{"id":93255,"date":"2018-12-19T16:39:51","date_gmt":"2018-12-19T21:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=93255"},"modified":"2024-02-09T11:54:23","modified_gmt":"2024-02-09T16:54:23","slug":"early-days-ucf-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/early-days-ucf-football\/","title":{"rendered":"The Early Days of UCF Football"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have been flooded with fond memories while watching the UCF football team become an NCAA powerhouse the past two seasons.<\/p>\n

As a professor emeritus of communication<\/a>, I announced the games for the first five years of UCF football starting in 1979.<\/p>\n

Announcing over the Tangerine Bowl (now Camping World Stadium) public-address system at that time was rather challenging. I often enlisted my children to help as spotters to identify players, and it took getting used to hearing your voice on a five-second delay. It was so distracting you had to concentrate on what you were saying and not on what you were hearing. On one occasion, I announced that the football was \u201cplaced on the 51-yard line.\u201d I got a few stares from fans wondering just where the 51-yard line might be.<\/p>\n

Launching New Traditions, Mascots and Half-time Performances<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I was also asked to arrange for the pregame and halftime shows for home games. The assignment was exciting, rewarding and very comical at times because we were taking baby steps.<\/p>\n

That first year I pleaded with every high school band director in the area to participate. When options were sparse, I even enlisted a security-dog demonstration from Patrick Air Force Base.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When we staged our first home football game against Fort Benning, there was no marching band, no salary for our coach, and just a few brave cheerleaders.<\/p>\n

That first year I pleaded with every high school band director in the area to participate. When options were sparse, I even enlisted a security-dog demonstration from Patrick Air Force Base.<\/p>\n

My directions for this task came from the athletic director Jack O\u2019Leary under the watchful eye of then President Trevor Colbourn, the driving force behind the UCF football program.<\/p>\n

Of course, Colbourn had to take the cautious, administrative view that probably included avoiding risks of liability, which meant turning down the halftime plan for a Cypress Gardens ski-show performer to sail around the stadium.<\/p>\n