Troy Trojans Football
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The Troy Trojans football program represents Troy University 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, where it has competed since 2001. The football program joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2004. The current head football coach is
Jon Sumrall Jon Sumrall (born July 5, 1982) is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach at Troy University, a position he has held since the 2022 season. Coaching career Sumrall began his coaching career at his alma mater, Kentucky W ...
. Troy has won 22 conference championships, with seven in the Sun Belt Conference. The Trojans play home games at Veterans Memorial Stadium in
Troy, Alabama Troy is a city in and the county seat of Pike County, Alabama, United States. It was formally incorporated on February 4, 1843. Between 1763 and 1783, the area where Troy sits was part of the colony of British West Florida.The Economy of Bri ...
.


History


Early history (1909–1965)

Troy University has fielded a football team continuously since 1946. Prior to that year, the team was fielded with many interruptions from 1909 to 1942. Eight years were skipped from 1913 to 1920 due to lack of participation and later World War I, while the
Wall Street Crash of 1929 The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the Great Crash, was a major American stock market crash that occurred in the autumn of 1929. It started in September and ended late in October, when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange colla ...
kept the team from playing that year. Coach George Penton led the Troy Trojans for two seasons, 1911 and 1912. Under his tutelage, the Trojans completed their only undefeated season, a 3–0 record.
Albert Elmore Albert B. Elmore (November 19, 1904 – July 26, 1988) was an American college football coach and player, college basketball coach, and college athletics administrator. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Elmore led the Troy State Teachers C ...
was the head coach from 1931 to 1937. A
University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...
alumnus, he is credited with changing the team name to "Red Wave" (a variation of Alabama's " Crimson Tide"). In seven years at Troy State, five of which were winning seasons, Elmore compiled a 35–30–3 record. In 1947,
Fred McCollum Frederick Gwaltney "Buddy" McCollum Sr. (March 12, 1912 – April 11, 1978) was an American college football player and coach and athletics administrator. He was the head football coach at the Livingston State Teachers College (now the University ...
took the head coaching position at Troy State. From 1947 to 1950, he compiled an overall record of 20 wins, 18 losses and three ties (20–18–3) with the Red Wave, which included back to back six-win seasons in 1948–1949. William Clipson was head football coach from 1955 to 1965. His overall record of 20–68 included a 6–3 winning season in 1964. He had previously served as football coach at Troy High School from 1942 to 1951 and head basketball coach at
Florida Southern Florida Southern College (Florida Southern, Southern or FSC) is a private college in Lakeland, Florida. In 2019, the student population at FSC consisted of 3,073 students along with 130 full-time faculty members. The college offers 50 undergradu ...
from 1952 to 1955.


Billy Atkins era (1966–1971)

On January 8, 1966, Billy Atkins was named the head coach of the Troy football team. In 1968, he coached Troy State to the NAIA National Championship and was named the NAIA Coach of the Year. Atkins finished at Troy State with a 44–16–2 record before leaving in 1971. He is the second-winningest coach in Troy history, only behind
Larry Blakeney Larry Blakeney (born September 21, 1947) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Troy University from 1991 to 2014, compiling a record of 178–113–1 in 24 seasons. He is one of only two coaches t ...
. Atkins was inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.


Tom Jones era (1972–1973)

Tom Jones was hired as Troy State's head coach in 1972. He served as the head football coach from 1972 to 1973, compiling a record of 11–7–2. In addition to his head coaching duties Jones also served as the Troy University Athletic Director from 1972 to 1974.


Byrd Whigham era (1974–1975)

Byrd Whigham led the Troy Trojans football program for two seasons and his teams compiled a 12–8 record in his two seasons. Whigham departed after the 1975 season.


Charlie Bradshaw era (1976–1982)

Former
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
head coach Charlie Bradshaw came out of retirement in 1976 to accept the position of head coach for the Trojans, which had become the school's nickname just a short time earlier. Under Bradshaw's tutelage, the Trojans compiled a 41–27–2 record, which included three eight-win seasons and one conference championship. However, a 3–7 campaign in 1981 and a 2–8 season in 1982 ended Bradshaw's tenure at Troy State.


Chan Gailey era (1983–1984)

In 1983,
Chan Gailey Thomas Chandler Gailey Jr. (born January 5, 1952) is a former American football coach. Most recently in 2020, he was the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). Gailey has previously served as the hea ...
took over the head coaching duties at Troy State, where he led the Trojans to a 12–1 record in 1984 en route to the Division II championship. Gailey departed Troy State after two seasons to accept the position of tight ends coach and special teams coordinator with the NFL's
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 ...
.


Rick Rhoades era (1985–1987)

Rick Rhoades, previously the Trojans' defensive coordinator, was the head coach at Troy State from 1985 to 1987. In 1987, he led the team to the
NCAA Division II Football Championship The NCAA Division II Football Championship is an American college football tournament played annually to determine a champion at the NCAA Division II level. It was first held in 1973, as a single-elimination tournament with eight teams. The tourna ...
. Rhoades left Troy State after three seasons.


Robert Maddox era (1988–1990)

At Troy State, head coach
Robert Maddox Robert Foster Maddox (April 4, 1870 – 1965) was the 41st Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. Biography Maddox was born on April 4, 1870 to Robert Flournoy Maddox, an early Atlanta settler and war hero. He was educated in public school, and then at ...
inherited a team which the previous season had gone 12–1–1, winning the
NCAA Division II Football Championship The NCAA Division II Football Championship is an American college football tournament played annually to determine a champion at the NCAA Division II level. It was first held in 1973, as a single-elimination tournament with eight teams. The tourna ...
. Despite this, in 1988, Troy State had its first losing season since 1982, going 4–6. The following season, the team showed little improvement, finishing with an identical 4–6 record. In 1990, Troy State improved slightly to 5–5, and Maddox resigned following a season-ending 24–23 win over Nicholls State.


Larry Blakeney era (1991–2014)

Larry Blakeney Larry Blakeney (born September 21, 1947) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Troy University from 1991 to 2014, compiling a record of 178–113–1 in 24 seasons. He is one of only two coaches t ...
became the twentieth head football coach at Troy State University on December 3, 1990. The program was officially still a Division II program, but were already approved to transition to
NCAA Division I-AA 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 Athleti ...
the following season. He took over a program that won two national championships the previous decade, but were 13–17 the previous 3 years. The first full year at Division I-AA, the Troy State Trojans made it to the semifinal game and finished 12–1–1, 10–0–1 in the regular season. This marked the first undefeated, regular, full season of Troy State Trojans football and they finished ranked first in the end of season poll by ''Sports Network''. In 1995, the team improved on that record finishing 11–0 in the regular season for the first undefeated and untied season in history. During the eight seasons the team was a member of I-AA football, they made the playoffs seven seasons and won 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 ...
championship three times and made the playoff semifinals twice. Troy State transitioned to Division I-A in 2001. During that season they defeated three Division I-A schools, including their first win over a BCS conference school,
Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univer ...
. The transition makes Blakeney one of two coaches to ever take a football team from Division II to I-A (the other is UCF's
Gene McDowell Eugene McDowell (July 4, 1939 – January 26, 2021) was an American college football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at University of Central Florida (UCF) from 1985 to 1997, compiling a record of 8 ...
). In 2004, Troy's first year in the Sun Belt Conference, Blakeney coached his team to one of the biggest victories in the school's and the Sun Belt's history after defeating then No. 17 ranked
Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
24–14 at home, in front of a national audience on
ESPN2 ESPN2 is an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remaining 20%). ESPN2 was initially fo ...
. He once again coached his team to a victory over a BCS school in 2007 at home, routing
Oklahoma State Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
41–23 on
ESPN2 ESPN2 is an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remaining 20%). ESPN2 was initially fo ...
After losing the 2008 New Orleans Bowl in overtime against
Southern Miss The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...
and losing the 2010 GMAC Bowl in double-overtime against
Central Michigan Central Michigan, also called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As its name implies, it is the middle area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and Mid Michigan cor ...
, Blakeney would get his second bowl victory in the 2010 New Orleans Bowl, defeating
Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
48–21. ESPN recognized Blakeney as one of the top 5 non-AQ recruiting closers in 2009. Troy University football began playing in the NCAA's Division I-A in 2001, became a football only member of the Sun Belt Conference in 2004, and joined that conference for all other sports in 2005. The Trojan football team made its first bowl game appearance in the Silicon Valley Football Classic on December 30, 2004, that same season, but lost to Northern Illinois, 34–21. In 2006, Troy won the Sun Belt Conference for the first time after defeating
Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the ...
in dramatic fashion in the last game of the 2006 season in a game that is now referred to as "The Miracle in Murfreesboro". As the 2006 Sun Belt Conference champions, Troy played in the
New Orleans Bowl The New Orleans Bowl is an NCAA-sanctioned post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually since 2001. It is normally held at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans; when the Superdome and the rest of the city suffered damage due t ...
on December 22, 2006, 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 ...
, routing the Owls of Conference USA by a score of 41–17. The New Orleans Bowl victory was Troy's first bowl victory in history. Under Blakeney's tutelage, many quarterbacks at Troy University broke school records and some national records. From 2010 to 2013, Corey Robinson broke the school record for career passing yards and is ranked No. 11 in the NCAA for all-time career passing yards with 13,477. One of his more memorable performances came the first game of his senior year when he rallied his team from a 31–17 deficit vs. UAB to a 34–31 OT win, in the process breaking Steve Sarkisian's record for highest completion percentage in a game with a minimum of 30 attempts. Robinson completed 30 of 32 attempts for a new record of 93.8%. Upon Robinson's graduation, new freshman quarterback Brandon Silvers stepped in and set yet another national record in 2014. During Silvers' freshman campaign, he broke
Sam Bradford Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings. He was also a member of the ...
's 2007 Oklahoma NCAA record for completion percentage by a freshman as he completed 70.5 percent of his passes (191-of-271); whereas Bradford had completed 69.5 percent of his attempts.
Larry Blakeney Larry Blakeney (born September 21, 1947) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Troy University from 1991 to 2014, compiling a record of 178–113–1 in 24 seasons. He is one of only two coaches t ...
officially retired at the end of the 2014 season. He led the program to three Southland Football League titles and five straight Sun Belt Conference titles, as well as guided the Trojans to seven FCS playoff appearances and four FBS bowl games. Blakeney finished with an overall record of 178–113–1 as head coach at Troy. Blakeney is the winningest coach in the Troy University history and he is the fourth winningest collegiate coach all-time in the state of Alabama, only behind greats
Paul "Bear" Bryant Paul William "Bear" Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983) was an American college football player and coach. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and best known as the head coach of t ...
,
Cleveland L. Abbott Cleveland Leigh "Cleve" Abbott (some sources say "Cleveland S. Abbott") (December 9, 1894 – April 14, 1955) was an American football player, coach and educator. He was the head coach of the Tuskegee University Golden Tigers football team fr ...
, and Ralph "Shug" Jordan.


Neal Brown era (2015–2018)

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
offensive coordinator
Neal Brown Neal Brown (born March 11, 1980) is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at West Virginia University. Brown was previously the head coach at Troy University from 2015 to 2018. Brown also previousl ...
, who had served in the same capacity at Troy from 2008 to 2009, was named the Trojans head coach in November 2014. In 2015, Brown's Trojans posted a 4–8 record. Troy was ranked for the first time in the AP top 25 on November 13, 2016, they became the first team from the Sun Belt Conference to be ranked in the Top 25 and finished the year with a record of 10–3. Troy capped off the 2016 season by defeating
Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
in the
Dollar General Bowl The LendingTree Bowl is a postseason NCAA-sanctioned Division I FBS college football bowl game that has been played annually in Mobile, Alabama since 1999. In 2021, the game was moved from Ladd-Peebles Stadium to Hancock Whitney Stadium, on the c ...
in
Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...
. In Brown's third season at the helm in 2017, he led Troy to a fast 3–1 start to begin the season. In the fifth game of the season on September 30, Troy faced No. 25-ranked
LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
. After leading in the third quarter by a score of 24–7, the LSU Tigers began to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter by scoring 14 unanswered points and trailing just 24–21 with less than 30 seconds left in the game. LSU began to move the ball down-field before having only 8 seconds left on the clock. The very next play wound up being an interception for Troy, which sealed the upset victory. The win over LSU snapped the Tigers' 46-game non-conference home winning streak, which was the longest such streak in the country at the time. Ironically LSU's last non-conference home loss came to another
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
school UAB 13–10 back in 2000. The Trojans would wind up winning the Sun Belt title after defeating
Arkansas State Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
in a thriller, 32–25. Afterward, Troy met
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 Wo ...
in the
New Orleans Bowl The New Orleans Bowl is an NCAA-sanctioned post-season college football bowl game that has been played annually since 2001. It is normally held at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans; when the Superdome and the rest of the city suffered damage due t ...
, with Troy defeating the Mean Green by a score of 50–30. Troy's 11–2 overall record is the programs best season finish since joining the FBS in 2001. Following Troy's record season in 2017, Brown would lead Troy to yet another 10+ win season in 2018. The Trojans began the season with a home-opener against No. 22 Boise State, in front of a Veterans Memorial Stadium record crowd of 29,612. The Trojans came up short, losing 20–56 to the Broncos, but would go on a 5-game win streak following the loss. During the 5-game win streak, Troy repeated what they had done the season before, beating another power conference team as they ventured into
Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...
and defeating
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
by a score of 24–19. In Troy's sixth game of the season, starting quarterback Kaleb Barker suffered a knee injury that kept him out for the remainder of the season. Brown decided to make Sawyer Smith the new starting quarterback for Troy afterwards. Upon suffering an upset loss to
Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
, Brown led Troy on another 4-game win streak, which included a win over
South Alabama South Alabama is the various parts of southern Alabama. Although it is not a strictly defined geographic region, it generally includes all Alabama counties south of the Black Belt (region of Alabama), Black Belt. In that view, ''South Alabama'' co ...
to win the Battle for the Belt rivalry trophy. In the last game of the regular season, Troy would play Appalachian State at
Kidd Brewer Stadium Kidd Brewer Stadium is a 30,000-seat multi-purpose stadium located in Boone, North Carolina. Nicknamed "The Rock," the stadium is the home of the Appalachian State Mountaineers football team. Kidd Brewer stands above sea level. The Mountaineers b ...
in what turned out to be the deciding game to see who would win the Sun Belt's East division. Appalachian State would come away with a 21–10 victory over Troy, effectively knocking Troy out of the Sun Belt championship hunt. Troy finished the regular season with a 9–3 overall record, 7–1 in conference play. Upon receiving an invite to the 2018 Dollar General Bowl, the Trojans were pitted against
Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great L ...
East division champion Buffalo, who was 10–3 on the season and was considered the favorite to win the bowl game. Buffalo featured future NFL Draft Picks in QB
Tyree Jackson Tyree Jackson (born November 7, 1997) is an American football tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He played college football as a quarterback at Buffalo. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Buffalo ...
, WR Anthony Johnson, and LB Khalil Hodge. Despite what the oddsmakers were predicting, Brown was able to lead Troy to victory over Buffalo, 42–32. The win secured Neal Brown's third consecutive 10+ win season, and set a new record in Troy football history as the first time Troy had ever had three successive seasons with ten or more wins. It also marked three straight bowl wins for Troy. Following the season,
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
went on to hire Neal Brown as their new head coach.


Chip Lindsey era (2019–2021)

On January 10, 2019, it was announced that
Chip Lindsey Chip Lindsey (born September 9, 1974) is an American college football coach and former player who is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served as the head coach at Troy ...
would become Troy's 22nd head coach. He was previously on staff at
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
as offensive coordinator for less than two months before being hired by Troy to be its head coach. Lindsey came to Troy with additional experience as an offensive coordinator for Auburn,
Arizona State Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
, and
Southern Miss The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...
. On November 21, 2021, Troy fired Lindsey with one game remaining in the 2021 season. He posted a record of 15–19 over three years with no bowl appearances.


Jon Sumrall era (2022–present)

On December 2, 2021, it was announced that
Jon Sumrall Jon Sumrall (born July 5, 1982) is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach at Troy University, a position he has held since the 2022 season. Coaching career Sumrall began his coaching career at his alma mater, Kentucky W ...
would become the 23rd head coach of the program. He previously served as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
.


Conference affiliations

* Independent (1909–1937, 1991–1995, 2001–2003) *
Alabama Intercollegiate Conference The Southern States Conference (SSC) was an affiliate of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics that included member institutions in the U.S. states of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida. The league existed from 1938 to 1 ...
(1938–1959) *
Alabama Collegiate Conference The Southern States Conference (SSC) was an affiliate of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics that included member institutions in the U.S. states of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida. The league existed from 1938 to 1997 ...
(1960–1969) *
Gulf South Conference The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the Southeastern United States. History Originally known as the Mi ...
(1970–1990) *
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 ...
(1996–2000) * Sun Belt Conference (2004–present)


Championships


National championships

The program won the 1968 NAIA National Championship against
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 ...
(now
Texas A&M-Kingsville 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 ...
). Troy beat
North Dakota State North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota. It was founded as North Dakota Agricultural College in 1890 as t ...
in 1984 to win their first Division II national title. They won their second Division II national title in 1987 after defeating
Portland State Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...
.


Conference championships

Troy has won 22 conference championships, 16 outright and six shared. † Co-champions


Division championships

The Sun Belt Conference began divisional play in 2018, with Troy being in the Sun Belt's East Division. Troy has won 2 divisional championship. † Co-champions


Postseason results


FBS bowls

Since moving up to FBS, Troy is 6–3 all time in bowl games with the Trojans' latest bowl win in 2022.


FCS playoffs

Troy made seven appearances in the I-AA/FCS playoffs from 1993 to 2000. They had a 4-7 record.


Division II playoffs

Troy made three appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs, winning the national championship twice.


NAIA playoffs

In their time in the NAIA, the Trojans played once in the playoffs, having a record of 2–0, with one NAIA national championship.


Other bowls

When Troy was a member of the
Alabama Intercollegiate Conference The Southern States Conference (SSC) was an affiliate of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics that included member institutions in the U.S. states of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida. The league existed from 1938 to 1 ...
(which not affiliated with an athletic organization such as the NCAA), they played in the inaugural Paper Bowl in
Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...
in 1948.


Head coaches

Head coach list from the 2018 Media Guide.


Rivalries


South Alabama

Troy has an annual intra-conference rivalry with in-state foe
South Alabama South Alabama is the various parts of southern Alabama. Although it is not a strictly defined geographic region, it generally includes all Alabama counties south of the Black Belt (region of Alabama), Black Belt. In that view, ''South Alabama'' co ...
, known as the Battle for the Belt. The two schools first met on the gridiron in 2012, and have played every year since. Beginning in 2022, Troy will compete in the Sun Belt's West Division along with South Alabama. The rivalry is in Troy's favor 8–3.


UAB

Troy and UAB have met a total of 12 times. Both teams met fairly consistently until the shuttering of UAB's football program in 2014. UAB has since resurrected their football program. The teams are scheduled to renew their rivalry in 2028. Troy holds the series lead, 7–5.


Middle Tennessee

Troy's rivalry with
Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the ...
, now dormant following Middle Tennessee's 2013 move to Conference USA, is known as the Battle for the Palladium. Troy and Middle Tennessee first played each other in 1936, but it wasn't until 2003 that the schools started playing annually for the Palladium Trophy.


Jacksonville State

When Troy was a member of
Division I-AA 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 Athleti ...
in football, they played Jacksonville State almost annually in the Battle for the Ol' School Bell rivalry. The idea for a school bell trophy stemmed from the two schools' common origins as teachers' colleges from the late 1800s to the 1930s. The last meeting between Troy and Jacksonville State was in 2001, with Troy (then known as Troy State) winning 21–3.


Facilities

Larry Blakeney Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium is nicknamed "The Vet" and has a seating capacity of 30,000. The stadium was originally dedicated to the Troy State Teachers College students and Pike County residents who had died in World War II. The stadium solely consisted of a small, 5,000-seat grandstand on the west side of a running track, and was built into the natural slope of the ground. It was expanded several times, including the addition of upper deck in 1998 that brought capacity up to 17,500, until receiving a large addition of seating in 2003 which expanded the capacity of the stadium to 30,000. After the addition of the north endzone facility in 2018, the capacity once again expanded to 30,402. The north endzone facility at the stadium is the largest featured end zone facility in the Sun Belt Conference and features a 3,150 sq.ft.
Daktronics Daktronics is an American company based in Brookings, South Dakota that designs, manufactures, sells, and services video displays, scoreboards, digital billboards, dynamic message signs, sound systems, and related products. Founded in 1968 by ...
15HD video board, which is also the largest in the conference, and the sixth largest among Group of Five schools.


Traditions


Trojan Walk

Before each Troy home football game, hundreds of Troy fans and students line University Avenue on campus to cheer on the team as they march with the Sound of the South band and cheerleaders from the Quad to Tailgate Terrace, surrounded by fans who pat them on the back and shake their hands as they walk toward Veterans Memorial Stadium.


Band Show on University

Before each home game, the Sound of the South marching band performs a pre-game show on University Avenue in between all of the tailgating areas before the Trojan Walk begins.


Trojan Fanfare

During the pre-game show at Veterans Memorial Stadium, the Sound of the South will perform what is known as the "Trojan Fanfare." The band will line up around the concourse of the stadium, from the east side, to the south side, to the west side, and begin to play the "Trojan Fanfare". They later run down the steps around the stadium toward the field, and get into formation on the field to begin pregame. It is a favorite among most fans and energizes the fanbase leading up to kickoff.


"Havoc!"

One of the more popular traditions of gameday, during the pre-game show the band marches onto the field to prepare for the football team to run out of the gates. The band falls silent, and the announcer then recites the phrase from
William Shakespeare's William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
''Julius Caesar''. Fans in the stadium will yell out "Havoc!" in unison along with the announcer before the last line of the phrase: The phrase "Havoc!" is also used as a motto or battle cry among Trojan fans.


Post-game Celebration & Band Show

After Troy wins a home game, the players will go to the corner of the stadium where the Sound of the South marching band is and will sing the fight song, alma mater, and sometimes do chants with them. There is also a post-game band show after every home football game, where the Sound of the South marching band sets up to perform on the football field in the south endzone, and performs a final show for all remaining fans still in attendance.


Trojan Warrior

Before every game and after every touchdown, the Trojan Warrior or Trojan Princess would blaze down the football field on a horse named "Big Red." This tradition is no longer used because the football field turf was changed from grass to artificial grass.


Top 25 finishes


FBS


FCS


Division II/College Division


Award winners

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AFCA Coach of the Year Award The AFCA Coach of the Year Award is given annually to a college football coach by the American Football Coaches Association The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is an association of over 11,000 American football coaches and staff ...
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Chan Gailey Thomas Chandler Gailey Jr. (born January 5, 1952) is a former American football coach. Most recently in 2020, he was the offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). Gailey has previously served as the hea ...
– 1984 : Rick Rhoades – 1987 * Buck Buchanan Award : Al Lucas – 1999


All-Americans (FBS)

* 2002 —
Osi Umenyiora Ositadimma "Osi" Umenyiora (born November 16, 1981) is a former American football defensive end. He played college football for Troy University and was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Umenyiora was a ...
, AP Honorable Mention * 2002 — Thomas Olmsted, '' Sporting News'' Freshman * 2007 —
Leodis McKelvin Leodis Anquan McKelvin (born September 4, 1985) is a former American football cornerback and return specialist. He played college football for Troy Trojans football, Troy University and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 11th overall in the 2008 NF ...
— First-Team — Rivals, '' Sporting News'', ''Pro Weekly'' * 2009 — Bryan Willis — '' Sporting News'' Freshman * 2013 — Jordan Chunn — ''CFN'' Freshman Honorable Mention * 2017 — Marcus Jones — FWAA Freshman, ''CFN'' Honorable Mention, ESPN Freshman, Phil Steele Third-Team * 2018 —
Carlton Martial Carlton Anthony Martial (born April 11, 1999) is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He played college football for the Troy Trojans, where he became the NCAA’s all time leader in total tackles. He began his season ...
— ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' Freshman, ''The Athletic'' Freshman, FWAA Freshman * 2019 —
Carlton Martial Carlton Anthony Martial (born April 11, 1999) is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He played college football for the Troy Trojans, where he became the NCAA’s all time leader in total tackles. He began his season ...
Pro Football Focus Pro Football Focus (also written as ProFootballFocus, and often referred to by its initials, PFF) is a sports analytics company that focuses on thorough analysis of the National Football League (NFL) and NCAA Division-I football in the United Sta ...
Second-Team * 2019 — Dell Pettus —
Pro Football Focus Pro Football Focus (also written as ProFootballFocus, and often referred to by its initials, PFF) is a sports analytics company that focuses on thorough analysis of the National Football League (NFL) and NCAA Division-I football in the United Sta ...
Freshman * 2021 — Cameron Kaye — Special Teams U Third-Team * 2021 —
Carlton Martial Carlton Anthony Martial (born April 11, 1999) is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He played college football for the Troy Trojans, where he became the NCAA’s all time leader in total tackles. He began his season ...
— Pro Football Network Honorable Mention * 2021 — Javon Solomon — Pro Football Network Honorable Mention * 2022 —
Carlton Martial Carlton Anthony Martial (born April 11, 1999) is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He played college football for the Troy Trojans, where he became the NCAA’s all time leader in total tackles. He began his season ...
— Pro Football Network First-Team


NFL players


Current players

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Leodis McKelvin Leodis Anquan McKelvin (born September 4, 1985) is a former American football cornerback and return specialist. He played college football for Troy Trojans football, Troy University and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 11th overall in the 2008 NF ...
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Sherrod Martin Jerald Sherrod Martin (born October 12, 1984) is a former American football safety. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Troy. Martin has also played for the Jacksonville ...
* Antonio Garcia *
DuJuan Harris DuJuan LaTroy Harris (born September 3, 1988) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Troy, and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011. Early years Harris attended Central Hig ...
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Mario Addison Mario Addison (born September 6, 1987) is an American football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football at Troy. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2011. After being cut and spending time as a ...
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Leonard Wheeler Leonard Tyrone Wheeler (born January 15, 1969) is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Lees-McR ...
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Brandon Burks Brandon Barnard Burks (born November 1, 1993) is an American gridiron football running back who is a free agent. He played college football at Troy. Burks was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2016. College career Bur ...
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Elbert Mack Elbert Mack (born July 14, 1986) is an American football cornerback for the Qingdao Clipper of the China Arena Football League (CAFL). He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at Troy. He has ...
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Gary Banks Gary Rashad Banks (born November 4, 1981) is the current Outside Receivers coach for the Troy Trojans and a former American football wide receiver who played for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was signed by the Charge ...
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Trevor Ford Trevor Ford (1 October 1923 – 29 May 2003) was a Welsh professional footballer who played as a centre forward for Swansea Town, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Cardiff City, PSV, Newport County and Romford, as well as for the Wales national ...
* Steve McLendon *
Cameron Sheffield Cameron Corley Sheffield (born February 12, 1988) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Troy. Professional career Sheffield ...
*
Jonathan Massaquoi Jonathan Massaquoi (born 11 May 1988) is a former Liberian professional American football outside linebacker. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football at Troy. College career ...
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Jorrick Calvin Jorrick Raydell Calvin (born July 17, 1987) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Troy. He has also been a member of the Philadel ...
*
James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...
* Chandler Worthy *
Brynden Trawick Brynden George Trawick (born October 23, 1989) is a former American football safety. He played college football at Troy. Early life Trawick was born on October 23, 1989 in Marietta, Georgia. He attended Sprayberry High School in Marietta and wa ...
* Jordan Chunn * Damion Willis


Former players

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DeMarcus Ware DeMarcus Omar Ware (born July 31, 1982) is an American former football outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Troy University and was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 11th overall pick in th ...
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Osi Umenyiora Ositadimma "Osi" Umenyiora (born November 16, 1981) is a former American football defensive end. He played college football for Troy University and was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Umenyiora was a ...
*
Lawrence Tynes Lawrence James Henry Tynes (born May 3, 1978) is a Scottish-born former American football placekicker. After playing soccer for Milton High School a coach suggested he try out for the football team as a kicker. He played college football at Troy ...
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Bubba Marriott Francis "Bubba" Marriott (born December 25, 1938) is a former American football quarterback who played one season with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He played college football at Troy State College. He was also a member ...
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Matt Allen Matt Allen (born October 23, 1977) is an former American football punter in the National Football League. Allen played college football at Troy State and signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons in 2002. He played for one ...
* Kerry Jenkins * Al Lucas *
Jerrel Jernigan Jerrel Marquis Jernigan (born June 14, 1989) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft and won Super Bowl XLVI with the team against the New England Patriots. He p ...
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Jimmy McClain Jimmy McClain (born July 23, 1980) is a former American football linebacker who played three seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at Troy State University and ...
*
Rayshun Reed Brandon Rayshun Reed (born April 10, 1981) is a former American football defensive back who played one season with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at Troy University and attended Russell County H ...
* Shawn Stuckey * Dion Gales * Rod Walker *
Pratt Lyons Pratt Gilbert Lyons, Jr. (born September 17, 1974) is a former professional American football player who played defensive end for two seasons for the Tennessee Oilers. Lyons played collegiate football at Troy University and was drafted by the ...
*
Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism. Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ' ...
* Jonathan Carter *
Perry Griggs Perry Griggs (born September 17, 1954) is a former professional 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 ...
* Titus Dixon *
Clifford Ivory Clifford Ivory (born August 1, 1975) is a former cornerback in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Toronto Argonauts. He once shared the Argonauts' record for most interceptions returned for touchdowns with 5 ...
*
Mareno Philyaw Mareno Philyaw (born December 19, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver who played two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Falcons in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Ph ...
* Jack Smith * Davern Williams * Willie Tullis *
Virgil Seay Virgil LeVan Seay (born January 1, 1958) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins and the Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at Troy State University and was draft ...
* Brannon Condren * Levi Brown * Jack Smith *
Anthony Henton Oscar Anthony Henton (born July 27, 1963) is a former American football player who played two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Early life Henton was born in Bessemer, Alabama where he later atte ...
* Derrick Moore * Jonathan Carter * Chris Bradwell * Kanorris Davis *
Boris Lee Boris Terrel Lee (born May 4, 1987) is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Troy. Lee has been a member of the ...
*
Bear Woods Jonathan "Bear" Woods (born January 22, 1987) is a former professional Canadian football linebacker of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was originally signed by the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free ...
*
Alfred Malone Alfred Wayne Malone (born February 21, 1982) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Troy. Malone has also played for the Green Bay ...
* Marcus Spriggs * Corey Robinson


Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of August 9, 2022.


References


External links

* {{Sun Belt Conference football navbox American football teams established in 1909 1909 establishments in Alabama