Jake Gaither

For 25 years, Alonzo \"Jake\" Gaither was Florida A&M football. The juggernaut he developed in Tallahassee was every bit the equal of the powerhouse that Eddie Robinson built at Grambling. Coach Gaither, who called every player \"Baby\", won an astonishing 85% of his games (203-36-4), and more importantly made men out of the young boys who showed up at FAMU. Current Florida A&M athletic director Ken Riley, who starred at QB for Gaither in the mid-sixties, says proudly, \"I lied to Coach once and he let me off the hook with my dignity intact. I am what I am today because Coach let me out of that situation feeling like I had let him down, but I was still his man.\" Countless others owe their current blessings to Gaither, who passed away in 1994, but is still fondly remembered by his legendary homespun insights and great thoughts.\" I made it a habit to never leave the field with a boy