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
National Classic, L 6–19 vs. North Carolina College
ConferenceMidwest Athletic Association
Record10–1 (4–0 MAA)
Head coach
Home stadiumHale Stadium

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
DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 18vs. Lincoln (MO)
W 33–138,500[5]
September 25at Virginia State*
W 18–0[6]
October 1Langston*Nashville, TNW 14–0[7]
October 9at Allen*Columbia, SCW 21–2
October 16Paul Quinn*
W 74–6[8]
October 23at Central State (OH)Wilberforce, OHW 40–0
October 30North Carolina College*
  • Hale Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 13–3[9]
November 6at Texas SouthernHouston, TXW 18–15 [10][11]
November 20at Kentucky StateFrankfort, KYW 34–12[12]
November 25Bluefield State*
  • Hale Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 59–06,500[13]
December 4at North Carolina College*Greensboro, NC (National Classic)L 6–192,500[14][15]
  • *Non-conference game

[16]

References
  1. "Tennessee State Yearly Results (1950-1954)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  2. Luix Virgil Overbea (December 25, 1954). "Pigskin Huddle". The Afro-American. p. 16.
  3. "Five Teams Claim Nat'l Grid Crown After Gala Season". The Pittsburgh Courier. December 25, 1954. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Coach Kean resting after heart attack". The Afro-American. December 25, 1954. p. 9.
  5. "Tennessee A&I Wins Bluff City Classic, 33-13". The Commercial Appeal. September 19, 1954. p. III-6 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Tennessee State Tops Virginia State, 18-0". Richmond Times-Dispatch. September 26, 1954. p. 4D – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Tennessee A&I Whips Langston". The Nashville Tennessean. October 3, 1954. p. 9C – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Tennessee A&I Crushes Quinn". The Nashville Tennessean. October 17, 1954. p. 2C – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Tigers, Eagles Play Tonight". The Nashville Tennessean. October 30, 1954. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Tennessee State Trips Southern". The Nashville Tennessean. November 7, 1954. p. 7C – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Tennessee State Trips Southern". The Nashville Tennessean. November 7, 1954. p. 7C – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Tigers Cop Loop title, 34-12". The Nashville Tennessean. November 21, 1954. p. 5C – via Newspapers.com.
  13. Harold Goodrum (November 26, 1954). "Tennessee State Gallops To 10th Straight Victory". Nashville Banner. p. 32 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Tigers Suffer First Defeat". The Nashville Tennessean. December 5, 1954. p. 5C – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Tennessee State Defeated 19 To 6". Bristol Herald Courier. Bristol, Virginia. December 5, 1954. p. 1C. Retrieved December 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  16. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
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