Florida A&M Rattlers football
| Florida A&M Rattlers football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1907 | ||
| Head coach |
Alex Wood 2nd year, 4–15 (.211) | ||
| Stadium | Bragg Memorial Stadium | ||
| Seating capacity | 25,500 | ||
| Field surface | Natural grass | ||
| Location | Tallahassee, Florida | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | MEAC | ||
| All-time record | 567–274–23 (.670) | ||
| Bowl record | 28–21–2 (.569) | ||
| Claimed nat'l titles | 1978 | ||
| Colors |
Green and Orange[1] | ||
| Mascot | Rattlers | ||
| Marching band | Marching 100 | ||
| Rivalries | Bethune-Cookman Wildcats | ||
| 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 the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the south division of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). They play their home games at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee. The Rattlers have won twelve black college football national championship, twenty nine Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) titles, eight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) titles and one 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.[2]
History
Classifications
- 1952–1972: NCAA College Division
- 1973–1977: NCAA Division II
- 1978–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS
Conference memberships
- 1907–1925: Independent
- 1926–1978: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
- 1979–1983: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
- 1984–1985: Division I–AA Independent
- 1986–2003: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
- 2004: Division I–AA Independent
- 2005–present: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Annual Classic
Championships
Black College Football National Championships
- 1938
- 1942
- 1950
- 1952
- 1954
- 1957
- 1959
- 1961
- 1977
- 1978
- 1998
- 2010
NCAA Division I FCS National Championships
- 1978 – FCS National Champions
Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs results
The Rattlers have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs seven times with a record of 5–6. 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 | WKU | L 0–27 |
| 2001 | First Round | Georgia Southern | L 35–60 |
College Football Hall of Fame members
Alumni in the NFL
Over 60 Florida A&M alumni have played in the NFL,[3] including:
- Ray Alexander
- Gene Atkins
- Greg Coleman
- Al Denson
- Hewritt Dixon
- Glen Edwards
- 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
- Nate Newton
- Carleton Oats
- Ken Riley
- Vernice Smith
- Wally Williams
- Robert Wilson
- Jamie Nails
References
- ↑ FAMUAthletics.com Style Guide (PDF). Retrieved 2016-06-12.
- ↑ Powell, Robert Andrew (9 October 2004). "Florida A&M Tries to Recover From Failed Bid". New York Times. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
- ↑ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/colleges/floridaam/