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 visitors ' locker room at the P ioneer 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 Div ision 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 troph ies in 1980and 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 34-year record stands at 280 wins, 103 losses , and eight ties, a remarkable .726winning percentage. He has twice been chosen National I-AA Coach of the Year and Kentucky Sportsman of the Year, and is the winningest coach in Oh io Va lley 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 forthe large enthusiastic crowds. Eastern paid "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 20,000seat facility. Eastern christened its new playing field with a 291Odrubbing of Austin Peay In 1990the 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 (thefirstwas in 1940) made the school's first bowl appearance only to fall to the University of Omaha, 7-6, in the Tanger ine 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 14 regular season titles outright (in '54, '67, '68, '74, '76, '81, '82, '83, ' 84, '88, '91, '93, '94 and '97), shared four titles in '62 , '86, '87 and '90 and to date ranks first in the Conference alltime standings with a 231 -88-7 won-lost record.

EKU football has produced 50 All-Amer icans and has had 34 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.