One of the most storied HBCU programs resides on the highest of seven hills in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida A&M University is one of the most recognizable brands in the country and has historically been one of the most successful athletic programs among HBCUs.
FAMU football is home to 15 Black College National Championships, 37 conference championships, and is the only HBCU program to win a Division I FCS national championship.
At the height of their dominance, Florida A&M won 23 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships in 25 years (1945-1969) under head coach Jake Gaither. In the first year of the Division I-AA football subdivision, the Rattlers defeated Massachusetts, 35-28, to win the inaugural FCS national championship.
As we move to present day, the Rattlers have made the transition to the SWAC under head coach Willie Simmons. The regular season success is undeniable, but the Rattlers have not won a postseason game in over 20 years. The last postseason win for Florida A&M was in the 1999 FCS playoffs as the Rattlers defeated Troy State in the quarterfinal round before losing to Youngstown State in the semifinal matchup.
The Rattlers have not made an appearance in the Celebration Bowl since its genesis in 2015. Florida A&M is 0-3 in the FCS playoffs since its most recent win in 1999, in which the Rattlers have been outscored 125-49 in those appearances against Western Kentucky, Georgia Southern, and Southeastern Louisiana.
The Rattlers have not won a conference championship since 2010, which was a three-way co-championship with Bethune-Cookman (10-2) and South Carolina State (9-3). The most recent outright conference championship in school history was in 2001 as head coach Billy Joe won back-to-back MEAC championships (2000-2001).
Over their first two seasons in the SWAC, the Rattlers are 14-2 against SWAC programs and have a 16-2 record against Division I HBCU opponents. Ten of the 14 wins for Florida A&M against SWAC opponents have been by 10 or more points.
Florida A&M has also continued its dominance at Bragg Memorial Stadium over the past two seasons. The Rattlers hold the second-longest home winning streak in the country, which currently sits at 15 consecutive games won inside Bragg Stadium. The last loss at Bragg was in 2019 as South Carolina State defeated the Rattlers, 44-21, on Nov. 10.
Simmons and the Rattlers have firmly established themselves as top contenders in the SWAC over their first two seasons in the conference, but the expectations will be different entering the 2023 season.
The Rattlers will be voted preseason favorites by most media outlets after a chaotic offseason across the conference, but the question remains … Will the Rattlers win their first SWAC championship in school history or fall one game short once again?
This offseason saw massive changes around the SWAC as four programs will have new head coaches, while over half the conference will potentially have a new starting quarterback for the 2023 season.
This includes the biggest divisional competition for the Rattlers, in which T.C. Taylor will replace former head coach Deion Sanders as the head coach at Jackson State. The Tigers lost over 10 players to the transfer portal, including SWAC Offensive Player of the Year Shedeur Sanders.
The Rattlers have been one win away from making their first SWAC Championship appearance in the previous two seasons. There has been one program that has prevented Simmons and the Rattlers from achieving their ultimate goal … Jackson State.
Jackson State has won four straight games against the Rattlers, including back-to-back wins in the Orange Blossom Classic. Last season, the Tigers made a national statement with a 59-3 win to open the 2022 season.
The Rattlers face a season-defining moment early in the season on Sept. 3 in Miami, Florida. Florida A&M will face Jackson State for the third consecutive season in the Orange Blossom Classic in Week 1. The motto for the season is “Leave No Doubt” and that begins against Jackson State, which landed the No. 1 recruiting class in the SWAC for the third consecutive season.
Despite the changes across the conference … The story is much different on the highest of seven hills, as Simmons returns for his sixth season with the Rattlers. He has made the expectations for the 2023 season clear: “We’re trying to position ourselves to accomplish our ultimate goal which is win the SWAC Championship and Celebration Bowl. That’s it.”
Quarterback Jeremy Moussa returns after earning second-team All-Conference honors as he ended the 2022 season with over 2,700 passing yards and 27 passing touchdowns. Moussa enters the 2023 season as the top quarterback in the SWAC, which is something the Rattlers have not had in their two seasons since joining the conference.
The Rattlers have over 30 players returning for the 2023 season from the two-deep depth chart last season.
Offensive lineman Jalen Goss, defensive lineman Kamari Stephens, and linebacker Isaiah Major all return after earning Bluebloods All-SWAC honors in 2022. Moussa, wide receiver Jah’Marae Sheread, and cornerback Javan Morgan also return after earning second-team All-SWAC honors from multiple publications.
Simmons understands the difficulty of building a program into a SWAC championship contender. Simmons was the offensive coordinator under Jay Hopson as they helped rebuild Alcorn State from a two-win program into a SWAC Championship program in just three seasons.
Over the past two seasons, Florida A&M and Simmons have been knocking at the doorstep of a conference championship … The opportunity has arrived for Florida A&M. Simmons and the Rattlers must bring a championship home to the highest of seven hills.
