section o ne a c blood, sweat and tears - … · 100 years of florida a&m football •...

100 Years of Florida A&M Football • 1906-2005 5

SECTION ONE

A CENTURY OF BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS

100 Years of Florida A&M Football • 1906-20056

J.B. BraggKnown affectionately in his later years as “The Grand OldMan,” J.B. Bragg is considered the “Father of RattlerFootball.” He, along with George Sampson and others,started the football program in 1899, eventually obtainingvarsity status for the sport in 1906.


A CENTURY OF FAMU FOOTBALL

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

After humble beginnings at theturn of the last century, thefootball program at Florida A&MUniversity has evolved into anenduring American collegefootball success story.

The Early Years From an intramural programbegun in 1899, under thewatchuful eyes of the lateGeorge M. Sampson andJubie B. Bragg, FAMU movedto varsity status in 1906. This year - 2005 - marksthe 100th year of varsityfootball at Florida A&M. The past 99 years have beentruly filled with “Blood, Sweatand Tears,” as the RattlerProgram soared to great heightson numerous ocassions, defyingat times the longest of odds. The tradition which grew from

those early days of halting stepsto legendary proportions is onethat still endures, still inspireseach new generation of Rattlergridders. The program would eventuallybecome a veritablepowerhouse, producing 516wins since 1906, 13national championships,beginning in 1938, whilesending 143 players intoprofessional football, andproducing 97 All-Americas. Although the sport began oncampus under the watchufuleyes of Sampson and Bragg, itwas the impetus given by Dr.Nathan B. Young, whobecame president in 1901, thatmoved the program on the roadto eventual greatness. FAMU’s first off-campusgames were played in 1906,



William “Big Bill” BellThis Ohio State graduate would come to FAMU in 1937 andopen the door for the Golden Era of Rattler Football. Histeams won three national titles (1938, 1940 and 1942).Along the way, he hired an assistant coach named A.S. “Jake”Gaither in 1938, who would take the program to unparalleledheights seven years later.



against Alabama State andTuskegee. The school’s first football fieldwas a quarter mile south of thecurrent track and field complex,behind what is now the GaitherAthletic Center. FAMU joined the SouthernIntercollegiate AthleticConference (SIAC), as one of theleague’s charter members in 1913,and for the next ten years, footballflourished on campus without anappointed head coach.

President J.R.E. Lee Sr.’sadvent to the FAMU campus in1924, saw the beginning of a movetoward even greater support ofathletics. Lee felt the school would not beable to attract good studentswithout an organized athleticprogram.

Franz A. “Jazz” Byrd washired as athletic director andcoach in 1925, and in 1928, theannual tradition of a footballbanquet was initiated.

J.B. Bragg became head coachin 1930, serving until 1932, whenTheodore “Ted” Wright tookthe reins.

Bragg’s son, Eugene, an All-America halfback in 1927, tookover as coach in 1935, serving twoyears before his death in 1936. However Florida A&M’s footballprogram would soon embark onits’ most glorious days.

Dawn of theGlory Days Florida A&M began its’ voyagetoward gridiron supremacy in thelate 1930s - a voyage which wouldlead to 13 national titles and 35conference championships.

FAMU’s championship legacybegan in earnest when coachWilliam “Bill” Bell, took overin 1936. 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, he insured that theRattlers’ newly-mintedchampionship pedigree would lastbeyond his tenure, when he hiredAlonzo Smith “Jake” Gaitheras an assistant coach.

Herman Neilson took over in1943, coaching two seasons priorto the opening of the JakeGaither Era, one of the mostcolorful and exciting periods incollege football.

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



Jake GaitherA College Hall of Fame legend, Gaither took over thereins of the Rattler Program in 1945, leading FAMU to203 wins and six national titles during a 25-year spanthat was truly golden.


A CENTURY OF FAMU FOOTBALL1969, threecoachesattempted tokeep thetradition alive,to no avail,before the hiringof another OhioState grad,RudyHubbard, in1974. Hubbardpiloted theRattlers from1974 to 1985,winning back-to-backnational titles in1977 and 1978,while posting an83-48-3 recordin that 12-yearspan. Hubbard’stenure includeda stunning 30-5mark in a three-year span from1977 to 1979.During thatmagical three-year run, FAMUwent unbeatenin 1977 (11-0);

48-38-2 recordin eight seasons. During Riley’stenure, FAMUwon conferencetitles in 1988and 1990, whilein 1992, theyearned theschool’s first top10 nationalranking inNCAA Division1-AA since 1979.

William“Billy” Joesuceeded Rileyin 1994, guidingFAMU toconference titlesin 1995, 1996 ,2000 and 2001,postseasonberths in sevenof the last nineyears - 1995through 2001,as well as the1998 BlackCollege title. Joe’s stay atFAMU ended inJune of thisyear, when he

National ChampionshipsYear Coach1938 ........................................... 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) RecordJubie 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- ) ............... 0-0-0

won the first-ever NCAA Division 1-AAnational crown in 1978 (12-1) beforefinishing in 1979 (7-4) with a 5-0 start,including an upset of Division 1-AUniversity of Miami, 16-13.

Former star quarterback Ken Riley tookthe helm of his alma mater’s footballprogram in January of 1986, compiling a

was released from his contract after 11seasons and 86 victories. Now as the 100th year of varsity footballlooms large over the landscape at FloridaA&M, enter Rubin Carter, a former All-America at the University of Miami and a12-year NFL veteran, who brings 18 yearsof collegiate and professional coachingexperience to the program.



RATTLER FOOTBALL MILESTONES1906-2005

1906•The sport of football moved to a varsitysport under Jubie Bragg.•First year of football and the first gamesplayed against Alabama State andTuskegee Universities.

1910’s•FAMU joins the Southern IntercollegiateAthletic Conference as a charter memberin 1913.

1920’s•Jubie Bragg becomes the college’s first“official” head football coach and athleticdirector in 1923.•Eugene Bragg is the first football All-American in 1927.•FAMU and Bethune-Cookman Collegeplay their first game in 1925, with FAMUwinning by the score of 25-0.•Franz A. “Jazz” Byrd became theuniversity’s second head coach and

initiated the first football banquet in 1928.

1930’s•The Orange Blossom Classic (OBC) playsits inaugural game in 1933 against Howardin Jacksonville, Florida, with the Rattlersprevailing, 9-6.•The game was founded by universitybusiness manager, J.R.E. Lee, Jr.•Bill Bell hired as head coach and wins the1937 SIAC conference title.•In 1938, Rattlers win their first NationalBlack College Championship with a recordof 8-0, giving up only seven (7) points theentire season.

1940’s•Wins 1940 SIAC Championship.FAMU become National Black CollegeChampions in 1940 with a record of 6-0-3.•FAMU goes 9-0, winning its thirdNational Black College Championship in1942.

Michael Solomon scores game-clinching TD in 1978 Pioneer Bowl,the first-ever NCAA Division I-AA national championship game.


FAMU FOOTBALL MILESTONES

•Hires Alonzo S. “Jake” Gaither as HeadFootball Coach in 1945, and finishes theseason with 9-1 record.•Rattlers are crowned National BlackCollege in 1947 and post a 9-1 record.•OBC moved to Miami, Florida in 1947and FAMU defeats Hampton 7-0.•For the first time in school history, winsthree National Black College Champion-ships (1940, 1942, and 1947) in samedecade.

1950’s•Rattlers win their fifth National BlackCollege Championship, with a 10-1 seasonin 1953.•Post a 9-0 season and claim their sixthNational Black College Championship,and the fourth under Jake Gaither.•Willie Galimore sets single game rushingrecord of 295 yards against MarylandState in the OBS in 1955.•Rattlers win their seventh National BlackCollege Championship, with a 10-0 seasonin 1959, finishing the decade with only 10loses.•Willie Galimore becomes the Rattlers All-Time Rusher with 3,592 yards and is thefirst Rattler to be selected All-Americafour times.•In 1953, Galimore, as a true freshman,becomes the first FAMU back to rush for1,000 yards in a single season.•For the second time in school history,program wins three National BlackCollege Championships (1953, 1957, and1959) in same decade.

1960’s•Rattlers win National Black CollegeChampionship in 1961 and fourth timewith an unblemished record.•Curtis Miranda is the first offensivelineman to become a 3-Time All-America(1959-61)•Records the highest single-game scorewith a 97-0 thrashing of rival Bethune-Cookman.•FAMU defeats Jackson State 14-8 for theNational Black College Championship atthe Orange Blossom•Classic before a record attendance of47,191 at the Orange Bowl in 1961.1961 defense records the second lowest

scoring season in school history, yieldingonly 3.3 points per game.•In 1968, defeats the University of Tampa(in Tampa, FL) 34-28. It is the first timeFAMU plays a predominately white collegeprogram in football.•For the third time in school history, winsthree National Black College Champion-ships (1961, 1962, and 1964) in samedecade.

1970’s•Jacksonville (Ala.) State University is thefirst predominately white football programto play in the Orange Blossom Classic in1970. FAMU loses 21-7.•Hires Rudy Hubbard from Ohio State asHead Coach in 1974, who becomes thesecond winningest coach in school historywith wins 83.•Plays Bethune-Cookman College at theDaytona International Speedway.•Leaves the SIAC and moves to NCAADivision I-AA status in 1978.•Wins 17 Consecutive games between 1977-78 to lead the nation for longest winningstreak.•Two-Time National Black College FootballChampions compiling a 23-1 record over 2years from 1977-78.•Wins First ever NCAA-I-AA NationalChampionship over University of Massa-chusetts 35-28 in 1978.•NCAA and school record 470 yardsrushing in a post-season game.•Defeats the University of Miami 16-13 atDoak Campbell Stadium before 41,262 fansin 1979.•Ike Williams becomes the second runningback in school history to rush for 1,000yards in a single season.•Michael Solomon rushes for a post-seasoncareer record of 207 yards and 3 touch-downs in the inaugural NCAA-1AANational Championship game•FAMU defense led the nation in totaldefense (149.9 yards per game) andrushing defense (48.6 yard per c in 1978.

1980’s•Former quarterback Ken Riley hired asthe 11th head coach.•Ray Alexander becomes the school’s All-Time receiver with 2,638 yards in 1983.


FAMU FOOTBALL MILESTONES

•Tony Barber becomes only the secondrunning back in school history to haveover 1,000 yards in one season with 1,051.•Howard Huckaby sets NCAA-1AA recordsfor kickoff returns with a 30.1 yardaverage on 30 returns in 1987

1990’s•Billy Joe becomes the 12th coach inschool history•Wins the 1992 National Black CollegeFootball Championship with a record of11-2.•Earl Holmes becomes the All-Time careerleader in tackles finishing with 509 in1995. Recorded 30 individual tacklesagainst Southern and 103 during the 1995season.•Kwame Vidal sets a new school singleseason rushing record with 1,284 yardsduring the 1995 year.•Defeats Hampton University in sixovertimes, 59-58 at the Circle City Classicin 1996.•Tyrone McGriff becomes the first FAMUplayer to be inducted into College FootballHall of Fame in 1996•Defeats undefeated Grambling in 199413-0 and undefeated Southern 65-18 in1999 to end their number one ranking inthe Sheridan Black College Poll.•Oteman Sampson and Patrick Bonnerbecomes the only two quarterbacks inschool history to pass for over 3,000 yardsin a single season. Sampson with 3,292yards in 1997 and Bonner with 3,575 yardsin 1998.•Robert Wilson becomes only the secondplayer in school history to have over 1,000yards receiving in a single season with1,161 in 1996.•Plays in four consecutive NCAA Playoffgames, compiling a 3-4 record.•Willie Galimore becomes the secondFAMU player elected into the CollegeFootball Hall of Fame in 1999.•Oteman Sampson sets individual totaloffense record against Georgia Southern in1997 NCAA I-AA playoff game.•Patrick Bonner records a single-seasonrecord 4,148 yards and 38 TD’s during the1998 year.•Patrick Bonners passes for 502 yardsagainst Howard in the 1998 Orange

Blossom Classic in Jacksonville.•Largest score in the Orange BlossomClassic, FAMU 76 S.C. State 17, in 1999.•Oteman Sampson becomes the first QBin school history to have multiple 300+games in 1997 against Tennessee State(390); North Carolina A&T (413); andGeorgia Southern (469).•Patrick Bonner becomes the only QB topass for over 400 yards in three singlegames during the 1998 year. (469-Southern; 483-Tennessee State; 502-Howard).•Jacquay Nunnally becomes the firstreceiver in school history to have three1,000+ single seasons between 1997-2000.

2000’s•Jacquay Nunnally breaks Jerry Rice’sreceiving record and sets new NCAACareer Receiving mark against Southernduring the 2000 season. He ends hiscareer with 318 catches.•Jacquay Nunnally becomes the firstfour-time All-America between 1997-2000 and finishes his career as theschool’s All-Time receiver in catches,yards, and touchdowns.•Troy Hart returns an interception 100yards for a touchdown against Howard,setting a school record for the longestinterception return in 2001.•Quinn Gray becomes the All-Timepassing leader with 7, 378 yards, 1,113attempts, 562 completions and 57 TDpasses in 2001.•Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the1978 National Championship in 2003.•Coach Billy Joe moves past RudyHubbard for second in All-time wins atFAMU with 86 in 2004.

2005•Celebrates the 100th Year of FAMUFootball and plays its Centennial Gameon November 5, 2005 against NorthCarolina A&T University.


FAMU’S GREATEST GAMES

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

FAMU FOOTBALL’S GREATEST GAMES

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 WillieGalimore score four touchdowns, but the Big BlueTigers prevailed with a critical defensive stand in thefinal minutes.

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

a thrilling back-and-forth contest. The gamefeatured future pro stars like FAMU’s Glen Edwardsand Tampa’s Freddie Solomon and John Matusak.

1 9 7 7FAMU 31, Tennessee State28

FAMU in the midst of its’ last undefeatedseason, went into the lair of their hated archrivals,Tennessee State in Nashville, roaring off to astunning 17-0 lead in 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 archrivalsin the first Florida Classic at Tampa, the Rattlersstaged a scintillating 27-point second half rally tooverhaul the Wildcats. The critical play was quarterback Albert Chester’sheartstopping fourth-down scramble early in the



final period 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 andonly NCAA Division 1-AA playoff at frigidMississippi Memorial Stadium, holding on for dearlife after grabbing a 15-0 lead in the first period. The Rattlers turned the game over to their nation-leading defensive unit to hamstring the JSU duo ofPerry Harrington and Jeffrey Moore, who had bothrushed for over 1,000 yards in the regular season.FAMU halted four different Tiger drives withoutpoints inside their five yard line in the game.

1 9 7 8FAMU 35, Massachusetts28NCAA Division 1-AAChampionship Florida A&M’s own running men - fullbackMichael Solomon and halfback Melvin McFaydencombined for over 400 rushing yards as the Rattlersran past the Minutemen for the inaugural NCAADivision 1-AA national 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 Division1-A Miami at Florida State’s Campbell Stadium, theRattlers pulled off the stunning upset thanks largelyto the gutsy running of quarterback Sammy Knight,whose shifty moves foiled the vaunted UM defenseas he rushed for 100 yards. A Vince Coleman 34-yard field goal with 3:49 leftin the game broke a 13-13 tie. But in the end, it wasthe Rattler defense that denied UM the end zone byvirtue of an epic stand inside the five yard line whichforced a fourth-down field goal attempt for the tieby Dan Miller, which went wide with 31 seconds left.

1 9 9 2FAMU 28, Ga. Southern 17

Florida A&M had knocked off GSU 17-14 in1987, after the Eagles had come off back-to-backDivision 1-AA national titles, but this 1992 season-opening triumph was even more impressive. Impressive because FAMU bested the Eagles atStatesboro, Georgia with this decisive win,becoming just the fourth team to beat them at AllenPaulson Stadium since GSU revived football in1984. Keith Brown’s 78-yard bomb to Tyrone Davis onthe game’s opening play stunned GSU, setting the

tone for this rain-plagued, regionally-televisedbattle.

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

The high-flying Tigers of legendary EddieRobinson were the number one Black College cluband ranked number three in Division1-AA . Nonetheless, the underdog Rattlers deployeda relentless 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 tieda national 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 39-38 scoring spree in the six extra periods. Freshman fullback Ken Williams’ one-yard plungeand Juan Toro’s PAT kick proved the game winner.FAMU kept fans on the edge of their seats, scoringthree times in the extra frames on fourth down.

1 9 9 7FAMU 22, S.C. State 20 Florida A&M’s flickering playoff hopes, boostedby the stunning rout of Southern the week before,became a can’t-miss signal to the NCAA selectioncommittee, as they staged a last-gasp rally thatwould become a trademark over the next couple ofseasons, edging South Carolina State, 22-20. Trailing 20-16 with just under two minutes left,the Rattler offense came to life as quarterbackOteman Sampson found Cainon Lamb down thesidelines for a 37-yard pass play that set up KenWilliams’ 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 defenseearly and often and thanks to some Rattler specialteams miscues (end zone fumble; blocked punt) theEagles soared 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, 45-37 with seven minutes left.



GIVING THANKS: Kickers T.J. Smith (10), Juan Toro (18) in center and wideout CainonLamb (4) give thanks to the Almighty after Toro’s game-winning field nipped Southern

University, 50-48, at Baton Rouge in 1998.

However the Rattlers could get no closer asSouthern clinched the game with a late touchdownfor the 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-huddleexpertise to foil the upset bid of the SouthernJaguars 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 forthe third 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 the

time 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 a 35-0 lead after one quarter ofplay. With FAMU up 7-0, the nightmare for Southernbegan in earnest as linebacker Greg Ray’sdevastating hit on the ensuing kickoff resulted in afumble recovered by Neil Colzie for a nine-yard scorethat sent a crowd of over 19,000 into a frenzy andthe Jags to their only regular season loss.

1 9 9 9Florida A&M 44,Appalachian State 29Division 1-AA First-Round Playoff Florida A&M faced fourth-seeded AppalachianState in a 1-AA first round game in the westernmountains of North Carolina and the crisp, clear dayturned into a magic moment for the Rattlers. The 13th-seeded Floridians totally dominated ASUearly, building a 19-0 lead and a 34-15 bulge late inthe third period. The Mountaineers closed to within five points, 34-29 with eight minutes left, but QB JaJuan Seider ledFAMU on an 80-yard TD drive to slam the door andvault the Rattlers to the quarterfinals for the secondstraight year.



THE ORANGE BLOSSOM CLASSICForerunner of the modern day HBCU Football Classics,

the Orange Blossom Classic enjoys its’ 69th renewal this year 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, where fittingly,the Rattlers faced theiroriginal opponent from thefirst-ever Classic game -Howard University - in AlltelStadium. In 2002 and 2003, theClassic had been played inTallahassee, but in 2005, itreturns for the secondstraight year to the cityof its’ glory days - Miami,as Florida A&M joins handswith Florida InternationalUniversity for an mid-fallshowdown, October 1. Ironically, it was just afterThanksgiving in 1933, whenthis fabled game began.

But this year’s FAMU/FIUjoint Classic isn’t the firsttime such a partnership dealhas been stuck in the OBC’slong history.

Classic MergedBriefly in 1999....

In this day and age of thecorporate merger, Florida A&M andSouth Carolina State agreed tomerge their two legendary classics:FAMU’s OBC and SCSU’s PalmettoState Classic into the OrangeBlossom Palmetto Classic, withhopes of building on the twotraditions into a big payday. The inaugural game (1999) sawFlorida A&M win big, 76-17 before20,000 fans in Alltel Stadium andthe Rattlers won in style last year(2000), 64-9. However, after the 2001 game inJacksonville, Florida A&M electedto move the fabled game toTallahassee for the 2002 campaign.

1933: The OBCBegins.... The OBC was born of an idea bythe late FAMU business managerJ.R.E. Lee, Jr., son of then-present

Dr. J.R.E. Lee, Sr., in1933. From that first game,the “Classic” became alegendary event, asFAMU’s burgeoningpowerhouse program ofthe 1940’s, 1950’s and1960’s went toe-to-toewith the giants of BlackCollege Football, oftendeciding that year’smythical nationalchampionship. Lee’s idea came fromobserving “classics” suchas the one HowardUniversity hosted everyyear duringThanksgiving Day. Leesurmised that “if

Howard could host a classic, socould Florida A&M.” So Lee arranged for Howardto make the trip fromWashington, D.C. toJacksonville, Florida, where thefirst OBC was played onDecember 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 Jacksonville



in 1937, to Orlando’s TinkerField (1937-41). In Orlando,crowds grew from the initial3,000 to over 6,000, forcing amove back to Jacksonville (1942-43). During the height of WorldWar Two, the game moved toTampa’s Phillips Field (1944-46), before making a break forthe Magic City of Miami. The OBC became hailed as theultimate Black College FootballClassic after settling in Miami’sOrange Bowl in 1947. In thatfirst Miami game, Miami nativeNathaniel “Traz” Powellbecame the first Black to score atouchdown in the stadium in a 7-0 win against Hampton (Va.). Heady days were ahead for

the OBC, whose crowds soared intothe 30,000-40,000-range in the1950’s and 1960’s. The largest crowd ever to see anOrange Blossom Classic was the47,191 fans that watched FAMU capa perfect season (10-0-0) in 1961,with a 14-8 win over Jackson(Miss.) State. Recent years (since the 1970s) sawa decline in the game’s popularitydue to the proliferation of “Classics”which reduced the singular visibilityof the OBC. Also, the advent of thepredominately Black colleges anduniversities into the NCAA andNAIA meant national playoffopportunities which cut into thepool of selectable teams.

Plus, integration, whichallowed Black athletes to attendschools like the University ofMiami, eliminated the novelty forwhites of seeing Blacks playingcollege football. The MiamiDolphins’ advent in the late1960’s also played a role insapping the interest in the OBCin South Florida. The National FootballLeague’s Hall of Famehonored the OBC in 1984 for its’contributions to the league byserving as a showcase for topBlack College talent during the1950’s and 1960’s. Florida A&M holds a 43-24-1 lead in the OrangeBlossom Classic.

ORANGE BLOSSOM CLASSIC SCORECARD#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##2000 Florida 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 FIU 40, FAMU 23

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



FLORIDA CLASSIC XXVITHE Walt Disney World

presented by STATE FARM

Now America’s top Black College Football event, theFlorida Classic has drawn over 1.2 million fans since 1978

The Florida Classic is morethan just a football game andmore than an instate rivalry. It is now the largest footballgame between two historicallyBlack Colleges in America,surpassing the Bayou Classicbetween Grambling andSouthern in New Orleans. Thanks to last year’s 71,153crowd - the sixth (6th)straight game with 70,000or more fans - the Classichas now drawn in excess of 1.2million fans since 1978. The Florida Classic is born ofa rivalry that has had all the angstand intensity of a WorldWrestling Federation storyline. There have been disputes overgame sites, disputes that resultedin the series being suspended fortwo years (1983, 1984), not tomention Bethune-Cookman’srevival to make the series acompetitive one in the last fewyears. With a new venue, nationally-ranked programs in bothTallahassee and Daytona Beach,crowds in excess of 70,000 thepast three years plus a worldreknowned entertainment giantlike Walt Disney World as thetitle sponsor, the sky now appearsto be the limit for a game, whosefortunes seemed to be on thewane just a few years ago.

CHANGE OF VENUEPROVIDES LIFT... The last eight years have seenthe Florida Classic revived tothe point that it has nowovershadowed the drawing powerof the Bayou Classic in NewOrleans, between Grambling andSouthern.

•The 1997 season saw a changeof venue for the Florida Classic,as the two schools moved the gameto Orlando’s Florida CitrusBowl Stadium. That year’s affair was a rousingsuccess, as 56,351 fans swarmedinto the Citrus Bowl. But that 1997 crowd was eclipsedin 1998, when 66,245 packed thestadium for the game whichdetermined the 1998 MEACChampionship and postseasoninvitations. In 1999, the Classic drew 70,125fans to Orlando, the sixth-largestfootball event ever held in theFlorida Citrus Bowl. But even that attendance wasovershadowed by the 2000 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titlegame, which drew 70,719, for a 31-28 thriller won by the Rattlers. The 2003 game stands as the

largest crowd ever inthe series - 73,358 . Florida A&M holds an16-7 edge in the meetingssince the instate rivalrymoved from a home-and-home scenario to an annualneutral site spectacular inTampa Stadium in 1978. Overall, the Rattlerslead the 55-game series,43-14-1. Bethune-Cookman hasmade the series morecompetitive since 1973,winning 11 of their 14series victories duringthat span, including lastyear’s 58-52 overtimewin. And with the advent of the

firebrand coach Alvin Wyatt,Sr. at Bethune-Cookman,games have been more along thelines of the nail-biting kind,versus the traditional blowoutdominance FAMU enjoyed formany years in the series.

THE CLASSIC’SEARLY YEARS.... Despite the obvious FAMUdominance of the series overall,the two schools drew ever-increasing crowds until they hadto abandon their home stadiumsfor larger venues. Sites like the Florida CitrusBowl in Orlando, theDaytona InternationalSpeedway and DoakCampbell Stadium inTallahassee were the sites ofsome of those “home” gamesbefore the two schools agreed ona permanent site - Tampa - in1978.

Florida Classic 1950 - The Florida Classic

name was used for many FAMU neutral sitegames including this 1950 showdown with B-CC.



In that first game in 1978,Florida A&M turned a 17-0halftime deficit into ascintillating come-from-behind27-17 win enroute to theinaugural NCAA Division 1-AAtitle. The series began in 1925, withFlorida A&M winning 25-0.B-CC’s first win came a yearlater, 12-0 in 1926.

At one stretch, the Rattlers won19 straight games including a trioof sheer torch jobs in 1959, 1960and 1961 with scores of 68-6, 97-0 and 76-0. The two schools went through atwo-year hiatus in 1983 and 1984,when they could not agree on aplaying site. But public pressure from alumni,fans and state officials brought

them back to the negotiating tableand they resumed the series in1985. The renewal of the rivalrywas as good as it gets, asBethune-Cookman won a wildshootout, 31-27 in 1985. This is truly a series where theproverbial adage that “you canthrow out all the records,”truly applies.

Classic Vaults Over 1.2 Million In AttendanceGame has drawn over 500,000 In Orlando since 1997 Overall attendance for the annual Walt Disney World Florida Classic football game,presented by State Farm Insurance, has now surpassed the 1.2 million mark. •Last year, the Classic drew 71,153 fans, the sixth straight game of 70,000 attendance forthe game. •The 2003 affair drew 73,358 fans to the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Florida- a Classic record. Beginning with the first neutral site Florida Classic game in Tampa in 1978, the 25 gamesthrough 2004 have drawn 1,234,068 fans. That works out to a per-game average of 49,363fans. The Classic was moved to Orlando in 1997 and the event has drawn 548,264 fans in eight(8) years, for a per-game norm of 68,533.

Florida Classic Scorecard & Attendance since 19782004 71,153* B-CC 58, FAMU 52, OT2003 73,358* B-CC 39, FAMU 352000 70,719* FAMU 31, B-CC 282002 70,201* B-CC 37, FAMU 101999 70,125* FAMU 63, B-CC 142001 70,112* FAMU 31, B-CC 211998 66,245* FAMU 50, B-CC 141997 56,351* FAMU 52, B-CC 351988 50,259@ B-CC 25, FAMU 01981 45,964@ FAMU 29, B-CC 01989 43,703@ FAMU 30, B-CC 71980 43,281@ B-CC 16, FAMU 141990 42,776@ FAMU 42, B-CC 201978 42,061@ FAMU 27, B-CC 171987 41,521@ FAMU 21, B-CC 101985 41,358@ B-CC 31, FAMU 271992 40,714@ B-CC 35, FAMU 211991 40,259@ FAMU 46, B-CC 281979 40,253@ B-CC 25, FAMU 201982 39,160@ FAMU 29, B-CC 141986 38,204@ FAMU 16, B-CC 61995 37,006@ FAMU 43, B-CC 01994 36,813@ B-CC 27, FAMU 241993 31,264@ FAMU 27, B-CC 221996 31,208@ FAMU 41, B-CC 7[@]-Tampa; [*]-Orlando



FAMU’s GREATEST PLAYERSListed below are over 100 of the all-time gridiron greats

by position in Florida A&M history. Fans and alumni will selectthe 25 greatest players, who will be honored at the

November 5 Centennial Football Game

OffenseRUNNINGBACKS•Barber, Tony (1983-86)•Childs, Clarence (1958-60)•Cromartie, Leroy (1941-45)•Curtis, Ulysses (1945-48)•Dixon, Hewritt (1960-64)•Edwards, Glen (1967-70)•Everett, James (1933-35)•Felts, Bobby (1961-64)•Frazier, Al (1953-56)•Galimore, Willie (1953-56)•Ginn, Hubert (1966-69)•Hardee, Leroy (1955-58)•Jones, Archie (1978-80)•Middleton, Frank (179-82)•Montgomery, Ted (1944-47)•Paramore, Robert (1961-64)•Powell, Nathaniel (1944-47)•Rackley, James (1971-74)•Rasul, Amir (1988-90)•Solomon, Michael (1977-80)•Strachan, Stanley (1936-39)•Thomas, Gene (1961-65)•Vidal, Kwame (1993-96)•Williams, Ike (1975-78)•Williams, Macon (1939-42)•Wilson, William (1958-61)

QUARTERBACKS•Bonner, Patrick (1998)•Chester, Albert (1975-78)•Collier, Emory (1958-61)•Ezell, Tony (1988-91)•Gray, Quinn (1998-2001)•Hepburn, Alkin (1948-52)

•Holt, Kenny (1971-74)•Koonce, Nate (1980-82)•Riley, Ken (1965-68)•Sampson, Oteman (1996-97)•Scruggs, Steve (1968-70)•Tullis, James (1961-63)•Williams, Jim (1944-48)

RECEIVERS•Alexander, Ray (1980-83)•Allen, Charlie (2000-03)•Bland, Tony (1991-94)•Daniel, Tim (1988-91)•Denson, Alfred (1961-63)•Eason, John (1966-69)•Jones, Melvin (1965-68)•Kittles, Costa (1947-50)•Lamb, Cainon (1997-99)•Mickens, Terry (1990-93)•Milton, Gene (1964-67)•Nunnally, Jacquay (1997-00)•Schoolfield, Kent (1967-70)•Sykes, Alfreddie (1967-70)•White, Andre (1963-66)•Wilson, Robert (1993-96)

LINEMAN•Billie, Demetrius (1994-96)•Beauford, Terry (1987-90)•Brown, Jamie (1991-94)•Chandler, Tommie (1957-61)•Coleman, Roosevelt (1959-62)•Clarington, Willie (1959-62)•Crowell, Carl (1955-57)•Finnie, Roger (1965-68)•Gant, Jack (1944-48)•Givens, Rudy (1965-68)•Goodrum, Charles (1968-

71)•Griffin, Pete (1935-38)•Hayes, Autry (1976-79)•Highsmith, Walter(1964-67)•Hill, Ralph (1972-75)•Kelly, John (1962-65)•Lawrence, Henry (1972-75)•Lewis, Kiser (1976-79)•Lovett, Horace (1966-69)•McCaskill, Jimmy (1966-69)•McClung, Willie (1951-54)•McGriff, Tyrone (1976-79)•Marshall, Sam (1953-56)•Miranda, Curtis (1957-61)•Nails, Jamie (1993-96)•Rollins, Robert (1945-48)•Savage, Bruce (1974-77)•Smith, Vernice (1985-88)•Taylor, Curtis (1972-75)•Taylor, Jelly (1946-49)•Tookes, Hansel (1939-42)•Williams, Wally (1990-93)

DefenseLINEMAN•Brewer, Bryan (1985-88)•Cousins, Jomo (1995-97)•Clark, Irvin (1988-90)•Dailey, Jauron (1998-2000)•Eason, R.C. (1980-83)•Finnie, Roger (1967-69)•Grady, Frank (1976-79)



•Grady, Jeff (1975-77)•Hayes, Tony (1979-82)•Holmes, John (1962-65)•Jackson, Herman (1963-66)•Johnson, Alonzo (1977-82)•Johnson, Claude (1972-75)•Jones, Carlmon (1966-69)•Jones, Merlon (1982-85)•Lang, Bobby (1953-57)•Lee, Willie (1959-61)•Lee, Reggie (1994-95)•Maloney, Charles (1948-52)•Merchant, Frank (1959-62)•Mitchell, Bradley (1945-48)•Moore, Riley (1956-59)•Newton, Nate (1980-83)•Oates, Carlton (1969-72)•Oates, Riley (1960-64)•Oliver, Harrell (1976-79)•Sims, Rudy (1966-69)

LINEBACKERS•Benson, John (1981-83)•Coffee, Benny (1969-72)•Collier, Otis (1966-69)•Davis, Darryl (1988-89)•Drew, Darryl (1980-84)•Holmes, Earl (1992-95)•Johnson, Claude (1972-

75)•Johnson, Olrick (1995-98)•Jones, Cedric (1981-91)•Kenchon, William (1950-53)•Marion, Frank (1973-76)•Poole, Frankie (1973-76)•Rogers, Mel (1973-76)•Spaulding, Jesse (1977-80)•Stevens, Al (1968-71)•Stockton, Charles (1967-70)•Yates, Joe (1977-80)

DEFENSIVE BACKS•Atkins, Gene (1984-87)•Bennett, Antoine (1987-90)•Brown, Levy (2000-03)•Carroll, William (1989-92)•Evers, William (1986-89)•Fair, Matt (1985-88)•Hart, Troy (1998-2001)•Hazelton, Major (1966-69)•Hutchinson, Dorsey (1978-81)•Jefferson, Don (1982-85)•Johnson, Ken (1985-88)•Lane, Thomas (1976-79)•Parnell, Curtis (1971-75)•Ramsey, Gifford (1977-80)•Sadler, Warren (1975-79)•Smith, Darrell (1982-92)•Sutton, Charles (1961-64)•Tyson, Daryle (1976-79)•Williams, Felix (1972-75)

SpecialistsPUNTER•Champion, John (1968-71)•Coleman, Greg (1972-75)•Coleman, Vince (1978-81)•Dawson, Rod (1982-86)•Ford, Darrin (1994-97)•Eason, John (1964-67)•Miller, Damon (2002-04)•Smith, T.J. (1998-2001)•Taylor, Layne (1983-86)•Wilson, Vaughn (1985-88)

PLACEKICKER•Camron, Tim (1992-94)•Coleman, Greg (1972-75)•Coleman, Vince (1978-81)•Freeman, Maurice (1982-85)•Reinhard, Herb (1976-79)•Toro, Juan (1995-97)•Vasquez, Juan (2000-03)•Vertuno, Jimmy (1987-90)

RETURNSPECIALIST•Davis, Tyrone (1989-91)•Hayes, Bob (1961-64)•Harrington, Pat (1993-95)•Huckaby, Howard (1986-89)•Lucas, David (1989-91)•Parnell, Curtis (1974-76)•Powell, Leroy (1971-73)•Smith, Michael (1982-84)•Williams, Joe (1965-67)

1938: FAMU’S FIRST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMLed byCoachBill Bell,the 1938Rattlersfinished8-0,allowingjust sevenpointsall sea-son,winningFAMU’sfirst title.



FAMU’s PRO FOOTBALL ALUMNIOver 120 former Rattlers advanced to the professional ranks,some for brief stays, others for longer stints, since the 1950s

LB Earl Holmes (L) of Detroit and QB Quinn Gray (R) of Jacksonville,are the two currently active Rattlers in the National Football League.

NationalFootball 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).

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), 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- )

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

(1996-01); Cleveland (2002),Detroit (2003- )

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)Lamb, Cainon, WR, Miami (2000- )

Lane, Thomas, DB, Minnesota (1980)

Lawrence, Henry, OT, Oakland/LARaiders (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)

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)

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)

CanadianFootball LeagueAlexander, Ray, WR, British Columbia

(1990-95),Calgary (1986)

Bendross, Demetris, WR, Calgary (2000-

)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)

Qaiyim, Tariq, WR, Calgary (1999- )

Sampson, Oteman, QB, Calgary (1999-00)

Shipman, Gary, DB, British Columbia

(1990)Sims, Rudy, DL (Ottawa, 1969-76)

Taylor, Jelly, OC, Hamilton (1950)

United StatesFootball 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 FootballLeagueBeauford, Terry, C, Tampa (1997-99)

Bridges, Tremayne, WR/KR, Iowa (1998-

99)Certain, Ernest, DT, Tampa Bay

(2002- )

Frost, Robert, OG, Cleveland (1992)Jackson, Boris, WR, Florida (1999- )

Moore, Bryan, RB-WR, Orlando (1991-

92)Rainey, J.C., DB, Tampa Bay (1992)

Thornton, Michael, DT, Tampa Bay

(1997)Walker, Jonathan, DB/LB, Florida

(1999)

Arena FootballLeague2Certain, Ernest, DT, Tallahassee (2000-01 )

Farlin, Marcus, OL/DL, Tallahassee

(2000- )Jackson, Boris, RB/DB, Pensacola

(2000- )

Lamb, Cainon, WR/RB, Tallahassee(2002)

Odum, Karlos, DB/WR, Pensacola

(2000- )Parker, Russell, DB, Jacksonville (2000-

)

Taylor, Marvin, WR/DB, Tallahassee(2000-01)

Walker, Jonathan, LB, Pensacola (2000-

01)White, Caran, TE, Tallahassee (2000- )

Williams, Larry, DB, Pensacola (2000- )

Young, Jay, WR, Tallahassee (2000- )

World League of American Football

Allen, Mario, QB, Amsterdam (1997)Bennett, Antoine, DB, Ohio Glory

(1992)

Rasul, Amir, RB, Ohio Glory (1992)

NFL EuropeGray, Quinn, QB, Frankfurt Galaxy(2002)

Moore, Freddie, OT, Berlin (2001-02)


RATTLER ALL-AMERICANS

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


LEGENDS OF THE FALLRATTLER ALL-AMERICANS

Nearly 100 Rattler players have earned All-Americanhonors since Eugene Bragg in 1926

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)

Two-time All-America back Clarence “Poppa” Childsholds 1959 national championship trophy with assist fromOlympic track legend Jesse Owens (left) and heavyweightboxing great Joe Louis (right).


RATTLER ALL-AMERICANS

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 (1976,

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)

Toro, Juan, K (1997, 1998)

Tullis, James, QB (1963)

Varner, Alphonso, T (1951)

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)

Pat Bonner, QB1998

Earl Holmes, LB1994, 1995

Jacquay Nunnally, WR1997-98-99-2000

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