- The Golden Tigers Football team made history on Sunday night , and will live to fight for another day. This evening, the NCAA announced that Tuskegee will travel to Florence, Ala. to Tom Braly Municipal Stadium to play the Lions of North Alabama in the first round of the Division II Football playoffs. Tuskegee intentionally backed out of its' agreement to play Alabama State in the annual Turkey Day Classic on Thanksgiving, and was able to make the postseason on the strength of its' 8-2 record in the 2013 season.
Tuskegee was ranked seventh in Super Region II in the final Super Regional standings released last weekend, and managed to punch its ticket to the postseason through the Earned Access Rule.
Tuskegee Coach
Willie Slater said that the players and coaches are pleased about making history, becoming the first Tuskegee Football team to play in the NCAA's playoffs.
"I'm excited," Slater said. "We're not just happy to be in the tournament. We actually think that we have a legitimate chance if we play well."
Slater is very excited to return to Florence, home of the Division II National Championship Game since 1986. For historical purposes, the Golden Tigers will not play at a better location for their first ever appearance in the Division II playoffs.
"Thirteen our of fourteen times, I've been a part of the winning team in that stadium," Slater said. "That's a special place for me, so I'm excited about going back there, and I'm excited about these young men. I think that they want to play. They've proven it to me. So, we will go back to that drawing board on the practice field, and see if we can't get it done."
In Slater's time as an assistant coach at North Alabama, he became very familiar with many of the members of the staff that are up there today.
"I coached there for seven years," Slater said. "I coached for Coach (Bobby) Wallace. Coach Wallace was the guy that hired me there, and he is the coach right now. The offensive coordinator is Cody Gross. He was my quarterback. As a quarterback, he was 42-1-1 as a starter. He won three national championships, and was up for the Harlon Hill Award. There's a lot of history that goes back to North Alabama. That is a special place for me."
Tuskegee players gave their reactions about reaching the postseason for the first time in school history.
"It's very exciting," said wide receiver
Marquel Gardner. "We have a great opportunity to play at North Alabama and begin to play for a national championship. There was a lot of excitement."
Quarterback
Rashard Burkette also reflected on school history, and how this group of football players is making history in their own right.
"It's an honor, actually," Burkette said of the 2013 Golden Tigers. "We've had a lot of great teams at Tuskgee, and Tuskegee is known for winning. With this being our first opportunity to break into national rankings as far as the playoffs go, it is a special feeling."
