Steeped in Tradition Eastern's Football History

There he stood, Eastern Kentucky University football coach Roy Kidd, amid the jubilant crowd of players , press, and well-wishers in the vis itors' locker room at the Pioneer Bowl Stadium in Wichita Falls , Texas. He had just guided Eastern to another milestone in its athletic history.

On that day, December 18, 1982, the Colonels captured the University's second national championship (EKU won its first national crown in 1979 when it defeated Lehigh 30-7) as they defeated Delaware 17 - 14 in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-AA championship game , capping a 13-0 season.

That victory marked Eastern's fourth straight appearance in the I-AA title game, having won runners-up trophies in 1980 and 1981.

EKU football has come a long way since the first organized game was played in 1909 on Stateland Field, and much of the credit is given to Kidd, an All-American quarterback at Eastern in 1953, who returned to his alma mater in 1963 and proceeded to build a national powerhouse.

Kidd ' s 32-year record stands at 266 wins, 94 losses, and eight ties , a remarkable 734 winning percentage He has twice been chosen National I-AA Coach of the Year and Kentucky Sportsman of the Year, and is the w inningest coach in Ohio Valley Conference history.

The popularity of Eastern football grew so rapidly in the 1960's that Hanger Stadium, the home of the Maroons (the school ' s nickname later became Colonels) since 1936, was too small for the large enthusiastic crowds. Eastern pa id "old" Hanger a fitting farewell in 1968 as it thrashed rival Morehead State, 35-7. A new era in EKU football began the following year when the Colonels moved to Hanger Field , a modern 20,000-seat facility. Eastern christened its new playing field with a 29-10 drubbing of Austin Peay In 1990 the Stadium was renamed in honor of current head coach Roy Kidd . The Colonels defeated the University of Central Florida 24-12 that day .

There have been many memorable moments in the rich heritage of Eastern football. One came in 1967 when EKU's OVC champs won the NCAA Mideast Regional championship by defeating Ball State, 27-13 , in the Grantland Rice Bowl. Another occurred in 1954 when Eastern ' s third regular season undefeated team (the first was in 1940) made the school's first bowl appearance only to fall to the University of Omaha , 7-6 , in the Tangerine Bowl. Then , 25 years later, came the first of four straight national championship game appearances and six consecutive playoff appearances .

Kidd's status among the active coaching profession is well-known , but Eastern has had other successful coaches during its football history. Previous coaches include James

Park (1909) , Clyde Wilson (1910-11) , Charles Keith (1912) , Ben Bernard (1913-16), Clyde McCoy (1919) , George Hembree (1922-28) , Charles "Turkey" Hughes (1929-34) , Rome Rankin (1935-42, 1945-46) , Tom Samuels (1947-53) , and Glenn Presnell (1954-62).

Since the OVC was organized in 1948 , Eastern has won 13 regular season titles outright (in ' 54, '67 , '68, '74, '76, '81, '82, '83 , '84, '88 , '91 , '93 and '94), shared four titles in '62, '86, '87 and '90 and to date ranks first in the Conference all-time standings with a 218-86-7 won-lost record.

EKU football has produced 47 All-Americans and has had 33 players drafted into the professional ranks. Best known among former Eastern players is Wally Chambers, a 1972 AllAmerican, who was voted National Football League "Defensive Rookie of the Year" in 1973 as a tackle with the Chicago Bears