Letter to the Editor: Those Resilient Rattlers

By Ted Taylor
Special to the Outlook

As this writer reflects on the midway point – – considered the midway point even though seven games have been played because a bye week follows – – of the 2015 football season, this is probably the mentally toughest bunch of gridders to ever don the Rattler orange and green of Florida A & M University. For the past 52 years since I have been following FAMU football, personal knowledge of the psychological prowess of this team is registered.

 
Trial and tribulation for a majority of this bunch began before the season started in 2014, with then athletic director, Kellen Winslow, with acquiescnce from President Elmira Mangum, undermining then Coach Earl Holmes. Due to personal dislike, Winslow did all he could to make Holmes fail, not caring that in the process he was hurting sixty young men.

 
The travail for the players hit a crescendo when Holmes was fired during Homecoming week. To add insult to the situation, Winslow acted like a kindergartner when displeasure was shown at the Homecoming convocation. Fearing no consequence, the antics were committed in the presence of President Mangum and no consequences resulted.

 
Before the 2014 season, the team learned that it failed to satisfy NCAA academic progress standards which resulted in sanctions. The sanctions included reduced practice time and ineligibility for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title, as well as the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) playoffs.

 
It should be noted that academic progress deficits do not mean players are not succeeding in class. Usually, and principally in FAMU’s circumstance, standards are unmet because as coaches turnover, player turnover follows.

 
Since the end of the eleven year Billy Joe perennially-playoff bound era in 2004, FAMU has had four head coaches. The group included two interim head coaches, a position maintained by Holmes for two games to complete the 2012 season.

 
In January 2015, Alex Wood became the fourth head coach in as many years for the senior players. For many others, Wood is the third coach since October 2014.
During spring practice of 2015, Wood and his staff worked feverishly to implement his blueprint in the limited practice time. As a part of the partnership, the players labored just as hard.

 
The season commenced with a first-half ray of hope in the opening game against the University of South Florida, a FBS (formerly Division I) member. The first quarter score was 3-0, and 16-0, at the half, leading the faithful to believe early that this season’s Rattlers could compete with any team.

 
However, a disappointing second-half resulted in a lopsided loss. A week later things seemed to worsen with a loss to FCS Samford, in which a total offense record was set against the defense.

 
A few days later, on a nationally-televised Thursday night contest on ESPNU, South Carolina State blacked-out the Rattlers 36-0. It is said one can always go home and when the Rattlers did, Tennessee State used a dominant second-half to make the Rattlers wish they had not returned.

 
Now the stage was set for joy to arise. The September nonconference slaughter was over and looming the next Saturday was the Savannah State Tigers, a team that had never beat the Rattlers in eight tries.

 
The foray into Ted Wright Stadium in Savannah was met by a rude awakening with Savannah scoring first en route to a 30-7 halftime lead. FAMU took command in the second half, but Savannah State did enough to preserve the victory. This had been a series in which Savannah had never led. With that disappointment, the players could have hit rock-bottom, but they realized there were six more games to play, including beginning a three-game home stand.

 
It took almost all of the game for North Carolina Central to douse the homestand excitement with 15 seconds left. The 27-24 loss resulted from the Rattlers losing the lead, allowing a 10-point victory run. How much more disappointment can 18-21 year olds take?

 
At Homecoming on October 17, 2015, those boys played as if they were undefeated and going somewhere. They were energetic, excitement was in the air, and the guys spread joy throughout with the first win of the season, in a convincing 41-13 fashion.

 
In Birmingham at the Samford game, Coach Joe extolled the abilities of Coach Wood. Despite adversity, Coach Wood has repeatedly stated that problems would be fixed, the team was making progress and encouraged the players to hang in there, mentally and performance-wise.

 
This group could have given up after the Samford debacle, the devastating loss to Savannah Sate, and the heartbreaker to North Carolina Central, and been given a pass by the faithful for all they have had to endure. Yet, they have played their hearts out approaching each game expecting to win.

 
These players are reveling in a much-needed and well-deserved rest. Regardless of how the season transpires after the bye-week, this is a mentally tough outfit. When Coach Wood gets the remainder of his program in place, the Rattlers will again be a force to reckon with.