1962 Florida A&M Rattlers football team

The 1962 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) in the 1962 NCAA College Division football season. In their 18th season under head coach Jake Gaither, the Rattlers compiled a 9–1 record, were ranked No. 1 in the final 1962 AP small college poll and No. 2 in the final UPI coaches poll, and suffered its sole loss to Jackson State in the Orange Blossom Classic. Florida A&M shared the SIAC title with Alabama A&M.[1]

1962 Florida A&M Rattlers football
AP small college national champion SIAC co-champion
Orange Blossom Classic, L 6–22 vs. Jackson State
Conference	Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
1962 record	9–1 (6–0 SIAC)
Head coach	Jake Gaither (18th season)
Home stadium	Bragg Memorial Stadium

1962 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Florida A&M +	6	–	0	–	0			9	–	1	–	0
Alabama A&M +	6	–	0	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
Morehouse	5	–	1	–	0			6	–	2	–	0
Clark (GA)	5	–	1	–	0			6	–	1	–	0
Bethune–Cookman	6	–	2	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
Fisk	4	–	2	–	0			6	–	2	–	0
South Carolina State	4	–	3	–	0			5	–	3	–	0
Benedict	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Tuskegee	4	–	4	–	0			4	–	4	–	0
Morris Brown	2	–	4	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
Lane	2	–	6	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
Allen	1	–	4	–	0			3	–	6	–	0
Fort Valley State	0	–	5	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
Alabama State	0	–	6	–	0			0	–	8	–	0
Knoxville	0	–	6	–	0			0	–	8	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions

The team included halfback Bob Hayes who tied the world record for the 100-yard dash. The team's statistical leaders included Robert Paremore with 629 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns and 64 points scored, Jim Tullis with 957 passing yards, and Al Denson with 461 receiving yards.[2]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 29	Benedict		Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	W 60–0		[3]
October 6	Lincoln (MO)*	No. 3	Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	W 62–6		[4]
October 13	at Morris Brown	No. 1	Atlanta, GA	W 36–12		[5]
October 20	at Bethune–Cookman	No. 1	Welch Memorial Stadium Daytona Beach, FL	W 52–6	4,200	[6]
October 27	Tennessee A&I*	No. 1	Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	W 20–0		[7]
November 3	North Carolina A&T*	No. 1	Bragg Memorial Stadium Tallahassee, FL	W 38–6		[8]
November 10	at Allen	No. 1	Columbia, SC	W 67–0		[9]
November 17	at Southern*	No. 1	Baton Rouge, LA	W 25–0		[10]
November 24	Texas Southern*	No. 1	Jacksonville, FL	W 28–18	20,000	[11]
December 8	vs. Jackson State*	No. 1	Miami Orange Bowl Miami, FL (Orange Blossom Classic)	L 6–22	43,461	[12]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "Alabama A&M, Florida A&M Co-Championship Of SIAC Football". Alabama Tribune. Montgomery, Alabama. November 30, 1962. p. 7. Retrieved November 21, 2019 – via Newspapers.com .
2. "Florida A&M Rattler Football Media Guide" (PDF). Florida A&M University. 2015.
3. "A&M Axes Benedict 60-0". Tallahassee Democrat. September 30, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "A&M 'Fights Off' Lincoln Team, 52-6". Tallahassee Democrat. October 7, 1962 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "A&M Wings 36-12 Over Morris-Brown". Tallahassee Democrat. October 14, 1962. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Florida A&M Romps, Posts 52-6 Victory". Tallahassee Democrat. October 21, 1962 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Rattlers Win, 20-0". Tallahassee Democrat. October 28, 1962 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Rattlers Soar by A&T 38-6". Tallahassee Democrat. November 4, 1962 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "A&M Kills Allen 67-0". Tallahassee Democrat. November 11, 1962 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Rattlers Ramble Over Southern". Tallahassee Democrat. November 18, 1962 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Florida A&M Rattlers Rally To Beat Texas Southern, 28-18". Alabama Tribune. November 25, 1962 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Jackson Ends FAMU Victory Streak 22-6". Tallahassee Democrat. December 9, 1962 – via Newspapers.com.