Mercer Bears football

Mercer Bears
2014 Mercer Bears football team
First season 1892
Athletic director Jim Cole
Head coach Bobby Lamb
1st year, 102 (.833)
Home stadium Moye Complex
Stadium capacity 10,200
Stadium surface FieldTurf
Location Macon, Georgia
League NCAA Division I (FCS)
Conference SoCon
Postseason bowl record 00 (–)
Claimed national titles 0
Conference titles 0
Division titles 0
Heisman winners 0
Colors

Orange and Black

          
Mascot Toby
Website MercerBears.com
For information on all Mercer University sports, see Mercer Bears

The Mercer Bears football program is the intercollegiate football team of Mercer University located in Macon, Georgia, United States. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and is a member of the Southern Conference. The team plays its home games at the 10,200-seat Tony and Nancy Moye Football and Lacrosse Complex on the university's Macon campus. The Bears are coached by Bobby Lamb.

Mercer's first football team was fielded in 1892, but the school did not consistently field teams until 1906. The sport was dropped in 1917 and 1918 during U.S. involvement in World War I, but returned after the war. After the 1941 season, with the beginning of U.S. involvement in World War II, Mercer dropped football again, but did not resume the sport after the war. The program was reinstated in 2013; the first game was on August 31, 2013, Mercer defeated (40-37) Reinhardt University in front of an overflow crowd of 12,172 at the Moye Complex.[1]

Notable former players

Brother Crook Smith and Phoney Smith were both stars for Mercer.

Famous University of Georgia football coach Wally Butts, who lead UGA to four Southeastern Conference titles and two National Championships, played end for Mercer from 1925-1928.

Les Olsson, known around Mercer as "Swede," was the only Mercer player from the pre-World War II era to go pro, playing for the Washington Redskins from 1934-1938. He was part of the 1937 championship squad.

Year-by-year results

List of Mercer Bears football seasons

On August 31, 2013, Mercer played its first game since 1941 before an overflow crowd of 12,172 spectators. The Bears' opponent, Reinhardt University, also revived its football program, having last played in 1920. In a thrilling game that saw multiple lead changes, Josh Shutter helped Mercer clinch the victory with a 31-yard field goal with three seconds left in the game. Mercer won 40-37.

References

External links