Fond memories are just one of the truly special bonds that make college football so unique. Tailgating, Gator club meetings, and our message boards would hardly be the same without them. As you no doubt have read by now, Wilber Marshall will become a celebrated member of the Ring of Honor.
Shamefully, it should have happened a year ago. There is absolutely no excuse for the most feared defensive player in Florida history being left out of the equation. Thankfully, that wrong will be corrected on September 29th. Marshall’s induction shouldn’t merely be another recognition ceremony. It should be a celebration. He deserves to be properly thanked, just as he thanked all of us with his sheer determination.
“I’m in Virginia,” Marshall said. “I’m disabled actually from the game. I can’t do too much. I’m pretty banged up. ..I have two young girls who are growing up and hopefully one will be a Gator next year.”
For those of you not old enough to remember or those who perhaps might have momentarily forgotten- it was Wilber Marshall who recognized your efforts to cheer on him and the Gators in his last game at Florida Field.
“If you’ll recall after the Florida State game ended, Wilber went into the stands to thank the people for his four years at Florida,” former first lady of Florida football Ward Pell remembered. “That was the coolest thing. There were two things that stand out the most in my mind for the fans and that was when Charley turned them around after the USC victory to circle the field thanking them for their support and when Wilber ended his career by going into the stands to thank the people. And he was excited. He was fired up, but he just kept saying, “Thank you”.”
Marshall led 12th ranked Florida to a 53-14 whipping of the Seminoles. Whoever FSU put before him paid a dear price. He challenged their pain threshold. As the game went on, I recall heralded Florida State running back Greg Allen going down to the ground as Marshall approached. Allen gained 87 yards on the day, but 32 of them were on a fourth quarter touchdown run after the Gators had put 43 on the scoreboard and many reserves in the game. It’s always been my opinion that Allen, FSU quarterbacks Kelly Lowrey, Bob Davis, and Eric Thomas, as well as, a few of the Seminoles offensive linemen lost control their heart and probably other bodily functions when he lined up opposite them.
“Let’s give him (Allen) credit for probably being one of the sharpest tools in the shed that night,” she said. “I’ll tell you what, I saw Wilber Marshall when he came out on the field. And I guess that when you know players as well as we knew so many of ours, because they were at the house so often and were a part of our lives. We used to have the offensive line one night, the cornerbacks another, and so forth. I could see the fire in his eyes when he hit the field.
“You have to understand that he was finishing his career at Florida and he hated Florida State, which any good Gator does,” she stated. “They could have sent the entire bench out there because Wilber was ready to go get them. And if they didn’t send them, he’d have gone after them.”
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If you were to list the many cherished memories of Florida football that you’ve amassed through the years, how many would include Wilber Marshall? How many would be at or near the top?
Marshall recorded 343 tackles (210 solo) including a then school record 23 sacks. He holds the single season (27) and career tackles for loss record (58) at Florida. Marshall was selected to the All-SEC Team three times and ABC-Sports named him their 1983 National Defensive Player of the Year.
Personally speaking, I can’t imagine a top 20 that doesn’t include at least a few flashes of Orange and White, trimmed in blue, wearing that all too familiar number #88. I’ll bet Sean Salisbury, Greg Allen, and Alan Risher have no difficulty recalling that frightful number and probably suffer frequent night sweats that accompany the recollection of the numerous hits he placed on them during his college days.
I’m fortunate enough to have seen the two-time All-American play in several of his biggest games. My first college football trip as a teenager was purposely mapped out for September 11th, 1982. Several friends and I drove to Gainesville to join the 73,238 welcoming the legendary Southern Cal Trojans to Florida Field. They were there to teach us how to play college football. At least that’s what five faithful USC graduates who typically arrived a few minutes after kickoff told everybody in our section.
Oh, John Robinson was there alright. But, the lesson plan on that day was masterfully prepared by a relatively (nationally) unknown linebacker named Wilber Marshall. Always one to lead by example, he took charge.
USC quarterback Sean Salisbury served as his voluntary teaching aide. Marshall had 14 tackles and four sacks against the Trojans earning AP and Sports Illustrated National Player of the Week honors.
“Actually that’s probably what put myself on the map and the university the way that all of the guys played together,” Marshall recalled. “I happened to have a breakout game and I did some things probably I didn’t imagine I could do and from that point on it gave me some confidence in what I could do and how far I could go because it was the top team at that time and we had some no-name guys that stood up and made a big impression. “
What happened to those Southern Cal guys that were sitting in our section? Well, they left early in the fourth quarter as several Gators fans told them to come back soon.
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There figures to be enough incentive for the Gators to beat Auburn after the Gators dropped a 27-17 contest to the Tigers. Honoring Wilber Marshall increases it tenfold for me. And Florida head coach Urban Meyer understands the significance of tradition and history like few others. He absolutely cherishes the game of college football. I’ll find it hard to believe that he won’t make Marshall an integral part of the weekend.
Who would Marshall like to see in the audience?
“Basically, all of the friends that I grew up with that went through it with me,” he said. “There were so many people that I can’t name them all. I went through a lot back then and had a lot of good people like Ms. (Ward) Pell, she was always there in my corner. ..”
She is still very much in his corner. Ward got a little choked up talking about Wilber and his importance in their lives. He was Carrick Pell’s best friend for many years, babysitting for the Pell’s when they went out for an evening. And you can bet they’ll be there on Wilber’s big day.
“Honey, I want to know how I get in on this,” she said. “I’m going to have to call Wilber and congratulate him. I’m just so proud that this day has finally come.”
“I always think about him and his family. He was really good to me. The way everything happened it was very hard on me and I pray about it. I know that he’s looking down and he’s a big part of me getting to where I’m at. Him and Joe Kines and Dwight (Adams) and the whole staff and I appreciate all of those guys too.”
So, what will this mean to Wilber Marshall?
“It’s like playing professional ball,” Marshall said. “It’s part of your legacy to know that you worked very hard and people appreciated the way that I played. And I know for a fact that did happen when I played back then because the fans were outrageous back then and if you know Gator Nation there is so much excitement about their Gator team. I don’t know, it’s hard to put into words how I feel about that.”
It will be an emotional day for all of us too. Thanks to Wilber for giving so much of himself for the game and the school that we all love.