Jay Jarrell has shaped the locks of the likes of Emmitt Smith
and Stephen C. O'Connell during his 30 years at the Reitz
Union Barber Shop. (Photo by Jen Raymond)
Jay Jarrell has trimmed the follicles of UF's elite, including the NFL's
all-time leading rusher (Emmitt Smith) and former UF presidents (Stephen
C. O'Connell). After 30 years of clipping, trimming and taking a little
off the top, he's developed a knack for getting conversations going—a
skill he may have honed when he started his career after graduating
in 1973 with a psychology degree. "I went to work over in the psych
ward at Alachua General," he says. That's about the time he started
cutting hair part-time, and hasn't stopped since. "A lot of people ask
me how many haircuts I do in a day and I figure 5,000 haircuts a year
times 30...well, that's probably a bit low."
by Jeremy Rottgen
