by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
The Florida-Georgia game will kick off this weekend in front of a crowd of more than 80,000 fans. But few of those people in the stands will have a better understanding of one of college football’s fiercest rivalries than local attorneys David and Gene Peek.
The brothers turned Gator football into a family legacy with Gene playing defensive back and split end from 1966-1968 and younger brother David playing on the offensive line from 1968-1971. From the freshman team to junior varsity to varsity, the Peeks recall every game played against the school’s top rival. Now as partners at Jacksonville firm Peek, Cobb, Edwards & Ashton they get an annual reminder of those gridiron clashes when the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party comes to town.
The brothers’ different approaches to game week befit their respective on-field specialties. Gene, who made his name catching touchdown passes from then quarterback Steve Spurrier, admits he plans his work schedule to wind down as the festivities are ramping up.
David, the offensive lineman who earned a reputation as a fierce hitter on both sides of the ball, is the accountant and tax attorney who looks at Florida-Georgia week as the start of the busy season.
“It’s just another work week,” said David.
After receiving an “Aw, come on” prompt from Gene, David admits that he does make some concessions to game week frivolity. The pick-up truck heading toward Alltel Stadium Saturday with attorneys piled in the flatbed most likely will have David behind the wheel.
Spurrier was responsible for dropping the nickname “Peeker” on Gene, a handle that was passed on to David when he headed to Gainesville and two younger brothers who followed. The name referred to Spurrier’s running joke that the next play would be the peak of Gene’s career.
Now, every year the brothers each again become “Peeker” on Florida-Georgia weekend as old friends from both sides of the rivalry descend on Jacksonville.
Both look forward to seeing their old teammates. But they say they’re just as likely to hoist a beer with their former Georgia opponents. The two schools’ fans’ attitude toward each other in the stands and in the parking lot might be hatred, but on the field it’s strictly respect, said Gene.
From their offices in the former Southtrust Building on the Southbank, the Peeks have had a front row seat as the game has developed into a week-long economic engine for downtown Jacksonville. Gene thinks the game has helped pave the way for Jacksonville to host other big-time sporting events like the ACC football championship and the Super Bowl.
“Back when we played it was just an athletic event, but with the way this city has embraced the game, it’s turned into a weeklong affair. The economic impact is big,” he said.
Both carry their favorite memories from three decades of Florida-Georgia. Gene remembers Wayne “Shadetree” Barfield kicking a last-minute field goal to beat Georgia in 1967. It was the second time Gene’s Gators won on a late kick. Two years earlier, Gene’s freshman team beat the Bulldogs 17-16. The kicker that day? Fellow freshman Barfield.
“Shadetree beat the Bulldogs twice,” he said.
David remembers a play from his freshman year when he set out to block a Bulldog defensive back. Just as he was preparing to deliver the blow he recognized inside the red helmet the face of a childhood friend from Ocala.
“I heard him yell, ‘No Peeker, it’s me!’” David recalled fondly.
Peeker hit him anyway.