101 Days to Gator Football: Gator Servicemembers in Memoriam

[Escambia94]

#101. Bill Corry, Hubert Schucht, Harold Rowe, Buck Schindler, Elmer Ricau are all football players that did earn varsity letters, but did not make it into the hall of fame. These Gators gave their lives in service to this great nation as members of the United States Armed Services.

Bill Corry played fullback from 1940-1942 and was captain of the 1942 team his senior year. He is a UF Letterman Hall of Fame member. Immediately after graduation, Bill was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army, where he died in combat less than two years later. Lt. Corry earned the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his actions in defending his artillery unit as they came under fire. Those of you who have lived in Corry Village on campus now know the namesake of that housing area.

Hubert Schucht played football at the University of Florida from 1934-1935, where he also lettered in track and was ROTC brigade commander. As a battalion commander under 78th Artillery, he earned the Bronze Star and Purple Heart after being killed in Japan. The married housing area, Schucht Village, bears his name.

Harold Rowe played football from 1935-1937. He was killed in action as a 1st Lt Army Air Forces pilot.

Buck Schindler lettered in football, track, and boxing from 1937-1938. Little is known of how 2nd Lt Schindler died, but it is known that he lived as an athlete more well known for his boxing than his football.

Elmer Ricou played fullback for the Gators from 1938-1939. Little else is known of him other than the fact that he died in action as a 2nd Lt.

Edit: I changed #101 to military service members after re-evaluating the top 100 rankings with an unbiased computer ranking.

 

[DRU2012]

It's hard for new fans to imagine now, but we were once known for having "dominating duos", pairs of receivers that annually forced opposing defenses to "pick your poison" when they both went out into your secondary--with our other weapons, you could only afford to double-cover one of them. At each season's end, one or two would graduate and we'd plug in the next ones just as they were reaching their peak, it seemed. This opened up so many other things, and when they were both healthy, Ingram and Caldwell were at the time considered "the latest and possibly the best", in the view of opposing coaches and many in the media. We need to re-establish this strength, which is one of the major aims this season, so that the new ones that will be recruited over the next 2 to 3 seasons have time to learn and grow in order to step in full time only when they're ready, like we used to do it.

 

[Escambia94]

I won't say that we are back on track until we have a dynamic duo at receiver/ tight end. Dubose needs a match on the other side, and needs to get open before I say we look good this year.

 

[DRU2012]

I won't say that we are back on track until we have a dynamic duo at receiver/ tight end. Dubose needs a match on the other side, and needs to get open before I say we look good this year.

Dubose needs to find consistency in catching the damn ball: He is so dynamic with it once he's got it--that's why he looks to be our #1 return-guy, but even that decision is somewhat clouded by his hands (dropped punts killed us in at least one game last year). I'm told it's all about concentration, but it's getting late, at least as far as this season is concerned--and maybe beyond: either it somehow "snaps into focus", and we've got ourselves a true homerun-threat, or it doesn't, and we rely mainly on the fast-arriving young Pittman and the already-here Dunbar this year. Both have been pleasant surprises so far this spring, each in his own way. With depth at TE and the way our O-line and backfield are shaping up, Pease will be able to do a lot even if Dubose turns out to be mainly a glorified decoy most of the time (which will effectively be the case if the coaches and QBs come to feel they can't count on him to come down with it when they hit him on the hands, as happened far too often last year, and continued about 1/2 the time into the spring). I keep imagining how good we could be, though, how this offense might really surprise some folks with options that include a credible long range playmaker in a true stretch-the-field mode, to complement precision short-to-medium range passing and a pounding running game--all out of the same shifting, multiple set formations that Pease uses to confuse defenses and keep them on their heels, always guessing. Dunbar can run those routes effectively, and he makes the catches, even double-covered, but it really needs that "scary guy" going out there as well to make that facet of the attack work.
Mark my words, we're going to have a number of outstanding prospects at WR arriving over the next few seasons, and either Dubose establishes himself now as the first in a long line of great Gator receivers under Muschamp, or he may well not get another chance.

 

[Leakfan12]

Too bad he kept going hurt when he was with the Eagles. He could have been as good as Hernandez and Gronk.