1961 Florida A&M Rattlers football team

The 1961 Florida A&M Rattlers football team was an American football team that represented Florida A&M University as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1961 NCAA College Division football season. In their 17th season under head coach Jake Gaither, the Rattlers compiled a perfect 10–0 record, including a victory over Jackson State in the Orange Blossom Classic for the black college football national championship, and shut out six of ten opponents. The team was ranked No. 4 in the final 1961 AP small college poll and No. 6 in the final UPI coaches poll. The team played its home games at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida.

1961 Florida A&M Rattlers football
Black college national champion SIAC champion
Orange Blossom Classic, W 14–8 vs. Jackson State
Conference	Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
1961 record	10–0 (5–0 SIAC)
Head coach	Jake Gaither (17th season)
Home stadium	Bragg Memorial Stadium

1961 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Florida A&M $	5	–	0	–	0			10	–	0	–	0
Alabama A&M	5	–	0	–	0			8	–	1	–	0
Allen	4	–	2	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Bethune–Cookman	5	–	2	–	0			5	–	3	–	0
Morris Brown	4	–	2	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Fisk	4	–	2	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Tuskegee	4	–	1	–	1			4	–	4	–	1
Morehouse	3	–	3	–	0			4	–	4	–	0
Clark (GA)	2	–	3	–	1			3	–	3	–	2
Lane	1	–	4	–	0			2	–	5	–	1
Benedict	2	–	4	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
South Carolina State	2	–	5	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
Alabama State	1	–	5	–	0			1	–	7	–	0
Knoxville	1	–	5	–	0			1	–	7	–	0
Fort Valley State	0	–	5	–	0			0	–	9	–	0
$ – Conference champion

The team's statistical leaders included Robert Paremore with 376 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns and 66 points scored, Emory Collier with 742 passing yards, and Al Denson with 395 receiving yards.[1]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 30	at Benedict		Columbia, SC	W 52–0		[2]
October 7	vs. Lincoln (MO)*		Phillips Field Tampa, FL	W 49–6		[3]
October 14	Morris Brown		Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	W 76–0		[4]
October 21	Bethune–Cookman		Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	W 76–0		[5]
October 28	at South Carolina State		Orangeburg, SC	W 60–0		[6]
November 4	at North Carolina A&T*	No. 7	Greensboro, NC	W 32–12		[7]
November 11	Allen	No. 6	Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	W 71–0		[8]
November 18	Southern*	No. 5	Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	W 46–0		[9]
November 25	Texas Southern*	No. 4	Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	W 48–7		[10]
December 9	vs. Jackson State*	No. 4	Miami Orange Bowl Miami, FL (Orange Blossom Classic)	W 14–8	47,791	[11]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "Florida A&M Rattler Football Media Guide" (PDF). Florida A&M University. 2015.
2. "Rattlers Slash Benedict, 52-0". Tallahassee Democrat. October 1, 1961. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Rattlers Thunder By Lincoln, 49-6". Tallahassee Democrat. October 8, 1961. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Rattlers Roll Along, 56-0". Tallahassee Democrat. October 15, 1962. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Ho, Hum -- It's Rattlers, 76-0!". Tallahassee Democrat. October 22, 1961. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Paremore Guides A&M 60-0 Win". Tallahassee Democrat. October 29, 1961. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Rattlers Get By A&T Team, 32-12". Tallahassee Democrat. November 5, 1961. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "A&M Rips By Allen, 71-0". Tallahassee Democrat. November 12, 1961. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "A&M Rips Southern, 46-0". Tallahassee Democrat. November 19, 1961. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Rattlers Bounce TSU, 48-7". Tallahassee Democrat. November 26, 1961. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "A&M Sneaks By Jackson State, 14-8". Tallahassee Democrat. December 10, 1961. p. 33 – via Newspapers.com.