The Boys from Old Florida: Inside Gator Nation Book

In The Boys From Old Florida, Buddy Martin takes the reader beneath the surface of Florida football as, without bias or sugar coating, he skillfully excavates the truths behind "The Gator Nation."

In this book, Martin, a Florida native, has chronicled the real stories of Gator coaches and players through their own eyes and in their words over a 55-year period since 1950-and not all are valentines. All but one of the coaches interviewed were asked to leave or move up by the school. Some players became estranged or never really felt appreciated. Yet, others are forever grateful for their experience as Gator players and feel a sense of brotherhood.

Liberating moments such as the arrival of Ray Graves come to life through the words of some-body who experienced it firsthand. Martin's fresh investigations have bolstered his sharp memory of those moments as they unfolded, including Graves' firing after a fairy-tale season with his "Super Sophs." With Steve Spurrier's arrival in 1990, the ride to a seemingly impossible stratosphere was made possible, and Martin was there to cover the Ol' Ball Coach's tenure, including the trip to the national championship conquest.

You will also learn of Ron Zook's slippery slide that landed him a ticket out of town after three seasons. Martin explores the confusion and despair that followed with a depth of knowledge few others could offer-an undertaking painted in detail within his controversial "The Bermuda Triangle of Coaches" chapter. In the first year of Urban Meyer's watch, Martin also traveled to every game, conducting post-game confabs to assemble material for ensuing one-on-one interviews with Meyer and several of his players.

The Boys From Old Florida reveals an extensive dialogue never before seen or read by Gator fans, drawing on interviews with every living former Florida coach and dozens of players. Relish the first-person experience of one of Florida's top sports journalists as he invites you inside "The Gator Nation."