Guy Dennis
Encyclopedia
Guy Durell Dennis, Jr. is a former American college and professional football
player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League
(NFL) for seven seasons in the 1960s and 1970s. Dennis played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Cincinnati Bengals
and the Detroit Lions
of the NFL.
in 1947, and he attended Ernest Ward High School
in Walnut Hill.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played guard
for coach Ray Graves
' Florida Gators football
team from 1966 to 1968. He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection in 1967 and 1968, a first-team All-American in 1968, and a team captain
in 1968. He was also the recipient of the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award, recognizing the "senior football player who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage."
Dennis graduated from Florida with bachelor's degree
in 1970, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."
. He played professional football as a center
, offensive guard and offensive tackle for four seasons for the Bengals (–) and three seasons for the Detroit Lions (–), In his seven-year NFL career, Dennis played eighty-nine games and started thirteen of them.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) for seven seasons in the 1960s and 1970s. Dennis played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
and the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
of the NFL.
Early life
Dennis was born in Walnut Hill, FloridaWalnut Hill, Florida
Walnut Hill is an unincorporated community in Escambia County, Florida, United States. Walnut Hill is west-southwest of Century....
in 1947, and he attended Ernest Ward High School
Northview High School (Century, Florida)
Northview High School is a high school located in Century, Florida. It is currently listed as a 1A school and has been serving North Escambia County, Florida since 1996. Student enrollment varies year-by-year, but averages between 500 and 600 students. The only principal of Northview High School...
in Walnut Hill.
College career
Dennis received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
for coach Ray Graves
Ray Graves
Samuel Ray Graves is a former American college and professional football player and former college football coach. He is a native of Tennessee and an alumnus of the University of Tennessee, where he played college football...
' Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1966 to 1968. He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) selection in 1967 and 1968, a first-team All-American in 1968, and a team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
in 1968. He was also the recipient of the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award, recognizing the "senior football player who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage."
Dennis graduated from Florida with bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 1970, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."
Professional career
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Dennis in the fifth round (109th pick overall) of the 1969 NFL Draft1969 NFL Draft
The 1969 National Football League Draft was part of the Common Draft, the third and final year in which the NFL and American Football League held a joint draft of college players. The draft took place on January 28–29, 1969....
. He played professional football as a center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
, offensive guard and offensive tackle for four seasons for the Bengals (–) and three seasons for the Detroit Lions (–), In his seven-year NFL career, Dennis played eighty-nine games and started thirteen of them.
See also
- 1968 College Football All-America Team1968 College Football All-America TeamThe 1968 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Central Press Association, Football Writers...
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1960–1969
- History of the Cincinnati BengalsHistory of the Cincinnati BengalsThis article details the history of the Cincinnati Bengals American football club.-Origins:In 1967 a Cincinnati-based ownership group led by Paul Brown was granted a franchise in the American Football League....
- List of Detroit Lions players
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of University of Florida alumni