Stetson Hatters football


 * For information on all Stetson University sports, see Stetson Hatters

The Stetson Hatters football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Stetson University located in the U.S. state of Florida. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Pioneer Football League. Stetson's first football team was fielded in 1901, but the school dropped the sport in 1956 and did not reinstate it until 2013. The team plays its home games at the 6,000 seat Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand, Florida. The Hatters are coached by Roger Hughes.

History
A 7-game series between intramural teams from Stetson and Forbes occurred in 1894, the first football games in the state of Florida. The first intercollegiate game between official varsity teams was played on November 22, 1901. Stetson beat Florida Agricultural College at Lake City, one of the four forerunners of the University of Florida, 6-0, in a game played as part of the Jacksonville Fair. A sure score by FAC was obstructed by a tree stump. Stetson claims state titles in 1901, 1903, 1905, 1906, 1907, and 1909.

The Hatters participated in one bowl game, the 1952 Tangerine Bowl. They won 35–20 over Arkansas State.

After a 57-year hiatus, on August 31, 2013, Stetson revived their football program against Warner University (who were playing in their inaugural football game) at Spec Martin Stadium. The Hatters held a lead of 10-3 with 12:35 remaining in the 2nd quarter when the game was suspended due to lightning. After more than a two-hour delay, the game was officially postponed until the next day. On September 1, 2013, the game resumed, and Stetson won 31-3. It was Stetson's first win since defeating the University of Havana 64-0 at the end of the 1956 season.



On September 7, 2013, the Hatters played the Florida Tech Panthers in Palm Bay and lost 20-13. For the second week in a row, Donald Payne was named Defensive Player of the Week for the Pioneer Football League.

After a week off, Stetson hosted Birmingham-Southern on September 21, 2013 in front of a sellout crowd of 6104. They were unable to pull off win and were defeated by a score of 49-34.

On September 28, 2013, the San Diego Toreros were hosted by Stetson and the Hatters lost 59-0 before a crowd of 5,874 at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium.

On October 5, 2013, the Hatters went to Indianapolis and took on the Butler Bulldogs. Four turnovers and two safeties on offense slammed the door on Stetson and they lost their fourth straight game 35-15.

On October 12, 2013, Stetson hosted the Flyers from the University of Dayton. In the beginning of the second quarter, the Hatters were already behind 35 points. They would go on to their fifth straight loss in a row by a score of 49-20.

On October 26, 2013 Stetson traveled to Poughkeepsie, New York to play the Marist Red Foxes. Stetson could only muster eight first downs during the entire game. The Hatters were blanked 27-0 and have a six-game losing streak. Four of the losses have been by 20 points or more.

On November 2, 2013, the Hatters hosted the Campbell Fighting Camels at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium in on and off rain. Stetson lead in the fourth after scoring two touchdowns during the quarter until the Fighting Camels got a late touchdown, and won 19-18 to extend the Hatters' losing streak to seven straight.

On November 9, 2013, Stetson had their first homecoming football game in 57 years against the Davidson College Wildcats. The Hatters broke their losing streak and got their first victory over an NCAA Division I team, as well their first Pioneer League win with a 26-13 victory before a home crowd.

On May 5, 2017 Donald Payne was signed as an Undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens. Though he would be cut, he would be picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he would become a star on special teams. The next year he would also become a potential starter at linebacker. Because of this he is the first player from Stetson to play in the NFL.

Stetson finished their 2018 season 8-2, finishing second in the PFL and finishing with their first winning record since renewing the program.

Classifications

 * 2013–present: NCAA Division I FCS

Conference memberships

 * 1901–1925: Independent
 * 1925–1931: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
 * 1932: Independent
 * 1933–1940: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
 * 1941–1947: Independent
 * 1948–1949: Dixie Conference
 * 1950–1956: Independent
 * 1957–2012: No team
 * 2013–present: Pioneer Football League

Notable former players
Notable alumni include:


 * Keith Shamrock - Owner of Shamrock Homes in Lake County, Florida (did the coin toss at the college's first football game after the football program was restarted)
 * Ray Finkle - fictional character from Ace Ventura: Pet Detective ("Soccer style kicker graduated from Collier High June 1976, Stetson University honors graduate class of 1980, holds two NCAA Division I records, one for most points in a season, one for distance, former nickname "The Mule," the first and only pro athlete ever to come out of Collier County and one hell of a model American.")
 * Donald Payne- Linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars
 * Thomas Weightman - Superintendent of Schools, Pasco County, Florida (1974–1996)
 * Donald Parham - Tight End for the Washington Redskins

List of head coaches

 * Statistics correct as of August 13, 2016

The Hatters have had nine head coaches in over 50 seasons of (interrupted) play, with no play from 1917–1918, 1941–1945, and 1957–2012.

Conference championships

 * SIAA Champs of Florida 1929