Kelli Kaufmann is a junior, but she’s been a part of the UF Gator Growl tradition since childhood.
Her father, Karl, has been the Gator Growl announcer since 1980. The year before that, he became the voice of Albert, UF’s mascot. At 13, Kelli gave Alberta a voice.
As a 4-year-old, she used to run around backstage during Growl rehearsals. Now, she’s running it herself.
Today, the 20-year-old UF public relations junior will take the stage as Growl’s Director of Show — and as her father’s boss.
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As kids, Kelli and her sister Kaitlyn, a F. W. Buchholz High School sophomore, used to tag along to Growl rehearsals because their mom worked late as a hairdresser.
When Kelli was 4 or 5, she grew tired around midnight and wanted to go home, Karl, 59, said. In her frustration and drowsiness, she broke away from her dad.
"One day I’m gonna be a Gator, and I’m gonna be the boss of this, and I’ll fire you," he recalled his daughter saying.
"She hasn’t done the last part yet," he said.
When the girls were little, they tended to stick close to him at rehearsals, he said. But as they got older, they started exploring.
Kelli was backstage with her dad in 2007 when Lynyrd Skynyrd performed at Growl. One minute she was by Karl’s side. The next, she was playing the band’s drums.
"Leon Wilkeson walks over and says, ‘You having fun?" Karl said.
Wilkeson picked up a guitar and started playing along with her while she drummed.
Every year on the night before Growl, Karl, Kelli and Kaitlyn would exit backstage to watch the final run-through together.
"We still go up (to the stands) that Thursday night," he said.
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Both Kelli and her dad moonlight as true Gators as the voices of UF’s mascots.
For Karl, it began as a small favor and turned into a 36-year-old tradition.
In 1979, Karl opened his studio at WGGG radio station to Gator Growl performers in need of a place to record their skits.
In the early ‘80s, Growl performers didn’t have portable microphones. Their skits were audio recorded in advance, lip-synched on stage and reinforced with elaborate gestures.
There were 50 stage actors, which created a need for 50 distinct voices, he said. When Growl performers got ready to record in 1979, they realized they needed an extra voice actor. Karl volunteered to voice 20 of the characters.
The University Athletic Association wanted Albert to talk, Karl said. At that time, the mascot would just nod and gesture.
That year, he became the official voice of Albert.
Growl held auditions for the role, but the producers at the time didn’t like their options, he said. Albert’s voice needed to reflect his character.
"He’s just a big ol’ out-of-shape gator who epitomizes the Gator Nation, and he’s got a soda pop in his belly and he’s just kinda a slow drawl and a southern accent," he said.
Twenty-six years later, the UF cheerleading coach suggested Alberta should speak, too. Karl pushed Kelli, 13 at the time, to audition.
"She just nailed it," he said.
He said he enjoyed helping in 1979; he was a big fish in a small pond.
So he took it a step further and became the announcer in 1980.
"Somebody had to have a microphone, and I’m glad it was me," he said.
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Kelli said she was nervous she wouldn’t get accepted into UF.
Karl said he told his daughter to play to her strengths. She had experience and ties to the university other students didn’t.
"And as the voice of Alberta, I would hate to be the voice of the Seminoles," he said she wrote at the end of her admissions essay.
When she officially became a Gator, she said she loved the idea of running Growl.
She joined the Growl staff her freshman year and became an assistant director the next. She was sitting in the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority house in April when she got the email congratulating her on becoming the 2015 Director of Show, the manager of the acts.
Her dad didn’t hide his excitement.
"He posted it on Facebook right away," she said.
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Although Kelli isn’t sure if she’ll be running Growl next year, she said she’s happy to have had this experience with her dad, she said.
They’ll announce the start of Growl in an Albert and Alberta skit tonight with UF President Kent Fuchs, Kelli said.
"We get a kick out of it," Karl said.
Karl said he’ll be at Growl every year until they stop asking him to come.
He was once asked why he never trademarked his voice as Albert’s. But he said he never will. He doesn’t care if someone else does it one day.
"You do it for the love of it," he said.
As wonderful as the past years have been, Karl said working with his daughter will make this year the most memorable.
"You get that one shot at a lifelong memory."
Karl Kaufmann poses with his daughters Kelli, left, 20, and Kaitlyn, 16, in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium during Gator Growl on Nov. 9, 2013. The 59-year-old has been the announcer for Gator Growl since 1980.
