The 1940 Morris Brown Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented Morris Brown College in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 1940 college football season. In their first season under head coach Artis P. Graves, the team compiled a 10–1 record, defeated Kentucky State in the Peach Blossom Bowl and Wilberforce in the Steel Bowl, and outscored all opponents by a total of 238 to 39.[1] The Morris Brown team was recognized as the 1940 black college national champion.
| 1940 Morris Brown Wolverines football | |
|---|---|
Black college national champion SIAC champion | |
Steel Bowl, W 19–3 vs. Wilberforce | |
| Conference | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| Record | 10–1 ( SIAC) |
| Head coach |
|
Key players included fullback John "Big Train" Moody and halfbacks "Switch Engine" Jenkins and Joe Mitchell. Moody and guard Willie Griffin, one of Morris Brown's "Gold Dust Twins," were selected by The Pittsburgh Courier as first-team players on its 1940 All-America team. Shepard was selected as a second-team guard, and Jenkins was selected as a third-team back.[2]
Schedule edit
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 28 | at Allen | Columbia, SC | W 34–0 | [3] | |
| October 5 | at Tuskegee | W 10–0 | [4] | ||
| October 19 | Morehouse | W 16–0 | [5] | ||
| October 26 | Florida A&M | Atlanta, GA | L 13–20 | [6][7] | |
| November 2 | Alabama State | Atlanta, GA | W 21–3 | [8] | |
| November 8 | Xavier (LA) | Atlanta, GA | W 25–0 | ||
| Bethune–Cookman | W 6–0 | ||||
| November 16 | at Knoxville | Knoxville, TN | W 46–0 | [9] | |
| November 21 | Clark (GA) |
| W 20–7 | [10] | |
| December 7 | Kentucky State | Atlanta, GA (Peach Blossom Bowl) | W 28–6 | < 1,500 | [11][12] |
| January 1, 1941 | vs. Wilberforce | Birmingham, AL (Steel Bowl) | W 19–3 | 8,000 | [13] |
References edit
- ^ "1940 - Morris Brown (GA)". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved December 1, 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Deep South Gets Five Posts On Courie's Eleven". The Pittsburgh Courier. December 28, 1923. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Morris Brown Romps to Win Over Allen, 34-0". The Atlanta Constitution. September 29, 1940. p. 7B – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Morris Brown Tops Tuskegee By 10-0". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 6, 1940. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Morehouse Bows To Morris Brown". The Atlanta Constitution. October 20, 1940. p. 5C – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Florida Nips M.B." The Pittsburgh Courier. November 2, 1940. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Morris Brown Beaten, 20-13, By Floridans". The Atlanta Constitution. October 27, 1940. p. 7B – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Morris Brown Tops 'Bama State, 21-3". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 3, 1940. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Morris Brown Defeats Knox Team, 46 to 0". The Atlanta Constitution. November 17, 1940. p. 5B – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Morris Brown Crushes Clark, 20-7, In Dixie Classic: All-American Moody Sets All-Time Scoring Record As Wolverines Capture Title". The Pittsburgh Courier. November 30, 1940. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "'Violent Violet Vigor Vanquishes Negro Rival In 'Peach Blossom' Bowl". The Pittsburgh Press. December 8, 1940. p. III-15 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Morris Brown Wins; Title Bid Strengthened". The Atlanta Constitution. December 8, 1940. p. 2C – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Morris Brown Wins Negro Crown, 19-3". The Birmingham News. January 2, 1941. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.