GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — No. 21 Florida will pay tribute to local legend Tom Petty during its game against LSU on Saturday.
The Gators announced Thursday they will play Petty hit “I Won’t Back Down” at the end of the third quarter at Florida Field.
Join us in #TheSwamp as we honor Gainesville legend @TomPetty during #UFHomecoming. #RIPTomPetty https://t.co/j03BY29Hl6
— Florida Gators (@FloridaGators) October 5, 2017
Petty died Monday at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles a day after he suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu, California. He was 66.
Born and raised in Gainesville, Petty once worked as a groundskeeper at the University of Florida as he tried to make it in the music industry. Usually backed by the Heartbreakers, Petty broke through in the 1970s and went on to sell more than 80 million records.
Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin says: “Let’s celebrate together what he meant to the world of music and what he meant to this community.”
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