Fall 2007
Chris doering: Living a Gainesville life
By David Greenberg
Photography by David Johnston, Johnston Photography
“Doering’s got a touchdown! Doering’s got a touchdown! Oh my! The Gators have taken the lead! Unbelievable! Chris Doering’s got a touchdown.”
That call, made by Florida Gator announcer Mick Hubert, made three people famous. Hubert, who was in his fourth year as Gator radio announcer, was already starting to become a household name. Doering himself, who had walked on at Florida back in 1991, came into his own in that game. And there was the quarterback – a youngster named Danny Wuerffel.
The date was Sept. 11, 1993, and Doering was in the starting lineup for the first time.
“We were expected to win, but we were not playing well at all,” recalled Doering. “It was the fourth quarter, and there was three seconds left in the game. Danny threw it, and I caught it. Mick Hubert made the call. It was big for all three of us. Danny and I both went on to have great careers at UF, with Danny’s including a national championship. But because of the radio call, we became famous. And for Mick Hubert, it made his ‘Oh my!’ famous.”
Wuerffel agrees that the play and the call were a defining moment for all three.
“It was a huge moment for us in the season,” he said. “No one thought we would lose to Kentucky. We just played very poorly. For Chris and me, it was about being in the right place at the right time. It put us both on the map. We went from being two young guys on the team, to Gator heroes, all for that one play. Mick Hubert’s exciting call became a great rallying cry for the Gators. His call certainly helps the moment live on.”
But when Doering reflects, he suggests that what happened at the beginning of that game may be more important for him than what happened at the end.
“I’m a very goal-oriented person,” he said. “Getting into the starting lineup was another step in getting to my goal as a Gator.” click here to download the fall 2007 issue of home magazine>>
WINTER 2008
Sister Hazel’s Andrew Copeland
By David Greenberg
Photography by David Johnston, Johnston Photography
For Sister Hazel’s Drew Copeland, these words, from his solo album, No Regrets, are prophetic.
While what he loves about his hometown of Gainesville may have changed over the years, one thing has remained. He loves coming home, and being home. When he was away at junior college or in the early years of touring with Sister Hazel, what he loved and missed were the friends, the clubs and the partying – although he was able to do plenty of that on the road.
Today, he misses something else – his wife, Jasmyn; eight-year-old son, Kellar; three-year-old daughter, Haven; and one-year-old son, Briggs.
“That’s certainly the toughest part of what I do,” said Copeland. “I can’t think of any parent who wants to be away. Sometimes I think about whether I am doing the right thing. The lifestyles could not be more polarized.”
Jasmyn Copeland says the family has learned to adjust over the years.
“The whole celebrity thing is not uncomfortable, but at the same time, it’s not comfortable either,” she said. “Here, he’s just my Andrew. And he has changed. Two years ago, I would have never left him alone with the kids. Now, he is a vital part of the way this house is run. When he leaves, it doesn’t run as well. The house isn’t the same when he is on the road. We all feel it when he is coming home.”
This juggling act is far different than what Copeland experienced earlier in his career, and is certainly different than what Sister Hazel fans, commonly known as Hazelnuts, would imagine.
Sister Hazel lead singer Ken Block says that learning to juggle family and fame is something that happens over time. Like Copeland, he leaves family home in Gainesville when the band goes on the road. click here to download the winter 2008 issue of home magazine>>