The Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football team represents Bethune–Cookman University in the sport of college football. The Wildcats compete in the Division I

Football Championship Subdivision 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 ...

(FCS) of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athlete, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic sports, ...

(NCAA). Starting with the fall 2021 season, they compete in the East Division of the

Southwestern Athletic Conference The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is a collegiate athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southern United States. It participates ...

(SWAC), after having been members of the

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is a collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern and the Mid-Atlantic United States. It participates in the National ...

(MEAC) since 1979. They play their home games at

Daytona Stadium Daytona Stadium, is a 9,601-seat multi-purpose stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida, built in 1988 and home to the Bethune–Cookman University Wildcats football team. It is also used to host home games for the Mainland High School and Seabreeze ...

. The Wildcats have won two black college football national championships and seven MEAC titles in the history of their football program.

History

Classifications

*1951–1972: NCAA College Division *1973–1979: NCAA Division II *1980–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS

Conference memberships

*1925–1945: Independent *1946–1949: Southeastern Athletic Conference *1950–1979:

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Formed in 1913, it consists mostly of historically black c ...

*1979–2020:

* 2021–present:

Conference championships

Black College Football National Championships

The Wildcats have won two Black College Football National Championships, a mythical national championship won by the best black college football team(s) in the United States of America.

Playoff appearances

NCAA Division I-AA/FCS

The Wildcats have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs five times with an overall record of 0–5.

NCAA Division II

The Wildcats appeared in the Division II playoffs one time, with an overall record of 0–1.

Alumni in the NFL

Over 31 Bethune–Cookman alumni have played in the

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

, including: *

Leroy Allen Leroy Allen (1951-2007), was an award-winning watercolorist and figurative artist. His realistic style focused on African American life and community, and won him more than 30 art awards nationally. Biography Allen was a Kansas City, Kansas nat ...

* Boobie Clark * Nick Collins *

Charles Cornelius Charles Cornelius (born 27 October 1945) is an Olympic Medalist and Former Indian Hockey Goal Keeper who represented the Indian national hockey team in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games (Bronze Medal) & 1973 Hockey World Cup (Silver Medal). Sta ...

Jawill Davis Jawill Davis (born April 6, 1995) is an American football wide receiver and return specialist who is a free agent. He played college football at Bethune–Cookman. Early years Davis attended and played high school football at American High Sc ...

Ryan Davis Ryan Davis may refer to: *Ryan Davis (defensive end) (born 1989), American football defensive end *Ryan Davis (wide receiver) (born 1997), gridiron football wide receiver *Ryan Davis (Australian footballer) (born 1989), Australian rules footballer ...

* Roger Jackson * Larry Little *

Rashean Mathis Rashean Jamil Mathis (; born August 27, 1980) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Bethune–Cookman University, and was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second ro ...

* Jack "Cy" McClairen *

Maulty Moore Maulty Moore (born August 12, 1946), is a former professional American football defensive tackle who played for five seasons with the Miami Dolphins, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Undrafted on graduating Bethune-Cookman C ...

Booker Reese Booker Reese (born September 20, 1959) is a former American football defensive end who played four seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Rams from 1982 to 1985 in the National Football League (NFL). Although not picked until th ...

Tony Samuels Andre Antonio Samuels (December 30, 1954 – September 12, 2001) was an American football tight end who played four seasons in the National Football League with the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was drafted by the Kansas City C ...

Howard Smothers Howard Smothers (born November 16, 1973) is a former American football offensive lineman who played three seasons in the Arena Football League with the Orlando Predators and Buffalo Destroyers. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seve ...

* Eric Weems * Lee Williams * Alvin Wyatt * Antwuan Wyatt

Pro Football Hall of Fame

One former BCU football player has been inducted into the

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coac ...

Buck Buchanan Award

The

Buck Buchanan Award The Buck Buchanan Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding defensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) of college football, and was first given in 1995 after the Walter Payton Award was ...

is given to the most outstanding defensive player in Division I FCS. In 2002,

of Bethune- Cookman won the award. Mathis holds the NCAA FCS/ I-AA records for most interceptions in a season (14), most interceptions during a career (31), most yards on interception returns in a season (455), and most yards on interception returns in a career (682).http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2019/FCS.pdf

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bethune-Cookman Wildcats football American football teams established in 1925 1925 establishments in Florida