Troy Trojans football
| Troy Trojans football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1909 | ||
| Athletic director | John Hartwell | ||
| Head coach |
Larry Blakeney 23rd year, 174–101–1 (.632) | ||
| Home stadium | Veterans Memorial Stadium | ||
| Stadium capacity | 30,000 | ||
| Stadium surface | Turf | ||
| Location | Troy, Alabama | ||
| League | NCAA Division I (FBS) | ||
| Conference | SBC | ||
| All-time record | 504–378–27 (.569) | ||
| Postseason bowl record | 2–3 (.400) | ||
| Claimed national titles | 3 (1 NAIA, 2 Division II) | ||
| Conference titles |
Alabama Intercollegiate: 3 Alabama Collegiate: 3 Mid-South: 1 Gulf South: 5 Southland: 3 Sun Belt: 5 | ||
| Heisman winners | 0 | ||
| Consensus All-Americans |
6 NAIA 10 Div-II 13 FCS 1 FBS | ||
| Colors |
Cardinal, Black, and Silver | ||
| Fight song | "Trojans One & All" | ||
| Mascot | Trojan | ||
| Marching band | The Sound of the South | ||
| Rivals |
Middle Tennessee State Jacksonville State | ||
| Website | TroyTrojans.com | ||
The Troy Trojans football program represents Troy University, Alabama, in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-A, of which it has been a member since 2001. The football program joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2004, while the other Troy athletic programs didn't join the SBC until 2005.
History
Troy University has fielded a football team continuously since 1946. Prior to that year, the team was fielded with only a few interruptions from 1909 to 1942. Eight years were skipped due to lack of participation and later World War I from 1913–1920, while the Wall Street Crash of 1929 kept the team from playing that year. Having moved up from Division I-AA (now known as Division I FCS), the team has competed in the NCAA's Division I-A/FBS since 2001.
Troy University football began playing in the NCAA's Division I-A in 2001, became a football only member of the Sun Belt Conference in 2004, and joined that conference for all other sports in 2005. In 2001, Troy defeated Mississippi State University at Scott Field in Starkville, Mississippi, by a count of 21-9 to notch the Trojans' first victory over a BCS level program. The Trojans began their 2004 campaign with a win over Marshall, and then garnered the program's largest win one game later as the Trojans defeated then #17 ranked Missouri, 24–14, in front of a Movie Gallery Stadium record crowd. The Trojan football team made its first bowl game appearance in the Silicon Valley Football Classic on December 30, 2004 that same season, but lost to Northern Illinois, 34–21. In 2006, Troy won the Sun Belt Conference for the first time after defeating Middle Tennessee in dramatic fashion in the last game of the 2006 season in a game that is now referred to as "The Miracle in Murfreesboro". As the 2006 Sun Belt Conference champions, Troy played in the New Orleans Bowl on December 22, 2006 against Rice University, routing the Owls of Conference USA by a score of 41–17. The New Orleans Bowl victory was Troy's first bowl victory in history.
Troy football head coach Larry Blakeney is entering his 20th season as head coach. He has led the program to three Southland Football League titles and five straight Sun Belt Conference titles, as well as guided the Trojans to seven FCS playoff appearances and four FBS bowl games. Blakeney boasts an overall record of 152-71-1 as head coach at Troy. Blakeney is the winningest coach in the Troy University history and he is the 4th winningest collegiate coach all-time in the state of Alabama, only behind greats Paul "Bear" Bryant, Cleveland L. Abbott, and Ralph "Shug" Jordan. Blakeney is just one of two coaches to ever take a football program from Division II to I-A (the other is UCF’s Gene McDowell).
Troy's only perfect regular season record in football came at the conclusion of the 1995 season as the Trojans finished 11–0 and were crowned champions of the Southland Football League heading into the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
Troy won the NAIA national football championship in 1968 and the NCAA Division II national football championship in 1984 and 1987.
Troy has accomplished winning five straight Sun Belt Conference championships since 2006, breaking North Texas' record of four straight Sun Belt titles from 2001 to 2004. The Trojans have also compiled a 32-5 record against Sun Belt competition during the last five seasons.
Head coaches
| Name | From | To | Record | Postseason | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | ||||
| Virgil P. McKinley | 1909 | 1909 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| Dan Harren | 1910 | 1910 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| George Penton | 1911 | 1912 | 7 | 1 | 1 | |
| Professor J. W. Campbell | 1921 | 1923 | 12 | 14 | 1 | |
| Flivver Ford | 1924 | 1924 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| Otis Bynum | 1925 | 1926 | 12 | 4 | 1 | |
| Gladwin Gaumer | 1927 | 1928 | 6 | 7 | 0 | |
| No Coach | 1930 | 1930 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| Albert Elmore | 1931 | 1937 | 33 | 25 | 3 | |
| Albert Choate | 1938 | 1942 | 28 | 25 | 1 | |
| Buddy McCollum | 1947 | 1950 | 20 | 18 | 3 | 1948 Paper Bowl |
| Jim Grantham | 1951 | 1954 | 11 | 23 | 1 | |
| William Clipson | 1955 | 1965 | 26 | 68 | 0 | |
| Billy Atkins | 1966 | 1971 | 44 | 16 | 2 | 1968 NAIA National Champions |
| Tom Jones | 1972 | 1973 | 11 | 7 | 2 | |
| Byrd Whigham | 1974 | 1975 | 12 | 8 | 0 | |
| Charlie Bradshaw | 1976 | 1982 | 41 | 27 | 2 | |
| Chan Gailey | 1983 | 1984 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 1984 NCAA Division II National Champions |
| Rick Rhodes | 1985 | 1987 | 28 | 7 | 1 | 1987 NCAA Division II National Champions |
| Robert Maddox | 1988 | 1990 | 13 | 17 | 0 | |
| Larry Blakeney | 1990 | Present | 174 | 101 | 1 | 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 Bowl Appearances; 2006, 2010 Bowl Wins |
| Composite Record | 1909 | 2008 | 488 | 358 | 27 | |
Championships
Troy has won 20 total conference championships to go along with 3 national championships. The program won the 1968 NAIA National Championship against Texas A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville). Troy beat North Dakota State in 1984 to win their first Division II national title. They won their second Division II national title in 1987 after defeating Portland State.
Bold indicates national championship. |
FBS Records (2001-Present)
Troy Trojans football seasons
TraditionsTrojan WalkBefore each Troy home football game, hundreds of Troy fans line University Avenue on campus to cheer on the team as they march with the Sound of the South band and cheerleaders from the Quad to Tailgate Terrace, surrounded by fans who pat them on the back and shake their hands as they walk toward Veterans Memorial Stadium. Band Show on UniversityBefore each home game, the Sound of the South marching band performs a pre-game show on University Avenue in between all of the tailgating areas before the Trojan Walk begins. Trojan FanfareDuring the pre-game show at Veterans Memorial Stadium, the Sound of the South will perform what is known as the "Trojan Fanfare." It is a favorite among most fans and energizes the fanbase leading up to kickoff. Post-game Band ShowAfter every home football game, the Sound of the South marching bands performs a final show for any remaining fans still in attendance. Players/Band CelebrationAfter Troy wins a home game, the players will go to the corner of the stadium where the Sound of the South is and will sing the fight song, alma mater, and sometimes do chants with them. Trojan WarriorBefore every game and after every touchdown, the Trojan Warrior or Trojan Princess would blaze down the football field on a horse named "Big Red." This tradition is no longer used because the football field turf was changed from grass to artificial grass. There has been recent talk of bringing the tradition back. Bowl historyNon-FBS Post-season History
FBS Bowl History
NFL Players
 DeMarcus Ware. .jpg) Osi Umenyiora. Current Players
Former Players
RivalriesTroy has two dormant rivalries with other teams. Troy's rivalry with Middle Tennessee, now dormant following Middle Tennessee's 2013 move to Conference USA, is known as the Battle for the Palladium. Troy and Middle Tennessee first played each other in 1936, but it wasn't until 2003 that schools started playing annually for the Palladium Trophy. Troy used to play Jacksonville State in the annual Battle for the Ol' School Bell. The schools first played in 1924 and was one of the fiercest rivalries for both schools. The game hasn't been played since 2001 after Troy joined FBS. Future non-conference opponents
References
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