Larry_Gagner

Lawrence Joseph Gagner (born December 30, 1943) is a former professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for parts of five seasons during the 1960s and 1970s. Gagner was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up near Daytona Beach, Florida, where he was a multi-sport all-state athlete at Seabreeze High School. He chose to attend college at the University of Florida, where he played several positions on offense and defense for the Florida Gators under head coach Ray Graves. Gagner became a regular starter on the Gators' offensive line during his junior year in 1964. He was a two-time All-SEC guard and was a consensus All-American at that position during his senior year in 1965.
Gagner was a second-round pick in the 1966 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL and became a part of the Steelers' offensive line rotation during his rookie year. He started 14 games with Pittsburgh and was named a team captain in 1969. His professional career was derailed by a near-fatal automobile accident in March 1970 near his home in Ormond Beach, Florida. Gagner was unable to play during the 1970 and 1971 seasons and finally returned to the field as a backup for the Kansas City Chiefs during the 1972 preseason. However, continued health issues hindered his performance, and he left the Chiefs prior to the regular season and did not sign with a team in 1973. He made a final return to action with the Jacksonville Sharks of the World Football League in 1974 and was a reserve lineman for the team for two years, after which the league folded. Gagner drew interest from some NFL and Canadian Football League teams before the 1976 season, but after failing two team physicals with lingering injuries, he decided to retire from football at the age of 32.
After football, Gagner worked in several professions before becoming a successful artist. He lives and works in Tampa, Florida.