section 6 rattler football history - netitor · 101 rattler football: a winning tradition blood,...

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SECTION 6

RATTLER FOOTBALL HISTORY

100 2007 Florida A&M Football

FA M U ’ S G R E A T E S T D U O ....All-American halfbacks Al Frazier (left) and Willie Galimore (right)were the most prolific rushing combination in FAMU history from1953-56. Both still hold several single game, season and career records,with Galimore reigning still as the all-time leading rusher (3,596 yards).


Rattler Football: A Winning Tradition

Blood, Sweat and TearsFlorida A&M Football is a program whose history touches

three centuries, with success virtually unmatched inthe realm of American intercollegiate sports

QB SAMMY KNIGHT (10) rushed for 100 yards in1979, leading the FAMU to a 16-13 upset of the University ofMiami Hurricanes at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.

After humble

beginnings at the

turn of the last

century, the

football program

at Florida A&M

University has

evolved into an

enduring

American college

football success

story.

From an

intramural

program begun in

1899, under the

watchuful eyes ofthe late George M. Sampson

and Jubie B. Bragg, FAMU

moved to varsity status in 1906.

That inauspicious start was

the kickoff for a tradition which

grew to legendary proportions.

The program

would grow to

produce 13

national

championships,

beginning in

1938, sending

over 100

players into

professional

football, as

well as

producing over

60 All-

Americas.

Although the

sport began on

campus under the watchuful eyes

of Sampson and Bragg, it was the

impetus given by Dr. Nathan B.

Young, who became president in

1901, that moved the program on

the road to eventual greatness.


FAMU’s first off-campus

games were played in 1906,

against Alabama State andTuskegee.

The school’s first football fieldwas a quartermile south of thecurrent track andfield complex,behind what isnow the GaitherAthletic Center.

FAMU joinedthe SouthernIntercollegiateAthleticConference(SIAC), as one ofthe league’scharter membersin 1913, and forthe next tenyears, footballflourished oncampus withoutan appointed

head coach.

President J.R.E. Lee Sr.’sadvent to the FAMU campus in1924, saw the beginning of amove toward even greatersupport of athletics.

Lee felt the school would not beable to attract good studentswithout an organized athleticprogram.

Franz A. “Jazz” Byrd was

hired as athleticdirector andcoach in 1925,and in 1928, theannual traditionof a footballbanquet wasinitiated.

J.B. Braggbecame headcoach in 1930,serving until1932, whenTheodore“Ted” Wrighttook the reins.

Bragg’s son,Eugene, an All-Americahalfback in

1927, took over as coach in 1935,serving two years before hisdeath in 1936.

However Florida A&M’s footballprogram would soon embark onits’ most glorious days.

National ChampionshipsYear Coach

1938 .............................. Bill Bell1940 .............................. Bill Bell1942 .............................. Bill Bell1947 ...................... Jake Gaither1953 ....................... Jake Gaither1957 ....................... Jake Gaither1959 ....................... Jake Gaither1961 ........................ Jake Gaither1962 ....................... Jake Gaither1964 ....................... Jake Gaither1977 .................... Rudy Hubbard1978 .................... Rudy Hubbard1998 ................................ Billy Joe

Coaching RecordsCoach (Years) Record

Jubie Bragg (1906-25; 30-31) ..... 4-18-1Franz A. “Jazz” Byrd (1926-29) . 3-13-2Ted Wright (1933) ................... 4-1-0Eugene Bragg (1934-35) ........... 8-6-1William Bell (1936-42) ............ 45-9-6Herman Nielson (1943-44) ....... 8-7-2A.S. Gaither (1945-69) ........... 203-36-4Robert Griffin (1970) .............. 5-5-0Clarence Montgomery (1971) .... 6-5-0James Williams (1972-73) ....... 10-12-0Rudy Hubbard (1974-85) ........ 83-48-3Kenneth Riley (1986-93) ......... 48-38-2William Joe (1994- 04 ) ............ 86-46-0Rubin Carter (2005- ) .............. 13-9-0


COACH JAKE GAITHER (2nd from right)introduces Florida Governor Leroy Collins toteam captains after a game in the early 1960s.

Florida A&Mbegan its’ voyagetoward gridironsupremacy in thelate 1930s - avoyage which wouldlead to 13 nationaltitles and 35conferencechampionships.

FAMU’schampionshiplegacy began inearnest when coachWilliam “Bill”Bell, took over in1936.

FAMU Football: A Championship Program

The Golden EraBeginning with their first conference championship in 1937,Florida A&M would embark on an era of gridiron supremacy

which soon would become the envy of many...

Bell, the first of two Ohio Stategraduates to head up the FloridaA&M program, would lead theRattlers to their first threenational titles, as well to a 45-9-6record from 1936 to 1942.

In 1938, heinsured thatthe Rattlers’championshippedigree wouldlast beyond histenure, whenhe hiredAlonzoSmith “Jake”Gaither as anassistantcoach.

HermanNeilson tookover in 1943,

coaching two seasons prior to theopening of the Jake GaitherEra, one of the most colorful andexciting periods in collegefootball.

Gaither, coached 25 years,compiling a 203-36-4 record,


with seven national titles and 22conference championships, from1945 to 1969. During that span, 36 All-Americas and 25 professionalathletes emerged from his greatteams. After Gaither’s retirement in1969, three coaches attempted to

keep the traditionalive, to no avail,before the hiring ofanother Ohio Stategrad, RudyHubbard, in 1974. Hubbard piloted theRattlers from 1974 to1985, winning back-to-back national titlesin 1977 and 1978,while posting an 83-48-3 record in that 12-year span. Hubbard’s tenureincluded a stunning30-5 mark in a three-year span from 1977 to 1979.During that magical three-year run,FAMU went unbeaten in 1977 (11-0); won the first-ever NCAADivision 1-AA national crown in1978 (12-1) before finishing in 1979(7-4) with a 5-0 start, including anupset of Division 1-A University ofMiami, 16-13. Former Rattler star quarterbackKen Riley took the helm of his

alma mater’s football program inJanuary of 1986, compiling a 48-38-2 record in eight seasons. During Riley’s tenure, FAMUwon conference titles in 1988 and1990, while in 1992, they earnedthe school’s first top 10 nationalranking in NCAA Division 1-AAsince 1979.

William“Billy” Joesuceeded Rileyin 1994, guidingFAMU toconference titlesin 1995, 1996,2000 and 2001,plus sevenpostseasonberths between1995 and 2001,as well as the1998 BlackCollege title. Heled FAMU to 86wins from 1994

to 2004, finishing his overallcareer with 237 wins - the secondhighest total in Black Collegehistory. Rubin Carter took the reins ofthe program in July of 2005 andhas led FAMU to back-to-backwinning seasons (6-5, 7-4) andappears to have the programheaded toward brighter days.

COACH RUDY HUBBARD rides off on theshoulders of his players after winning the 1978NCAA Division 1-AA national title game.


Rattler Football: The Highest Standard

A Standard of ExcellenceRattler coaches and players have been among the best in

American college football, some realizing professional fame,while others became immortalized in Halls of Fame

MICHAEL SOLOMON sails for the title-clinching score against Massachusetts in the 1978Pioneer Bowl, the first-ever NCAA Division 1-AAchampionship game.

Florida A&M’srich legacy in col-lege football iscomplete withgreat teams, greatcoaches and greatplayers.

Over seventyRattlers haveearned All-Americahonors since the1920s and perhapsnearly double thatnumber have at-tained all-star hon-

ors from the Southern Intercolle-giate Athletic (SIAC) and the Mid-Eastern Athletic (MEAC) Confer-ences.

From the many FAMU teamsthat have toiled on the gridironsince 1899, have come close to100 players who signed profes-

sional football con-tracts. These Rattleralumni have per-formed with distinc-tion, some earningAll-Pro status, whileseveral othersstarred on SuperBowl, Grey Cup andother championshipteams in variousleagues.

Still from the vastnumber of RattlerFootball alumni,

just a select few have had theirnames immortalized for all-timein various Halls of Fame, fromthe FAMU Sports Hall of Fame,founded in 1976 to the most pres-tigious National Football Foun-dation College Football Hall ofFame.


Willie Galimore, Florida A&M’s all-timerushing leader (1953 to 1956), had a Hall of Famecareer, finishing with 3,592 yards and four All-American notices.

Robert “Bullet Bob” Hayes, won twoOlympic Gold Medals in the 1964 Tokyo Games andwent on to an All-Pro NFL career with the DallasCowboys.

Earl “The Hitman” Holmes, is atwo-time All-America linebacker (1994, 1995), whofinished with a career-best 509 tackles. He is playingprofessionally in the NFL with the Detroit Lions.

Jacquay Nunnally, finished his career in2000, as the all-time leading receiver in NCAADivision 1-AA history (318). Nunnally was a four-time All-America (1997-2000).

In 1975,Coach JakeGaither wasaccorded the“Triple Crown”of college coach-ing awards, win-ning the AmosAlonzo StaggAward from theAmerican Foot-ball Coaches’Association;The WalterCamp Award(from TheWalter CampFoundation)while gainingenshrinementinto the Na-tional FootballFoundationCollege Hall ofFame.

In 1996, three-time All-Ameri-can guardTyrone McGriff (1976-79) waspart of the inaugural class of smallcollege inductees into the NationalFootball Foundation College Hallof Fame.In 1999, four-time All-AmericaWillie Galimore, the school’s

all-time rushing leader was en-shrined into the College FootballHall of Fame.This July, former FAMU headcoach William “Billy” Joe wasinducted into the College FootballHall of Fame.


FLORIDA A&M’S ALL-AMERICAN MEN

LEGENDS OF THE FALLFlorida A&M’s rich legacy in football is highlighted by

the singular achievements of many great players....

Eugene Bragg, RB1926

Bradley Mitchell, E1947, 1948

Nathaniel Powell, E1947

Costa Kittles, E1950

Tyrone McGriff, G1976-77-78-79

Willie Galimore, RB1953-54-55-56

Curtis Miranda, C1959-60-61

Henry Lawrence, T1972, 1973

Earl Holmes, LB1994, 1995

Wesley Taylor, K2005

Abdul-Majid, Shabaka, OT(1997)Allen, Charlie, WR (2002)Alexander, Ray, WR (1983)Beauford, Terry, OT (1989,1990)Billie, Demetrius, OG (1995,1996)Bonner, Patrick, QB (1998)Bragg, Eugene, RB (1926)Brewer, Bryan, DE (1987,1988)Brown, Levy, DB (2002, 2003)Burgess, Cal, WR (1976)

Butler, Henry, RB (1938)Calhoun, Solomon, T (1934)Carroll, William, FS (1991, 1992)Chester, Albert, QB (1978)Childs, Clarence, RB (1959,1960)Clark, Irvin, NT (1989, 1990)Cousins, Jomo, DE (1997)Cromartie, Leroy RB, (1945)Crowell, Carl, G (1956, 1957)Curtis, Ulysses, RB (1948)Dailey, Jauron, DE (2000)Daniels, David, T (1965)Davis, Darryl, LB (1989)

Denson, Alfred, WR (1963)DeValt, C.J., OC, (1935)Duffey, Gerald, RB (1991)Eason, John, TE (1967)Eason, R.C., NT (1982)Everett, James, RB (1934, 1935)Ford, Darrin, P (1997)Frazier, Adolphus “Al”, RB (1955,1956)Galimore, Willie, RB (1953, 1954,1955, 1956)Grant, R.R., OG (1941)Gary, Wilbur, C (1947)Gentry, Howard, T (1941)

Ginn, Hubert, RB (1969)Gladden, Callivan, T (1955)Grady, Jeff, DE (1977)Griffin, Robert, C (1938)Hardee, Leroy, RB (1957)Hazelton, Major, DB (1967)Hepburn, Alkin, QB (1952)Holmes, Earl, LB (1994, 1995)Horton, William, E (1940)Howard, John, RB (1944)Ingraham, Bernard, RB (1945)Jones, Tom, RB (1938)Johnson, Olrick, LB (1998)


Kelly, Sean, DE (2001)

Kenchon, William, OC (1951)

Kilpatrick, Kwame, OT (1992)

Kittles, Costa, E, (1950)

Lamb, Cainon, WR (1999)

Lawrence, Henry, OT (1972,

1973)

Lee, Reggie, DL (1995)

Lewis, Kiser, OC (1978, 1979)

Liddell, Cedric, LB (1996)

Lovett, Horace, OG (1969)

McCaskill, Jimmy, OC (1969)

McGriff, Tyrone, OG (1977, 1978,

1979)

McKeekins, Alphonso, OG

(1937)

Marshall, Samuel, OG (1953)

Mays, Jesse, E (1939)

Mickens, Terry, WR (1992)

Miranda, Curtis, OC (1959, 1960,

1961)

Mitchell, Bradley, E (1947, 1948)

Montgomery, Ted, RB (1947)

Moore, Freddie, OT (2000)

Moore, James, RB (1952)

Nails, Jamie, OT (1995, 1996)

Neely, Murray, T (1938)

Nunnally, Jacquay, WR (1997,1998,

2000)

Oliver, Harrell, NT (1978, 1979)

Paremore, Robert, RB (1961, 1962)

Poole, Frankie, LB (1974, 1975)

Powell, Nathaniel, E (1947)

Rackley, James, RB (1974)

Ramsey, Gifford, SS (1980)

Rasul, Amir, RB (1989, 1990)

Robinson, Arthur, E (1964)

Sampson, Oteman, QB (1996, 1997)

Seider, JaJuan, QB (1999)

Strachan, Stanley, RB (1939)

Taylor, Wesley, K (2005)

Toro, Juan, K (1997, 1998)

Tullis, James, QB (1963)

Varner, Alphonso, T (1951)

K JUAN TORO

1997, 1998WR JACQUAY NUNNALLY

1997, 1998, 2000QB OTEMAN SAMPSON

1996, 1997OT JAMIE NAILS

1995, 1996

PK JUAN VASQUEZ

2000, 2002DE SEAN KELLY

2001QB PAT BONNER

1998DB LEVY BROWN

2002, 2003

Vasquez, Juan, K (2000, 2002)

Vertuno, James, PK (1988)

Wilder, Vernon, T (1957)

Williams, Archie, C (1964)

Williams, Felix, DB (1974)

Williams, Ike, RB (1977, 1978)

Williams, Jim, QB (1948)

Williams, Macon, RB (1942)

Wilson, Robert, WR (1996)

Wilson, Vaughn, P (1987, 1988)

Wyche, Willie, T (1958)

Young, Charles, OC (1975)

FLORIDA A&M’S ALL-AMERICAN MEN


Rattlers In The ProsFlorida A&M has produced a bumper crop of pro footballplayers since the 1950s and remains a hotbed for scouts

EARL HOLMES • LBPittsburgh • 1996-01 • Cleveland • 2002

Detroit • 2003-05

National Football LeagueAbdul-Majid, Shabaka, OT,Baltimore (1998)Alexander, Ray, WR, Denver (1984-85); Dallas (1986-88)Atkins, Gene, DB, New Orleans(1987-93); Miami (1994-95)Beauford, Terry, OG, San Diego(1991); Green Bay (1992-93)Bennett, Antoine, CB, Cincinnati(1991-93)Bland, Tony, WR, Minnesota (1995-97); Tampa (1999- )Bonner, Pat, QB, Tampa Bay (1999)Brown, Harry, WR, Miami (1992)Brown, Jamie, OT, Denver (1995-97); San Francisco (1998);Washington (1999- )Childs, Clarence, DB, N.Y. Giants(1964-67); Chicago (1968)Clark, Irvin, NT, Tampa Bay (1991)Coleman, Ben, DE, Carolina (2002-)Coleman, Greg, P, Cleveland (1977);Minnesota (1978-87); Washington(1988).

Dallas (1992-93)Galimore, Willie, RB, Chicago(1957-63)Ginn, Hubert, RB, Miami (1970-72,1974-75);Baltimore (1973); Oakland (1976-78)Goodrum, Charles, OT, Minnesota(1972-79)Gray, Quinn, QB, Jacksonville(2002- )Green, Jeff, DE, Oakland(2005- )Hayes, Bob, WR, Dallas (1965-74),San Francisco (1975)Hawkins, Clarence, RB, Oakland(1979)Hazelton, Major, RB, Chicago(1968-69), New Orleans (1970).Harden, Cedric, DE, San Diego(1998- )Highsmith, Walter, C, Denver(1968-69)Hill, Ralph, C, N.Y. Giants (1976-77)Holmes, Earl, LB, Pittsburgh

Coleman, Raymond, DT, Dallas (1988)Collier, Ervin, DT, New England, Chicago (1994-95), Washington(1996)Copeland, Shedrick, DB, St. Louis (2004- )Cousins, Jomo, DE, Arizona (1998); NY Giants (2000)Dailey, Jauron, DE, Washington (2001- )Daniel,Tim, WR, Dallas (1992-93)Daniels, David, OT, Oakland(1966)Davis, Darryl, LB, Miami (1990)Denson, Alfred, WR, Denver (1964-70), Miami (1971)Dillard, Ivory, OT, New York Giants (1994), Jacksonville (1995).Dixon, Hewritt, RB, Oakland (1966-70)Eason, John, TE, Oakland (1968)Edwards, Glen, DB, Pittsburgh (1971-77); San Diego (1978-82)Evers, William, CB, Atlanta (1990-92)Fann, Chadd, TE, Phoenix (1993-95); San Francisco (1996-99)Felts, Bobby, DB, Baltimore (1965), Detroit (1965-67)Finnie, Roger, OT, N.Y. Jets (1969-72); St. Louis (1973-78).Frazier, Al, RB, Denver (1961-63)Gainer, Derrick, FB, L.A. Raiders (1989), Cleveland (1990),

(1996-01); Cleveland (2002), Detroit (2003-05)Holmes, John, DE, Miami (1966)Huckaby, Howard , WR ,Kansas City (1990)James, Nathaniel, DB, Cleveland (1968)Johnson, Kenneth, DB, Minnesota (1989-90); N.Y. Jets (1990)Johnson, Olrick, LB, New York Jets;Minnesota (1999); New England (2000 )Johnson, Preston, RB, New England (1968)Johnson, Tyronn, DE, San Francisco (2000-)Jones, Merlon, DE, New Orleans (1986)Kelly, John, OC, Washington (1966-67)Kiser, Roosevelt, WR, Jacksonville (2006- )Lamb, Cainon, WR, Miami (2000)Lane, Thomas, DB, Minnesota (1980)Lawrence, Henry, OT, Oakland/LA Raiders (1974-87)Lee, Willie, T, Chicago, (1963-67)Lucas, David, WR-KR, Dallas (1993)Marion, Frank, LB, N.Y. Giants (1977-83)McClung, Willie, T, Pittsburgh (1955-57); Cleveland (1958-59)

FLORIDA A&M’S PRO FOOTBALL ALUMNI


McGriff, Tyrone, OG, Pittsburgh (1980-82)Mickens, Terry, WR, Green Bay (1994-97); Oakland (1998-00)Middleton, Frank, RB, Indianapolis (1984), Miami (1985), San Diego(1986-88)Milton, Gene, WR, Miami (1968-69)Miranda, Curtis, C, N.Y. Giants (1962)Moore, Freddie, OT, Cincinnati (2001-)Moore, Riley, DE, Oakland (1960-62)Nails, Jamie, OT, Buffalo (1997-00), Miami (2002-03)Newton, Nate, OG, Dallas (1986-98); Carolina (1999- )Nottage, Dexter, DE, Washington (1994- 97), Green Bay (1998-99)Nunnally, Jacquay, WR, Tampa Bay (2001)Oates, Riley, DT, Oakland (1965-72)Oates, Carleton, DT, Green Bay (1973)Paremore, Robert, RB, St. Louis (1963-64)Powell, Nathaniel, E, Brooklyn (1947)Printers, Casey, QB, Kansas City (2006- )Rasul, Amir, RB, Buffalo (1991); Miami (1993)Riley, Ken, DB, Cincinnati (1969-83)Rogers, Mel, LB, Chicago (1977)Seider, JaJuan, QB, San Diego (2000 )Smith, Don, G, Denver (1967)Smith, Vernice, OT, Phoenix (1989-92); Chicago (1993),Washington (1994- 96)Thomas, Gene, RB, Kansas City (1966-67); New England(1968)Truvillion, Eric, WR, NY Jets (1981); Detroit (1986)Tyson, Daryle, DB, Denver (1980)White, Andre, TE, Denver (1967), Cincinnati (1969)White, Eugene, RB, Oakland (1962)Williams, Ken, FB, Jacksonville (2000); Cincinnati (2001)Williams, Undre, WR, Buffalo (1998-); Detroit (1999)Williams, Wally, OC, Cleveland (1993-95), Baltimore (1996-98);New Orleans (1999- )Wilson, Robert, WR, Seattle (1997-99); New Orleans (2000- )Wilson, William, RB, Houston (1961)Wilson, William, Jr., WR, Seattle (1986)

Woodson, Fred, G, Miami (1967-69)

Canadian Football LeagueAlexander, Ray, WR, British Columbia (1990-95),Calgary (1986)Bendross, Demetris, WR, Calgary (2000-03)Brantley, Sean, DL, Edmonton (1993-95)Chester, Albert, QB-WR, Toronto (1979-80)Curtis, Ulysses, RB, Montreal (1949)Drisdom, Duane, DB, Winnepeg (1988)Huckaby, Howard, WR, British Columbia (1992)Hudson, Winfred, DE, Winnepeg (1989), British Columbia (1990)Laureano, Jose, QB, Saskatchewan (2000)Lee, Reggie, DT, Toronto (1996 )Lucas, David, WR-KR, Hamilton (1992)Miranda, Curtis, OC, Hamilton (1961)Printers, Casey, QB, British Columbia (2004-05)Qaiyim, Tariq, WR, Calgary (1999- 02)Sampson, Oteman, QB, Calgary (1999-00)Shipman, Gary, DB, British Columbia (1990)

FLORIDA A&M’S PRO FOOTBALL ALUMNISims, Rudy, DL (Ottawa, 1969-76)Taylor, Jelly, OC, Hamilton (1950)

United States Football LeagueBenson, John, LB, Tampa Bay (1984)Brown, Rufus, OL, Tampa Bay (1984)Edwards, Glen, DB, Tampa Bay (1983)Hayes, Tony, LB, Tampa Bay (1983), Oklahoma (1984),Jacksonville (1985)Johnson, Alonzo, LB, Tampa (1983-84)Koonce, Nate, QB, Tampa Bay (1983)McGriff, Tyrone, OG, Michigan (1983-84), Memphis (1985)Newton, Nate, OG, Tampa (1984-85)

Truvillion, Eric, WR, Tampa (1983-85)

Arena Football LeagueBeauford, Terry, C, Tampa (1997-99)Bendross, Demetris, WR/DB, Tampa (2004- )Bridges, Tremayne, WR/KR, Iowa (1998-99)Certain, Ernest, DT, Tampa Bay (2002- )Frost, Robert, OG, Cleveland (1992)Jackson, Boris, WR, Florida (1999-01)Lee, Reggie, DL/OL, Orlando (1999- )Moore, Bryan, RB-WR, Orlando (1991-92)Rainey, J.C., DB, Tampa Bay (1992)Taylor, Marvin, WR/DB, Grand Rapids (2000- )Thornton, Michael, DT, Tampa Bay (1997)Walker, Jonathan, DB/LB, Florida (1999)Williams, Rod, DL/OL, Tampa (2001- )

Arena Football League2Brown, Levy, DB/WR, Florida Firecats (2005- )Certain, Ernest, DT, Tallahassee (2000-01)Dougherty, Ben, QB (2006- ), TallahasseeeFarlin, Marcus, OL/DL, Tallahassee (2000-01)Jackson, Boris, RB/DB, Pensacola (2000- 01)Lamb, Cainon, WR/RB, Tallahassee (2002)Miller, Rod, WR/DB, Tallahassee (2005- )Odum, Karlos, DB/WR, Pensacola (2000-02)Parker, Russell, DB, Jacksonville (2000)Scott, Leon, OT/DT, Florida Firecats (2004- )Smith, Brian, OL/DL, South Georgia Wildcats (2004- )Taylor, Marvin, WR/DB, Tallahassee (2000-01)Thomas, Ronnie, WR/DB, South Georgia (2004- )Walker, Jonathan, LB, Pensacola (2000-01)White, Caran, TE, Tallahassee (2000)Williams, Larry, DB, Pensacola (2000-02 )Young, Jay, WR, Tallahassee (2000- 01)

World League of American FootballAllen, Mario, QB, Amsterdam (1997)Bennett, Antoine, DB, Ohio Glory (1992)Rasul, Amir, RB, Ohio Glory (1992)

Gray, Quinn, QB, Frankfurt Galaxy (2002)Green, Jeff, DE, Berlin (2006)Moore, Freddie, OT, Berlin (2001-02)

NFL Europa


A.S. “Jake” GaitherThis Hall of Fame coaching legend fashioned a

scintillating 25-year era of success at FAMU

JAKE GAITHER (2nd from right) introduces FloridaGovernor Leroy Collins to team captains after a game inthe early 1960s.

One of American

college football’s all-time

great coaches worked the

sidelines at Florida A&M

during a scintillating

career that that spanned

25 years, turning a

struggling program into a

virtual collegiate

superpower.

Alonzo Smith “Jake”

Gaither came to Florida

A&M as an assistant to

another coaching legend,

William “Big Bill” Bell in

1938, just in time to help

the Rattlers to an undefeated season (8-0-

0), which resulted in the first-ever national

title.

A man of humble demeanor, Gaither

would, as Bell’s top aide, would be a vital

part of FAMU’s three national

championship teams (1938, 1940, 1942)

during the pre-World War II era.

An intensely competitive man, who was

known as much for his consummate skills

as a motivator as he was for winning

games, Gaither would in 1945, get the nod

to take the helm of the program.

Over the following

quarter century (1945-

69), Florida A&M

Football embarked on a

truly golden era,

capturing seven national

titles, while 36 All-

America and 42

professional football

players were produced.

The Rattlers won 23

Southern Intercollegiate

Athletic Conference

titles, capturing 60

straight league wins at

one stretch from 1952 through 1956.

A graduate of Knoxville (Tenn.) College

(1927), finished his career with a 203-36-4

record, an .841 winning percentage which

ranks him eighth all-time in among

collegiate coaches.

During his coaching tenure at Florida

A&M, Gaither began an annual coaching

clinic, where top college coaches from

around the country would come in and

lecture high school coaches from around

the State of Florida.

Those clinics often featured the like of

Darrell Royal (Texas), Woody Hayes (Ohio

FLORIDA A&M’S HALL OF FAME COACHING LEGEND


in 1999, yet

another testament to the

greatness of FAMU

Football under Gaither.

In 2001, the Rattler

Football Reunion

Committee raised funds

to erect a bronze statue

of Gaither in front of the

Gaither Athletic Center

on Wahnish Way.

Last year, bronze busts

of Gaither’s original staff

members - Pete Griffin,

Hansel Tookes, Costa

Kittles, Edward Oglesby

and Macon Williams

were added to the

display.

Gaither, passed away

in Tallahassee after a

lengthy illness in the

spring of 1994, leaving

behind a golden legacy

which will never be

matched.

State) and the venerable

Adolph “The Baron” Rupp

(Kentucky).

So well respected was

Gaither that he was one of

the first Blacks to take an

active role in the American

Football Coaches’Association.

In fact, legend has it that

Gaither and Alabama’s Paul

“Bear” Bryant had memorable

debates over schemes and

plays at the convention

workshops.

Another story has it that

Bryant actually adopted some

of Gaither’s schemes into his

own with the Crimson Tide.

Gaither, who also coached

basketball and track, early in

his coaching tenure at Florida

A&M, also served as Director

of Athletics and Chairman of

the Department of Health,

Physical Education and

Recreation, the latter roles he

filled with wisdom and vision

until his retirement in 1973.

In 1975, he was honored

with the “Triple Crown” of

coaching awards - the Amos

Alonzo Stagg Award

(American Football Coaches’

Association), The Walter

Camp Award (from the

Walter Camp Foundation),

and enshrinement into the

National Football

Foundation Hall of

Fame.

The late All-America

halfback Willie

Galimore, arguably

Gaither’s finest player,

joined his coach in the

National Football

Foundation Hall of

Fame

The Jake Gaither EraYear W- L- T

1945 ....... 9- 1- 01946 ....... 6- 4- 11947 ....... 9- 1- 01948 ....... 8- 2- 01949 ....... 7- 2- 01950 ....... 7- 1- 11951 ....... 7- 1- 11952 ....... 8- 2- 01953 ..... 10- 1- 01954 ....... 8- 1- 01955 ....... 7- 1- 11956 ....... 8- 1- 01957 ....... 9- 0- 01958 ....... 7- 2- 01959 ...... 10- 0- 01960 ....... 9- 1- 01961 ...... 10- 0- 01962 ....... 9- 1- 01963 ....... 8- 2- 01964 ....... 9- 1- 01965 ....... 7- 3- 01966 ....... 7- 3- 01967 ....... 8- 2- 01968 ....... 8- 2- 01969 ....... 8- 1- 0Career.. 203- 36- 4

FLORIDA A&M’S HALL OF FAME COACHING LEGEND


Once America’s oldestcontinuing college footballclassic - The OrangeBlossom Classic - is, likethe fabled Rose Bowl is forthe major schools, thegranddaddy of allmodern Black CollegeClassics. Affectionately known as“The Classic” or “The OBC,”the Orange Blossom Classichas enjoyed a 67-year runspanning eight decades andfive cities. In 1998, the Classicreturned home - toJacksonville, wherefittingly, the Rattlers facedtheir original opponentfrom the first-ever Classic

That FAMU/FIU joint Classicin 2004 wasn’t the first timesuch a partnership deal has beenstuck in the OBC’s long history.

Classic MergedBriefly in 1999.... In this day and age of thecorporate merger, Florida A&Mand South Carolina State agreedto merge their two legendaryclassics: FAMU’s OBC andSCSU’s Palmetto State Classicinto the Orange BlossomPalmetto Classic, with hopes ofbuilding on the two traditionsinto a big payday. The inaugural game (1999) sawFlorida A&M win big, 76-17before 20,000 fans in AlltelStadium and the Rattlers won in

Forerunner of the modern day HBCU Football Classics,the Orange Blossom Classic enjoyed a 68-year run

The Classic - 1970A New Era Begins

In 1970, Florida A&M became thefirst HBCU to invite a predominatelyWhite school to a Classic, when theJacksonville (Ala.) State Gamecockscame to Miami. JSU head coachCharley Pell (later coach at Clemsonand Florida) accepts the OBC champi-onship trophy from Chuck Smith ofRoyal Crown Cola.

game - Howard University - in Alltel Stadium. The next two years, the Classic was played inTallahassee, but in 2004, it returned to the cityof its’ glory days - Miami, for a battle with FloridaInternational University , on November 27. That would prove to be the last game in theClassic’s long history, which ironically began justafter Thanksgiving in 1933.

style last year (2000), 64-9. However, after the 2001 game in Jacksonville,Florida A&M elected to move the fabled game toTallahassee for the 2002 campaign.

1933: The OBC Begins.... The OBC was born of an idea by the late FAMUbusiness manager J.R.E. Lee, Jr., son of then-present Dr. J.R.E. Lee, Sr., in 1933.

The Orange Blossom Classic


From that first game, the“Classic” became a legendaryevent, as FAMU’s burgeoningpowerhouse program of the1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s wenttoe-to-toe with the giants of BlackCollege Football, often decidingthat year’s mythical nationalchampionship. Lee’s idea came from observing“classics” such as the one HowardUniversity hosted every yearduring Thanksgiving Day. Leesurmised that “if Howard couldhost a classic, so could FloridaA&M.” So Lee arranged for Howard tomake the trip from Washington,D.C. to Jacksonville, Florida,where the first OBC was playedon December 2, 1933. After theirannual Thanksgiving game,Howard boarded a prearrangedtrain for the trip south. FAMU won that inauguralbattle, 9-6, at Myrtle AvenueField, giving birth to a traditionthat would inspire other season-ending battles like Louisiana’sBayou Classic (Southernagainst Grambling) and theFlorida Classic, pitting FAMUagainst in-state rival Bethune-Cookman. The game enjoyed a rathernomadic existence in its’ earlyyears, moving from Jacksonvillein 1937, to Orlando’s Tinker Field(1937-41). In Orlando, crowdsgrew from the initial 3,000 toover 6,000, forcing a move backto Jacksonville (1942-43). Duringthe height of World War Two, thegame moved to Tampa’s Phillips

Field (1944-46), beforemaking a break for the MagicCity of Miami. The OBC became hailed asthe ultimate Black CollegeFootball Classic after settlingin Miami’s Orange Bowl in1947. In that first Miamigame, Miami nativeNathaniel “Traz” Powellbecame the first Black toscore a touchdown in thestadium in a 7-0 win againstHampton (Va.). Heady days were aheadfor the OBC, whose crowdssoared into the 30,000-40,000-range in the 1950’sand 1960’s. The largest crowd ever tosee an Orange BlossomClassic was the 47,191 fansthat watched FAMU cap aperfect season (10-0-0) in1961, with a 14-8 win overJackson (Miss.) State. Recent years (since the1970s) saw a decline in thegame’s popularity due to theproliferation of “Classics”which reduced the singularvisibility of the OBC. Also, the advent of thepredominately Black collegesand universities into theNCAA and NAIA meantnational playoff opportunitieswhich cut into the pool ofselectable teams. Plus, integration, whichallowed Black athletes toattend schools like theUniversity of Miami,eliminated the novelty for

Classic Timeline•1933 - FAMU defeatedHoward University, 9-6 ininaugural Classic in Jack-sonville.•1937 - Moved to Orlando forfive years.•1942 - Moved back to Jack-sonville for two years,•1944 - Moved to Tampa forthree years.•1947 - FAMU defeatedHampton (Va.), 7-0 infirst OBC in Miami.•1956 - Tennessee Stateedges FAMU, 41-39, in one ofgreatest Classic games.•1961 - 47,191 fans at OrangeBowl witness FAMU nipJackson (Miss.) State, 14-8,for the Black College Nationaltitle.•1970 - FAMU invites Jack-sonville (Ala.) State, the firstpredominately White team tothe Classic. JSC won, 21-7.•1978 - FAMU beltsGrambling, 31-7, en route tothe first-ever NCAA Division1-AA national title.•1984 - The NationalFootball League Hall ofFame honors the OrangeBlossom Classic for its’role in showcasing BlackCollege football for pro-fessional scouts.•1994 - Rattlers shutoutunbeaten Grambling, 13-0,slowing Eddie Robinson’smarch to 400 career wins.•1995 - Last OBC in Miamifeatures hometown Hurri-canes against FAMU.•2004 - The Classic re-turns to the Orange Bowl,pitting FAMU againstFlorida International.


The OBC History

#1933 FAMU 9, Howard 6#1934 FAMU 13, Virginia State 12#1935 Kentucky State 19, FAMU 10#1936 Prairie View 25, FAMU 0 *1937 FAMU 25, Hampton 20 *1938 FAMU 9, Kentucky State 7 *1939 FAMU 42, Wiley 0 *1940 FAMU 15, Wilberforce 0 *1941 FAMU 15, Tuskegee 7#1942 FAMU 12, Texas College 6#1943 Hampton 39, FAMU 0+1944 Virginia State 19, FAMU 6+1945 Wiley 32, FAMU 6+1946 Lincoln 20, FAMU 14@1947 FAMU 7, Hampton 0@1948 Virginia Union 10, FAMU 6@1949 N. Carolina A&T 20, FAMU 14@1950 Central State 13, FAMU 6@1951 FAMU 67, N. Carolina Co. 6@1952 FAMU 29, Virginia State 7@1953 Prairie View 33, FAMU 27@1954 FAMU 67, Maryland St. 19@1955 Grambling 28, FAMU 21@1956 Tennessee St. 41, FAMU 39@1957 FAMU 27, Maryland St. 21@1958 Prairie View 26, FAMU 8@1959 FAMU 28, Prairie View 7@1960 FAMU 40, Langston 6@1961 FAMU 14, Jackson State 8@1962 Jackson State 22, FAMU 6@1963 FAMU 30, Morgan State 7@1964 FAMU 42, Grambling 15@1965 Morgan State 36, FAMU 7@1966 FAMU 43, Alabama A&M 26@1967 Grambling 28, FAMU 9@1968 Alcorn 36, FAMU 9@1969 FAMU 23, Grambling 19@1970 Jacksonville St. 21, FAMU 7

@1971 FAMU 27, Kentucky State 9@1972 FAMU 41, Maryland-E.S. 21@1973 FAMU 23, S. Carolina St. 12@1974 FAMU 17, Howard 14@1975 FAMU 40, Kentucky State 3@1976 FAMU 26, Central State 21@1977 FAMU 37, Delaware State 15@1978 FAMU 31, Grambling 7@1979 FAMU 18, Southern 6 t1980 FAMU 57, Delaware State 9@1981 S. Carolina St. 16, FAMU 15@1982 FAMU 35, N. Carolina A&T 7+1983 FAMU 31, Southern 14+1984 Alcorn 51, FAMU 14@1985 FAMU 10, Morris Brown 0@1986 FAMU 33, Alcorn 30@1987 FAMU 10, Central State 10@1988 FAMU 58, N. Carolina A&T 7@1989 FAMU 31, Morgan State 13@1990 FAMU 31, Morgan State 15@1991 FAMU 24, Southern 20@1992 Miami 38, FAMU 0@1993 Delaware State 18, FAMU 14@1994 FAMU 13, Grambling 0@1995 Miami 49, FAMU 3t1996 Florida A&M 21, Howard 20#1998 Florida A&M 69, Howard 41##1999 Florida A&M 76, S.C. State 17##2000Florida A&M 64, S.C. State 9##2001 Florida A&M 33, S.C. State 27t2002 S.C. State 31, Florida A&M 13t2003 FAMU 15, Delaware State 14

@2004 Fla. International 40, Florida A&M 23

[#]-Jacksonville, Fla.; [*]-Orlando; [+]-Tampa;[@]-Miami; [t]-Tallahassee; [##]-Orange Blossom/Palmetto Classicat Jacksonville •Maryland State later became Maryland-EasternShore.•North Carolina College later became North Carolina Central.•Wilberforce later became Central (Ohio) State

ORANGE BLOSSOM CLASSIC SCORECARD

whites of seeing Blacks playing college football.The Miami Dolphins’ advent in the late 1960’salso played a role in sapping the interest in theOBC in South Florida.

The National Football League’s Hall ofFame honored the OBC in 1984 for its’contributions to the league by serving as ashowcase for top Black College talent during the1950’s and 1960’s. Florida A&M holds a 43-23-1 lead in theOrange Blossom Classic.


FLORIDA CLASSIC XXVIII

The Florida Classic has drawn over a million fans in 27 years,becoming the top-attended game in NCAA Division I-AA

THE Walt Disney World

presented by STATE FARM

The Walt Disney

World Florida Classic,presented by StateFarm, is more than just afootball game and morethan an in-state rivalry. It isnow the largest footballgame between twohistorically Black Collegesin America, surpassing theBayou Classic betweenGrambling and Southernin New Orleans. Thanks to eight straightcrowds (1999-2006) of70,000 or more - theClassic has now drawn inexcess of 1.37 million fanssince 1978, making the

game the top drawingcontest in NCAA DivisionI FCS (FootballChampionshipSubdivision). The Florida Classic isborn of a rivalry that has hadall the angst and intensity of aWorld Wrestling Federationstoryline. There have been disputesover game sites, disputes thatresulted in the series beingsuspended for two years(1983, 1984), not tomention Bethune-Cookman’srevival to make the series acompetitive one in the lastfew years.

With a new venue,nationally-ranked programsin both Tallahassee andDaytona Beach, crowds inexcess of 70,000 the pastseven years, plus a worldreknowned entertainmentgiant like Walt DisneyWorld as the title sponsor,the sky now appears to be thelimit for a game, whosefortunes seemed to be on thewane just a few years ago. The last nine years haveseen the Florida Classicrevived to the point that it hasnow surpassed the lofty statusof the Bayou Classic. •The 1997 season saw a

change of venue for theFlorida Classic, as thetwo schools moved thegame to Orlando’sFlorida Citrus BowlStadium. That year’s affair was arousing success, as 56,351fans swarmed into theCitrus Bowl. •But that 1997 crowd waseclipsed in 1998, when66,245 packed the stadiumfor the game whichdetermined the 1998MEAC Championshipand postseason invitations. •In 1999, the Classicdrew 70,125 fans to


Florida Classic Vaults Over 1.3 Million In AttendanceGame Has Drawn nearly 700,000 in Orlando since 1997

Overall attendance for the annual Walt Disney World Resorts’Florida Classic football game, presented by State, has surpassed the 1.3million mark.

•Last year (2006), the Classic drew 70,216 fans, the eighth(8th) straight game of at least 70,000 in attendance for the game.

•The 2003 affair drew 73,358 fans to the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadiumin Orlando, Florida - the all-time record for the event.

Beginning with the first neutral site Florida Classic game in Tampa in1978, the 27 games through 2006 have drawn 1,376,396 fans. Thatworks out to a per-game average of 50,978 fans.

The Classic was moved to Orlando in 1997 and the event has drawn689,592 fans in 10 years, for a per-game norm of 68,959.

THE Walt Disney World FLORIDA CLASSICOrlando, the sixth-largestfootball event ever held in theFlorida Citrus Bowl. •But even that attendancewas overshadowed by the2000 Mid-Eastern AthleticConference title game, whichdrew 70,719, for a 31-28thriller won by the Rattlers. •The 2003 contest saw theClassic reach the pinnacle ofpopularity, as a record 73,358fans packed the Florida CitrusBowl. Florida A&M holds an 17-9 edge in the meetings sincethe instate rivalry movedfrom a home-and-homescenario to an annual neutralsite spectacular in TampaStadium in 1978. Overall, the Rattlerslead the 59-game series, 44-14-1. Bethune-Cookman hasmade the series morecompetitive since 1973,winning 12 of their 14

series victories during thatspan, including a first-everthree-game win streakfrom 2002 to 2004 - astreak snapped byFAMU’s 26-23 overtimewin in 2005. With the advent of thefirebrand coach AlvinWyatt, Sr. at Bethune-Cookman, games have beenmore along the lines of thenail-biting kind, as the lastthree games have beendecided in the final quarter,with the past two games goingto overtime.

Despite the obvious FAMUdominance of the series

overall, the two schools drewever-increasing crowdsuntil they had to abandontheir home stadiums forlarger venues. Sites like the FloridaCitrus Bowl in Orlando,

the DaytonaInternationalSpeedway and DoakCampbell Stadium inTallahassee were the sitesof some of those “home”games before the twoschools agreed on apermanent site - Tampa -in 1978. In that first game in1978, Florida A&Mturned a 17-0 halftimedeficit into a scintillatingcome-from-behind 27-17win enroute to theinaugural NCAA Division1-AA title. The series began in 1925,with Florida A&Mwinning 25-0. B-CC’sfirst win came a yearlater, 12-0 in 1926. At one stretch, theRattlers won 19

straight games includinga trio of sheer torch jobs in1959, 1960 and 1961with scores of 68-6, 97-0and 76-0. The two schools wentthrough a two-year hiatusin 1983 and 1984, whenthey could not agree on aplaying site. But public pressure fromalumni, fans and stateofficials brought them backto the negotiating table and

they resumed the series in1985. The renewal of therivalry was as good as it gets,as Bethune-Cookman wona wild shootout, 31-27 in1985. This is truly a series wherethe proverbial adage that“you can throw out all therecords,” truly applies.


1925 FAMU 25, B-CC 01926 B-CC 12, FAMU 01929 FAMU 6, B-CC 61931 FAMU 32, B-CC 01932 FAMU 25, B-CC 01947 FAMU 6, B-CC 01950 FAMU 33, B-CC 71951 FAMU 26, B-CC 131952 B-CC 8, FAMU 71953 FAMU 39, B-CC 71955 FAMU 32, B-CC 01956 FAMU 54, B-CC 61957 FAMU 45, B-CC 61958 FAMU 29, B-CC 01959 FAMU 68, B-CC 6

1960 FAMU 97, B-CC 01961 FAMU 76, B-CC 01962 FAMU 52, B-CC 61963 FAMU 38, B-CC 141964 FAMU 31, B-CC 141965 FAMU 47, B-CC 81966 FAMU 37, B-CC 131967 FAMU 30, B-CC 61968 FAMU 23, B-CC 201969 FAMU 60, B-CC 151970 FAMU 20, B-CC 91971 FAMU 33, B-CC 201972 FAMU 28, B-CC 181973 B-CC 21, FAMU 131974 B-CC 6, FAMU 0

1975 FAMU 17, B-CC 71976 B-CC 34, FAMU 01977 FAMU 14, B-CC 71978 FAMU 27, B-CC 171979 B-CC 25, FAMU 201980 B-CC 16, FAMU 141981 FAMU 29, B-CC 01982 FAMU 29, B-CC 141985 B-CC 31, FAMU 271986 FAMU 16, B-CC 61987 FAMU 21, B-CC 101988 B-CC 25, FAMU 01989 FAMU 31, B-CC 71990 FAMU 42, B-CC 201991 FAMU 46, B-CC 28

FAMU-BCC Series • Rattlers Lead 45-14-1

Florida Classic Attendance • 1978-20062003 73,358* B-CC 39, FAMU 35

2006 71,216* FAMU 35, B-CC 21

2004 71,153* B-CC 58, FAMU 52, OT

2000 70,719* FAMU 31, B-CC 28

2002 70,201* B-CC 37, FAMU 10

1999 70,125* FAMU 63, B-CC 14

2001 70,112* FAMU 31, B-CC 21

2005 70,112* FAMU 26, B-CC 23, OT

1998 66,245* FAMU 50, B-CC 14

1997 56,351* FAMU 52, B-CC 35

1988 50,259@ B-CC 25, FAMU 0

1981 45,964@ FAMU 29, B-CC 0

1989 43,703@ FAMU 30, B-CC 7

1980 43,281@ B-CC 16, FAMU 14

1990 42,776@ FAMU 42, B-CC 20

1978 42,061@ FAMU 27, B-CC 17

1987 41,521@ FAMU 21, B-CC 10

1985 41,358@ B-CC 31, FAMU 27

1992 40,714@ B-CC 35, FAMU 21

1991 40,259@ FAMU 46, B-CC 28

1979 40,253@ B-CC 25, FAMU 20

1982 39,160@ FAMU 29, B-CC 14

1986 38,204@ FAMU 16, B-CC 6

1995 37,006@ FAMU 43, B-CC 0

1994 36,813@ B-CC 27, FAMU 24

1993 31,264@ FAMU 27, B-CC 22

1996 31,208@ FAMU 41, B-CC 7[@]-Tampa; [*]-Orlando

1992 B-CC 35, FAMU 211993 FAMU 27, B-CC 221994 B-CC 27, FAMU 241995 FAMU 43, B-CC 01996 FAMU 41, B-CC 71997 FAMU 52, B-CC 351998 FAMU 50, B-CC 141999 FAMU 63, B-CC 142000 FAMU 31, B-CC 282001 FAMU 31, B-CC 212002 B-CC 37, FAMU 102003 B-CC 39, FAMU 352004 B-CC 58, FAMU 52/OT2005 FAMU 26, B-CC 23/OT2006 FAMU 35, B-CC 21


Down Memory LaneFLORIDA A&M’S GREATEST GAMES

Brief recaps of the most memorable games inRattler Football History from 1938 until the present...

GIVING THANKS: Kickers T.J. Smith (10), Juan Toro (18) in center and wideout Cainon Lamb (4) give thanks tothe Almighty after Toro’s game-winning field nipped Southern University, 50-48, at Baton Rouge in 1998.

1 9 3 8FAMU 9, Kentucky State 7The Rattlers’ First National Title Florida A&M scored the winning points on a safetyin the Orange Blossom Classic, as a failed quarterbacklateral out of the Kentucky State end zone in the thirdperiod resulted in the game’s final points. The win preserved an undefeated season and gaveFAMU the first its’ of 11 national titles. The pointsscored by K-State were the only points yielded byFAMU during a perfect 8-0-0 season.

1 9 5 6Tennessee State 41, FAMU 39 Perhaps the greatest game FAMU played and lost,this Orange Blossom Classic in the Orange Bowl inMiami witnessed All-America halfback Willie Galimorescore four touchdowns, but the Big Blue Tigersprevailed with a critical defensive stand in the finalminutes.

1 9 6 9FAMU 34, Tampa 28 The next to last game of the legendary Coach JakeGaither’s career, saw the first-ever intrastate battlebetween black and white schools in Florida turn into athrilling back-and-forth contest. The game featuredfuture pro stars like FAMU’s Glen Edwards andTampa’s Freddie Solomon and John Matusak.

1 9 7 7FAMU 31, Tennessee State 28

FAMU in the midst of its’ last undefeated season,went into the lair of their hated archrivals, TennesseeState in Nashville, roaring off to a stunning 17-0 leadin the first period. TSU rallied to take a 21-17 lead by halftime, butHerb Reinhard’s late field goal was the difference.FAMU would go on to build a 17-game winningstreak, losing to TSU in Tallahassee the followingyear, 24-21.

1 9 7 8FAMU 27, Bethune-Cookman 17First Florida Classic Game Trailing 17-0 at the half to their in-state archrivals in thefirst Florida Classic at Tampa, the Rattlers staged ascintillating 27-point second half rally to overhaul theWildcats. The critical play was quarterback Albert Chester’sheartstopping fourth-down scramble early in the finalperiod which led to the winning score.

1 9 7 8FAMU 15, Jackson State 10NCAA Division 1-AA Semifinals FAMU won the opening round of their first and onlyNCAA Division 1-AA playoff at frigid Mississippi MemorialStadium, holding on for dear life after grabbing a 15-0 leadin the first period. The Rattlers turned the game over to their nation-leading defensive unit to hamstring the JSU duo of PerryHarrington and Jeffrey Moore, who had both rushed forover 1,000 yards in the regular season. FAMU halted fourdifferent Tiger drives without points inside their five yardline in the game.


Freshman fullback Ken Williams’ one-yard

plunge and Juan Toro’s PAT kick proved the gamewinner. FAMU kept fans on the edge of their seats,scoring three times in the extra frames on fourthdown.

a 35-0 lead after one quarter ofplay. With FAMU up 7-0, the nightmare for Southern

1 9 7 8FAMU 35, Massachusetts 28NCAA Division 1-AAChampionship Florida A&M’s own running men - fullback MichaelSolomon and halfback Melvin McFayden combinedfor over 400 rushing yards as the Rattlers ran past theMinutemen for the inaugural NCAA Division 1-AAnational title. Solomon was the game’s MVP after rumbling for207 yards and three TDs on a windy day in thePioneer Bowl at Wichita Falls, Texas.

1 9 7 9FAMU 16, Miami (Fla.) 13 Underdogs coming into their match with Division 1-A Miami at Florida State’s Campbell Stadium, theRattlers pulled off the stunning upset thanks largely tothe gutsy running of quarterback Sammy Knight,whose shifty moves foiled the vaunted UM defense ashe rushed for 100 yards. A Vince Coleman 34-yard field goal with 3:49 left inthe game broke a 13-13 tie. But in the end, it was theRattler defense that denied UM the end zone by virtueof an epic stand inside the five yard line which forceda fourth-down field goal attempt for the tie by DanMiller, which went wide with 31 seconds left.

1 9 9 2FAMU 28, Ga. Southern 17

Florida A&M had knocked off GSU 17-14 in 1987,after the Eagles had come off back-to-back Division 1-AA national titles, but this 1992 season-openingtriumph was even more impressive. Impressive because FAMU bested the Eagles atStatesboro, Georgia with this decisive win, becomingjust the fourth team to beat them at Allen PaulsonStadium since GSU revived football in 1984. Keith Brown’s 78-yard bomb to Tyrone Davis on thegame’s opening play stunned GSU, setting the tone forthis rain-plagued, regionally-televised battle.

1 9 9 4FAMU 13, Grambling 0Orange Blossom Classic at Miami

The high-flying Tigers of legendary EddieRobinson were the number one Black College club andranked number three in Division1-AA . Nonetheless, the underdog Rattlers deployed arelentless defensive dragnet which completelysmothered the vaunted Tiger attack, which wasaveraging over 47 points per game.

1 9 9 6FAMU 59, Hampton 58Circle City Classic The highest-scoring game in school history, it tied anational record for the most overtimes - six (6) - inNCAA Division 1-AA records. After battling to a 20-20 tie in regulation, theRattlers and the Pirates went on a scintillating 39-38scoring spree in the six extra periods.

1 9 9 7FAMU 22, S.C. State 20 Florida A&M’s flickering playoff hopes, boosted bythe stunning rout of Southern the week before,became a can’t-miss signal to the NCAA selectioncommittee, as they staged a last-gasp rally that wouldbecome a trademark over the next couple of seasons,edging South Carolina State, 22-20. Trailing 20-16 with just under two minutes left, theRattler offense came to life as quarterback OtemanSampson found Cainon Lamb down the sidelines for a37-yard pass play that set up Ken Williams’ game-winning one-yard scoring plunge.

1 9 9 7Ga. Southern 52, FAMU 37Division 1-AA First-Round Playoff Florida A&M’s third-ever NCAA playoff foraynearly became the greatest comeback in playoffhistory, as they nearly overcame a 35-7 first quarterdeficit before bowing to the homestanding Eagles. GSU’s veer attack savaged the FAMU defense earlyand often and thanks to some Rattler special teamsmiscues (end zone fumble; blocked punt) the Eaglessoared to a 35-7 lead after one quarter. But All-American Oteman Sampson rallied thetroops, accounting for over 600 total yards (469passing) as FAMU closed to within eight points, 45-37with seven minutes left. However the Rattlers could get no closer asSouthern clinched the game with a late touchdown forthe final margin.

1 9 9 8FAMU 50, Southern 48 Florida A&M’s “Gulf Coast Offense” was on displayand they needed every bit of their no-huddle expertiseto foil the upset bid of the Southern Jaguars in a 50-48 thriller. After letting a 37-17 halftime lead turn into a toe-to-toe slugfest in the second half, the Rattlers werefacing a 48-47 deficit with less than two minutes togo. But the supremely confident Floridians got a niftykick return from fleet Antoine Flowers to set them upnear midfield and after a couple of routine passcompletions and a quarterback sneak toward themiddle of the field, the stage was set for finaldramatics. All-America Juan Toro’s 28-yard field goal with 17seconds left provided the winning margin whichextended FAMU’s winning streak to eight games tohelp vault them into the Division 1-AA playoffs for thethird straight year.

1 9 9 9FAMU 65, Southern 18 The Florida A&M Rattlers played host to third-ranked and unbeaten Southern University and by thetime the smoke had cleared the visiting Jaguars laydead on the canvas of Bragg Stadium after a 65-18knockout. FAMU scored 21 points in the game’s first fourminutes en route to

began in earnest as linebacker Greg Ray’s devastating hiton the ensuing kickoff resulted in a fumble recovered byNeil Colzie for a nine-yard score that sent a crowd of over19,000 into a frenzy and the Jags to their only regularseason loss.

1 9 9 9Florida A&M 44,Appalachian State 29Division 1-AA First-Round Playoff Florida A&M faced fourth-seeded Appalachian State in a1-AA first round game in the western mountains of NorthCarolina and the crisp, clear day turned into a magicmoment for the Rattlers. The 13th-seeded Floridians totally dominated ASU early,building a 19-0 lead and a 34-15 bulge late in the thirdperiod. The Mountaineers closed to within five points, 34-29with eight minutes left, but QB JaJuan Seider led FAMUon an 80-yard TD drive to slam the door and vault theRattlers to the quarterfinals for the second straight year.

2 0 0 0Florida A&M 50, Southern 49 In a near-repeat of their 1998 thriller, the Rattlers behindthe arm of Quinn Gray moved 80 yards in the game’s finalminutes, down 49-47. Freshman Juan Vasquez would boot a game-winning 29-yard field goal with 16 seconds left to sink the Jaguars ontheir home field. All-America Jacquay Nunnally made history in the thirdperiod, vaulting past the legendary Jerry Rice to becomethe all-time leading receiver in Division 1-AA history.

2 0 0 3Florida A&M 15,Delaware State 14 Trailing most of the game against Delaware State, theRattlers came to life in the second half as quarterback BenDougherty came off the bench to spark FAMU. The injured Dougherty passed for two second half scores,but his miracle Hail Mary 13-yard pass to CardanAlexander, son of FAMU legend Ray Alexander, as time ranout, lifted the Rattlers to a great escape, 15-14 in BraggStadium.

2 0 0 5Florida A&M 26,Bethune-Cookman 23/OT It was a game that the late great Rod Serling would haveused for an episode of the Twilight Zone. FAMU fell behind 17-0 to archrival Bethune-Cookman,who was aiming for an unprecedented fourth straight winover the Rattlers. But sophomore quarterback Albert Chester II helpedengineer a breathtaking comeback from the dead, as theRattlers rallied to nip the Wildcats in overtime, 26-23. All-America kick Wesley Taylor nailed a clutch 43-yardfield goal with under a minute left in regulation to tie thescore at 23-23, to complete the comeback, then won it inthe overtime with a 17-yarder, to set of a jubilantcelebration by the Rattlers at midfield. Ironically, Chester’s dad, Albert Sr., led FAMU from asimilar 17-0 deficit against B-CC in the 1978 game inTampa, to a 27-17 win. Both Chesters walked away with game MVP honors fortheir respective comeback wins.

FLORIDA A&M’S GREATEST GAMES

section 6 rattler football history - netitor · 101 rattler football: a winning tradition blood,...

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