Former NFL quarterback John Reaves dies at 67

TAMPA, Fla. — Former Florida and 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 retired coach 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 (197980), Houston (1981) and Tampa Bay during 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 all-time passing leader in the USFL and then coaching eight years in the Southeastern Conference at Florida (199094) and South Carolina (199597).

His college career was much more acclaimed.

Reaves threw for a schoolrecord 342 yards and five touchdowns in his first game, breaking the mark of 1966 Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier and setting the tone for his career. He left school as the NCAA’s all-time 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.”