John Reaves
No. 6, 7, 11, 8 | |||||||||
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Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Born: | Anniston, Alabama, U.S. | March 2, 1950||||||||
Died: | August 1, 2017 Tampa, Florida, U.S. | (aged 67)||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
High school: | Robinson (Tampa) | ||||||||
College: | Florida | ||||||||
NFL draft: | 1972 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14 | ||||||||
Career history | |||||||||
As a player: | |||||||||
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As a coach: | |||||||||
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Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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Career USFL statistics | |||||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Thomas Johnson "John" Reaves (March 2, 1950 – August 1, 2017) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and three seasons in the United States Football League (USFL) during the 1970s and 1980s. Reaves played college football for the Florida Gators football, and earned first-team All-American honors.
He was a first-round pick in the
Early life
Reaves was born in
In 2007, 39 years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association recognized Reaves as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football.[5]
College career
After graduating from high school, Reaves accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the
His record as the NCAA's all-time career leader in passing yards was achieved after a controversial fourth-quarter play in the last game of the 1971 regular season against Miami. Most members of the Gators' defense lay down on the field in the fourth quarter, allowing the Miami Hurricanes to score a touchdown to allow Florida's offense to get the ball back so Reaves could set the record. The event is referred to as the "Gator Flop," and it is often recalled bitterly by Hurricanes alumni and fans.[7][8]
Reaves returned to Gainesville during the NFL offseason and completed a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1973. He was later inducted into the
Statistics
- 1969: 222 completions on 396 attempts, 2,896 yards, 24 touchdowns, 19 interceptions
- 1970: 188 completions on 376 attempts, 2,549 yards, 13 touchdowns, 19 interceptions
- 1971: 193 completions on 356 attempts, 2,104 yards, 17 touchdowns, 21 interceptions[6]
Professional career
Reaves was selected in the first round (fourteenth pick overall) of the
Reaves jumped to the expansion Tampa Bay Bandits of the start-up USFL in 1983; he was the Bandits' starting quarterback for three seasons under head coach Steve Spurrier in a pass-oriented offense. He only played eight games of the 1983 season because of a wrist injury. However, he still managed to complete 139 passes out of 259 attempts. He threw for 1,276 yards, but tossed 16 interceptions compared to nine touchdown passes. He bounced back in 1984, going 313 out of 544 for 4,092 yards and tossing 28 touchdowns, compared to 16 interceptions. This was the only USFL season in which he threw more touchdowns than interceptions. In the league's final season, 1985, he was 314 for 561, throwing 29 interceptions compared to 25 touchdown passes.[17]
Reaves was to play for the Orlando Renegades during the USFL's 1986 fall season, but the league dissolved before they could play a game. Reaves next appeared as a replacement player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 1987 strike. Reaves's NFL career was that of a journeyman back-up—and his NFL career total of 3,417 yards showed it.[13] In Reaves's two seasons as the Bandits' full-time starting quarterback, however, he threw for over 4,000 yards passing both years (1984 and 1985), and just over 10,000 total yards in his three-season USFL career (1983–85).
Life after the NFL
Reaves was an assistant football coach for the Florida Gators under head coach Steve Spurrier from 1990 to 1994,[18] working primarily with the Gators quarterbacks, including Shane Matthews. He left Gainesville to become an assistant coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks under head coach Brad Scott from 1995 to 1997.
Reaves was arrested on gun and drug-possession charges in 2008.[19] Reaves entered an Atlanta-area substance-abuse rehabilitation program in May 2009.[20]
Reaves was found dead on August 1, 2017 at his Tampa home at the age of 67.[21][22]
Football family
Reaves was the former father-in-law of current Ole Miss Rebels football head coach Lane Kiffin, who was married to Reaves's daughter Layla.[20] Reaves's son David was an assistant coach under Kiffin during Kiffin's one year as the Tennessee Volunteers football head coach.[20] Reaves's younger son Stephen was a back-up quarterback for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL).[23]
See also
- 1971 College Football All-America Team
- Florida Gators football, 1960–69
- Florida Gators football, 1970–79
- List of Florida Gators football All-Americans
- List of Florida Gators in the NFL Draft
- List of Philadelphia Eagles first-round draft picks
- List of Philadelphia Eagles players
- List of United States Football League players
- List of University of Florida alumni
- List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members
References
- ^ Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, John Reaves. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b Douglas S. Looney, "He Has Seen The Light", Sports Illustrated (April 18, 1983). Retrieved June 4, 2010.
- ^ databaseFootball.com, Players, John Reaves Archived February 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
- ^ a b Joe Henderson, "Tampa Bay's All-Century Team: No. 26 John Reaves Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine", The Tampa Tribune (November 30, 1999). Retrieved June 4, 2010.
- ^ a b c "FHSAA unveils '100 Greatest Players of First 100 Years' as part of centennial football celebration Archived March 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine", Florida High School Athletic Association (December 4, 2007). Retrieved May 26, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 87, 91, 96, 101, 103, 124, 127, 141–142, 144, 146–148, 158, 159, 164, 174, 176, 185 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.
- ^ Bob Harig, "UM-UF rivalry was once the biggest in the state", ESPN.com (September 5, 2006). Retrieved May 21, 2010.
- ^ Joanne Korth, "Florida-Miami: a rivalry revisited", St. Petersburg Times (December 28, 2000). Retrieved May 21, 2010.
- ^ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
- ^ Mike Bianchi, "UF football team gets title trophies", The Gainesville Sun, p. 6F (April 14, 1985). Retrieved July 24, 2011.
- ^ Robbie Andreu & Pat Dooley, "No. 30 John Reaves", The Gainesville Sun (August 4, 2006). Retrieved April 1, 2013.
- ^ Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 1972 National Football League Draft. Retrieved June 4, 2010.
- ^ a b National Football League, Historical Players, John Reaves. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
- ^ Ed McFall, "Reaves, Boryla get chance", The Daily Sentinel (August 28, 1975). Retrieved April 17, 2012.
- ^ Associated Press, "Ex-Gator Reaves joins Vike quarterback corps", St. Petersburg Times (July 17, 1979). Retrieved April 17, 2012.
- ^ Associated Press, "Oilers anxiously awaiting results on Nielsen", St. Petersburg Times (August 25, 1981). Retrieved April 17, 2012.
- ^ OurSportsCentral.com, USFL, Players O–Z. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- ^ "John Reaves". August 2, 2017.
- ^ Joey Johnston, "Ex-Football Star Reaves Says Police Planted Cocaine Archived 2008-08-16 at the Wayback Machine", The Tampa Tribune (August 4, 2008). Retrieved May 21, 2010.
- ^ a b c Mick Elliott, "Hell & Back for John Reaves, Layla Kiffin", NCAA Fan House (September 3, 2009). Retrieved May 21, 2010.
- ^ "John Reaves, former Florida and NFL QB, found dead at age 67". Denver Post. Denver Post. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
- ^ "Ex-Florida QB John Reaves dies at age 67". ESPN. ESPN. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
- ^ Daniel Girard, "Argos may elevate third-string QB Reaves", Toronto Star (October 14, 2009). Retrieved May 21, 2010.
Bibliography
- Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
- Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
- Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
- McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
- McEwen, Tom, The Gators: A Story of Florida Football, The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama (1974). ISBN 0-87397-025-X.
- Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196-X.
External links
- [1] Obituary of John Reaves
- Image of Reaves