The 1971 Western Kentucky football team represented Western Kentucky University during the

1971 NCAA College Division football season The 1971 NCAA College Division football season was the 16th season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the NCAA College Division level. Conference standings Rankings College Div ...

. The team was led by coach

Jimmy Feix James Wyne Feix (August 1, 1931 – October 5, 2014) was an American football player and coach. He served as head football coach at Western Kentucky University 1968 to 1983, compiling a record of 106–56–6. Early life and playing career Feix a ...

and won their second consecutive Ohio Valley Conference championship and the school's fourth overall. The coaching staff included future NFL coach

Romeo Crennel Romeo Crennel (born June 18, 1947) is a former American football coach, who was the senior advisor for football performance for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). A former long-time coaching assistant to Bill Parcells, Cre ...

. The Hilltoppers’ rankings in the final polls were UPI 12 and AP 6, and finished ranked 1st in Pass Defense in NCAA Division II. The team roster included future

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

players

Virgil Livers Virgil Chester Livers Jr. (born March 26, 1952) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 1975 NFL Draft. He played college football at Western Ke ...

, John Bushong, Clarence “Jazz” Jackson, and Mike McCoy. Jim Barber was named to the Universal Sports All-American team. The All OVC team included Barber, Terry Kokinda, Bob Morehead, Leo Peckenpaugh, Bill Sykes, and Terry Thompson.

Schedule

References

Western Kentucky Western Kentucky is the western portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It generally includes part or all of several more widely recognized regions of the state. ;Always included * The Jackson Purchase, the state's westernmost generally recogniz ...

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football seasons Ohio Valley Conference football champion seasons Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football {{collegefootball-1970s-season-stub