Jack Strickland is a retired AP writer who is active in the war against cancer. He, himself, is a survivor.
As a reporter he covered many of the major stories in Florida.
He lives in Gainesville where he is an advocate for cancer patients of all ages. Jack finds special joy in getting
sports stars and teams involved in the care young cancer victims. He claims that the athletes benefit from the involvement
as much as the patients. He says he managed to miss many tackles as a football player long ago, and learned that defeat can be
temporary and serve as the foundation for success.
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Colorful, big-hearted basketball star Dwayne Schintzius was too young to die
April 20, 2012Gainesville
By Jack Strickland
“Dwayne died this afternoon.” came the stunning news from the sad voice on the other end of the phone. I couldn’t believe it. At seven foot two inches tall, Dwayne Schintzius was a giant of a man who always seemed larger than life. In life and on basketball courts in high school, college, and the NBA his dominating presence gave the appearance of immortality.
At 43, he was just finding his niche in life. It can’t be true. He is much too young to die.
Cancer got him. A couple of years ago he was diagnosed with leukemia. He had survived. Radiation, chemotherapy, and a bone marrow transplant had wiped out the cancer cells. He was diagnosed cancer free. He looked great. He was weak, but he said he never felt better. He was writing a book and starting to to all the things he had dreamed of doing in life.
Then the cancer came back. Late last year he repeated the treatment that had worked before. This time the bone morrow transplant failed. The cancer cells were now much more aggressive and spread fast. Dwayne waged a courageous and valiant fight but he was overwhelmed.
Some people will tell you Dwayne Schintzius was the best college basketball player who ever played at the University of Florida.
He certainly left his mark. For three straight years in the late 1980s he was part of a team that introduced Florida to the nation as an up-and-coming basketball powerhouse. Florida won its first-ever SEC basketball championships during those years.
Controversy followed Schintzius ever where he went. His size and colorful eccentric personality caused him to always stand out. He could never blend in - nor, did he seem to want to. When he was in trouble his supporters justified his scrapes by pointing out that he was a goofy kid—but he was a good kid with a big heart.
If you have never been in the presence of a seven-footer, it is hard to comprehend how much space they occupy with their imposing statute. Schintzius was sensitive about his height. Once, when he was walking across campus during a class change, a fellow student looked up at him and asked, “How’s the weather up there?” Schintzius replied that it was raining – and spit on him so he would get the effect.
Another time he was leaving a fraternity party when someone threw something at him. He grabbed a tennis racket out of his car, beat the thrower with it, and beat the thrower’s car, too, leaving dents, as he drove away. The “tennis racket attacker” was not immediately identified. The incident report listed the attacker at more than seven feet tall. Since Schintzius was the only seven footer on campus he became the prime suspect.
For punishment, he was suspended for a holiday basketball tournament, The Great Alaska Shoot out. The incident also caused him to be the object of taunts and harassment when he played away games on other college campuses. Fans from opposing teams frequently brought tennis rackets to games to spice up their jeers aimed at distracting the play of Florida’s big man.
Toward the end of the season Florida met Vanderbilt on their court before a packed house of rabid Vandy fans with the SEC championship on the line. The fans were merciless in their constant jeers aimed primarily at Schintzius. Vandy had a great team that year. They had the game won with a two point lead as the clock ran out. On cue, the Vandy fans threw hundreds of tennis balls onto the court to celebrate their victory. They were a couple,of seconds early. The Referee called a technical foul on Vandy with one second on the clock.
Gator Coach Norm Sloan selected Schintzius to shoot the two technical free throws. He shoved the ball into Schintzius’ hands.
With his patented fiery stare in his eyes, Coach Sloan said, “This is your game and your fight. Go out there and sink those two free throws and let’s whip their tails in overtime!” Schintziud did. He hit both shots. Then, he played like a wild man possessed in the overtime. Florida won the game decisively and later won the SEC Championship.
Later, Schintzius became good friends with the guy who threw the object and absorbed the beating with the tennis racket.
They laughed that Schintzius was the real victim in the incident – and, about how it catapulted both of them to the front pages of the nation’s media outlets.
At the end of Schintzius’ junior year, Gator Coach Norm Sloan was forced to resign because of NCAA violations. Strong disciplinarian Dan Devoe was brought in to right the ship. He immediately clashed with the tea–-especially with Schintzius, who sported a trademark haircut called the “mullet” or the “lobster.” Devoe, who preferred crew cuts, immediately took exception with Schintzius’ long hair. He ordered him to get a haircut or leave the team.
Legend has it that Schintzius complied with the letter of the law of the coach’s order. He went to the barber shop and got “a hair cut” – and, he took a single hair back to the coach as proof that he was in compliance with the order to get “a” hair cut. Whatever happened, they clashed. Schintzius quit the team, saying, “I will not sail under the authority of Captain Ahab”
The barber who cut Schintzius’ hair says that is not the way it happened. Today, he remembered spending 45 minutes on the haircut and shortening the hair significantly. It was a major haircut, but it did not satisfy coach Devoe.
The barber, Chip Ratliff, owns the shop that was formerly called the Mane Stop– it is presently called Athletic Cuts. It is located near campus, across the street from the Florida stadium. For years Gator athletes have been his customers and good friends.
He loved Dwayne Schintzius. I asked Chip what he would remember about his good friend, Dwayne. His voice got mellow and trailed off.
“I will remember his awesome size. You do not realize how big 7’ 2” is until you try to fit that huge frame into a barber chair. But, I will remember him most for being a goofy good kid that all of us dearly loved.”
Chip laughed when he talked about attending Schintzius’ wedding at his home town near Tampa. “Dwayne was colorful and entertaining as always. We had a great time. His wife stood less than five feet tall – now, that was a couple where opposites attracted,” he laughed.
Quitting the basketball team in mid season – and taking fellow Gator star Livingston Chapman with him – doomed the Gators to a miserable season. Some Gators had a hard time forgiving Schintzius.
Coach Devoe was not invited to return as coach the following season.
Schintzius, himself, went into sort of a voluntary exile. He did not return to the Florida campus for 20 years. Last year, he came back for the Florida- Georgia game. He was wildly saluted by the Gator faithful in a warm “welcome home.” Coach Billy Donovan heralded him as one of the cornerstones upon which the present Gator championship program is built.
He was always a hero on the Florida court. But, he had never previously felt the true love of the Gator family that he enjoyed that day. He was clearly moved by the outpouring of emotion and support his return generated.
Schintzius played nine years in the NBA and is remembered as a magnificent athlete. But when his friends gather, they remember him as a larger- than-life goofy kid with a good heart who always brightened up his surroundings–and, they can not believe he is gone.