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The 1938 Florida A&M Rattlers football team was an American football team that represented Florida A&M College as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1938 college football season. In their third season under head coach William "Big Bill" Bell, the Rattlers compiled a perfect 8–0 record, defeated Kentucky State in the Orange Blossom Classic, outscored opponents by a total of 189 to 7, and were recognized as the black college national championship.[1] The Rattlers played their home games at College Field in Tallahassee, Florida.[2][3]
| 1938 Florida A&M Rattlers football | |
|---|---|
Black college national champion SIAC champion | |
Orange Blossom Classic, W 9–7 vs. Kentucky State | |
| Conference | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| Record | 8–0 (6–0 SIAC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Home stadium | College Field |
The team gained acclaim for not allowing a single point by opponents during the regular season. In seven regular season games, the Rattlers outscored opponents by a total of 180 to 0. Hailing the team as the pride of Florida, one sports writer observed: "The brand of football these colored lads have been turning out is so good that 'white folks' have been flocking to their games this year throughout the south."[4]
The team's acclaimed backfield, made up of quarterback Henry Butler, fullback Stanley Strachan, and halfbacks John D. Harris and Tom "Tank" Jones, was known as the "Four Ghosts".[5][6]
The line, known as the "Seven Rocks",[7] did not allow a first down against Tuskegee.[8] Defensively, the team still holds school records for both fewest yards allowed (951 yards in eight games) and fewest first downs allowed (53 in eight games).[9]
Jake Gaither, who later led the Rattlers from 1945 to 1969, was an assistant coach for the 1938 team.[10][7][11]
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 30 | at North Carolina A&T* | Greensboro, NC | W 13–0 | |||
| October 15 | Alabama State |
| W 17–0 | [12] | ||
| October 22 | Clark (GA) |
| W 33–0 | [13] | ||
| October 29 | at Morris Brown | W 16–0 | [14] | |||
| November 5 | Tuskegee |
| W 40–0 | [8] | ||
| November 12 | South Carolina State |
| W 41–0 | |||
| November 19 | at Knoxville | Knoxville, TN | W 20–0 | [11] | ||
| December 3 | vs. Kentucky State* | W 9–7 | [15] | |||
| ||||||
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