troy timeline ALABAMA COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE Formed in 1960, the ACC as it was known, was created by four in-state rivals; Troy, Jacksonville State, Florence State (now North Alabama) and Livingston (now West Alabama). The Trojans dominated the last three years of the conference, claiming the league title in 1967, 1968 and 1969. ALABAMA INTERCOLLEGIATE CONFERENCE The ACC’s predecessor, the Alabama Intercollegiate Conference, was formed in 1938 by the same in-state schools, along with Marion Military and St. Bernard. It was the first conference that the Trojans joined, and they would claim the league title for the first time in 1939. They also won back-to-back titles in 1941 and 1942. BILLY ATKINS Took over as head coach at Troy after William Clipson’s 1-8 season in 1965, and immediately revived the program. He brought the Trojans to national prominence, and during his six years his record was 44-16-2 including the 1968 NAIA National Championship. He coached several of the all-time greats in Troy history including Sim Byrd, Ronnie Shelley and Vince Green. Atkins is second on the school’s all-time win list behind current head coach Larry Blakeney. He was inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame in the inaugural class in 2012. BATTLE FOR THE OL’ SCHOOL BELL At every level of college football, there are great rivalries. For Troy, it is bitter rival Jacksonville State University. The two teams began playing each other in 1924, with the Gamecocks holding a 33-28-2 edge in the all-time series. However, the Trojans have won seven straight and 12-of-15 in the series. Both schools began as teacher colleges in the late 1800s, and, when the teams first played, they created a trophy that the winner would have until the teams met again the following year. School officials determined that it was fitting for two teachers colleges to play for a school bell. BATTLE FOR THE PALLADIUM The Battle for the Palladium is the matchup between Troy and Middle Tennessee. The series elevated to a new level with the news of Troy joining Middle Tennessee in the Sun Belt Conference. In 2003, the Palladium Trophy was introduced in Murfreesboro, Tenn. A year later, Troy officially joined the Sun Belt Conference after completing its final year of transition from Division I-AA (FCS) to I-A (FBS). Greek mythology holds that the Palladium is a wooden statue that fell from the Heavens. It was kept at the Temple of Athena in the city of Troy. According to legend, as long as the Palladium was preserved within the walls of the city, Troy would be safe and could not be taken. However, a “Raider” by the name of Odysseus - also known as the Raider of Cities - stole the Palladium during the Trojan War leading to the fall of Troy. The Palladium is approximately three feet tall and is made of basswood. Gold leaf was applied to Athena’s helmet, shield and to the tip of the spear. In 2008, ESPN named “The Battle for the Palladium” as one of the Top 5 non-BCS in-conference rivalries in college football BOWL GAMES The Trojans have played in six bowl games in their history - the 1948 Paper Bowl, in Pensacola, Fla., the 2004 Silicon Valley Football Classic, in San Jose, Calif. and the 2006, 2008 & 2010 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl and the 2010 GMAC Bowl. The Trojans faced arch-rival Jacksonville State in the Paper Bowl, losing 19-0 at Pensacola High School’s new stadium, which had just one set of bleachers, according to records. The game was played on Dec. 18 and sponsored by Southern paper mills as a tribute to the nearly 100,000 workers in the industry at that time. An excerpt from the game program reads “the paper-making industry at Cantonment means much to Pensacola and this area of the state in payrolls and business generally ... December 18 was picked because students were at home for the holidays at this time, and many fans who would like to take in other bowl games later in the month, and on Jan. 1, will be able to do so at this time.” However, 2004 marked the first time the Trojans were eligible for an automatic bowl bid since moving to Division I-A. Troy’s new home, the Sun Belt Conference, sends its champion to the New Orleans Bowl each season in December. Even though Troy did not earn the automatic bid to the New Orleans Bowl, the Trojans did earn an invitation to the Silicon Valley Football Classic in San Jose, Calif.
2013 TROY TROJANS // • 164 •
On a rainy night in California, the Trojans made their Division I-A bowl debut against Northern Illinois from the Mid-American Conference. After jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, the Trojans turned as cold as the weather and dropped a 34-21 decision to the Huskies. The Trojans earned their first bowl victory in 2005, downing Rice 41-17 in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Troy earned its way into the bowl by posting a 6-1 record in Sun Belt Conference play to capture their first SBC title. Since that bowl game, the Trojans have played in three other bowl games, the 2008 New Orleans Bowl, the 2010 GMAC Bowl (2009 season) as conference champions and the 2010 New Orleans Bowl. Troy jumped out to a 41-7 lead in the third quarter against Ohio in the 2010 New Orleans Bowl and rolled to a 48-21 victory. Corey Robinson threw for a New Orleans Bowl record 387 yards and Tebiarus Gill caught four passes for 80 yards and three touchdowns. LEVI BROWN Levi Brown rewrote the history books in his final season of 2009. He held school records for completions in a single game, attempts in a single game and passing yards in a single game (breaking his own record). He also holds the school record for passing yards in a single season, which is the best in the Sun Belt history books at over 4,000 yards. He finished his career as the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round. SIM BYRD One of the greatest players ever to play at Troy, Byrd owns many of the school’s all-time passing records. During his three seasons at quarterback, he guided the Trojans to a 24-8 record and the school’s first national championship, the NAIA title in 1968. Named first-team All-America and All-ACC his senior year in 1968, he set the single-season record for passing yards with 3,569 in 1968 while also setting school records for completions (260), attempts (414). He was inducted into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame in the inaugural class in 2012. TED CLEM Clem set the standard for all Troy kickers. He was the key participant in one of the most historic plays in school history as a true freshman - “The Kick” as it has been dubbed by Troy faithful. His 50-yard field goal as time expired gave Troy an 18-17 win over North Dakota State in 1984 and its first NCAA Division II national championship. Clem set the single-game record for points in a game with 14, and owns the career record book. Clem kicked 48 field goals in his four years in Troy, from 1984-87. He still holds the school record for attempts with 78 field goal attempts and consecutive PATs made (166). NICK COLBERT Nick Colbert was named as a 2000 College Football Scholar-Athlete by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. He was one of 16 award recipients named in 2000 for the award, which represents college football’s finest student-athletes from all divisions. Colbert graduated from Troy in May 2001 with his degree in Biology. He finished his degree boasting a grade point average better than 3.7. He was an annual member on the school’s Provost’s and Chancellor’s lists for academic excellence. The award has been presented annually since 1959 to players based on superior academic performance, outstanding football ability, strong leadership and citizenship. Each scholar-athlete is awarded an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and honored at the Foundation’s Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. Other notable athletes to earn the award along with Colbert were Purdue’s Drew Brees, Florida State’s Chris Weinke and a fellow Southland Conference athlete, McNeese State’s Wes Hines. COMING-OUT PARTY Troy made its Division I-A debut on Sept. 1, 2001, when the Trojans traveled to face fourth-ranked Nebraska. The Trojans showed they could play at the I-A level, taking an early 7-0 lead on a 9-yard touchdown run by Demontray Carter. Brock Nutter capped an improbable half, throwing a 31-yard touchdown pass to Heyward Skipper to cut the Cornhuskers’ lead to 28-14 at the intermission. The Trojans fought valiantly in the second half, keeping Nebraska out of the end zone on two drives inside the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter. Jimmy McClain stopped Eric Crouch on the 1-yard line, and the entire defense stopped Thunder Collins from leaping into the end zone.