The Sam Houston Bearkats football program is the intercollegiate

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

team for

Sam Houston State University Sam Houston State University (SHSU or Sam) is a public university in Huntsville, Texas. It was founded in 1879 and is the third-oldest public college or university in Texas. It is one of the first normal schools west of the Mississippi River and ...

located in the U.S. state of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. The team competes in the

NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic ...

(FCS) as a member of the

Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington (state), Washington, and Texa ...

through the 2020–21 season. Sam Houston's first football team was fielded in 1912. The team plays its home games at the 12,593-seat

Bowers Stadium Elliott T. Bowers Stadium is a 12,593-seat multi-purpose stadium in Huntsville, Texas. The stadium has been home to the Sam Houston State University Bearkats football since 1986. Previously, the team played their homes games at Pritchett Field, whi ...

Huntsville, Texas Huntsville is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Texas. The population was 45,941 as of the 2020 census. It is the center of the Huntsville micropolitan area. Huntsville is in the East Texas Piney Woods on Interstate 45 and home to ...

. On January 23, 2014,

K. C. Keeler Kurt Charles Keeler (born July 26, 1959) is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Sam Houston State University, a position he had held since 2014. Previously, Keeler was the head coach at his alma mater, th ...

was named the 15th head coach in Sam Houston program history. In July 2021, the Bearkats left the

Southland Conference The Southland Conference, abbreviated as SLC, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it pa ...

to join the

, which relaunched its

football league The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

at the FCS level at that time. Just a few months later, on November 5, 2021, the school accepted an invitation to join

Conference USA Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are l ...

at the

NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...

(FBS) level beginning in the 2023–24 season.

History

Sam Houston has fielded a football team since 1912 and have played continuously since 1946 following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The only times the Bearkats did not field a football team were in 1918 for

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, from 1943 to 1945 for

, and 2020 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

(although they did get a make-up season in the spring of 2021). The Bearkats competed independently from 1912 through 1923, in the

Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association The Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (TIAA) was a college sports association that operated from 1909 to 1932. All of its members were located in the US state of Texas. History Founded in 1909 by Southwestern University, Austin College, ...

(TIAA) from 1924 to 1931, in the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...

(NAIA) from 1932 to 1981, in

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...

from 1982 to 1985 and in the

of the

NCAA Division I FCS The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic ...

from 1986 to 2021. In July 2021, The Bearkats left the

to join the

, which relaunched its

at the FCS level at that time. Just a few months later, on November 5, 2021, the school accepted an invitation to join FBS

beginning in the 2023-24 season. The Bearkats won their first FCS National Championship in the 2020-21 college football season, beating

South Dakota State South Dakota State University is a public land-grant research university in Brookings, South Dakota. Founded in 1881, it is the state's largest and most comprehensive university and the oldest continually-operating university in South Dakota. The ...

23-21. The Bearkats have 15 conference championships, and have seen postseason NCAA playoff action in 13 seasons, with back-to-back NCAA Division I Championship game appearances in 2011–2012. Sam Houston State also has 3 bowl victories in four games, and one claimed National Championship from NAIA in the 1964 season.

Head coaches

Ron Randleman Ron Randleman (born December 17, 1941) is a former American football coach. He served as head coach at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas from 1982 to 2004. Randleman retired after the 2004 season as the winningest head coach in t ...

is Sam Houston's and the Southland Conference's all-time winningest coach with 132 wins over a span of 23 years. Randleman also won conference Coach of the Year honors on four occasions, in the Gulf Star Conference in 1985 and 1986, and in the Southland Conference in 1991, and 2001.

Paul Pierce Paul Anthony Pierce (born October 13, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), predominantly with the Boston Celtics. He was most recently an analyst on ESPN ...

coached the Bearkats to its only National Championship as a member of NAIA, and also won the 1965 Knute Rockne Little All-American Coach of the Year award.

Willie Fritz Willie Fritz (born April 2, 1960) is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Tulane. Fritz served as the head football coach at University of Central Missouri from 1997 to 2009, Sam Houston State University ...

coached Sam Houston to back-to-back conference championships and back-to-back national title game appearances in only three years, while being awarded the 2011 AFCA National Coach of the Year award and the 2012 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year award. He was also named the 2012 AFCA Regional Coach of the Year. On January 23, 2014, former

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

head coach

was named the 15th head coach in Sam Houston program history. So far, he has arguably had the most success as a Sam Houston head coach boasting a .777 overall win percentage and a .736 playoff win percentage, in addition to winning a conference title four out of his eight seasons as head coach, and a Division I national championship in 2020. Sidenote: Keeler has only lost a home playoff game once in his entire career as a head coach.

Championships

National championships

Sam Houston has two national championships, with one during their tenure in the

and the other coming in FCS. In their NAIA championship game, they played

Concordia Cobbers Concordia College is a private college in Moorhead, Minnesota. Founded by Norwegian settlers in 1891, the school is associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and practices the liberal arts. Concordia is accredited by the Higher ...

for the championship, with the game resulting in a tie, becoming co-champions with Moorhead. In their third FCS championship game, they defeated

to win their first FCS national championship.

Conference championships

Sam Houston has won 15 conference titles, seven shared and eight outright. † Denotes shared title. Conference affiliations * 1912–1923: Independent * 1924–1930:

* 1931–1981:

Lone Star Conference The Lone Star Conference (LSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in the southwestern United States, with schools in Tex ...

( NAIA) * 1982–1983: Lone Star Conference (

) * 1984–1986: Gulf Star Conference (

Division I FCS The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic ...

) * 1987–2020:

(Division I FCS) * 2021–2023:

(

) * 2023–present:

(

Division I FBS The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). A ...

)

Bowl game appearances

Sam Houston appeared in five bowl games during their time in the NAIA, going 3–0–1 in these bowl games, with the final one notably being for the NAIA championship.

Playoff appearances

NCAA Division I-AA/FCS

The Bearkats have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs 13 times with an overall record of 24–12. They were NCAA Division I National Champions in 2020.

NAIA

The Bearkats appeared in the NAIA playoffs one time, with a combined record of 1–0–1.

Home stadiums

Pritchett Field (1912–1985)

The Bearkats' home for football was on Pritchett Field for 73 years (1912–1985) beginning with their first football game against

Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...

in 1912. The field was named after Joseph Pritchett, brother of the university's fourth president Henry Carr Pritchett, and former owner of the land the field rests on. The final football game played on Pritchett Field was a victory for the Bearkats with a score of 51–7, defeating

Washburn University Washburn University (WU) is a public university in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and business. Washburn has 550 faculty members, who teach more than 6,100 u ...

. Sam Houston Football began playing games at Bowers Stadium following the 1985 season. The complex is currently home to Sam Houston Women's Soccer and Club Lacrosse. On April 18, 2013, football was played on Pritchett Field for the first time since 1985 for the annual Orange-White spring game. The event also included the presentation of the

Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award was an annual college football award given to the a head coach from each NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics amon ...

to head coach

Bowers Stadium (1986–present)

, formerly Bearkat Stadium (1986–1989), is currently home to both Sam Houston Football and the Track and Field programs beginning with the 1986 season. Bowers Stadium has a capacity of 14,000. However, 16,148 fans packed Bowers Stadium in 1994 to watch

Alcorn State Alcorn State University (Alcorn State, ASU or Alcorn) is a public historically black land-grant university adjacent to Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871 and was the first black land grant college established in the United States. ...

led by NFL bound quarterback

Steve McNair Stephen LaTreal McNair (February 14, 1973 – July 4, 2009),Steve McNair Found Dead
...

in a 48-23 SAM HOUSTON victory on regional ABC-TV.McNair Hurt As Alcorn St. Loses, 48-23
''Washington Post'' (September 25, 1994). Retrieved 2014-7-17.

Rivalries

Stephen F. Austin

The Sam Houston/Stephen F. Austin rivalry game, also known as the Battle of the Piney Woods, is a yearly rivalry held at

NRG Stadium NRG Stadium, formerly Reliant Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to have a retrac ...

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

. The two teams have met 91 times with Sam Houston leading the series 60-34-2. The Battle of the Piney Woods is Texas' second longest FCS rivalry. The most recent meeting ending with the Bearkats defeating the Lumberjacks 21-20 and clinching their 10th win in a row. However, the rivalry is now in question as Sam Houston has officially announced their move from the

in 2023.

Texas State

Sam Houston State’s second longest rivalry (dating back to 1915) was

Texas State University Texas State University is a public research university in San Marcos, Texas. Since its establishment in 1899, the university has grown to the second largest university in the Greater Austin metropolitan area and the fifth largest university ...

. The two teams held annual rivalry games in mainly football and basketball with Texas State boasting a 50-37-5 record in football (last game in 2011) and a 64-51 record in men’s basketball (last game in 2012). The two universities are in the same university system (sharing many similarities) and competed in the same athletic conferences until Texas State left the

for the

in 2012, eventually ending up in the

Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football conference, the Sun Belt began sponsoring football in 2001. Its football teams participa ...

only a year later in 2013.

Notable former players

Bearkats in the National Football League

Sam Houston has had 37 alumni play in the

National Football League 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 ...

, with 19 players selected in the

Draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vessel ...

. During the

2018 NFL Draft The 2018 NFL Draft was the 83rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2018 NFL season. The draft was held on April 26–28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; it was the first draft ...

, the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

selected defensive lineman

P. J. Hall Patrick "P. J." Hall Jr. (born April 5, 1995) is an American football defensive end for the Memphis Showboats (2022), Memphis Showboats of the United Football League (2024), United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Sam Houston ...

in the second round. This represents the highest a Bearkat player has been drafted by an NFL team. * Timothy Flanders (2014-2015), RB,

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

, Clevland Browns * Timothy Flanders CFL (2015-Present), RB/WR,

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions played their first season ...

Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fiel ...

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-old ...

Ottawa RedBlacks The Ottawa Redblacks (officially stylized as REDBLACKS) ( French: Le Rouge et Noir d'Ottawa) are a professional Canadian football team based in Ottawa, Ontario. The team plays in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Startin ...

*Scorpio Babers (2008–2009), CB,

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

Michael Bankston Michael Kane Bankston (March 12, 1970) is a former defensive tackle and defensive end who played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Bankston played for the Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals. He w ...

(1992–2000), DL,

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

* Stan Blinka (1979–1983), LB,

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

Rhett Bomar Rhett Matthew Bomar (born July 2, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Oklahoma and Sam Houston State. He ...

(2009–2012), QB,

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

Davion Davis Davion Davis (born October 23, 1996) is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Sam Houston State. He has also been a member of the Minnesota Vikings, ...

(2019–Present), WR,

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...

* Keith Davis (2002–2008), DB,

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

Tim Denton Timothy Jerome Denton, Sr. (born February 2, 1973) is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League. He played for the Washington Redskins in 1998 and 1999, and he played for the San Diego Chargers in 2000. Denton wa ...

(1998–2000), DB,

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

* Johnnie Dirden (1978–1981), WR,

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 as ...

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

Trey Diller Trey Diller (born March 12, 1990) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Sam Houston State University, and signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2013. High School career Diller att ...

(2013), WR,

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...

* Matt Dominguez (2001), TE,

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

* Lac Edwards (2016–2021), P,

(2018–Present), DT,

Odie Harris Odie Harris (born April 1, 1966, in Bryan, Texas) is a former professional American football player who played safety and cornerback for eight seasons in the National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional ...

(1988–1995), DB,

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

, Arizona Cardinals, Houston Oilers *

Keith Heinrich Keith Charles Heinrich (born March 19, 1979) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He was a two-sport star at Sam Houston State Bearkats#Football, Sam Houston S ...

(2002–2004, 2007), TE,

, Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers *

Jimmy Hill James William Thomas Hill, OBE (22 July 1928 – 19 December 2015) was an English footballer and later a television personality. His career included almost every role in the sport, including player, trade union leader, coach, manager, director ...

(1955–1966), DB, Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs * Ed Kallina (1928), OL,

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

Garry Kimble Garry Kimble (born 6 August 1966) is an English former professional Association football, footballer. Career Kimble, along with his twin brother Alan Kimble, Alan, started his career as a trainee at Charlton Athletic F.C., Charlton Athletic wh ...

(1987), CB, Washington Redskins *

Josh McCown Joshua Treadwell McCown (born July 4, 1979) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He attended Jacksonville High School in Jacksonville, Texas, where he was named the East Texas Player of the Year and earned All-State honorabl ...

(2002–2020), QB, Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions,

, Carolina Panthers,

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns,

, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans *

Guido Merkens Guido Albert Merkens Jr. (born August 14, 1955) is a former professional American football player who played quarterback, running back, wide receiver, punter and defensive back for ten seasons for the Houston Oilers, New Orleans Saints and Phil ...

(1978–1987), DB QB P WR, Houston Oilers,

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

Mike Nelms Michael Craig Nelms (born April 8, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back and kick returner in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons with the Washington Redskins from 1980 to 1984. Befor ...

(1980–1984), DB, Washington Redskins *

Ralph Ruthstrom Ralph David Ruthstrom (July 12, 1921 – March 29, 1962) was an American football running back and defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland / Los Angeles Rams. Ruthstrom also played in ...

(1945–1949), FB HB QB, Cleveland/LA Rams, Washington Redskins,

Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from its founding in 1953 to 1984. The team now plays in Indianapolis, as the Indianapolis Colts. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breed ...

Julian Spence Julian Carroll Spence (May 5, 1929 – March 6, 1990) was an American football defensive back who played two seasons with the Houston Oilers of the American Football League (AFL). He played college football at Sam Houston State University and att ...

(1956–1961), DB,

Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ca ...

, Houston Oilers * D. D. Terry (2007–2008), RB,

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

George Wright George Wright may refer to: Politics, law and government * George Wright (MP) (died 1557), MP for Bedford and Wallingford * George Wright (governor) (1779–1842), Canadian politician, lieutenant governor of Prince Edward Island * George Wright ...

(1970–1972), DT, Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns

Individual awards

National awards

Sam Houston has had a total of 88 players selected into the

College Football All-America Team The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best college football players in the United States at their respective positions. The original use of the term ''All-America'' seems to have been to the 1889 College Football ...

, including 58 NCAA All-Americans and 30 NAIA All-Americans. A number of these players have also been considered for major national awards. In 2016, quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe became the first Bearkat to win the Payton Award. In 2017 he became the first Bearkat to win two Payton Awards and only the second FCS player to win multiple Payton Awards after former Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards became the first in 2009. ''Major honors'' * Walter Payton Award Finalists
Most Outstanding FCS Offensive Player :Chris Chaloupka, QB, 1999 – 13th :

, QB, 2001 – 7th : Dustin Long, QB, 2004 – 2nd :D. D. Terry, RB, 2006 – 16th : Timothy Flanders, RB, 2011 – 7th, 2012 – 13th :

Jeremiah Briscoe Jeremiah Briscoe (born August 15, 1993) is a former gridiron football quarterback. He played college football at Sam Houston State, where he was a two-time winner of the Walter Payton Award. He played for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian ...

, QB, 2016 - Winner, 2017 Winner * Buck Buchanan Award Finalists
Most Outstanding FCS Defensive Player :Keith Davis, DB, 2001 – 7th :Darnell Taylor, S, 2012 – 14th :

, DE, 2016 - 3rd :

Derick Roberson Derick Roberson (born November 15, 1995) is an American football linebacker for the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL. He played college football at Sam Houston State. Professional career Tennessee Titans Roberson was signed by the Tennessee Tita ...

, DE, 2018 - 2nd *

AFCA Coach of the Year The AFCA Coach of the Year Award is given annually to a college football coach by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). The award has had several different sponsors over the years, including Eastman Kodak Corporation, and thus also b ...

:Willie Fritz, National, 2011 :Willie Fritz, Regional, 2011 & 2012 *

Eddie Robinson Award The Eddie Robinson Award is awarded annually to college football's top head coach in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). The award was established by The Sports Network, since merged into Stats Perform, ...

Coach of the Year :

- 2016

Conference awards

Sam Houston has had 407 All-Conference selections and honorable mentions, including 202 in the Southland Conference, 25 in the Gulf Star Conference, 173 in the Lone Star Conference, and 7 in the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association. * Player of the Year :Lanny Dycus, QB, Gulf Star (1985) :Chris Chaloupka, QB, Southland (1999) :Josh McCown, QB, Southland (2001) :Dustin Long, QB, Southland (2004) :Timothy Flanders, RB, Southland (2011 & 2012) :Jeremiah Briscoe, QB, Southland (2016) * Offensive Player of the Year :Chris Chaloupka, QB, Southland (1999) :D. D. Terry, RB, Southland (2006) :Richard Sincere, WR, Southland (2011) :Jared Johnson, QB, Southland (2015) :Yedidiah Louis, WR, Southland (2016) :Davion Davis, WR, Southland (2017) * Defensive Player of the Year :Keith Davis, DB, Southland (2000) :Darnell Taylor, S, Southland (2011 & 2012) :P.J. Hall, DE, Southland (2016) * Freshman of the Year :Bart Bradley, P, Gulf Star (1986) :Victor McKnight, C, Southland (1996) :Matt Dominguez, WR, Southland (1997) :P.J. Hall, DE, Southland (2014) :Nathan Stewart, WR, Southland (2016) * Newcomer of the Year :Tim Denton, DB, Southland (1995) :Chris Chaloupka, QB, Southland (1999) :Timothy Flanders, RB, Southland (2010) * Coach of the Year :Ron Randleman, Gulf Star (1986) :Ron Randleman, Southland (1991 & 2001) :Willie Fritz, Southland (2011) :K. C. Keeler, Southland (2016)

Individual program records

Rushing records

*Most rushing attempts, career: 999, Timothy Flanders (2010–2013) *Most rushing attempts, season: 298, Timothy Flanders (2011) *Most rushing attempts, game: 39, Charles Harris vs

North Texas North Texas (also commonly called North Central Texas) is a term used primarily by residents of Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas to describe much of the north central portion of the U.S. state of Texas. Residents of the Dallas–Fort Wor ...

(1993) *Most rushing yards, career: 5,664, Timothy Flanders (2010–2013) *Most rushing yards, season: 1,644, Timothy Flanders (2011) *Most rushing yards, game: 287, Timothy Flanders vs

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

(2011) *Most rushing touchdowns, career: 66, Timothy Flanders (2010–2013) *Most rushing touchdowns, season: 22, Timothy Flanders (2011) *Most rushing touchdowns, game: 5, Timothy Flanders (September 20, 2011 vs.

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

) *Longest rush from scrimmage: 90 yards, Charles Harris vs

Rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...

(1993), Arthur Louis vs SFA (1978), Dennis Gann vs

Texas A&I Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by bo ...

(1966) *Most games with at least 100 rushing yards, career: 30, Timothy Flanders (2010–2013) *Most games with at least 100 rushing yards, season: 10, Timothy Flanders (2012) *Most games with at least 200 rushing yards, career: 2, Charles Harris (1993), D. D. Terry (2006), Timothy Flanders (2011–2012) *Most games with at least 200 rushing yards, season: 2, Charles Harris (1993, D. D. Terry (2006)

Passing records

*Most passing attempts, career: 1,328,

(2015–17) *Most passing attempts, season: 579, Jeremiah Briscoe (2017) *Most passing attempts, game: 69,

vs Southeastern Louisiana (2008) *Most passing completions, career: 1,328, Jeremiah Briscoe (2015–17) *Most passing completions, season: 333, Dustin Long (2004) *Most passing completions, game: 38, Dustin Long vs

Eastern Washington Eastern Washington is the region of the U.S. state of Washington located east of the Cascade Range. It contains the city of Spokane (the second largest city in the state), the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanfor ...

at FCS Quarterfinals (2004) *Most passing yards, career: 11,488, Jeremiah Briscoe (2015–17) *Most passing yards, season: 5,003, Jeremiah Briscoe (2004) *Most passing yards, game: 577, Dustin Long vs

McNeese State McNeese State University is a public university in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Founded in 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College, it was renamed McNeese Junior College after John McNeese, an early local educator. The present name was adopted in 1970. ...

(2004) *Most passing touchdowns, career: 116, Jeremiah Briscoe (2015–17) *Most passing touchdowns, season: 57, Jeremiah Briscoe (2016) *Most passing touchdowns, game: 7, Jeremiah Briscoe (2016) *Longest pass completion: 99 yards, Binky Ford to Frankie Reescano vs

Howard Payne University Howard Payne University is a private Baptist university in Brownwood, Texas. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Howard Payne College was founded by Reverend Noah T. Byers and Dr. John David Robnett in 1889. The institu ...

(1980) *Most games with at least 300 passing yards, season: 11, Jeremiah Briscoe (2016) *Most Victories as a Starting Quarterback: 39, Brian Bell (2010-2013)

Receiving records

*Most receptions, career: 294, Yedidiah Louis (2014-2017) *Most receptions, season: 99, Jarrod Fuller (2004) *Most receptions, game: 13, Four Times: Jason Mathenia (2004), Torrance Williams (2013),

(2017, 2018) *Most receiving yards, career: 3,942, Yedidiah Louis (2014-2017) *Most receiving yards, season: 1,648, Nathan Stewart (2017) *Most receiving yards, game: 268, Nathan Stewart vs McNeese (2016) *Most touchdown receptions, career: 40, Davion Davis (2015-2018) *Most touchdown receptions, season: 18, Jonathon Cooper (2001) *Most touchdown receptions, game: 4, Matt Dominguez vs Nicholls State (1999) *Longest pass reception: 97 yards, Frankie Reescano from Blinky Ford vs Howard Payne (1980) *Most games with at least 100 receiving yards, career: 16, Nathan Stewart (2016-2019)

Defensive records

*Most tackles, career: 538, Stan Blinka (1975–1978) *Most tackles, season: 211, Stan Blinka (1978) *Most tackles, game: 24, Stan Blinka (1978 vs Stephen F. Austin) *Most sacks, career: 42,

(2014-2017) *Most sacks, season: 15, Andre Finley (1988) *Most sacks, game: 4, Michael Bankston (1991 vs

Angelo State Angelo State University is a public university in San Angelo, Texas. It was founded in 1928 as San Angelo College. It gained university status and awarded its first baccalaureate degrees in 1967 and graduate degrees in 1969, the same year it too ...

), Will Henry (2010 vs Nicholls State) *Most interceptions, career: 14, Daxton Swanson (2009–2012) *Most interceptions, season: 8, Daxton Swanson (2011) *Most interceptions, game: 3, Charles Stanley vs. Howard Payne (1977), Mark Hughes vs. McNeese State (2004)

Future non-conference opponents

Future non-conference opponents announced as of October 14, 2022. * The Air Force game in 2023, will be played at

in Houston.

References

External links

* {{Conference USA football navbox American football teams established in 1912 1912 establishments in Texas