Lawrence Joseph Gagner (born December 30, 1943) is a former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player who was an

offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) for parts of five seasons during the 1960s and 1970s. Gagner was born in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

and grew up near

Daytona Beach, Florida Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a coastal Resort town, resort-city in east-central Florida. Located on the eastern edge of Volusia County, Florida, Volusia County near the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic coastline, its population ...

, where he was a multi-sport all-state athlete at

Seabreeze High School Seabreeze High School is a public high school located in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. The school was named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 1989. Notable alumni * Duane and Gregg Allman, of The Allman Brothers Band, class of 196 ...

. He choose to attend college at the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

, where he played several positions on offense and defense for the

Florida Gators The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as t ...

under head coach

Ray Graves Samuel Ray Graves (December 31, 1918 – April 10, 2015) was an American college and professional American football, football player and college football coach. He was a native of Tennessee and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, where ...

. Gagner became a regular starter on the Gators' offensive line during his junior year in

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

. He was a two-time All- SEC

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

and was a consensus All-American at that position during his senior year in

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...

. Gagner was a second-round pick in the

1966 NFL Draft The 1966 National Football League draft was held at the Summit Hotel in New York City on Saturday, November 27, 1965. The expansion Atlanta Falcons were awarded the first pick in each round as well as the final pick in each of the first five rou ...

by the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

of the NFL and became a part of the Steelers' offensive line rotation during his rookie year. He started 14 games with Pittsburgh and was named a team captain in 1969. His professional career was derailed by a near-fatal automobile accident in March 1970 near his home in

Ormond Beach, Florida Ormond Beach is a city in central Florida in Volusia County. The population was 43,080 at the 2020 census. Ormond Beach lies directly north of Daytona Beach and is a principal city of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach, FL Metropolitan ...

. Gagner was unable to play during the 1970 and 1971 seasons and finally returned to the field as a backup for the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

during the 1972 preseason. However, continued health issues hindered his performance, and he left the Chiefs prior to the regular season and did not sign with a team in 1973. He made a final return to action with the

Jacksonville Sharks The Jacksonville Sharks are a professional indoor football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, playing their home games at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Beginning in 2017, the Sharks began play as charter members of the National Arena Leag ...

of the

World Football League The World Football League (WFL) was an American football league that played one full season in 1974 and most of its second in 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest t ...

in 1974 and was a reserve lineman for the team for two years, after which the league folded. Gagner drew interest from some NFL and

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

teams before the 1976 season, but after failing two team physicals with lingering injuries, he decided to retire from football at the age of 32. After football, Gagner worked in several professions before becoming a successful artist. He lives and works in

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

Early life

Gagner was born in

in 1943.Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players
Larry Gagner
Retrieved July 8, 2010. He attended

,databaseFootball.com, Players
Larry Gagner
. Retrieved June 2, 2010. where he was a standout two-way prep player for the Seabreeze Sandcrabs high school football team. FHSAA announces 33-member All-Century football team
" Florida High School Athletic Association (December 12, 2007). Retrieved May 26, 2011. The Sandcrabs posted a 19–2–1 overall win–loss record during Gagner's junior and senior years, and laid claim to the state football championship his junior year. In 2007, forty-six years after he graduated from high school, the

Florida High School Athletic Association The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) is an organization whose purpose is to organize sports competition for high schools in Florida. It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Florida uses ...

(FHSAA) named Gagner to its " All-Century Team," recognizing him as one of the thirty-three greatest Florida high school football players of the last 100 years.

College career

Gagner accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the

in Gainesville, Florida, and played for coach

' Florida Gators football teams from

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

.
2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide
'', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 97, 90, 96, 181 (2011). Retrieved August 29, 2011. During his college career, Gagner primarily played offensive guard, but also appeared at

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...

, and

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...

due to his combination of strength and speed.Bernard Kahn,
Gagner Signs For $150,000
" ''Daytona Beach Morning Journal'', p. 6 (January 4, 1966). Retrieved December 17, 2011. He was a first-team All-

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...

(SEC) selection in

and 1965, and a first-team All-American in 1965. As a senior lineman, Gagner participated in the 1966

Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...

, the Gators' first-ever major bowl appearance. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in fine arts in 1967, and was later inducted into the

University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame The University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame includes over 300 former Florida Gators athletes who represented the University of Florida in one or more intercollegiate sports and were recognized as "Gator Greats" for their athletic excellence ...

as a "Gator Great."

Professional career

Pittsburgh Steelers

Gagner was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round (nineteenth pick overall) of the 1966 NFL Draft, and also by the

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

in the third round (18th pick overall) of the 1966

American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...

(AFL) Draft. Gagner chose to sign with the Steelers for the then-staggering sum of $150,000, and played regularly at guard from until , starting 14 games, regularly serving as a team captain, and being called Pittsburgh's "most consistent" offensive lineman.

Automobile accident

In March 1970, Gagner was involved in a near-fatal traffic accident in his

Porsche 911 The Porsche 911 (pronounced ''Nine Eleven'' or in german: Neunelfer) is a two-door 2+2 high performance rear-engined sports car introduced in September 1964 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a rear-mounted flat-six engine and origin ...

while driving intoxicated near his home in

. He suffered multiple serious injuries, including a broken arm, lacerations that required over 30 stitches, a chipped left

femur The femur (; ), or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates. The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of the femur articulates with ...

head, and a badly dislocated left hip, leaving him hospitalized for two months.Bob Smizik,
Ex-Steelers guard Gagner sculpts a promising career
" ''The Pittsburgh Press'', p. D2 (June 29, 1987). Retrieved December 31, 2011. He reported to the Steelers' training camp in July, but after one practice, the team doctor determined that Gagner had not recovered from his injuries and recommended that he postpone his return. Though the team put him on a

physical therapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...

program, his hip continued to give him problems, and Gagner missed the entire season. He was traded to the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

in January 1971 but did not pass a physical exam, so the Giants put him on waivers. He signed with the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

, who hoped that Gagner would be able to contribute after further rehabilitation. However, he never recovered sufficiently to make the active roster and missed the entire season as well, after which he became a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

Later career

In , Gagner finally returned to the field as a reserve lineman for the

.National Football League, Historical Players
Larry Gagner
Retrieved June 2, 2010. However, he was frustrated by his inability to perform as he had before the accident and decided to retire during the preseason. Gagner came out of retirement in 1974, playing in a backup role for the Jacksonville franchise of the

(WFL) for two truncated seasons. The WFL folded in 1975, and Gagner signed a free agent contract with the NFL's expansion

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

in March 1976. However, he did not pass a team physical and was released. He signed with the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

in May 1976, but was cut in early in the preseason. In one last attempt to continue his career, Gagner tried out for the

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...

of the

, where the team doctor warned him that returning to the field would accelerate the degeneration of his injured hip. Following this advice, Gagner finally decided to retire. Overall, Larry Gagner appeared in 60 regular season NFL games.

Life after football

After football, Gagner worked several different jobs, including as a

taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...

driver,

security guard A security guard (also known as a security inspector, security officer, or protective agent) is a person employed by a government or private party to protect the employing party's assets (property, people, equipment, money, etc.) from a variety ...

, and

substitute teacher A substitute teacher is a person who teaches a school class when the regular teacher is absent or unavailable; e.g., because of illness, personal leave, maternal leave and so on. "Substitute teacher" (usually abbreviated as "sub") is the most co ...

, before deciding to make use of his college degree in

commercial art Commercial art is the art of creative services, referring to art created for commercial purposes, primarily advertising. Commercial art uses a variety of platforms (magazines, websites, apps, television, etc.) for viewers with the intent of promo ...

. He and his wife Doris live in the

Seminole Heights Seminole Heights is a historic neighborhood and district located in central Tampa, Florida, Tampa. It includes many early 20th century bungalow homes and historic buildings. It was an early residential area of Tampa connected by streetcar. The ...

neighborhood of

, where he is a working artist, mainly in painting and sculpture.Erika Vidal,
Larry, quite contrary
" ''St. Petersburg Times'' (April 27, 2007). Retrieved June 2, 2010.

References

Bibliography

* Carlson, Norm, ''University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators'', Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). . * Golenbock, Peter, ''Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory'', Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). . * Hairston, Jack, ''Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told'', Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). . * McCarthy, Kevin M.,
Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football
', Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). . * McEwen, Tom, ''The Gators: A Story of Florida Football'', The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama (1974). . * Nash, Noel, ed., ''The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football'', Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). .

External links

LarryGagner.com
– Official website for Larry Gagner's artworks. {{DEFAULTSORT:Gagner, Larry 1943 births Living people All-American college football players American football offensive guards Florida Gators football players Kansas City Chiefs players Pittsburgh Steelers players Players of American football from Cleveland Players of American football from Florida Seabreeze High School alumni American taxi drivers Sportspeople from Daytona Beach, Florida