Ex-Florida QB John Reaves dies at age 67

TAMPA, Fla. -- Former Floridaand NFL quarterback John Reaves, who finished his college career as the NCAA's all-time leading passer and later struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, has died. He was 67.

Reaves was found dead at his home Tuesday, according to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office. The cause of death is being investigated, the office said.

"It's sad to see that John has passed on, but we'll celebrate his life down there in Tampa with so many good friends and Gators," said Steve Spurrier, who coached Reaves with the USFL's Tampa Bay Bandits and later hired him as an assistant at Florida. "His memory will always be with us."

Reaves dealt with dependency for most of his 11-year career as an NFL journeyman, a run that began as a first-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1972. He also played for Cincinnati(1975-78), Minnesota(1979-80) and Houston (1981). He returned to play for Tampa Bayduring the NFL strike in 1987.

The Vikings put him in the Hazelden Clinic in 1980, and for the next two decades Reaves lived a life of sobriety while becoming the No. 2 passer in USFL history and then coaching eight years in the Southeastern Conference at Florida (1990-94) and South Carolina(1995-97).

"John was a guy that was always trying to help other people," former Buccaneers teammate Jimmie Giles told ESPN's Jenna Laine. "He was in the real estate business for a long time, and he did a lot of things for a lot of the players that couldn't help themselves. He was one of the great guys that always stood up for his players as a quarterback."

Reaves threw for a school-record 342 yards and five touchdowns in his first college game, breaking the mark of Spurrier, the 1966 Heisman Trophy winner, and setting the tone for his career. Reaves left school as the NCAA's career leading passer, throwing for 7,581 yards and an SEC-record 54 touchdowns.

"The Gators lost one of their own in John Reaves," said Florida coach Jim McElwain, who recruited Reaves' son, Stephen, to Michigan State. "Obviously got to know the family very well. My thoughts and prayers go out to that family who's been through a lot. At the same time, I do know this: I don't think anybody will ever realize how much the Florida Gators truly meant to John Reaves."

Reaves, receiver Carlos Alvarez and running back Tommy Durrance formed the corps of the so-called "Super Sophs" who finished 9-1-1 in 1969. In the lone setback at Auburn, Reaves threw nine interceptions, which remains an NCAA record nearly 50 years later.

Reaves' most memorable moment came in the 1971 season finale against Miami, the game best known for the "Florida Flop."

With the Gators leading 45-8 late in the fourth quarter, Florida defenders laid down and let the Hurricanes score so Reaves could have the ball back and get the 15 yards he needed to break Jim Plunkett's NCAA passing record.

Miami coach Fran Curci refused to shake hands with Florida coach Doug Dickey after the game. Making matters worse, several Gators headed to the Orange Bowl's east end zone and jumped into a pool that housed Miami Dolphins mascot Flipper during NFL games.

Reaves was born in 1950 in Anniston, Alabama. His family moved to Tampa when he was a child. Reaves led T.R. Robinson High School to the Class 2A state championship game in 1967 and earned player of the year honors in the state.

After his professional career, Reaves sold real estate in Tampa. He was arrested on gun and drug possession charges in 2008, and in May 2009, he entered an Atlanta area substance abuse rehabilitation program.

"My favorite memories of John are when I got a chance to coach him during our time with the Tampa Bay Bandits in the United States Football League in 1983, '84 and '85," Spurrier said. "He was a wonderful player to coach and a super teammate. Our second year he threw for more than 4,000 yards. I thought he was easily the best quarterback in the league, but I think Jim Kelly got voted as the All-USFL quarterback. But John was outstanding throwing the ball and directing the team.

"He was as good a pure dropback passer as I've ever coached."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.