1956 Tennessee A&I Tigers football team

1956 Tennessee A&I Tigers football
Black college national champion MAA champion
Orange Blossom Classic, W 41–39 vs. Florida A&M
Conference	Midwest Athletic Association
Record	10–0 (4–0 MAA)
Head coach	Howard C. Gentry (2nd season)
Home stadium	Hale Stadium

1956 Midwest Athletic Association football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 1 Tennessee A&I $	4	–	0	–	0			10	–	0	–	0
No. 3 Grambling	1	–	1	–	0			8	–	1	–	0
No. 7 Jackson State	1	–	1	–	0			6	–	2	–	2
No. 14 Central State (OH)	1	–	1	–	1			4	–	3	–	1
Lincoln (MO)	1	–	2	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Kentucky State	0	–	3	–	1			3	–	5	–	1
$ – Conference champion Rankings from Pittsburgh Courier[1]

The 1956 Tennessee A&I Tigers football team represented Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State College as a member of the Midwest Athletic Association (MAA) during the 1956 college football season. In their second season under head coach Howard C. Gentry, the Tigers compiled a perfect 10–0 record, won the MAA championship, shut out five of ten opponents, and outscored all opponents by a total of 394 to 64. The team was also recognized as black college national champion.

The team was led by halfbacks Jesse Wilburn and Ray Mitchell, quarterback Robert Crawford, ends Don Taylor and Leon Jamison, and tackle Charles Gavin. Allowing only 25 points in nine regular season games, the team had the best scoring defense in the country.^[2]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 29	Langston*	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 46–7
October 6	Grambling	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 33–0		[3]
October 15	vs. Prairie View A&M*	Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX	W 45–0	5,000	[4]
October 20	at Central State (OH)	Wilberforce, OH	W 32–6
October 27	vs. Maryland State*	Washington, DC	W 6–0	12,000	[5]
November 3	Southern*	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 52–6		[6]
November 10	vs. Alcorn A&M*	Memphis, TN	W 52–6		[7]
November 17	at Kentucky State	Frankfort, KY	W 40–0
November 22	Lincoln (MO)	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 47–0
December 1	vs. Florida A&M*	Orange Bowl Miami, FL (Orange Blossom Classic)	W 41–39	41,808	[8]
*Non-conference game

^[9]

References

1. "Courier Rates Top Football Teams". The Pittsburgh Courier. December 15, 1956. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Nation's Best Defense, Offense Clash At Miami". The Nashville Banner. November 29, 1956. p. 47 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Tenn. State dumps Grambling 33-to-0". Alabama Tribune. October 12, 1956. Retrieved April 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "A&I Rolls Up 45-0 Victory At Dallas". The Nashville Banner. October 16, 1956. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "A&I Tigers Plod to 6-0 Win". The Nashville Tennessean. October 28, 1956. p. 5C – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Tennessee State mauls Southern". The Nashville Tennessean. November 4, 1956. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "A&I Tigers Romp, 52 to 6, Over Alcorn". The Nashville Tennessean. November 11, 1956. p. 2C – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Fumbling A&M Bows, 41-39 In Orange Blossom Classic". Tallahassee Democrat. December 2, 1956. p. 34 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 11, 2022.