SEC Network director and producer Gaspar González joined me to discuss the story of 60's Gators star, Carlos Alvarez, and how revolutionary the 'Cuban Comet' was to Gator football. A fascinating story, I think you guys will love it. Here's a preview and the podcast is below as well.
Synopsis of the film:
“The All-American Cuban Comet,”will focus on Florida’s all-time receiving yards leader, Carlos Alvarez. Alvarez is a Cuban immigrant who assimilated into what was, in the 1960s, an anti-Cuban American culture, by playing, and excelling at, football—what he considered “the most American sport I could think of.” At the University of Florida, Alvarez earned All-American honors as a sophomore wide receiver in 1969 as he and quarterback John Reaves helped lead the pass-happy Gators to a 9-1-1 season, capped by a Gator Bowl victory over Tennessee. Over the course of three varsity seasons, Alvarez totaled 172 catches for 2,563 yards and 19 touchdowns. Also during his time in Gainesville, Alvarez participated in anti-Vietnam War protests, actively supported the integration of Florida’s football team and was a founding member of one of the country’s first student-athlete unions. In 2011, Alvarez became the first foreign-born Hispanic-American to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame