{"id":93255,"date":"2018-12-19T16:39:51","date_gmt":"2018-12-19T21:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255///news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255//www.ucf.edu/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255//news/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255//?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:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255///news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255//www.ucf.edu/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255//news/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255//early-days-ucf-football/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255//","title":{"rendered":"The Early Days of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Football"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have been flooded with fond memories while watching the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ football team become an NCAA powerhouse the past two seasons./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255/n

As a professor emeritus of communication, I announced the games for the first five years of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ football starting in 1979./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255/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 /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255/u201cplaced on the 51-yard line./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255/u201d I got a few stares from fans wondering just where the 51-yard line might be./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255/n

Launching New Traditions, Mascots and Half-time Performances/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255/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./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255/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./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255/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./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255/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./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255/n

My directions for this task came from the athletic director Jack O/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255/u2019Leary under the watchful eye of then President Trevor Colbourn, the driving force behind the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ football program./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255/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./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/93255/n