Buddy Martin Blog: Heroes Who Were. Are. And Shall Be. From Tebow. To Finvvold. To Richardson.

Is Anthony Richardson a statue-In-waiting? (Chris Spears Photo)

“You are what you are when you act.”-- French playwright Jean-Paul Sartre.

“Heroes act on impulse but can in no way be created.”— Sixty Minutes.

“If Florida wins this game and goes on to win a national championship, they ought to build a statue of this kid.” — ESPN color analyst Dave Dellucci.

By BUDDY MARTIN

GatorBaitMedia.Com Editor

We tend to immortalize most Florida Gator sports heroes in bronze around these parts. The three gladiator statues standing out front Ben Hill Griffin Stadium set the gold standard. Except they don’t even come close to encapsulating all that greatness is, or can be. They are just sports models.

There are more statues in waiting, players to be named later -- as they say in baseball trades. Perhaps one at this very moment, another No. 15, except wearing the name "Richardson" on the back of his jersey? (More on that later.)

That’s the thing about heroes you never know -- who, or where, or when.

Sometimes heroes come from wars or religious faith or politics, although not so much the latter lately. Really, they are more likely to emerge from everyday living, like a cop or teacher or neighbor or even random stranger.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, often unsuspectingly and sometimes when least expected. That was affirmed for me the other day when I saw a Sixty Minutes piece on heroes, outlining and highlighting the heroism of people who “willingly or knowingly risked their lives” to save or help others. They all said the same thing: “I did it without thinking.”

We need heroes more than ever today for something we can believe in as a metaphor for inherent goodness because evil seems so rampant in our world. Sports can be relevant for its sheer irrelevance.

No way we can compare the courage of a person saving the life of somebody they don’t even know with some athletic achievement. However, it underscores the true essence of a person when they step up to perform an exceptional feat that seemingly in no way will benefit them.

At heart, we are all hero worshippers. They often provide us with inspiration for navigating our own mucked up lives and help us conjure up courage needed for overcoming our own daily unconfidence or cowardice.

What if? Could Carsten Finvvold have been a statue hero? (UAA Photo)

That brings us to the unlikely prospect of Carsten Finvvold. The final box score showing that Finvvold pitched an incredible complete 27-out, nine inning game in relief with a tortoise speed fastball in the Florida win over Oklahoma – let me say that again! IN RELIEF! – was almost incomprehensible. Especially in a day when only a random few major league starting pitchers are capable of doing that. Even if the Gators couldn’t pull off the final game regional victory, he got the win and a memorable lifetime moment.

I realize that pitching nine innings in a baseball game is nowhere even remotely comparable to the feats of Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel or Tim Tebow. Or even Kyle Trask. But in that moment what Finvvold did by appearing from bullpen obscurity to pitch the baseball team out of a bases loaded, no-outs jam amazed even ESPN’s broadcasters with no ties to the UF program was fairly epic.

“If Florida wins this game and goes on to win a national championship,” said ESPN color analyst and former big-leaguer Dave Dellucci, “they ought to build a statue of this kid.” That’s a huge stretch I realize, but it underscored the heat of the moment and remarkable achievement by a guy who had only pitched nine innings in his entire career at UF and was so irrelevant to the story that he often wasn’t even dressed out or taken on most road trips.

“Heroes act on impulse, but can in no way be created,” somebody said on Sixty Minutes. Seems like I remember this quote from my college philosophy course by French existentialist/ playwright Jean-Paul Sartre: “You are what you are when you act.”

Two out of three statues: Tim Tebow and Danny Wuerffel. (UAA Photo)

Which brings me around to today’s most likely hero-statue-in-waiting, Anthony Richardson. Aside from his amazing athleticism which he displays leaping over would-be tacklers and doing pre-game backflips – plus the one widely publicized speeding ticket in a shiny new sports car – there’s really not much we know about the quarterback nicknamed AR-15. Except he was born in Gainesville just 21 years ago (May 22) and most likely will soon became a multi-millionaire.

Here are some things I just learned about Richardson after hearing the excellent 84 Reasons podcast by my colleague and Gator Collective Corner cohost Ben Troupe:

--Although he grew up in Gainesville and went to Eastside, Anthony wasn’t enamored with only the University of Florida. “Honestly, it wasn’t always just about the Gators,” he said. In the end, he chose Florida because he was sold on more than just football – “they were talking about football AND academics.”

--He almost didn’t choose to wear No. 15 because of obvious pressures. He didn’t want to “let Tim Tebow down at first.” He also had worn No. 2 through high school until his senior year “and my nickname was ‘Two.’” In the end, he accepted the challenge as motivation, even though he’s not likely to equal the feats of Tebow, who’s one of Anthony’s biggest fans (calls him “A Freak!”) and supporters.

--Billy Napier: He knows almost everybody in the building by name, where they’re from and what position they play. He pays rapt attention to detail. “He really cares about you … and that’s what I love about him.”

--There have been some epic basketball pickup matches involving two Gainesville guys, wide receiver Trent Whittemore and his QB. Asked to compare their hooping skills in half court, AR15 said: “To be honest, I’m gonna give it to him. He’s got more finesse that I do. He’s got a smooth jumper.”

--He wasn’t always a quarterback. Before he got to UF, he also played running back, defensive tackle, linebacker and safety. His 6-4, 240-pound frame even blows his teammates’ minds. “THAT’S OUR QUARTERBACK???!!!” exclaimed 6-foot-5, 335-pound offensive lineman transfer O’Cyrus Torrence.

--Perhaps the most impressive thing he told Troupe on the 84 Reasons Podcast is that he realizes the money and perks (like hot sports cars) he earns from the Name/Image/Like deal are contingent on his performance. “I’m the one earning the money and I realize if I don’t perform, it goes away.”

Sounds like a hero. Looks like a hero. Walks and backflips like a hero. I guess Anthony Richardson, to quote Sartre, “will be what he is when he acts.”