James H. “Jimmy” Dunn was a 5’10″, 142-pound quarterback and kick returner for Bob Woodruff‘s Florida Gators from 1956-1958. In his first year as a starting QB for the Gators, he nearly singlehandedly defeated theGeorgia Bulldogs 28-0 with electrifying kick returns and accurate passing. The Gators finished ranked in the top 20 in each of his years as a starter from 1956-1958. Prior to this period, the Gators only finished in the top 20 once in 1952, when Doug Dickey, Fred Robinson, and Charlie LaPradd were rotating as starting QBs. Jimmy returned to Gainesville as a coach from 1960-1963 and again from 1970-1977.
Note: I chose Jimmy Dunn because he was the first QB to lead the Gators through consecutive seasons ranked in the top 20 (partially because the top 20 polls were established a few years earlier and partially because the Gators were not very good until Dunn arrived).
