But for me, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I won't forget it, but I learned from it, learned from the adversity. I've been able to move on past it. Cooper is now attending law school at Florida State. This summer he was married.
Life goes on.
But memories linger. One missed field goal caused a rippling effect that is still being felt, as if someone dropped the O-Dome into the middle of Lake Alice. Tennessee used the game as a catalyst to win the SEC East for the first time, win the SEC Championship and win the national title. And because the Vols won then, the Gator mystique was tarnished. You can't help but wonder if Florida had pulled the game out how it might have impacted the five games UF has lost since.