| 1945Florida A&M Rattlers football | |
|---|---|
SIAC champion | |
Orange Blossom Classic, L 6–32 vs.Wiley | |
| Conference | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| Record | 9–1 (6–0 SIAC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Home stadium | Sampson-Bragg Field |
Seasons ← 1944 1946 → | |
The1945 Florida A&M Rattlers football team was anAmerican football team that representedFlorida A&M College as a member of theSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the1945 college football season. In their first season under head coachJake Gaither, the Rattlers compiled a 9–1 record and won the SIAC championship. The team's sole loss was to undefeatedblack college national championWiley in theOrange Blossom Classic. The Rattlers played their home games atSampson-Bragg Field inTallahassee, Florida.
After seven years as an assistant coach, Jake Gaither took over as head football coach prior to the 1945 season. It was during the 1945 season that Gaither first adopted the "blood, sweat and tears" motto for his team, taking the phrase from the famous words ofWinston Churchill.[1] Gaither's assistants in 1945 were Pete Griffin, M.L. Neeley, and Jess Ramsey.[2]
Four Florida A&M players were named to the All-SIAC football team selected by the conference coaches: quarterbackLeroy Cromartie; halfback Ted Montgomery; end Nathaniel Powell; and tackle Bill Brewington. Two others received honorable mention honors: center Forrest McKinney and fullback Lernard Ingraham.[2]
At the team banquet following the season, college president, Dr. William H. Gray Jr., praised the work of his young coach: "Although I value a winning football team, I value Coach Gaither, not because he has coached a championship team, but because he has proved himself to be a great teacher of men, both by precept and by example. The lessons that our boys have learned under the direction of Coach Gaither, if applied throughout life, will bring victory to them, not only on the field of athletic endeavor but also in the greater field that lies ahead."[2]
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 6 | atWilberforce* | Wilberforce, OH | W 26–20 | |||||
| October 13 | atAlabama State | Montgomery, AL | W 17–2 | |||||
| October 20 | Morris Brown | W 39–0 | ||||||
| October 27 | Knoxville |
| W 25–0 | [3] | ||||
| November 3 | vs.Tennessee A&I* |
| W 20–18 | [4] | ||||
| November 10 | atTuskegee | Tuskegee, AL | W 54–20 | |||||
| November 17 | atClark (GA) | Atlanta, GA | W 24–19 | |||||
| November 24 | atMorehouse | Atlanta, GA | W 46–6 | |||||
| December 1 | 2:30 p.m. | Louisiana Normal (Grambling)* |
| W 33–12 | [5][6] | |||
| December 8 | vs.Wiley* | L 6–32 | 8,000 | [7] | ||||
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