and went on to a 12-year career in the NFL. Coleman was named to the all-conference team in both 1980 and 1981 and is fondly remembered by FAMU football fans for kicking a game-winning 34-yard field goal in an unlikely 16-13 Rattler win over Division I-A University of Miami in 1979.

[HawaiiCane]

My votes for LOF weren't on the post. Wanted to make sure I was added....

Offense - Byrd
Defense - Telemaque

[86Cane]

I always wondered what 86 did with that pic taken of all of us at The Trop

Now I know

Posted by: Six | April 12, 2010 at 10:21 PM

At least I didn't post the one of you in your cute little sweater vest at the ACC Championship game at Ray Jay. But, then U never know, it could happen around #50? LOL

[86Cane]

Hawaii....got your picks.

Cat5....updated yours too.

[86Cane]

I want to change my LOf pics for a guy thats on the roster.

Posted by: solarcane | April 12, 2010 at 09:43 PM

The Hamburglar is scout team right?

[Sean Spence is a Beast!!!]

Josh Turner, according to an ESPN report will be one of the elite DB's this year, he have us i think in his top 3, the guy has good size and is from Ok city, what is our realistic chances on this kid???

[Sean Spence is a Beast!!!]

Jabari Gorman, Denzel Perryman, and this kid Josh Turner all showing us some serious look!

Kids are definitely taking notice that our future is bright, and depth at other elite schools are getting filled up from the previous recruiting years.

[Six]

solar - I hear ya

You know I picked mine on the overall body of work they've accomplished from:

- High School
- to College
- to the Pros
- to what time period
- to what type of environment
- to what type of lifestyle
- and a couple on potential, based on what they did prior

Speaking of Jacory, he'd have to do something pretty damn spectacular in these next 2 years to even get a rare sniff of consideration in the passing wind, b/c he doesn't even begin to belong in the same world as the other QBs mentioned in my list

[Six]

86 - ha, hey brah, I'm not complaining at all about that pic of all of us in front of The Trop

That was a good day & its a good pic

Rays won, we're both pimpin the old school Rays hats, Ocala and his new wife Mrs. Ocala got to come down and hang with us

[Six]

Vince Coleman was a demon on the bases

He stole 50 consecutive bases without being caught. He stole both 2nd and 3rd base in the same inning, 13 TIMES in 1987

Don't know if anyone remembers this, but when he was with the Mets, Vince injured Dwight Gooden's arm by practicing swinging a golf club in the clubhouse - haha

I always hated Vince Coleman when I was a little kid, b/c he was on the Cardinals and I was a Royals fan - and all I heard about was how good he was and how the Royals didn't have anyone like him at all

[Then Along Came Ricky being Ricky]

I always hated Vince Coleman when I was a little kid, b/c he was on the Cardinals and I was a Royals fan - and all I heard about was how good he was and how the Royals didn't have anyone like him at all

Posted by: Six | April 13, 2010 at 12:53 AM

The Royals Willie Wilson invented that Lead Off CF Jack Rabbit on the Basepaths Terrorism back in '77 ...

And Herzog Green Lighted them both over the years.

[Ungar]

Oh wait, Wake and Bake means getting stoned? I thought it just meant a suntan....

Kids these days.....

I prefer Shake and Bake. I can prepare dinner and clean out the rugs at the same time.