Florida A&M Rattlers Football News - Page 3

The 2023 HBCU Homecoming Season was truly memorable, with excitement both on the football field and in the yards of various institutions. Star-studded concert lineups, celebrity appearances, and classic moments like Edward Waters’ game-winning touchdown against Tuskegee made last year’s festivities unforgettable. Homecoming 2023 also saw us come together as an HBCU family, uplifting Morgan […]

Florida A&M defensive pass game coordinator and safeties coach Davon Morgan announced he is leaving the university after two years of service. Morgan released a heart-felt statement on ‘X’ filled with appreciation and gratitude for all the people he met in Tallahassee. “I come to you today forever humble and grateful to have been a […]

After taking over the head coaching job at Florida A&M, James Colzie III promoted Joseph Henry to the assistant head coaching position. Henry served as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach in 2023, and he will add Colzie’s former title to his list of duties going forward. “My family and I are thrilled for […]

In the third installment of the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl, Team Gaither, led by the injured North Carolina Central quarterback Davius Richard, outlasted Team Robinson, 10-6. The game, which took place in New Orleans, LA, at Tulane University’s Yulman Stadium, ended the week of HBCU festivities in the city. The third edition of the HBCU […]

In a game that went scoreless for over two hours, North Carolina Central quarterback Davius Richard led Team Gaither with an early touchdown to the 10-6 win over Team Robinson in the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl. The final score was less indicative of the lack of offensive talent, but the game showcased how dominant the […]

Florida A&M’s Jeremy Moussa and North Carolina Central’s Davius Richard were recently named as the 2023 Black College Football Co-Players Of The Year, winning the Deacon Jones Award. The accolade for both quarterbacks was revealed by Black College Football Hall of Fame Co-founders James “Shack” Harris and Doug Williams at an all-players meeting during Allstate […]

On Monday, Feb. 20, athletes across multiple conferences and divisions congregated in New Orleans, LA to participate in the 2024 NFL HBCU Combine. Players from every position performed in typical combine tests and did separate drills in front of NFL scouts in preparation for the Draft in April. Canadian Football League scouts also attended the […]

The National Coalition of Minority Coaches named former Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons as its 2023 Coach of the Year. Simmons accepted the award during a ceremony at the Coalition Convention in Las Vegas on Feb. 17. He later posted about the award on his ‘X’ page. “I’m extremely humbled to receive this most […]

The late eighties saw a diversity of HBCU talent from across the country get the opportunity to play at the highest level. 1987 saw the inclusion of Greg Lloyd from Fort Valley State to a ferocious Pittsburgh Steelers defense that was feared and 1990, of course, saw the arrival of Shannon Sharpe from Savannah State […]

HBCU football players continued to be drafted into the NFL as the 1970s rolled on. Multiple teams started to select HBCU players, even spending first-round capital on select players that they believed would be game changers. 1976 saw Jackie Slater enter the league after dominating in the SWAC alongside Walter Payton and Robert Brazile on […]

In the 1960s, HBCUs produced several amazing NFL Draft prospects who went on to have legendary careers. The decade of NFL draftees featured greats such as Deacon Jones, Buck Buchanan, Bob Hayes, Leroy Kelly, Lem Barney, Willie Lanier, Rayfield Wright, Ken Houston, Claude Humphrey, Elvin Bethea, Art Shell, Charlie Joiner, and Ken Riley. This Black […]

North Carolina A&T quarterback Alston Hooker is leaving the Aggies to join Florida A&M. The institution announced his commitment to the program via their social media accounts on Wednesday morning during National Signing Day. 🚨 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗘𝗗 🚨 Rattlers signed quarterback Alston Hooker (@AlstonHooker112) from North Carolina A&T. 🔗 https://t.co/dAcB7src0e#FAMU | #Rattlers | #RELOAD | #REPEAT […]

In quotes obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat, Florida A&M Vice President of Athletics Tiffani Dawn-Sykes got the opportunity to reflect on the lessons that she learned from the rather tumultuous search for the next head football coach. The search took a turn when news leaked that the program was nearing a deal with current Fort […]

Every season, HBCU and other FCS schools will schedule games against a Power 5 conference opponents in football matchups known as “Money Games.” The smaller schools get paid a guaranteed lump sum of money, typically in the six-figure range. Despite the cash influx, the games themselves are not very competitive. Though the matchups can result […]

James Colzie III was officially announced by Florida A&M as the head coach of the football team on Monday and details of his contract are already available. According to Jim Henry of the Tallahassee Democrat, Colzie has signed a three-year contract worth $720,000. The contract includes an escalating base salary, starting at $230,000 in the […]

The Florida A&M football program has its next head coach, but the university forked over quite a bit of cash to ‘search’ for a man right in front of it. The Rattlers introduced James Colzie III as the next FAMU head football coach Monday, officially naming him the replacement for Willie Simmons, who joined Manny […]

After an extensive search for a head coach, the Florida A&M Rattlers decided to look internally and promoted interim head coach James Colzie III to the full time position. The university held a press conference on Jan. 29 to officially introduce Colzie as the 19th head football coach. Colzie began and ended his portion of […]

Florida A&M University has officially appointed James Colzie III as its 19th full-time head football coach.  The Rattlers set out to find a new head football coach after Willie Simmons departed the institution to become running backs coach at Duke University on January 1st. 𝗜𝗧’𝗦 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟 James Colzie III has been named the 19th head […]

Even after declaring for the NFL Draft, Florida A&M’s former quarterback Jeremy Moussa continues to rack up the accolades. Most recently, he was the HBCU recipient of the 2023 Quarter Phi Back Award. More specifically, he received the BIP Memorial Trophy for HBCUs, which recognizes the top quarterback from Black colleges. The M.E.N.T.O.R.S. foundation established […]

When media personality Scottay of Offscript TV broke the news that Alabama State and North Carolina Central would play in the Orange Blossom Classic, many HBCU football fans around the country questioned the decision. On his live show with guest Perry White, Scottay of Offscript TV himself disapproved of the announcement. “I think this is […]

The Florida A&M Rattlers are gearing up for 2024 as they released their football schedule for the upcoming season. The Rattlers posted a simple yet powerful announcement of their schedule on their ‘X’ page. Running back and Celebration Bowl MVP Kelvin Dean sat in a gold-and-green throne with a Celebration Bowl hat and held the […]

In a particularly shocking announcement, the Alabama State Hornets and North Carolina Central Eagles will be playing in the 2024 Orange Blossom Classic. Since its establishment in 1933, the Orange Blossom Classic has always featured Florida A&M since it was founded by the son of the university’s president, J.R.E. Lee Jr. The game takes place […]

Florida A&M is losing another key staffer from the Willie Simmons regime, this time Assistant AD for Football Operations Troy Johnson. Johnson announced his departure from the school in a social media post thanking the Florida A&M community for the experience. Rattler Nation…Simply Put Thank You!!! Thank you for allowing me, for the last 3 […]

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders says he wants to help Florida A&M determine their next head coach. The former Jackson State head coach who departed the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in December of 2022 to coach the Buffaloes offered his list of coaches in his network that he believed could handle the job in a […]

The Florida A&M Rattlers are set to lose another coach as Murray State hires away defensive coordinator Ryan Smith, according to Football Scoop. Smith was an FCS Coordinator of the Year Finalist as he constructed one of the best defenses in the SWAC. Instead of returning to Tallahassee, Jody Wright, the head coach for Murray […]

The Florida A&M head coaching search is set to continue. Florida A&M Vice President of Athletics Tiffani Dawn-Sykes announced that she will be allowing a currently unspecified search firm to assist in choosing who will serve as the 19th head coach of the football program following the departure of Willie Simmons to Duke University. Florida […]

Fort Valley State athletic director Dr. Renee Myles Payne announced via the Fort Valley State University Sports Twitter/X page that current head coach Shawn Gibbs has renewed his contract with the institution. The announcement comes a week after news circulated that Gibbs was the leading candidate to replace departed Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons, […]

The Florida A&M coaching search that started with the departure of Willie Simmons has commanded the attention of the greater HBCU sports world. The drama of potential coaching hires and alumni frustration at Vice President of Athletics Tiffani Dawn-Sykes has dominated conversations amongst HBCU football enthusiasts. But, often lost in the talk is Simmons’s move […]

Days after Shawn Gibbs was rumored to be the frontrunner to replace Willie Simmons as head coach of Florida A&M, current interim head coach James Colzie III still remains determined and willing to assume the position. Per comments obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat, Colzie is still optimistic that he’ll get the job. “You hope at […]

Tevin Griffey, former Florida A&M defensive back and son of MLB icon Ken Griffey Jr, is transferring from FAMU to Boise State. Griffey entered the transfer portal on Dec. 21, shortly before FAMU head coach Willie Simmons left for an opportunity at Duke University. Griffey will be joining a Boise State team that dominated the […]

Florid A&M National Alumni Association President Curtis E. Johnson has written a letter to university president Dr. Larry Robinson regarding VP of Athletics Tiffani Dawn-Sykes. The letter was posted by WCTV sports reporter and anchor Alison Posey and directly lists the grievances that were discussed in the National Alumni Association meeting that was held via […]

Amid the coaching drama surrounding the departure of Willie Simmons from Florida A&M, Director of Recruiting Devin Rispress has exited the program to join Deion Sanders at Colorado. Rispress announced the move via his social media on Thursday evening. “It has been said that sometimes life comes at you fast… and I feel that wholeheartedly. […]

Following the controversy surrounding the impending hire of current Fort Valley State head football coach Shawn Gibbs, the Florida A&M National Alumni Association filed a vote of no confidence in Athletic Director Tiffani Dawn-Sykes by a vote of 18-3. The meeting was held via Zoom on Wednesday evening and alumni expressed their grievances with the […]

Mike Elko was named the coach of Texas A&M in November but the aftereffects of his departure from Duke are certainly being felt in the HBCU world. The notion that Elko’s appointment as the head coach of the Aggies, now SEC competitors, is laughable at first thought. But, as you look at the confluence of […]

Florida A&M star receiver Marcus Riley recently declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. Riley announced his decision with an extensive post on his ‘X’ page. Amongst gratitude to his support system and former schools of Louisville and Bethune-Cookman, Riley spent a considerable portion of the post thanking his “FAMUly.” “To my Tallahassee FAMUly, I want […]

Florida A&M star quarterback Jeremy Moussa has declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. Moussa announced his decision to declare for the NFL Draft via his social media accounts. Ready for what’s next. Thank you to everyone who has helped me along my journey! pic.twitter.com/UG1CawxY1p — Moose (@jeremy_moussa) January 4, 2024 Moussa was a game-changer in […]

Willie Simmons shocked the HBCU world when he departed Florida A&M to become running back coach at Duke University. Although Florida A&M fans as well as HBCU football fans in general are confounded by the move, Simmons has been met with almost unanimous love and support for his future. However, the support for the departing […]

Willie Simmons’ departure stings Florida A&M again as multiple transfers from Florida State have de-committed from the school. Running back Rodney Hill and offensive lineman Qae’Shon Sapp re-opened their recruitment statuses following Simmons’ decision to leave Florida A&M to become the running backs coach at Duke. “After much consideration, I would like to announce I […]

Florida A&M is searching for a new coach after Willie Simmons departed for Duke University, and Fred McNair could be next in line for the Rattlers. After much speculation, Simmons agreed to join Duke head coach Manny Diaz’s staff as the running backs coach. In his wake, Simmons left a talented roster that just won […]