Former Florida A&M athletic director Hansel Tookes, who created the popular Florida Football Classic that matched the Rattlers with archrival Bethune-Cookman in the last game of the season, has died. He was 86.
Tookes spent years coaching the offensive and defensive lines for legendary coach Jake Gaither, before becoming the school's athletic director in 1973. He died Wednesday night, Florida A&M said in a news release.
During his reign as AD, Tookes created the classic which averages more than 70,000 fans each year. This year's game, coincidentally, is Saturday in Orlando.
"He was Mr. Orange and Green," said Bobby Lang, who at 73 is the lone remaining coach from the Gaither era, when the Rattlers dominated black college football with greats like the late "Bullet" Bob Hayes and Willie Galimore.
Tookes also created the Florida A&M Sports Hall of Fame.
Tookes was known by thousands of FAMU fans for his frequent exclamation of "hubba-hubba, baby." "It became his trademark," Lang said. "You'd hear 'hubba-hubba' and know that Tootie was somewhere near."
I love you Coach Tookes!
ReplyDeleteHubba! Hubba!
ReplyDeleteYou'll be missed coach!
Tookes was one of the few old-school Rattlers who was not touched by the new-school scandals. He was a class act.
ReplyDeleteWas he white?
ReplyDeleteWhat difference does that make?
ReplyDeleteTookes was the man. Who fired me up just a couple years ago at the alumni conference.
ReplyDelete