LION FOOTBALL GLOSSARY . . . 1949 - 2013
White House The seniors and coaches from the 1995 Lion football team became the first NCAA Division II team to be invited to the White House to meet with President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and members of Congress. The Lions had a reception on Capital Hill, then met with the President and Vice President on the steps of the White House. At right, Senator Howell Heflin of Alabama, former Florence mayor the late Eddie Frost, and former UNA President Robert Potts flank head coach Bobby Wallace as he presents a championship shirt to President Clinton
2 That is how many Lion football games that UNA Sports Information Director Jeff Hodges has missed since taking over his position prior to the 1983 season. Hodges worked 218 consecutive Lion football games from 1983-2001 before missing the Harding game on Oct. 20 to serve as Venue Press Officer for a Ski Jumping World Cup event in Salt Lake City, Utah. He then worked the last 129 straight UNA football games before missing the 2012 Texas A&M-Kingsville game for his son's wedding. That means Hodges has worked 364 of UNA's last 366 football games.
1 vs. 2 There have been two No. 1 vs. No. 2 battles in Lion football history, and both were in 1994. The first was on November 5 when No. 1 ranked UNA faced No. 2 ranked Valdosta State at Braly Stadium. The Lions completely dominated the Blazers before settling for a 38‑21 win. Then on December 10, the top ranked Lions faced No. 2 Texas A&M-Kingsville in the NCAA Division II Championship Game at Braly Stadium. UNA was again victorious, 16-10.
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UNA, the University of Florida, Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater are the only NCAA schools on any level to have ever won at least two National Championships in football and two in men’s basketball. UNA has football titles in 1993, 1994 and 1995 and basketball crowns in 1978-79 and 1990-91.
1912 That's the year of the first recorded score of a Lion football game - and it wasn't pretty. Florence State Normal School, as UNA was known then, played only one football game that season and lost 101-0 to Sewanee. The Lions continued to play football for 16 more seasons before dropping the sport in 1928 after losing twice to Marion Institute, 86-0 and 85-0.
March 30, 1949 Florence State Teacher's College President Dr. E.B. Norton called a student assembly to announce that a football program would be renewed, and that the Lions would jump headlong into collegiate competition that fall.
41‑2 Former Lion quarterback Cody Gross had a 41-2 record as a starting quarterback from 1992‑95. The first start for Gross was in a Division II playoff game at Hampton as a freshman and he led UNA to a 33-21 win, scoring three touchdowns. Gross then started every game throughout the 1993, 1994 and 1995 seasons, with the exception of the 1995 National Championship Game. He had been injured in a semifinal win over Ferris State and didn't start, but entered the game and led a key scoring drive just before the half to give UNA a 21-0 lead over Pittsburg State. The only two losses of his career as a starter came to a pair of national championship teams by a combined five points. UNA lost to Jacksonville State in the quarterfinals of the 1992 playoffs, 14-12, and the Gamecocks went on to win the Division II Championship. The other loss was 17‑14 on the road at Youngstown State in 1994. The Penguins were the defending I-AA National Champions and won the championship again in 1994.
UNA FOOTBALL RECORD BOOK • 140