21 – Fred Taylor
Frederick Antwon Taylor hails from the Gator talent hotbed Pahokee, Florida, where he initially played linebacker before switching to tailback. By the time he arrived in Gainesville to play for Steve Spurrier‘s Gators he was an already accomplished running back, having been named to the FHSAA “Top 100 Greatest Players” list. Fred immediately made an impact on the Gators with his unique blend of size, agility, and power, helping them win the Bowl Alliance National Championship in 1996 and earning himself 1st-team All-SEC honors, Walter Camp All-American recognition, and team MVP selection. He was so good that he helped usher fellow running back Elijah Williams to switch to defensive back. He is the #4 in school history with 3,075 yards, and 31 touchdowns. His impact on Gator lore was enough for him to be inducted into the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame in 2008 and the University of Florida Athletic Association Hall of Fame as a Gator Great in 2010. His son, Kelvin, joined the Florida Gators in 2013 after a successful high school career where he broke fellow Gator Emmitt Smith’s high school records that had been standing since 1986.
Honorable mention: #21 Cris Collinsworth. Anthony Cris Collinsworth played quarterback and wide receiver for Doug Dickey's and Charley Pell's Florida Gators from 1977 to 1980. As a QB, Cris threw the longest TD pass in NCAA history, a 99-yard toss to Derrick Gaffney in a 48-3 rout of Rice University. (Note that Cris was the third QB. Terry LeCount and John Brantley III were the first and second team QBs.) He complete 3 passes in 10 attempts for 1 TD and 2 INTs and a passer rating of 130.52. In 1978, the Gators switched to a more wide-open passing offense, and Cris thrived as a wide receiver for the rest of his career. He was first-team All-SEC in 1978, 1979, and 1980, as well as Consensus All American, Academic All American and team captain in 1980. His career 13.1 yards per play is still 7th in Gator history and his 16.7 yards per play in 1978 is also 7th. He finished with 120 receptions for 1937 yards and 14 TDs. He also scored two rushing touchdowns and one kickoff return touchdown. He graduated with a degree in accounting in 1981, and was drafted in the 1981 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 37th overall pick. He was named a University of Florida Athletic Association Hall of Fame Gator Great in 1991.
