Gary Pajcic
Encyclopedia
Gary Pajcic was an outstanding high school
and college
athlete, lawyer
, and philanthropist
in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida
.
. At Paxon High, he played football
, basketball
and baseball
. He was the first player to be named Most Outstanding Football and Basketball player in Duval County
. Pajcic was also honored as Scholar-Athlete for the State of Florida.
, his friend from early childhood, who eventually was a 1968 first team All-America
n, sixth pick overall in the first round of the 1969 NFL draft
, and played five years of professional football. Pajcic was a sought-after recruit, but had made a pact with Sellers that the two would go to college together as a quarterback/receiver combination. University of Florida
wanted Pajcic, but not Sellers, so the pair instead went to Florida State University
.
A freshman star in 1965, Pajcic became FSU’s starting
quarterback
in 1966. That was the season he threw the pass that resulted in "The Catch", the most controversial play in Florida State football history. In the home game against rival University of Florida, FSU trailed by 3 with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter. Lane Fenner, who was fresh because he had not yet played in the game, replaced Sellers, who had taken a blow in the last play. At the snap, he blew past the Gator defensive backs and Pajcic threw a perfect 45-yard pass to Fenner in the end zone, who caught it over-the-shoulder. The crowd erupted, but a few seconds later, the linesman, who trailed the play from the line of scrimmage, arrived at the goal line and signaled the catch out of bounds. Pictures in newspapers the following day seem to support the claim that he was in-bounds and many Seminoles regard this event as the start of their bitter rivalry with the Gators.
With eight touchdown
s and an impressive throwing record, Pajcic was named honorable mention All-America
honors in '66, though an arm injury in 1966 hampered the rest of his college career.
He received his undergraduate degree from FSU in 1969 and Law degree from FSU in 1972.
decided to go into private practice together, forming Pajcic & Pajcic.
's unsuccessful campaign for Florida governor in 1986.
In 1995, Gary Pajcic and his brother Steve managed Nat Glover's campaign to become Jacksonville's first African-American sheriff
. Most political "experts" gave Glover little chance of success, but against the odds, the Pajcic brothers campaign strategy gave Sheriff Nat Glover a victory.
at the University of North Florida
to pay the full tuition of any graduate of their alma mater, Paxon High School, who was accepted and enrolled at UNF. Other significant donations include $1 million to bring better teachers to Jacksonville elementary schools and a 2002 gift of $1 million to Seminole Boosters, which Pajcic also served as a member of the national board of directors. That same year, Pajcic and his brother donated another $1 million to boost education at five inner-city elementary schools in Jacksonville including Annie R. Morgan Elementary school
, where both brothers attended.
Two other high profile donations included $100,000 to the Warrick Dunn
Foundation to help single mothers buy their first homes and $100,000 to former Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel
's Desire Street Ministries to help victims of Hurricane Katrina
.
and fell into a coma. On Wednesday, August 2, 2006, he was taken off life support
and died. He was 58. Tests confirmed that he had contracted viral encephalitis
.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
athlete, lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
.
Upbringing and education
Pajcic was raised in Northwest Jacksonville. He attended Annie R. Morgan Elementary School, Paxon Middle School, and Paxon High SchoolPaxon School for Advanced Studies
Paxon School for Advanced Studies is one of three International Baccalaureate senior high schools in Duval County, Florida...
. At Paxon High, he played football
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...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. He was the first player to be named Most Outstanding Football and Basketball player in Duval County
Duval County, Florida
Duval County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2010, the population was 864,263. Its county seat is Jacksonville, with which the Duval County government has been consolidated since 1968...
. Pajcic was also honored as Scholar-Athlete for the State of Florida.
College
Pajcic played a big role in the success of teammate Ron SellersRon Sellers
Ron "Jingle Joints" Sellers was an American college and professional football player. He played college football for Florida State University, where he was a two-time All-American...
, his friend from early childhood, who eventually was a 1968 first team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n, sixth pick overall in the first round of the 1969 NFL draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
, and played five years of professional football. Pajcic was a sought-after recruit, but had made a pact with Sellers that the two would go to college together as a quarterback/receiver combination. 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...
wanted Pajcic, but not Sellers, so the pair instead went to Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
.
A freshman star in 1965, Pajcic became FSU’s starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in 1966. That was the season he threw the pass that resulted in "The Catch", the most controversial play in Florida State football history. In the home game against rival University of Florida, FSU trailed by 3 with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter. Lane Fenner, who was fresh because he had not yet played in the game, replaced Sellers, who had taken a blow in the last play. At the snap, he blew past the Gator defensive backs and Pajcic threw a perfect 45-yard pass to Fenner in the end zone, who caught it over-the-shoulder. The crowd erupted, but a few seconds later, the linesman, who trailed the play from the line of scrimmage, arrived at the goal line and signaled the catch out of bounds. Pictures in newspapers the following day seem to support the claim that he was in-bounds and many Seminoles regard this event as the start of their bitter rivalry with the Gators.
With eight touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s and an impressive throwing record, Pajcic was named honorable mention All-America
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
honors in '66, though an arm injury in 1966 hampered the rest of his college career.
He received his undergraduate degree from FSU in 1969 and Law degree from FSU in 1972.
Law
Pajcic passed the Florida Bar and started as an Assistant State Attorney in Jacksonville in 1972. Within 18 months, he was promoted to Division chief, then accepted the position of Assistant General Counsel for the City of Jacksonville in 1974. Also that year, Gary and brother Steve PajcicSteve Pajcic
Steve Pajcic was the Democratic nominee for governor of Florida in 1986. A former state legislator, Pajcic now practices law in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.-Upbringing and education:...
decided to go into private practice together, forming Pajcic & Pajcic.
Politics
Gary Pajcic never ran for office, but he remained politically active behind the scenes over his lifetime. He managed brother Steve PajcicSteve Pajcic
Steve Pajcic was the Democratic nominee for governor of Florida in 1986. A former state legislator, Pajcic now practices law in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.-Upbringing and education:...
's unsuccessful campaign for Florida governor in 1986.
In 1995, Gary Pajcic and his brother Steve managed Nat Glover's campaign to become Jacksonville's first African-American sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
. Most political "experts" gave Glover little chance of success, but against the odds, the Pajcic brothers campaign strategy gave Sheriff Nat Glover a victory.
Philanthrophy in education
Besides working as an attorney, Pajcic remained an active proponent of education as a private citizen. In 1992, Pajcic and his brother Steve established a million dollar endowmentFinancial endowment
A financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution. The total value of an institution's investments is often referred to as the institution's endowment and is typically organized as a public charity, private foundation, or trust....
at the University of North Florida
University of North Florida
The University of North Florida is a public university located in Jacksonville, Florida. A member institution of the State University System of Florida, the university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s...
to pay the full tuition of any graduate of their alma mater, Paxon High School, who was accepted and enrolled at UNF. Other significant donations include $1 million to bring better teachers to Jacksonville elementary schools and a 2002 gift of $1 million to Seminole Boosters, which Pajcic also served as a member of the national board of directors. That same year, Pajcic and his brother donated another $1 million to boost education at five inner-city elementary schools in Jacksonville including Annie R. Morgan Elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
, where both brothers attended.
Two other high profile donations included $100,000 to the Warrick Dunn
Warrick Dunn
Warrick De'Mon Dunn is a former American football running back, and current minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft, after playing college football at Florida State...
Foundation to help single mothers buy their first homes and $100,000 to former Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel
Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl "Danny" Wuerffel is a former American college and professional football player who won the 1996 Heisman Trophy and the 1996 national football championship while playing college football for the University of Florida. After graduating from Florida, he played for four National Football...
's Desire Street Ministries to help victims of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
.
Death
Pajcic fell ill on a Friday night, experiencing chills that had developed by Saturday into a fever. He was hospitalized on Sunday after having a seizureSeizure
An epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain". The outward effect can be as dramatic as a wild thrashing movement or as mild as a brief loss of awareness...
and fell into a coma. On Wednesday, August 2, 2006, he was taken off life support
Life support
Life support, in medicine is a broad term that applies to any therapy used to sustain a patient's life while they are critically ill or injured. There are many therapies and techniques that may be used by clinicians to achieve the goal of sustaining life...
and died. He was 58. Tests confirmed that he had contracted viral encephalitis
Viral encephalitis
Viral encephalitis refers to a type of Encephalitis caused by a virus.Encephalitis may be caused by a variety of afflictions.Types include:*Arbovirus encephalitis**La Crosse encephalitis**California encephalitis virus**Japanese Encephalitis**St...
.