Florida A&M Rattlers Football News - Page 3

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 […]

Tiffani-Dawn Sykes, the Athletic Director of Florida A&M, confirmed the recent news of head football Coach Willie Simmons resigning today via Zoom. According to Sykes, Coach Simmons submitted his resignation letter at 2 pm and has decided to pursue an opportunity at Duke University as the program’s running backs coach. In the interim, James Colzie […]

It’s official, Willie Simmons is leaving his position as head coach at Florida A&M to become running backs coach at Duke University under new Blue Devils football coach Manny Diaz. The university announced the departure via a short press conference headed by Vice President of Athletics Tiffani Dawn-Sykes as well as an official announcement. Following […]

Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons is leaving Florida A&M to become running backs coach at Duke University, per a report by ESPN college football writer Adam Rittenberg. “Florida A&M coach Willie Simmons is expected to leave to become running backs coach at Duke under Manny Diaz. Simmons went 12-1 this year at FAMU, which […]

Amid rumors of a potential offer from Duke University, Florida A&M alumni have banded together to keep head coach Willie Simmons a Rattler for the foreseeable future. On Dec. 28, HBCU YouTuber personality Scottay of Offscript TV reported rumors that Duke wanted to hire Simmons as their running backs coach. The report garnered lots of […]

Florida A&M’s Willie Simmons guided his team to a Celebration Bowl earlier this month and now has a Power Five opportunity waiting for him. Willie Simmons has reportedly been offered the position of Running Backs coach at Duke University under new head coach Manny Diaz. Diaz was hired in early December, replacing former Blue Devils […]

Florida A&M just won the 2023 Celebration Bowl and they’re already putting themselves in a position to defend their title as the Black College Football National Champions. The Rattlers have garnered significant recruiting wins this off-season, getting a few talented FBS-to-FCS transfers that can prove to be productive as they look to continue domination in […]

Florida A&M continues to get big wins on the recruiting trail as they announce that they’ve landed former Florida State defensive back Demorie Tate. Florida A&M announced the commitment on their social media accounts. 🚨 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗘𝗗 🚨 Rattlers signed defensive back Demorie Tate from Florida State. Tate was a five star cornerback coming out of […]

The Celebration Bowl between Florida A&M and Howard University marked the end of another HBCU football season full of top-tier performances, rivalries renewed, and discourse about the future of the sport at the black college level. Florida A&M found themselves victorious in a 30-26 game over the Bison and claimed the title of the 2023 […]

Florida A&M landed a big-time transfer hours after winning the 2023 Celebration Bowl over Howard University. Former Clemson Tight End Sage Ennis committed to the Rattlers, returning to his home state to play for the team of his former high school coach and current Albany State coach Quinn Gray. I’m Coming Home‼️ #OurTime@HCWillieSimmons @TheCaseyWarming @Coach2Bless […]