1954 Tennessee A&I Tigers football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1954
| team = Tennessee A&I Tigers
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Midwest Athletic Association
| short_conf = MAA
| record = 10–1
| conf_record = 4–0
| head_coach= Henry Kean
| hc_year = 4th
| captain =
| stadium = Hale Stadium
| champion = Black college national co-champion
MAA champion
| bowl = National Classic
| bowl_result = L 6–19 vs. North Carolina College
}}
{{1954 Midwest Athletic Association football standings}}
The 1954 Tennessee A&I Tigers football team represented Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State College as a member of the Midwest Athletic Association (MAA) during the 1954 college football season. In their fourth and final season under head coach Henry Kean, the Tigers compiled a 10–1 record, won the MAA championship, lost to {{cfb link|year=1954|team=North Carolina Central Eagles|title=North Carolina Central}} in the National Classic, and outscored all opponents by a total of 330 to 70.{{cite web|title=Tennessee State Yearly Results (1950-1954)|publisher=College Football Data Warehouse|accessdate=December 2, 2019|url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/t/tennessee_state/1950-1954_yearly_results.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906041749/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/t/tennessee_state/1950-1954_yearly_results.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 6, 2015}}
The team was selected by the "Pigskin Huddle" as the 1954 black college national champion.{{cite web|author=Luix Virgil Overbea|date=December 25, 1954|title=Pigskin Huddle|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oJwlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pfUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3028%2C3421943|newspaper=The Afro-American|page=16}} The Pittsburgh Courier selected the Tigers as black college national co-champion in a five-way tie with four other teams.{{cite news|title=Five Teams Claim Nat'l Grid Crown After Gala Season|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Courier|date=December 25, 1954|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40010785/five_teams_claim_natl_grid_crown_after/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Coach Kean suffered a double heart attack following the team's December 4 game with North Carolina Central.{{cite news|title=Coach Kean resting after heart attack|newspaper=The Afro-American|date=December 25, 1954|page=9|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oJwlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pfUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3028%2C3421943}} He did not return as the team's coach and died one year later in December 1955.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| attend = y
| source = y
|September 18|vs|{{cfb link|year=1954|team=Lincoln Blue Tigers|title=Lincoln (MO)}}|Melrose Stadium|Memphis, TN|W 33-13|8,500|{{cite news|title=Tennessee A&I Wins Bluff City Classic, 33-13|newspaper=The Commercial Appeal|date=September 19, 1954|page=III-6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114485283/tennessee-ai-wins-bluff-city-classic/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|September 25|at|{{cfb link|year=1954|team=Virginia State Trojans|title=Virginia State}}
|October 1||Langston
|October 9|at|{{cfb link|year=1954|team=Allen Yellow Jackets|title=Allen}}
|October 16||{{cfb link|year=1954|team=Paul Quinn Tigers|title=Paul Quinn}}
|October 23|at|{{cfb link|year=1954|team=Central State Marauders|title=Central State (OH)}}||Wilberforce, OH|W 40-0||
|October 30||North Carolina College
|November 6|at|Texas Southern||Houston, TX|W 18-15| |{{cite news|title=Tennessee State Trips Southern|newspaper=The Nashville Tennessean|date=November 7, 1954|page=7C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114484554/tennessee-state-trips-southern/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Tennessee State Trips Southern|newspaper=The Nashville Tennessean|date=November 7, 1954|page=7C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114484821/tennessee-state-trips-southern/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 20|at|{{cfb link|year=1954|team=Kentucky State Thorobreds|title=Kentucky State}}||Frankfort, KY|W 34-12||{{cite news|title=Tigers Cop Loop title, 34-12|newspaper=The Nashville Tennessean|date=November 21, 1954|page=5C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114481857/tigers-cop-loop-title-34-12/|via=Newspapers.com}}
|November 25||{{cfb link|year=1954|team=Bluefield State Big Blues|title=Bluefield State}}
|December 4|vs.|North Carolina College
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Brief Summary Of Cumulative Football Statistics |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/691/stats/13796 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=December 11, 2022 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Tennessee State Tigers football navbox}}
{{Black college football national champion navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1954 Tennessee AandI Tigers Football Team}}
Category:Tennessee State Tigers football seasons
Category:Black college football national champions
Category:Midwest Athletic Association football champion seasons