Troy University Football Glossary

ALABAMA COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE

Formed in 1960, the ACC as it was known, was created by four in-state rivals; Troy, Jacksonville State, Florence State (now North Alabama) and Livingston (now West Alabama). The Trojans dominated the last three years of the conference, claiming the league title in 1967, 1968 and 1969.

ALABAMA INTERCOLLEGIATE CONFERENCE

The ACC’s predecessor, the Alabama Intercollegiate Conference, was formed in 1938 by the same in-state schools, along with Marion Military and St. Bernard. It was the first conference that the Trojans joined, and they would claim the league title for the first time in 1939. They also won back-to-back titles in 1941 and 1942.

BILLY ATKINS

Took over as head coach at Troy after William Clipson’s 1-8 season in 1965, and immediately revived the program. He brought the Trojans to national prominence, and during his six years his record was 44-16-2 including the 1968 NAIA National Championship. He coached several of the all-time greats in Troy history including Sim Byrd, Ronnie Shelley and Vince Green. Atkins is second on the school’s all-time win list behind current head coach Larry Blakeney. He was inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame in the inaugural class in 2012.

BATTLE FOR THE OL’ SCHOOL BELL

At every level of college football, there are great rivalries. For Troy, it is bitter rival Jacksonville State University. The two teams began playing each other in 1924, with the Gamecocks holding a 33-28-2 edge in the all-time series. However, the Trojans have won seven straight and 12-of-15 in the series. Both schools began as teacher colleges in the late 1800s, and, when the teams first played, they created a trophy that the winner would have until the teams met again the following year. School officials determined that it was fitting for two teachers colleges to play for a school bell.

BATTLE FOR THE PALLADIUM

The Battle for the Palladium is the match up between Troy and Middle Tennessee. The series elevated to a new level with the news of Troy joining Middle Tennessee in the Sun Belt Conference. In 2003, the Palladium Trophy was introduced in Murfreesboro, Tenn. A year later, Troy officially joined the Sun Belt Conference after completing its final year of transition from Division I-AA (FCS) to I-A (FBS).

Greek mythology holds that the Palladium is a wooden statue that fell from the Heavens. It was kept at the Temple of Athena in the city of Troy. According to legend, as long as the Palladium was preserved within the walls of the city, Troy would be safe and could not be taken. However, a “Raider” by the name of Odysseus - also known as the Raider of Cities - stole the Palladium during the Trojan War leading to the fall of Troy.

The Palladium is approximately three feet tall and is made of basswood. Gold leaf was applied to Athena’s helmet, shield and to the tip of the spear. In 2008, ESPN named “The Battle for the Palladium” as one of the Top 5 non-BCS in-conference rivalries in college football.

LARRY BLAKENEY

The head coach of the Troy Trojans for 24 seasons, Larry Blakeney guided the Trojans from NCAA Division II to the Football Championship Subdivision and finally to the Football Bowl Subdivision. Blakeney led the Trojans to eight conference titles, including a record five straight Sun Belt Conference championships. Blakeney’s teams played in five FBS bowl games, while appearing in the FCS Playoffs in seven of a possible eight years. An inaugural selection into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame, Blakeney had the field in Veterans Memorial Stadium named in his honor. Blakeney retired following the 2014 season and finished his Troy career with a 178-113-1 record.

BOWL GAMES

The Trojans have played in nine bowl games in their history and seven at the FBS level - the 1948 Paper Bowl, in Pensacola, Fla., the 2004 Silicon Valley Football Classic, in San Jose, Calif. and the 2006, 2008, 2010 & 2017 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, the 2010, 2016 and 2018 Mobile Bowl Game (2010 GMAC Bowl | 2016, 2018 Dollar General Bowl)

The Trojans faced arch-rival Jacksonville State in the Paper Bowl, losing 19-0 at Pensacola High School’s new stadium, which had just one set of bleachers, according to records. The game was played on Dec. 18 and sponsored by Southern paper mills as a tribute to the nearly 100,000 workers in the industry at that time. An excerpt from the game program reads “the paper-making industry at Cantonment means much to Pensacola and this area of the state in payrolls and business generally ... December 18 was picked because students were at home for the holidays at this time, and many fans who would like to take in other bowl games later in the month, and on Jan. 1, will be able to do so at this time.”

LEVI BROWN

Levi Brown rewrote the history books in his final season of 2009. He held school records for completions in a single game, attempts in a single game and passing yards in a single game (breaking his own record). He also holds the school record for passing yards in a single season, which is the best in the Sun Belt history books at over 4,000 yards. He finished his career as the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round.

SIM BYRD

One of the greatest players ever to play at Troy, Byrd owns many of the school’s alltime passing records. During his three seasons at quarterback, he guided the Trojans to a 24-8 record and the school’s first national championship, the NAIA title in 1968. Named first-team All-America and All-ACC his senior year in 1968, he set the singleseason record for passing yards with 3,569 in 1968 while also setting school records for completions (260), attempts (414). He was inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame in the inaugural class in 2012.

TED CLEM

Clem set the standard for all Troy kickers. He was the key participant in one of the most historic plays in school history as a true freshman - “The Kick” as it has been dubbed by Troy faithful. His 50-yard field goal as time expired gave Troy an 18-17 win over North Dakota State in 1984 and its first NCAA Division II national championship. Clem set the single-game record for points in a game with 14, and owns the career record book. Clem kicked 48 field goals in his four years in Troy, from 1984-87. He still holds the school record for attempts with 78 field goal attempts and consecutive PATs made (166).

NICK COLBERT

Nick Colbert was named as a 2000 College Football Scholar-Athlete by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. He was one of 16 award recipients named in 2000 for the award, which represents college football’s finest studentathletes from all divisions. Colbert graduated from Troy in May 2001 with his degree in Biology. He finished his degree boasting a grade point average better than 3.7. He was an annual member on the school’s Provost’s and Chancellor’s lists for academic excellence. The award has been presented annually since 1959 to players based on superior academic performance, outstanding football ability, strong leadership and citizenship. Each scholar-athlete is awarded an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and honored at the Foundation’s Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. Other notable athletes to earn the award along with Colbert were Purdue’s Drew Brees, Florida State’s Chris Weinke and a fellow Southland Conference athlete, McNeese State’s Wes Hines.

COMING-OUT PARTY

Troy made its Division I-A debut on Sept. 1, 2001, when the Trojans traveled to face fourth-ranked Nebraska. The Trojans showed they could play at the I-A level, taking an early 7-0 lead on a 9-yard touchdown run by Demontray Carter. Brock Nutter capped an improbable half, throwing a 31-yard touchdown pass to Heyward Skipper to cut the Cornhuskers’ lead to 28-14 at the intermission. The Trojans fought valiantly in the second half, keeping Nebraska out of the end zone on two drives inside the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter. Jimmy McClain stopped Eric Crouch on the 1-yard line, and the entire defense stopped Thunder Collins from leaping into the end zone.

FIRST NIGHT GAME

In 1928, the Troy football team played its first night game in Montgomery at Cramton Bowl. Troy faced off against Maxwell Field, claiming a 13-0 victory.

CHAN GAILEY

Gailey led the Trojans to the 1984 Division II national championship. In his two seasons at Troy, Gailey led the Trojans to a 19-5 record. After taking over the program in 1983, he guided the Trojans to a five-game improvement, going 7-4 his first year. In his final year, he led the Trojans to the national title. He was inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.

GULF SOUTH CONFERENCE

Members from Troy, Delta State, Florence State (now North Alabama), Livingston (now West Alabama), Tennessee-Martin and Jacksonville State all met in Birmingham during the summer of 1970 to form the Mid-South Conference. Scheduling conflicts in the first year allowed competition only in football. Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State joined the conference later, giving the conference eight members and

the league changed its name to the Gulf South Conference. On June 4, 1990, Troy officially withdrew from the GSC. During its 20 years in the GSC, Troy claimed six conference titles. The Trojans hold a 129-75-5 all-time record in GSC play.

JERREL JERNIGAN

Jernigan ended his career as one of the most prolific players in Troy University history as he rewrote the record book. Jernigan made his mark in career receptions, receiving yards, yards per game and all-purpose yards. Jernigan also rewrote the Sun Belt Conference record book over his four years of competition. The senior was selected to participate in the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine, before being drafted in the third round by the New York Giants in the 2011 NFL Draft.

“THE KICK”

“The Kick,” as it is called, is used to describe true freshman Ted Clem’s 50-yard field goal as time expired that gave Troy an 18-17 win over North Dakota State in the 1984 Division II national title game. The kick was Clem’s third field goal of the game and finished off one of the greatest comebacks in school history after the Trojans fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter.

“THE KICK” - PART TWO

Drew Boteler’s 22-yard field goal attempt slipped through the uprights, capping a 14-point comeback, as Troy rallied to knock off North Texas, 18-16, in the school’s first home game against a Division I-A school on Dec. 1, 2001. Boteler’s game-winner was not a picture-perfect kick. The field was soaked from rain that had fallen throughout the day, and the redshirt freshman slipped while planting to make the kick. On top of that, the kick was tipped at the line of scrimmage, leading one North Texas lineman to celebrate as the officials signaled the kick was good.

AL LUCAS

Following the 1999 season, two-time All-America defensive tackle Al Lucas claimed the award, given annually to the top defensive player in Division I-AA. Lucas tragically died as the result of an on-field injury suffered in an Arena Football League game on April 10, 2005. He was inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame in the summer of 2016.

LEODIS McKELVIN

Leodis McKelvin became the second Trojan to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft when he was selected as the 11th overall pick by the Buffalo Bills. He is also the first Trojan to be named an All-American in football since the Trojans joined the ranks of NCAA Division I. McKelvin finished his career with seven kickoff and punt returns for a touchdown, which was just one shy of an NCAA record.

VERGIL PARKS MCKINLEY

Vergil Parks McKinley, a professor at the Troy Normal School, was charged with the task of fielding the first school football team. McKinley, who attended the University of Alabama but never received a football letter, had 14 players try out for the team but kept just 11. He guided the squad to a 1-0-2 record that first season against a variety of community, high school and other university teams. He was inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame in the inaugural class in 2012.

MIRACLE IN MURFREESBORO

Senior receiver Smokey Hampton turned in the performance of a lifetime with catch after catch, leading the Trojans to a victory at Middle Tennessee in 2006 after trailing 20-7 with just 2:19 remaining in the contest. The senior combined with Gary Banks to catch touchdown passes in a 21-20 Troy victory.

MISSISSIPPI STATE GOES DOWN

Playing just its fifth game as a Division I-A member in 2001, Troy stunned the nation as it went into Starkville, Miss., and knocked off Southeastern Conference foe Mississippi State 21-9. The Trojans jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter and held the Bulldogs to just 272 yards of total offense in the victory.

PRO BOWL

The 2007 NFL Pro Bowl featured two former Troy Trojans in the starting lineup for the National Football Conference (NFC) in Osi Umeniyora and DeMarcus Ware. It marked the first time that two Trojans were starting in the prestigious postseason game for the National Football League.

RANK TROY

Troy became the first team in Sun Belt Conference history to appear in either the Associated Press or USA Today Coaches Poll when the Trojans were ranked No. 25 in the Associated Press Poll on Nov. 13, 2016. Troy opened the season 8-1, the first team to do so in Sun Belt history, after defeating Appalachian State 28-24 on Nov. 12, 2016.

COREY ROBINSON

Corey Robinson finished his career with 11 Troy and Sun Belt Conference career records, including the record for passing yards, passing touchdowns, passing attempts, completions and total offense in both record books. Robinson was named the 2010 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and was named to the All-Sun Belt First Team following his 2013 senior season. Robinson is one of just five players in NCAA history with 3,000 yards of total offense and 3,000 passing yards in four seasons. When he completed his time at Troy, Robinson ranked ninth in NCAA history in passing yards. Additionally, he set an NCAA record after completing 30-of-32 passes against UAB in 2013; the 93.8 completion percentage is the highest by a quarterback with at least 30 attempts.

STATISTICAL CHAMPIONS

Since Troy joined the NCAA in the 1970s, the Trojans have had two statistical champions in an individual category. Quarterback Willie Tullis led the nation in passing efficiency during the 1980 season among Division II teams. Tullis had a passing efficiency rating of 147.5 after completing 108 of 203 passes (.532 percentage). He connected for 15 touchdowns and threw just eight interceptions. Tullis threw for 1,880 yards in 10 games that season. Andy Swafford captured the other statistical title in 1997 at the Division I-AA level, when he led the nation in kickoff returns, averaging 31.4 yards on 14 kick returns. He tallied 440 yards in returns during the 1997 campaign. Carlton Martial led the FBS in 2020 with 113 tackles.

SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE

In the summer of 1995, Troy, along with Jacksonville State, McNeese State, Nicholls State, Northwestern State, Sam Houston State, Southwest Texas and Stephen F. Austin, met in New Orleans to reform the Southland Conference into a football only sub-conference. During their five seasons in the SLC, the Trojans claimed three titles, in 1996, 1999 and 2000. The Trojans posted a 26-9 record in conference play during their five seasons and saw 54 players earned all-conference honors, while two players earned Defensive Player of the Year (Pratt Lyons, 1996; Anthony Rabb, 1999) honors and another Newcomer of the Year (Demontray Carter, 2000). Head coach Larry Blakeney twice earned Coach of the Year honors (1999 and 2000).

SUPER BOWL

Six former Troy University Trojans have played in the Super Bowl. The first Trojan to make an appearance was Virgil Seay for the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVII in 1983. The Redskins defeated Miami 27-17. Former offensive lineman Kerry Jenkins won Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2003, while former defensive end Osi Umenyiora and place kicker Lawrence Tynes won Super Bowl XLII (2008) with the New York Giants - defeating previously unbeaten New England in the process. Former defensive end Steve McLendon played in Super Bowl XLV with the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Green Bay Packers. Tynes, Umenyiora and former wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan teamed up on the 2012 New York Giants as they won Super Bowl XLVI 21-17 over the Patriots.

SUN BELT CONFERENCE

On May 23, 2003, Troy University accepted an invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference in all sports, marking the first time all of Troy’s sports competed in the same league since the school moved to Division I in 1993. The Troy football program began play in its first Division I-A conference home in the fall of 2004, while all other sports began competition in the league beginning in the fall of 2005.

THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN TROY

On Sept. 3, 1988, Troy opened its defense of the 1987 Division II national championship at home against Southeast Missouri. Clinging to a 13-6 lead midway through the third quarter of a tight game, a transformer that controlled power to the lights at then Memorial Stadium malfunctioned, cutting the stadium lights. During the ensuing two-and-a-half hour delay, the teams discussed their options. After deciding against moving the game to Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl, the teams elected to finish the game on Troy’s lower practice field, which was lighted.

With the entire grassy bank next to the practice field almost full, the Trojans finished off the game with a 26-13 win.

THUNDER IN THE VALLEY

Troy entered Death Valley as massive underdog to No. 22 LSU as the Tigers entered the game with a 49-game non-conference home winning streak. Cedarius Rookard forced a fumble on the opening play of the game, Troy scored on the ensuing possession and the rest is history as Troy stunned LSU 24-21 in 2017.

The Trojans led 10-0 at the half and stretched the lead to 17-0 after Jordan Chunn scored just six plays into the second half. He finished with a career-high 191 yards on 30 carries. The Troy defense forced LSU into four turnovers and Blace Brown accounted for two with a forced fumble and game-sealing interception in the final seconds.

TRACKING THE TROY FOOTBALL FIELD

The Troy football team’s home field has changed locations numerous times through the years. The inaugural team played off campus in a field on Orion Street. In 1910, The Association built an athletic field on the north side of the old college campus. The field was built by V.P. McKinley, the players and a handful of students. It had a grandstand, bleachers and a six-foot fence that surrounded the field. In 1925, the team began playing games on campus, on the site of what is now Shackleford Hall. Over the next 25 years, the Troy football team played its home games on the grounds where Smith Hall now stands and in a field that is now the outfield of Riddle-Pace Field. In 1950, Memorial Stadium opened for the first time. It began with a seating capacity of 5,000 but has grown to more than 30,000 today and is known as Veterans Memorial Stadium.

T-ROY

T-Roy, the Troy mascot and a fan favorite, has been a familiar sight at Troy athletic events since making his first appearance in the mid 1980s. T-Roy became the official school mascot after a campus-wide decision on the name for a new mascot. There was an election by the student body with “T-Roy” coming out on top. In the spring of 2008, T-Roy was voted the third best mascot in the nation.

TROJANS - THE NICKNAME

The Troy athletic teams have had a variety of names through the years - from Bulldogs to Teachers to Red Wave. As the football team began competition in the 1910s, the team was called Bulldogs or Teachers (since the school began as a teacher’s college). In 1922, the group was called Trojans for the first time. That lasted until Albert Elmore’s arrival on campus in 1931. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Elmore changed the nickname to Red Wave, a variation of Crimson Tide. The Red Wave moniker stuck until 1973, when the student body was again charged with voting for its new team nickname. The first game of the season in 1973 was on the road against ULM. The squad departed Troy without a nickname, but students voted on the nickname that Saturday morning. The winner? Trojans. The current nickname won the election by a two-to-one margin, with the ballots being tallied hours before kickoff. With the new nickname, the Trojans battled Northeast Louisiana to a 15-15 tie.

TROJANS IN THE POLLS

During their eight years at the I-AA level, the Trojans were a mainstay in the I-AA polls. Troy finished ranked in the Top 25 every year but one (1997). Troy finished at the top of the polls in 1993, and was ranked number one for three straight weeks in 2000. Overall, the Trojans finished in the top five, four times and the top 10, five times. Troy made its debut in the Associated Press Top 25 during the 2016 season.

TROY UNIVERSITY

Troy hasn’t always been University. When the school was founded in 1887, the school was called the State Normal School - Troy. In 1929 the school changed its name to the Troy State Teachers College. That would last until 1957, when the school was renamed Troy College. The school was then named Troy State University in 1967 . In 2004, the Board of Trustees voted to remove the “State” from the name, making it Troy University. Trustees felt the name change allows the university system to reflect its quality, funding sources and global mission better.

VOICES OF THE TROJANS

For over 25 years, Troy has had four play-by-play announcers, including current broadcaster Barry McKnight. For the majority of those years, Ralph Black was the “Voice of the Trojans.” Black, who passed away in 2020, called more than 200 of Troy’s football games, including both Division II national championships. Black served as the play-by-play announcer for all Troy sports, having broadcast two Division II national championships in baseball and the Division II championship game in basketball (1992). McKnight has served as the Voice since 2002 and has called 245 games entering his 21th season in 2021.

DeMARCUS WARE

DeMarcus Ware became the first-ever first round draft pick for the Troy Trojans, when he was selected in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. Ware was the 11th overall pick of the draft.

WE DID IT AGAIN!

Troy made national headlines in 2017 with its victory at LSU. Well, the Trojans did it again in 2018 with a stunning 24-19 victory at Nebraska for its first win in five tries against the Cornhuskers -- in fact, Nebraska had outscored Troy 159-30 in the previous four meetings. B.J. Smith rushed for a pair of touchdowns and Cedarius Rookard returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown in the victory.