Former Florida State quarterback Florida State—as well-known in his hometown of Jacksonville for his community involvement as well as his quarterbacking days—died on Wednesday at age 58.
He was rushed to a Jacksonville hospital Sunday morning and fell into a coma, but there was no word on the official cause of death.
The one-time honorable mention All-American had become a prominent lawyer and philanthropist in Jacksonville after his playing days in Tallahassee in the late 1960s. He also earned his law degree from FSU and then worked as an assistant state attorney and assistant general counsel for the city of Jacksonville before entering private practice with his brother.
Pajcic had returned to Doak Campbell Stadium for the spring game this April to present former FSU tailback Warrick Dunn with a $100,000 donation to his foundation.
“That’s sort of vintage Gary,” said FSU President T.K. Wetherell, who played alongside Pajcic in 1966 and ’67. “Gary and his whole family were just special, special people. Obviously, they were very dedicated to Florida State. I think more importantly, they just really supported education at all levels.”
Pajcic and his brother Steve, a former state house member and candidate for governor in 1986, have also given extensively to their alma mater, Paxon High School in Jacksonville.
Pajcic is best remembered from his playing days for lofting a famous pass that was never reflected in his statistics.
“He threw the pass that Lane Fenner caught inbounds,” Wetherell said, tweaking history as he and Pajcic always saw it.
The Seminoles were trailing Florida by three points with 17 seconds left in 1966 when Pajcic threw a 45-yard pass to Fenner. The 6-foot-5 receiver appeared to make a stunning over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone to win the game. But the field judge ruled him out of bounds, creating one of the first heated history-book moments in the two schools’ long rivalry.
That season, Pajcic threw for 1,590 yards and 125 completions, then a school record.
“You go back and look, and it took a long time for Gary Pajcic’s stats to be erased from the Florida State record books,” Wetherell said. “It took Heisman Trophy winners and several All-Americans to get him out of there.”
