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*EDITOR’S NOTE- This story orginally ran in 2019 as a part of the Class of 2019 Troy Sports Hall of Fame ceremony.*
A leader both on and off the field, Brock Nutter started 48 straight games for the Trojans and made history as Troy’s first quarterback at the NCAA Football Subdivision Level (FBS). He ranks third all-time in Troy history with 7,687 career passing yards and 581 completions while checking in fourth all-time with 49 career touchdown passes – Nutter was the school record holder in passing yards and completions at the time of his graduation. “He was tough and super competitive,” said Troy University Sports Hall of Fame inductee Lawrence Tynes, who was Nutter’s college roommate. “They played a really tough slate of games his senior year and for him to make every single start of his career really showed you his leadership and his toughness.” A two-time All-Southland Conference selection and the 1998 Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year, Nutter led the Trojans to a pair of conference titles and three trips to the NCAA FCS Playoffs. Additionally, Nutter was named to the Dan Hansen All-America Team following his junior season after throwing for 1,999 yards and guiding the Trojans to an 11-2 record and quarterfinal berth in the NCAA FCS Playoffs. Before the Trojans made the jump to the FBS, they began to mix in teams from the upper division into their schedule including games at Cincinnati and Middle Tennessee in 1999. Behind Nutter’s arm, Troy knocked off both the Bearcats and Blue Raiders which was just a precursor of what was to come in its inaugural FBS season. “He was just fearless in those two games,” Tynes said. “We went on the road and beat two Division I teams and that was such a big moment for us.”
Nutter threw for 390 yards in the win at Middle Tennessee, the second most in school history at the time and 13th most currently, and threw touchdown passes to three different receivers. “Nobody threw that post pattern better than Brock Nutter,” Tynes said. “He could throw the complete pattern tree, but that play action post pattern with just a thing of beauty.” Under Hall of Fame head coach Larry Blakeney, Troy made the move to college football’s top level and made history with a stunning 21-9 win at Mississippi State as the Trojans finished the season 7-4 against a schedule that also included Miami and Nebraska – the two teams who played for the national championship that season. Troy combined for 36 wins over his four-year career and never lost a game to in-state rival Jacksonville State (4-0). “I didn’t know if he was 65 or 18 when he first got here because of that trademark gray hair,” Tynes joked. “I had heard we signed this kid out of high school but didn’t know much about him. He traveled with us as a true freshman, which was rare, so that showed what the coaches thought about him early on.” Nutter led the Trojans to an 8-4 mark his redshirt freshman season and a trip to the FCS Playoffs. “He just wanted to beat you in everything he did,” Tynes said. “Whether it was checkers or football, Brock is one of the most competitive people that I know. He was fiery and would do anything he had to to win a football game; we knew he was our guy after he sat that first year.” Nutter is active in his community volunteering with the Hoover Service Club and Junior Achievement of Alabama among several other organizations.
