| 1961 Florida A&M Rattlers football | |
|---|---|
| Black college national champion SIAC champion | |
| Orange Blossom Classic, W 14–8 vs. Jackson State | |
| Conference | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| Record | 10–0 (5–0 SIAC) |
| Head coach |
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| Home stadium | Bragg Memorial Stadium |
| Seasons← 19601962 → | |
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5 Florida A&M $ | 5 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 10 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama A&M | 5 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allen | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bethune–Cookman | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Morris Brown | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fisk | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tuskegee | 4 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Morehouse | 3 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clark (GA) | 2 | – | 3 | – | 1 | 3 | – | 3 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lane | 1 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Benedict | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Carolina State | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama State | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Knoxville | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fort Valley State | 0 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 0 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1961 Florida A&M Rattlers football team was an American football team that represented Florida A&M University as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1961 college football season. In their 17th season under head coach Jake Gaither, the Rattlers compiled a perfect 10–0 record, including a victory over Jackson State in the Orange Blossom Classic for the black college football national championship, and shut out six of ten opponents. The team was ranked No. 4 in the final AP small college poll and No. 6 in the final UPI coaches poll.
Center Curtis Miranda received first-team honors on the 1961 Little All-America college football team.
The team's statistical leaders included Robert Paremore with 376 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns and 66 points scored, Emory Collier with 742 passing yards, and Al Denson with 395 receiving yards.
The team played its home games at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 30 | at Benedict | Columbia, SC | W 52–0 | |||||
| October 7 | vs. Lincoln (MO)* |
| W 49–6 | |||||
| October 14 | Morris Brown | W 56–0 | ||||||
| October 21 | Bethune–Cookman |
| W 76–0 | |||||
| October 28 | at South Carolina State | Orangeburg, SC | W 60–0 | |||||
| November 4 | at North Carolina A&T* | No. 7 | Greensboro, NC | W 32–12 | ||||
| November 11 | Allen | No. 6 |
| W 71–0 | ||||
| November 18 | Southern* | No. 5 |
| W 46–0 | ||||
| November 25 | Texas Southern* | No. 4 |
| W 48–7 | ||||
| December 9 | vs. Jackson State* | No. 4 | W 14–8 | 47,791 | ||||
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References
- Harold Claassen (December 6, 1961). "Annual Little All-Americans -- Small College Stars Selected". The Shreveport Journal. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Florida A&M Rattler Football Media Guide" (PDF). Florida A&M University. 2015.
- "Rattlers Slash Benedict, 52-0". Tallahassee Democrat. October 1, 1961. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Rattlers Thunder By Lincoln, 49-6". Tallahassee Democrat. October 8, 1961. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Rattlers Roll Along, 56-0". Tallahassee Democrat. October 15, 1962. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Ho, Hum -- It's Rattlers, 76-0!". Tallahassee Democrat. October 22, 1961. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Paremore Guides A&M 60-0 Win". Tallahassee Democrat. October 29, 1961. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Rattlers Get By A&T Team, 32-12". Tallahassee Democrat. November 5, 1961. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
- "A&M Rips By Allen, 71-0". Tallahassee Democrat. November 12, 1961. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
- "A&M Rips Southern, 46-0". Tallahassee Democrat. November 19, 1961. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Rattlers Bounce TSU, 48-7". Tallahassee Democrat. November 26, 1961. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
- "A&M Sneaks By Jackson State, 14-8". Tallahassee Democrat. December 10, 1961. p. 33 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
| Florida A&M Rattlers football | |
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| National championship seasons in bold | |