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Decades have passed, and Lane Feller hasn't changed his ways. He's alive, well, and holding to the memories of his Florida State teammates and the friendships he built in college nearly 60 years ago.
Fenner, now 80, has navigated life on his own terms, cultivating a reputation for individuality and a touch of quirkiness. Stories about Fenner have blurred the line between fact and fiction. Yet one moment rises above the rest in FSU folklore — a snapshot in time that has never faded, still as vivid now as it was then.
Fenner insists he caught the pass in bounds in the north end zone for what should have been the game-winning touchdown against No. 5 Florida at Doak Campbell Stadium on Oct. 8, 1966.
Instead, an official famously ruled it incomplete.
Fenner’s “no catch” remains one of the most controversial — and enduring — plays in the history of the FSU-Florida football rivalry. And for the first time in decades, Fenner shared his account publicly with the Tallahassee Democrat.
“I caught it,” Fenner told the Democrat in a telephone interview Wednesday, June 3, from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “If I hadn’t, I’d be happy to say I didn’t and was out of bounds. He (the referee) either made an honest mistake — or he just blew it. I think he probably intentionally made it. We were cheated out of a win by an official who worked for the Southeastern Conference.
"Simple as that."
The Tallahassee Democrat immortalized the moment on its front page, publishing a photograph of Fenner hauling in the catch in bounds. “You look at the photographs and stitch them together — it’s like a movie,” Fenner said. “You could see that I was in.”
In a 1986 interview with Democrat writer and columnist Gerald Ensley, Fenner acknowledged he had long kept his distance from the play. Prior to his discussion with Ensley, Fenner said he had granted only one media interview about his football career.
"I've purposely tried not to talk about the 1966 game. With time, once something’s done, it’s done,” he told Ensley, before adding with a laugh, “I’m trying to remain a legend.”
There were many twists and turns in that infamous FSU-UF game – and in Fenner's journey, too.
The whereabouts of Fenner had long been a mystery to his former teammates from the Bill Peterson era of the late 1960s. He spoke to Ensley 40 years ago on the condition that his present home be identified only as “a city somewhere in the Southwest.”
The Peterson group — primarily players from the 1964 to 1969 teams — has a reunion scheduled for June 19–21 at The Lodge at Wakulla Springs, the same site where Fenner and the Seminoles stayed before home games at Doak Campbell Stadium.
A Democrat story published online May 30 noted both the upcoming reunion and the uncertainty surrounding Fenner’s status. A search of records identified a Lane Fenner in New Mexico — matching the full name listed by FSU — but initial attempts to reach him by phone, text message and email were unsuccessful.
That changed Wednesday, June 3, when Fenner reached out to the Democrat — first by text, then in a follow-up phone interview where he proved friendly, engaging and forthcoming.
A retired high school math and physics teacher, Fenner was in good spirits and said he's in "pretty good health" despite hearing issues and lingering pains and arthritis from football. He has lived in New Mexico for 35 years — a place he noted has “no mosquitoes” — and, though no longer married, has a daughter, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
A native of Evansville, Indiana, Fenner at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds was known as a reliable target. He finished his FSU career with 41 receptions for 442 yards and one touchdown, which he caught his senior year in 1967. His NFL career was short-lived, spending one year with the San Diego Chargers.
It's probably not surprising Fenner has not returned to Tallahassee or FSU since his playing days. And he remained largely out of contact with former teammates as he faded from the public spotlight.
Often described as an intellectual and a "different cat" by teammates, Fenner said he never truly enjoyed football and points out the game's heavy physical demands and how they can correlate to long-term risks. "If I had a son, I wouldn't let him play football," he said. "It's a dangerous game. I am glad I ended up with my teeth," he added with a laugh.
Still, Fenner valued the camaraderie it provided at FSU.
Fenner, who played one year of high school football so "I could date a cheerleader" and was also recruited by Purdue and Indiana, attended FSU with aspirations of becoming a marine biologist. But a scuba-diving accident damaged an ear drum and changed his path. Fenner said he graduated from the University of New Mexico and also worked as a surveyor and electrician.
Ensley's story detailed other ventures, too. After three years in the Army as a demolitions expert, Fenner also dabbled as an artist, curator and illustrator prior to getting his teaching certificate.
Informed of the upcoming reunion, Fenner said he doubts he’ll be able to attend but took time to revisit a few memories from his days at FSU.
He laughed while recalling that he likely quit the team three or four times as a freshman. With no NCAA roster limits at the time, he added, “Nobody probably even noticed I was gone.”
Fenner also reflected on the program’s relentless grind, describing it as a football factory — long practices, stadium steps run until “you puked,” and offseason workouts that blended traditional drills with more unconventional ones. Among them: wrestling under a low chicken-wire ceiling, a practice that years later drew NCAA scrutiny. By Fenner’s estimate, only nine players from his freshman class were still on the roster as seniors.
Fenner, however, admits what he misses most about his FSU days — and about football itself — is the bond that came with being part of that team. The upcoming reunion, expected to bring together more than 40 former players and coaches, including three-time Super Bowl champion and NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs, “sounds like a good time,” Fenner said.
It’s a sentiment he’s carried for decades. In that 1986 interview with Ensley, Fenner said much the same of his teammates and college friends. “I still think of them as some of my best friends,” he said, “even if I haven’t had any contact with them since college.”
Fenner can still recount the so-called “no catch” against the Gators from nearly 60 years ago in vivid detail.
No. 5 Florida led FSU 22-19 with 17 seconds remaining when quarterback Gary Pajcic launched a desperation 45-yard pass into the end zone. Fenner, filling in for the injured Ron Sellers, split and got behind UF defenders Larry Rentz and Bobby Downs, leaped and made a sliding catch — appearing to land in bounds for what would have been the stunning, game-winning touchdown.
An official in the end zone signaled touchdown. But SEC field judge Doug Moseley ruled Fenner did not have possession and was out of bounds, nullifying the score. FSU then missed a last-second field goal, sealing a Florida victory.
Fenner disputed the call then — and still does today.
“I had to look for the ball over my shoulder and twist to my right — I was about three yards in bounds,” Fenner said. “I caught the ball, hit the ground and a defender hit me, and I went sliding through the chalk marking the edge of the end zone. The referee in the back signaled touchdown, but (Moseley) came running down the sideline and ruled me out.”
Fenner — along with many FSU faithful — has long pointed to the broader significance of the moment for Florida and its quarterback, Steve Spurrier. The Gators went on to finish 8-2 in the regular season, Spurrier became the program’s first Heisman Trophy winner, and Florida capped the year with an Orange Bowl win over nationally ranked Georgia Tech.
FSU, meanwhile, entered the UF showdown riding a win at Miami and aiming for its first season sweep of its in-state rivals, but the Seminoles finished 6-5 after a Sun Bowl loss to Wyoming.
Would all of that have unfolded the same way if Fenner’s catch had counted?
“There was a lot riding on that game,” Fenner said. “When the ball hit my hands, I caught it and held on. I never released the football. And later, when Larry Rentz – he's a good man – was trying out for the San Diego Chargers, he told me, ‘I knew you were in.' Now, they have instant replay – if they had that back in those days, I would have been in for sure. But that was then, and this is now.
"It doesn't make much difference to me now."
Jim Henry is sports editor of the Tallahassee Democrat. Email him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Lane Fenner opens up on 'no catch' that defined FSU-UF rivalry
Continue reading...
Fenner, now 80, has navigated life on his own terms, cultivating a reputation for individuality and a touch of quirkiness. Stories about Fenner have blurred the line between fact and fiction. Yet one moment rises above the rest in FSU folklore — a snapshot in time that has never faded, still as vivid now as it was then.
Fenner insists he caught the pass in bounds in the north end zone for what should have been the game-winning touchdown against No. 5 Florida at Doak Campbell Stadium on Oct. 8, 1966.
Instead, an official famously ruled it incomplete.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
Fenner’s “no catch” remains one of the most controversial — and enduring — plays in the history of the FSU-Florida football rivalry. And for the first time in decades, Fenner shared his account publicly with the Tallahassee Democrat.
“I caught it,” Fenner told the Democrat in a telephone interview Wednesday, June 3, from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “If I hadn’t, I’d be happy to say I didn’t and was out of bounds. He (the referee) either made an honest mistake — or he just blew it. I think he probably intentionally made it. We were cheated out of a win by an official who worked for the Southeastern Conference.
"Simple as that."
The Tallahassee Democrat immortalized the moment on its front page, publishing a photograph of Fenner hauling in the catch in bounds. “You look at the photographs and stitch them together — it’s like a movie,” Fenner said. “You could see that I was in.”
In a 1986 interview with Democrat writer and columnist Gerald Ensley, Fenner acknowledged he had long kept his distance from the play. Prior to his discussion with Ensley, Fenner said he had granted only one media interview about his football career.
"I've purposely tried not to talk about the 1966 game. With time, once something’s done, it’s done,” he told Ensley, before adding with a laugh, “I’m trying to remain a legend.”
There were many twists and turns in that infamous FSU-UF game – and in Fenner's journey, too.
Lane Fenner's whereabouts a mystery to his former FSU teammates
You must be registered for see images attach
The whereabouts of Fenner had long been a mystery to his former teammates from the Bill Peterson era of the late 1960s. He spoke to Ensley 40 years ago on the condition that his present home be identified only as “a city somewhere in the Southwest.”
The Peterson group — primarily players from the 1964 to 1969 teams — has a reunion scheduled for June 19–21 at The Lodge at Wakulla Springs, the same site where Fenner and the Seminoles stayed before home games at Doak Campbell Stadium.
A Democrat story published online May 30 noted both the upcoming reunion and the uncertainty surrounding Fenner’s status. A search of records identified a Lane Fenner in New Mexico — matching the full name listed by FSU — but initial attempts to reach him by phone, text message and email were unsuccessful.
That changed Wednesday, June 3, when Fenner reached out to the Democrat — first by text, then in a follow-up phone interview where he proved friendly, engaging and forthcoming.
A retired high school math and physics teacher, Fenner was in good spirits and said he's in "pretty good health" despite hearing issues and lingering pains and arthritis from football. He has lived in New Mexico for 35 years — a place he noted has “no mosquitoes” — and, though no longer married, has a daughter, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
A native of Evansville, Indiana, Fenner at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds was known as a reliable target. He finished his FSU career with 41 receptions for 442 yards and one touchdown, which he caught his senior year in 1967. His NFL career was short-lived, spending one year with the San Diego Chargers.
It's probably not surprising Fenner has not returned to Tallahassee or FSU since his playing days. And he remained largely out of contact with former teammates as he faded from the public spotlight.
Often described as an intellectual and a "different cat" by teammates, Fenner said he never truly enjoyed football and points out the game's heavy physical demands and how they can correlate to long-term risks. "If I had a son, I wouldn't let him play football," he said. "It's a dangerous game. I am glad I ended up with my teeth," he added with a laugh.
Still, Fenner valued the camaraderie it provided at FSU.
Fenner, who played one year of high school football so "I could date a cheerleader" and was also recruited by Purdue and Indiana, attended FSU with aspirations of becoming a marine biologist. But a scuba-diving accident damaged an ear drum and changed his path. Fenner said he graduated from the University of New Mexico and also worked as a surveyor and electrician.
Ensley's story detailed other ventures, too. After three years in the Army as a demolitions expert, Fenner also dabbled as an artist, curator and illustrator prior to getting his teaching certificate.
You must be registered for see images attach
Informed of the upcoming reunion, Fenner said he doubts he’ll be able to attend but took time to revisit a few memories from his days at FSU.
He laughed while recalling that he likely quit the team three or four times as a freshman. With no NCAA roster limits at the time, he added, “Nobody probably even noticed I was gone.”
Fenner also reflected on the program’s relentless grind, describing it as a football factory — long practices, stadium steps run until “you puked,” and offseason workouts that blended traditional drills with more unconventional ones. Among them: wrestling under a low chicken-wire ceiling, a practice that years later drew NCAA scrutiny. By Fenner’s estimate, only nine players from his freshman class were still on the roster as seniors.
Fenner, however, admits what he misses most about his FSU days — and about football itself — is the bond that came with being part of that team. The upcoming reunion, expected to bring together more than 40 former players and coaches, including three-time Super Bowl champion and NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs, “sounds like a good time,” Fenner said.
It’s a sentiment he’s carried for decades. In that 1986 interview with Ensley, Fenner said much the same of his teammates and college friends. “I still think of them as some of my best friends,” he said, “even if I haven’t had any contact with them since college.”
Lane Fenner describes his 'no catch' against Florida in detail
Fenner can still recount the so-called “no catch” against the Gators from nearly 60 years ago in vivid detail.
No. 5 Florida led FSU 22-19 with 17 seconds remaining when quarterback Gary Pajcic launched a desperation 45-yard pass into the end zone. Fenner, filling in for the injured Ron Sellers, split and got behind UF defenders Larry Rentz and Bobby Downs, leaped and made a sliding catch — appearing to land in bounds for what would have been the stunning, game-winning touchdown.
An official in the end zone signaled touchdown. But SEC field judge Doug Moseley ruled Fenner did not have possession and was out of bounds, nullifying the score. FSU then missed a last-second field goal, sealing a Florida victory.
Fenner disputed the call then — and still does today.
“I had to look for the ball over my shoulder and twist to my right — I was about three yards in bounds,” Fenner said. “I caught the ball, hit the ground and a defender hit me, and I went sliding through the chalk marking the edge of the end zone. The referee in the back signaled touchdown, but (Moseley) came running down the sideline and ruled me out.”
Fenner — along with many FSU faithful — has long pointed to the broader significance of the moment for Florida and its quarterback, Steve Spurrier. The Gators went on to finish 8-2 in the regular season, Spurrier became the program’s first Heisman Trophy winner, and Florida capped the year with an Orange Bowl win over nationally ranked Georgia Tech.
FSU, meanwhile, entered the UF showdown riding a win at Miami and aiming for its first season sweep of its in-state rivals, but the Seminoles finished 6-5 after a Sun Bowl loss to Wyoming.
Would all of that have unfolded the same way if Fenner’s catch had counted?
You must be registered for see images attach
“There was a lot riding on that game,” Fenner said. “When the ball hit my hands, I caught it and held on. I never released the football. And later, when Larry Rentz – he's a good man – was trying out for the San Diego Chargers, he told me, ‘I knew you were in.' Now, they have instant replay – if they had that back in those days, I would have been in for sure. But that was then, and this is now.
"It doesn't make much difference to me now."
Jim Henry is sports editor of the Tallahassee Democrat. Email him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Lane Fenner opens up on 'no catch' that defined FSU-UF rivalry
Continue reading...
