1963 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team American college football season
The 1963 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team was an American football team that represented Prairie View A&M University in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1963 NCAA College Division football season . In their 15th season under head coach Billy Nicks , the Panthers compiled a 10–1 record (7–0 against SWAC opponents), won the SWAC championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 364 to 144.[ 1]
The Panthers were recognized by the Pittsburgh Courier as the 1963 black college football national champion with a rating of 26.00, well ahead of second-place North Carolina College at 23.00 and third-place Morgan State at 21.97.[ 2] At the end of the season, the team was invited to participate in the small college playoffs sponsored by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), marking the first time a black college was invited to participate in the playoffs.[ 2] Prairie View defeated Nebraska State Teachers in the NAIA semifinal game before losing to John Gagliardi 's Saint John's Johnnies in the NAIA Championship Game at the Camellia Bowl .
Key players for Prairie View included quarterback Jimmy Kearney and halfbacks Otis Taylor and Ezell Seals. Taylor later played 11 seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs .
Schedule
[ 16]
References
^ "Prairie View A&M Yearly Results" . College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2019 .
^ a b "National Champs Carry Big Load Into Playoffs" . The Pittsburgh Courier . December 7, 1962. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Prairie View Rally Beats Lackland" . San Antonio Express/News . September 14, 1963. p. 3E – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Jackson Dumped By Prairie View" . The Pittsburgh Courier . September 28, 1963. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Prairie View Panthers clobber Texas Southern" . Alexandria News Leader . October 12, 1963. Retrieved July 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics (Texas Southern)" . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved July 8, 2023 .
^ "Prairie View A&M Clobbers Wiley" . The Odessa American . October 15, 1963. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Prairie View Stays Unbeaten; PV Takes 28 to 7 Win Over Grambling" . The Pittsburgh Courier . October 26, 1963. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "PVSC Skein Continues As Ark. Tumbles" . The Pittsburgh Courier . November 2, 1963. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Bishop Falls: Pr. View In Soft Tune-Up" . The Pittsburgh Courier . November 16, 1963. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Prairie View Rips Alcorn" . The Clarion-Ledger and Jackson Daily News . November 17, 1963. p. 1B – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Mighty Prairie View Near National 1963 Grid Title: Rips Southern, 35-0, With Only Central State Barring the Way" . The Pittsburgh Courier . November 30, 1963. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Prairie View Is Bowl Bound Following, 20-7, Victory: Panthers Roll By Kearney; Camellia Bowl Is Final Test" . The Pittsburgh Courier . December 14, 1963. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "St. John's Tames Tough Prairie View Via Air, 33-27: Texas Team Muffs Historic Chance to Also Top NAIA" . The Pittsburgh Courier . December 21, 1963. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "St. John's Passes Beat Prairie View" . The San Francisco Examiner . December 15, 1963. p. IV-5 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics" . National Collegiate Athletic Association . Retrieved July 8, 2023 .
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