Troy Trojans football

The Troy Trojans football program represents Troy University, Alabama, in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-A, of which it has been a member since 2001. The football program joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2004, while the other Troy athletic programs didn't join the SBC until 2005.

History
Troy University has fielded a football team continuously since 1946. Prior to that year, the team was fielded with only a few interruptions from 1909 to 1942. Eight years were skipped due to lack of participation and later World War I from 1913–1920, while the Wall Street Crash of 1929 kept the team from playing that year. Having moved up from Division I-AA, the team has competed in the NCAA's Division I since 2001.

Troy University football began playing in the NCAA's Division I-A in 2001, became a football only member of the Sun Belt Conference in 2004, and joined that conference for all other sports in 2005. In 2001, Troy defeated Mississippi State University at Scott Field in Starkville, Mississippi, by a count of 21-9 to notch the Trojans' first victory over a BCS level program. The Trojans began their 2004 campaign with a win over Marshall, and then garnered the program's largest win one game later as the Trojans defeated then #17 ranked Missouri, 24–14, in front of a Movie Gallery Stadium record crowd. The Trojan football team made its first bowl game appearance in the Silicon Valley Football Classic on December 30, 2004 that same season, but lost to Northern Illinois, 34–21. In 2006, Troy won the Sun Belt Conference for the first time after defeating Middle Tennessee State in dramatic fashion in the last game of the 2006 season in a game that is now referred to as "The Miracle in Murfreesboro". As the 2006 Sun Belt Conference champions, Troy played in the New Orleans Bowl on December 22, 2006 against Rice University, routing the Owls of Conference USA by a score of 41–17. The New Orleans Bowl victory was Troy's first bowl victory in history.

Troy football head coach Larry Blakeney is entering his 20th season as head coach. He has led the program to three Southland Football League titles and five straight Sun Belt Conference titles, as well as guided the Trojans to seven FCS playoff appearances and four FBS bowl games. Blakeney boasts an overall record of 152-71-1 as head coach at Troy. Blakeney is the winningest coach in the Troy University history and he is the 4th winningest collegiate coach all-time in the state of Alabama, only behind greats Paul "Bear" Bryant, Cleveland L. Abbott, and Ralph "Shug" Jordan. Blakeney is just one of two coaches to ever take a football program from Division II to I-A (the other is UCF’s Gene McDowell).



Troy's only perfect regular season record in football came at the conclusion of the 1995 season as the Trojans finished 11–0 and were crowned champions of the Southland Football League heading into the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

Troy won the NAIA national football championship in 1968 and the NCAA Division II national football championship in 1984 and 1987.

Troy has accomplished winning five straight Sun Belt Conference championships since 2006, breaking North Texas' record of four straight Sun Belt titles from 2001 to 2004. The Trojans have also compiled a 32-5 record against Sun Belt competition during the last five seasons.

Championships
Troy has won 20 total conference championships to go along with 3 national championships. The program won the 1968 NAIA National Championship against Texas A&I (now Texas A&M-Kingsville). Troy beat North Dakota State in 1984 to win their first Division II national title. They won their second Division II national title in 1987 after defeating Portland State.

Season Records
Troy Trojans football seasons

Non-FBS Post-season History

 * Palm Bowl = NCAA Division II National Championship & Championship Bowl = NAIA National Championship

Current Players

 * DeMarcus Ware
 * Leodis McKelvin
 * Osi Umenyiora
 * Sherrod Martin
 * Leonard Wheeler
 * Brannon Condren
 * Elbert Mack
 * Gary Banks
 * Trevor Ford
 * Dion Gales
 * Steve McLendon
 * Lawrence Tynes
 * Levi Brown
 * Cameron Sheffield
 * Jerrel Jernigan
 * Jonathan Massaquoi
 * Jorrick Calvin
 * Stanley Arukwe
 * James Brown
 * DuJuan Harris

Former Players

 * Patrick Epkins
 * Sherill Busby
 * Matt Allen
 * Aaron Fields
 * Kerry Jenkins
 * Reggie Lowe
 * Al Lucas
 * Larry Mason
 * Jimmy McClain
 * Jack Peavey
 * Rayshun Reed
 * Shawn Stuckey
 * Rod Walker
 * Pratt Lyons
 * Michael Moore
 * Orlando Parker
 * Jonathan Carter
 * Perry Griggs
 * Wade Brantley
 * Titus Dixon
 * Clifford Ivory
 * Mareno Philyaw
 * Jack Smith
 * Marcus Spriggs
 * Davern Williams
 * Reggie Dwight
 * Willie Tullis
 * Mitch Geier
 * John McKinnon
 * Anthony Henton
 * Kelvin Murdock
 * Virgil Seay
 * Greg Harris
 * Willie McCray
 * Ronnie Shelley
 * Glenn Thompson
 * Rob Austin
 * Michael O'Daniel
 * Donnie Van Wie

Rivalries
Troy plays Middle Tennessee in the annual Battle for the Palladium. Troy and Middle Tennessee first played each other in 1936, but it wasn't until 2003 that schools started playing annually for the Palladium Trophy.

Troy used to play Jacksonville State in the annual Battle for the Ol' School Bell. The schools first played in 1924 and was one of the fiercest rivalries for both schools. The game hasn't been played since 2001 after Troy joined the FBS.