In what may seem like a very distant past, The University of Tampa once fielded a collegiate football team.
From 1933, two years after UT was founded, to 1974, the Spartans threw around the pigskin in competition versus a number of well-known collegiate football programs, including Florida, Rutgers, Tennessee, Alabama and Louisville.
Exluding their final season in 1974, the Spartans sported an all-time regular season record of 191-155-12. They earned bids to four Bowl Games- 1951 Beach Bowl, 1952 and 1954 Cigar Bowl and 1972 Tangerine Bowl- in which they were victorious in each.
The Spartans had 13 coaches at the helm of the team’s 41 year lifetime, starting with Head Coach Nash Higgins. Higgins lasted as Head Coach from 1933 through the 1940 season, totaling a record of 36-39-5.
UT’s most successful coach was Marcelino Huerta, Jr., who led the Spartans from 1952-1961 with a 61-37-2 record. Three of the Spartans’ Bowl appearances came in this timespan.
The records set by the Tampa football team are quite impressive, whether or not they be in favor of the Spartans.
In the 1948 season, Tampa put up 77 points en route to a victory against Colegio Military. On the contrary, Tampa also had 77 points scored on them, in a losing effort to Tulsa in 1967. The team’s longest win streak was set in the 1970 season at nine wins.
Though the football team’s existance was rather short-lived, the Spartans did have standout athletes in college who went on to do great things in professional football. In 1973, defensive end John Matuszak was drafted by the
Houston Oilers first overall in the NFL Draft. Throughout his professional football career, Matuszak played in 123 games.
Fred Solomon, who played for UT as a quarterback and running back, was taken by the Miami Dolphins in the 2nd round of the 1975 NFL draft.
Solomon caught 371 passes for 5846 yards and 48 touchdowns in his 11 year NFL career.
All in all, 18 Spartans were drafted or started in the NFL, and six Superbowl rings are shared by three different former Spartans.
The football program was ended in 1975 over financial issues.
Editor’s Note: Statistics do not include 1974 season.
Daniel Feingold can be reached at minaret.sports@gmail.com.
I think it would very interesting to see what would have happened to not only the program, but to the university had they kept the team. They certainly would have had the history and roots to attract some good talent in Florida to compete with UF, FSU, and Miami. I wonder if it would have forced the rest of the athletic program to go Division I.