From Facebook August 2023:
Morgan Firman Davidson:
The light up Sanford tradition started in 2015. It was done for the first time at the UGA/GA Southern game. It was organized by a couple of Redcoats at the time through social media ☺️ Hard to remember when we don’t have tons of night games !
Joel Morrison:
He also used it into the Tunnel at the first of the game.. Coaches liked it.. brought it back for 4th.
Thomas Walker:
Yes, Bill Moffett is correct, it started with the John Williams show. We played the Krypton Fanfare (among other things) outside the team locker room before the 1986 Georgia-Auburn game (the infamous water cannon game). Because the 20-16 win coming after the loss to Florida was such an upset, and because Krypton Fanfare really seemed to pump up the team, it was added on as a new tradition.
Phil Harrison:
The first time the entire band played it together was absolutely incredible! We had practiced it in sections and when we all got together and standing in the circle/semi-circle, the first note hit – bam! The echo was out of this world! We knew it was going to be a standard for a long time to come.
Eric Willoughby:
Fun fact also, Krypton used to be #10 in the hand signal lineup. The year we added the Dorf fight song we moved Krypton to the Superman flying gesture. From there the 4 fingers for 4th quarter caught on somewhere but that was after my time. Such a great tradition!
Michael Abromowitz:
If memory serves, we debuted it in 1986 at the Florida game with the John Williams Show. It was an amazing arrangement all around with Vader Theme also spine tingling (which we played in the stands and used the “V” to signal playing it on defensive plays). But the Krypton theme literally brought hairs standing up on your neck. I remember the first time I heard the trumpets play it at practice – Marion English, Glenda Smith, Kevin Sheridan, Randy Nichols, John Jefferson, Jeff Potts and countless others – my mouth literally dropped. I had never heard notes anything quite like that and how amazing it sounded. Dooley told Satterwhite something to the effect of (paraphrasing): I don’t know what that is you’re playing but when the football team hears it in the lockeroom, they start banging on the lockers and stuff. I believe we played it at Auburn the next week for the infamous “Between the Hoses” upset and then implemented it into pregame in 1987. Feel free to fact check me here!
Kent Long:
I concur w everyone on the 86 Florida game and the “Hosing” at Auburn. Great to hear a tradition that started when I was there still going strong…along with The Battle Hymn of the Republic!