Florida A&M Rattlers football
Florida A&M Rattlers football | |||
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| |||
First season | 1907 | ||
Head coach | James Colzie III 1st season, 0–0 (–) | ||
Stadium | Bragg Memorial Stadium (capacity: 19,633) | ||
Field surface | AstroTurf | ||
Location | Tallahassee, Florida | ||
NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
Conference | SWAC | ||
All-time record | 594–340–22 (.633) | ||
Bowl record | 29–24–2 (.545) | ||
Claimed national titles | 17 (Div. I FCS): 1978 (Black College): 1938, 1942, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1977, 1978, 1998, 2001, 2019, 2023 | ||
Unclaimed national titles | 1 (Div. II): 1962 | ||
Conference titles | 38 | ||
Rivalries | Bethune-Cookman (rivalry) | ||
Colors | Green and orange[1] | ||
Marching band | Marching 100 | ||
Website | FAMUAthletics.com |
The Florida A&M Rattlers football team represents Florida A&M University in the sport of American football. The Rattlers compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Starting with the fall 2021 season, the Rattlers will compete in the East Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), after a long tenure in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).[2] They play their home games at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee. The Rattlers have won 16 black college football national championship, 29 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) titles, eight MEAC titles, one SWAC title and one I-AA national title in the history of their football program. During the 2004 season, the Rattlers briefly attempted to move up to Division I-A (now known as the FBS) and become the only HBCU at college football's highest level, but the team was forced to abort its bid.[3]
History
[edit]Classifications
[edit]- 1952–1972: NCAA College Division
- 1973–1977: NCAA Division II
- 1978–2003: NCAA Division I–AA
- 2004: NCAA Division I–A
- 2005–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS
Conference memberships
[edit]- 1907–1925: Independent
- 1926–1978: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC)†
- 1979–1983: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)
- 1984–1985: Division I–AA Independent
- 1986–2003: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
- 2004: Division I–A Independent[4]
- 2005–2020: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
- 2021–present: Southwestern Athletic Conference
† In 1978, FAMU was a member of SIAC, a Division II conference. FAMU had successfully petitioned the NCAA for Division I classification (Division I-AA in football), which took effect on September 1, 1978.[5]
The Rattlers have been part of a couple controversies in recent years. In 2022, FAMU almost had to forfeit a week 1 game against North Carolina because 20 players were academically ineligible to play. In July 2023, Florida A&M halted all football related activities after a rap video containing explicit lyrics was filmed in their locker room.
Annual Classics
[edit]Championships
[edit]National, Black College
[edit]The Rattlers claim 16 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) championships[6] 15 come from official HBCU championship selectors, while the 2021 claim is the result of a NCAA power ranking of FCS HBCU teams.[7][8]
National
[edit]National, Division I–AA/FCS
[edit]Florida A&M has one championship in the division formerly known as Division I-AA. They are the only HBCU to play in and win a I-AA/FCS championship game.
Year | Association | Division | Coach | Selector | Record | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1978 | NCAA | Division I–AA | Rudy Hubbard | Playoffs | 12–1 | Massachusetts | 35–28 |
National, Division II/College Division
[edit]One Florida A&M team has been awarded a national championship from NCAA-designated designated major selector, as they were declared Associated Press (AP) small college national champion for the 1962 season. While the school holds the distinction of being the first HBCU to win a NCAA football title, the championship is not claimed by the university.
Year | Association | Division | Coach | Selector | Record |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1962 | NCAA | College Division | Jake Gaither | Poll | 9–1 |
Conference championships
[edit]Florida A&M has won 38 conference championships, 31 outright and 7 shared.
Year | Coach | Conference | Record |
---|---|---|---|
1937 | William M. Bell | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 7–1–1 |
1938 | William M. Bell | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 8–0 |
1942 | William M. Bell | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 9–0 |
1943 | Herman Neilson | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 7–3 |
1945 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 9–1 |
1946 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 6–4–1 |
1947 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 9–1 |
1948 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 8–2 |
1949 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 7–2 |
1950† | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 8–1 |
1952† | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 8–2 |
1953 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 10–1 |
1954 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 8–1 |
1955 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 7–1–1 |
1956 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 8–1 |
1957 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 9–0 |
1958 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 7–2 |
1959 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 10–0 |
1960 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 9–1 |
1961 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 10–0 |
1962† | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 9–1 |
1963† | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 8–2 |
1964 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 9–1 |
1965 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 7–3 |
1967 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 8–2 |
1968 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 8–2 |
1969 | Jake Gaither | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 8–1 |
1977 | Rudy Hubbard | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 11–0 |
1978 | Rudy Hubbard | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | 12–1 |
1988† | Ken Riley | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 6–4–1 |
1990 | Ken Riley | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 7–4 |
1995 | Billy Joe | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 9–3 |
1996 | Billy Joe | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 9–3 |
1998† | Billy Joe | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 11–2 |
2000 | Billy Joe | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 9–2 |
2001 | Billy Joe | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 7–3 |
2010† | Joe Taylor | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 8–3 |
2023 | Willie Simmons | Southwestern Athletic Conference | 11–1 |
† Co-champions
Bowl games
[edit]This is a partial list. The Rattlers have an overall bowl record of 29–24–2. [9]
Year | Bowl | Location | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1938 | Prairie View Bowl | Houston, Texas | Prairie View | L 27–14 |
1946 | Angel Bowl | Los Angeles, California | Wiley | T 6–6 |
1993 | Heritage Bowl | Tallahassee, Florida | Grambling State | L 45–15 |
1995 | Heritage Bowl | Atlanta, Georgia | Southern | L 30–25 |
2023 | Celebration Bowl | Atlanta, Georgia | Howard | W 30–26 |
NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoff results
[edit]The Rattlers have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs eight times with a record of 5–7. They were I-AA National Champions in 1978, the first year of Division I-AA.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1978 | Semifinals National Championship Game |
Jackson State Massachusetts |
W 15–10 W 35–28 |
1996 | First Round | Troy State | L 25–29 |
1997 | First Round | Georgia Southern | L 37–52 |
1998 | First Round Quarterfinals |
Troy State Western Illinois |
W 27–17 L 21–24 |
1999 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals |
Appalachian State Troy State Youngstown State |
W 44–29 W 17–10 L 24–27 |
2000 | First Round | Western Kentucky | L 0–27 |
2001 | First Round | Georgia Southern | L 35–60 |
2021 | First Round | Southeastern Louisiana | L 14–38 |
College Football Hall of Fame members
[edit]Alumni in the NFL
[edit]Over 60 Florida A&M alumni have played in the NFL,[10] including:
- Ray Alexander
- Gene Atkins
- Greg Coleman
- Al Denson
- Hewritt Dixon
- Glen Edwards
- Chad Fann
- Roger Finnie
- Derrick Gainer
- Willie Galimore
- Hubert Ginn
- Charles Goodrum
- Quinn Gray
- Bob Hayes
- Earl Holmes
- Henry Lawrence
- Herm Lee
- Frank Marion
- Willie McClung
- Terry Mickens
- Riley Morris
- Jamie Nails
- Nate Newton
- Carleton Oats
- Ken Riley
- Vernice Smith
- Wally Williams
- Robert Wilson
References
[edit]- ^ FAMUAthletics.com Style Guide (PDF). Retrieved June 12, 2016.
- ^ "SWAC Announces Addition of Florida A&M as Full Member" (Press release). Southwestern Athletic Conference. June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- ^ Powell, Robert Andrew (October 9, 2004). "Florida A&M Tries to Recover From Failed Bid". The New York Times. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
- ^ Connelly, Bill (May 4, 2016). "That time FAMU nearly made it in college football's top level, but the timing was all wrong". SB Nation.
- ^ Cooper, Barry (August 31, 1978). "Florida A&M granted Division 1 status". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee, Florida. p. 1B. Retrieved May 13, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "FAMU to join Southwestern Athletic Conference in 2021". 6 June 2020.
- ^ "The final HBCU football power rankings for the 2021 season".
- ^ "Simmons rebuilds FAMU football, Rattlers eye HBCU national championship in Celebration Bowl".
- ^ http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2022/Bowls.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Florida A&M Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com.