TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In the world of college football, every game is a battle for supremacy. For 60 minutes, two teams clash with the hope of emerging victorious. But nearly five decades ago, Florida A&M University (FAMU) accomplished a feat that transcended the sport. The Rattlers’ 1978 NCAA Division I-AA Championship remains a historic milestone—one that has never been repeated and likely never will.
The road to greatness
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The journey to that championship began with a young quarterback from Jacksonville, Albert Chester, a standout at Ribault High School.
“I wasn’t heavily recruited but I had some other opportunities at Tulane, University of Iowa and an old man told me, ‘Would you rather be a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond?’ and that stuck with me all my life,” Chester said.
Click the play button below to see the full interview with Chester.
FAMU was under the leadership of head coach Rudy Hubbard, a former assistant at Ohio State University who had trained under the legendary Woody Hayes.
“Woody Hayes would have taught how to be a tough coach, a hard-nosed coach, but also most importantly a winning coach,” WJXT Sports Anchor Jamal St. Cyr said.
Despite initial skepticism from some players, his system began to yield results.
“A lot of guys didn’t totally buy into my system,” Hubbard said. “They didn’t totally buy into the fact that I was coming from Ohio State.”
Click the play button below to see the full interview with Hubbard.
By 1977, FAMU had gone undefeated, dominating every opponent and building confidence for the following season. Chester and his teammates approached 1978 with one goal: to win the inaugural Division I-AA National Championship—the first title to be decided on the field, not by a vote.
A championship unlike any other
In December 1978, the Rattlers faced the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the Pioneer Bowl at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The game drew over 13,000 fans, who braved challenging weather conditions with winds reaching 25 miles per hour.
Bill Flemming called the play-by-play and Frank Broyles did color commentary.
FAMU led 35-28 late in the game, and as the final whistle blew, the Rattlers had secured their place in history. They became the only historically Black college or university (HBCU) to win the Division I-AA Championship. Chester described the experience as surreal, noting that the team’s confidence carried them through the adverse conditions.
“It wasn’t about if we were going to win—it was about how badly we were going to beat you,” Chester said.
Breaking barriers in an unforgiving era
The victory was monumental, not only for FAMU but for all HBCUs. At a time when college football championships were often decided by votes, many doubted whether an HBCU would have been given the platform to compete for a title. The on-field format allowed FAMU to prove its excellence unequivocally.
“In that era, if the game had been decided by votes, FAMU probably wouldn’t have had the chance to compete,” St. Cyr said. “This was a groundbreaking moment for HBCUs in sports.”
The win highlighted the talent and potential of HBCU programs, which often operated with fewer resources and less recognition than their predominantly white counterparts. It remains a unique achievement that has yet to be replicated.
“That’s why you see things like the Celebration Bowl that’s popped up to give these HBCUs the opportunity to have their own championship-level programs,” St. Cyr said.
A legacy that endures
Today, FAMU’s 1978 championship holds a special place in the hearts of those who witnessed or participated in it. Chester said the victory’s importance has grown with time.
“We didn’t realize back then the value of what we were doing,” he said. “As I get older, these championship rings mean more and more to me. It was a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment.”
The Rattlers’ victory is a testament to the excellence of FAMU’s football program during that era. It’s also a reminder of the barriers they overcame to claim their rightful place in sports history.
Hubbard, the architect of that historic team, agreed.
“I don’t think our record will ever be broken unless they change the whole system,” he said.