CFB Most Influential Programs
#16 Tennessee State Tigers
School: Tennessee State Tigers
First Game: 1912
Winning Percentage: .652
Appearances in AP/Rank: N/A
Average AP Ranking: N/A
National Titles: 16
Claim to Fame: Head Coaches John Merritt and Henry Kean are amongst the best to ever do it. Between them they were the 3rd school in a trifecta of HBCU powerhouses that dominated the scene when HBCU football was at its most talent laden.
Why I have them in my Collection:
A lot of people know about Florida A&M. Pretty much everyone knows about Grambling. The third school that is just a touch above the rest when it comes to success and prowess amongst HBCU ranks is the Tennessee State Tigers.
Between the 1950s-1980s, arguably the heyday of HBCU football, especially the 60s and 70s, Tennessee State won 12 national championships while constantly butting heads with FAMU And Grambling.
They have also put over 100 players into the NFL in their time, multiple pro bowlers, and a hall of famer among their ranks. As I said, the time between the 60s and 70s for HBCU football was insanely loaded with talent, as the south was slower to full integration in the sport than other parts of the country. As a result, HBCU schools continued to thrive on their established pipelines from high schools and pumped out NFL players like most of the power conference schools do nowadays.
Tennessee State was amongst the most prolific schools when it comes to producing NFL talent and has two legendary coaches that headed up their program. Much like another HBCU on this list, you can almost directly draw a line between Tennessee State’s success, and what happened when the bigger schools finally decided to integrate.
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