1954 Tennessee A&I Tigers football team
The 1954 Tennessee A&I Tigers football team represented Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State College as a member of the Midwest Athletic Association (MAA) during the 1954 college football season. In their fourth and final season under head coach Henry Kean, the Tigers compiled a 10–1 record, won the MAA championship, lost to North Carolina Central in the National Classic, and outscored all opponents by a total of 330 to 70.[1]
| 1954 Tennessee A&I Tigers football | |
|---|---|
Black college national co-champion MAA champion | |
National Classic, L 6–19 vs. North Carolina College | |
| Conference | Midwest Athletic Association |
| 1954 record | 10–1 ( MAA) |
| Head coach |
|
The team was selected by the "Pigskin Huddle" as the 1954 black college national champion.[2] The Pittsburgh Courier selected the Tigers as black college national co-champion in a five-way tie with four other teams.[3]
Coach Kean suffered a double heart attack following the team's December 4 game with North Carolina Central.[4] He did not return as the team's coach and died one year later in December 1955.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 17 | vs. Lincoln (MO) | Memphis, TN | W 33–13 | ||
| September 25 | at Virginia State | Petersburg, VA | W 18–0 | ||
| October 1 | Langston | Nashville, TN | W 14–0 | ||
| October 9 | at Allen | Columbia, SC | W 21–2 | ||
| October 16 | Paul Quinn | Nashville, TN | W 74–6 | ||
| October 23 | at Central State | Wilberforce, OH | W 40–0 | ||
| October 29 | North Carolina College | Nashville, TN | W 13–3 | ||
| November 6 | at Texas Southern | Houston, TX | W 18–15 | ||
| November 20 | at Kentucky State | Frankfort, KY | W 34–12 | ||
| November 25 | Bluefield State | Nashville, TN | W 59–0 | ||
| December 4 | at North Carolina College | Greensboro, NC (National Classic) | L 6–19 |
References
- "Tennessee State Yearly Results (1950-1954)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
- Luix Virgil Overbea (December 25, 1954). "Pigskin Huddle". The Afro-American. p. 16.
- "Five Teams Claim Nat'l Grid Crown After Gala Season". The Pittsburgh Courier. December 25, 1954. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Coach Kean resting after heart attack". The Afro-American. December 25, 1954. p. 9.