2015 FOOTBALL MEDIA GUIDE 2015 FOOTBALL MEDIA GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS SIAC HISTORY 4 SIAC PRESIDENTS COUNCIL 6 ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY 8 BENEDICT COLLEGE 10 CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY 12 CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY 14 FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY 16 KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY 18 LANE COLLEGE 20 MILES COLLEGE 22 MOREHOUSE COLLEGE 24 STILLMAN COLLEGE 26 TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY 28 www.TheSIAC.com @thesiac #SIACFB15 SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Confer- has claimed over 50 team and individual na- ence (SIAC) was founded in 1913 and today, tional championships. In 1978, Florida A&M 102 years later, the conference still flies high became the first black college to win the NCAA as one of the nation’s most viable forces in in- Division I-AA National Football Championship tercollegiate athletics. when they defeat Massachusetts 35-28 in the finals. The On December 30, 1913, representatives of SIAC also has over 300 former and current the following institutions met at Morehouse professional football players. College to consider the regulations of intercol- legiate athletics among black colleges in the Some retired NFL players who played in southeast: Alabama State University, Atlanta the SIAC: Hall of Famers John Stallworth University, Clark College, Morehouse College, of Alabama A&M, David “Deacon” Jones Morris Brown College, Talladega College and of South Carolina State and Larry Little of Tuskegee Institute. Bethune-Cookman. Other SIAC NFL greats in- clude Rayfield Wright (Fort Valley State), Jack The representatives formed a permanent orga- McClarien (Bethune Cookman), Bob Hayes nization (The Southeastern Intercollegiate Ath- (Florida A&M), Alfred Jenkins (Morris Brown), letic Conference), which has had a continuous John Gilliam (South Carolina State) and Oliver history to the present. In 1929, they changed Ross (Alabama A&M). the name of this organization to The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Additionally, SIAC Athletes who went pro more recently include All-Pros Greg Lloyd who Two institutions have held continuous mem- played for the Pittsburgh Steelers (Fort Valley bership in the conference: Clark College (now State) and Shannon Sharpe of the Denver GREGORY MOORE, ESQ. Clark Atlanta University) and Tuskegee Univer- Broncos (Savannah State) as well as Antho- sity. Other institutions which have held mem- ny Abrams of the Washington Redskins (Clark COMMISSIONER bership are Alabama A&M University, Allen Atlanta), Eddie Anderson of the Los Angeles University, Benedict College, Bethune-Cook- Raiders (Fort Valley State), Howard Ballard man University, Edward Waters College, Fisk of the Seattle Seahawks (Alabama A&M), STAFF University, Florida A&M University, Jackson Charles Evans of the Minnesota Vikings (Clark TAUNITA STEPHENSON State University, Knoxville College, Morris Atlanta), Dan Land of the Oakland Raiders (Al- ASSISTANT COMMISIONER Brown College, Rust College, Savannah State bany State), Fred Lester of the New York Jets University, South Carolina State University, (Alabama A&M), Joe Patton of the Washington CHAMPIONSHIPS Stillman College, Tennessee State University Redskins (Alabama A&M), Barry Wagner of and Xavier University. the Indianapolis Colts (Alabama A&M), Tyrone Poole of the Carolina Panthers (Fort Valley) KELLY McBRYAN The present membership is composed of and Roosevelt Blackmon of the Green Bay ASSISTANT COMMISIONER twelve different institutions in six states (Ala- Packers (Morris Brown). bama, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, South Caro- COMPLIANCE lina, and Tennessee): Albany State University, The SIAC is also home to football coaching Benedict College, Central State University, legends, College Football Hall of Famer Alonzo BRITNEY REDDICK Claflin University, Clark Atlanta University, Fort Smith “Jake” Gaither and Cleveland Leigh “Ma- Valley State University, Kentucky State Univer- jor” Abbott. Gaither won 203 football games ASSISTANT COMMISIONER sity, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, while only losing 36 and tying four. He guid- NEW MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS Miles College, Morehouse College, Paine Col- ed Florida A&M to six black college national lege, Spring Hill College, Stillman College and championships and his Rattlers won the SIAC Tuskegee University. Championship 22 of the 25 years he coached college football. Cleve Abbott coached all SOUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE The SIAC is a member of the National Colle- sports at Tuskegee in 1923, and he served ATHLETIC CONFERENCE giate Athletic Association (NCAA) and partic- there continuously from 1923 to 1955. He won PEACHTREE CENTER ipates at the Division II level. On an annual eleven SIAC football championships and seven basis, the SIAC sponsors six men’s champi- black college football national championships. SOUTH TOWER onships (baseball, basketball, cross country, Abbott had a total of six undefeated seasons, 225 PEACHTREE STREET, N.E., football, outdoor track & field and tennis) and and his Tigers went 46 consecutive games SUITE 1625 six women’s championships (basketball, cross without a loss in the mid 1920s. From 1936-56, country, outdoor track & field, softball, tennis Abbott’s track teams at Tuskegee participated ATLANTA, GA 30303 and volleyball). in 36 national AAU championships and won 25. PHONE: (404) 221-1041 FAX: (404) 221-1042 SIAC teams and its athletes are known for be- Two of the first four blacks selected to play ing staunch competitors and for excelling on in the NBA were from the SIAC. Some of the the national level. The conference as a whole former stars who have enjoyed success in the NBA include the Jones brothers - Caldwell, Charles, Major and Wilbert manager in baseball with the Atlanta Braves in 1978. of Albany State, Clemon Johnson of Florida A&M and Harold Ellis of Morehouse. On the coaching side the late Ed Adams coached at Tus- A banner year for the SIAC was 1993 when member institutions com- kegee and during his 23-year span, he won 645 games and only lost peted for NCAA Division II Championships in eight different sports. In 153 for an .811 winning percentage. Adams was a member of the 1934 football, Albany State went 11-0 during the regular season and made Tuskegee team that won the first SIAC Basketball Tournament Cham- its first trip to the playoffs; Alabama A&M’s men and women competed pionship and he was the first black basketball coach to win 500 games. in the Indoor Track and Field Championships and both finished in the top five. Also, former Temple University head coach John Chaney is an SIAC alumnus. Chaney was one of the SIAC’s outstanding players in the late In men’s basketball, Alabama A&M made a national playoff appear- 1950s at Bethune-Cookman. ance as did Fort Valley State’s women’s squad. Alabama A&M’s men’s cross country team won the The first black female to southeastern regional title win a gold medal in any and finished eighth at the Olympic sport, Alice Coach- nationals. At the Outdoor man, came from the SIAC. Track & Field Champion- Coachman won an Olympic ships, Alabama A&M’s men gold medal in the high jump finished 10th and the wom- at the 1948 Olympic Games en claimed their second in London with a jump of consecutive national title. 5’6-1/8”. She also won the AAU high jump title for 10 The SIAC is also home to consecutive years. both the longest running rivalry and the winningest Other SIAC Olympic Gold team in black college Medalists include Catherine football. Morehouse and Hardy of Fort Valley State Tuskegee have been bat- (1st place in the 400 me- tling since 1902 and will hit ter relay in 1952); Mildred the field for the 98th time in McDaniel of Tuskegee (1st the 2007 season. Tuskegee place in the high jump in will be celebrating its 121st 1956); Bob Hayes of Florida season this fall and they A&M (1st place in the 100 have amassed over 650 meter dash in 1964); Edwin victories - first among His- Moses of Morehouse (1st torically Black Colleges and place in the 400 meter hur- Universities. dles in 1976 and 1984) who went 10 years without a loss All SIAC member institu- in hurdle competition; Dan- tions have a rich athletic nette Young (1st place in the history. They rely heavily on 400 meter relay in 1988). past leadership to help them face today’s challenges as The SIAC has also had an they continue their quest to Olympic track coach at the excel in collegiate athletics. 1992 games, Tuskegee Uni- versity graduate Barbara Jacket. Another SIAC track and field standout is Evelyn Lawler. She is also a grad- uate of Tuskegee University and won a gold medal at the Pan American Games. Law- ler’s other claim to fame lies with her offspring. Lawler is the mother of Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis. In 1957, Althea Gibson of Florida A&M became the first black to win the singles title at Wimbledon, and she is a member of the National Lawn Tennis Hall of Fame. The SIAC also has had its share of success on the baseball diamond, which includes World Series MVP, Donn Clendenon of Morehouse. Clendenon was the MVP of the 1969 World Series when he played with the New York Mets. Andre Dawson of the Chicago Cubs and Vince Coleman of the St. Lou- is Cardinals played at Florida A&M. Other A&M Rattlers that made it to the big show include Greg Cole- man and Bill Lucas. After concluding his major league baseball career, Lucas became the first black general SIAC PRESIDENTS COUNCIL For more than 100 years Miles College has con- ment project simultaneously building three new tinued its mission of educating and molding the student oriented facilities on campus. minds of future local, national, and global lead- Under the leadership of President French, Miles ers. Now, the College rests on the shoulders of College is rated in the top three most underrated President George T.