UCF Football History
 |  | Saturday Knights Live, the Birth of UCF Football In its early days, the Florida Technological University's athletic program was a shoestring operation without any shoes to lace up. Frank Rohter, FTU's original athletics director, first formed a basketball team to play in Orlando's recreational league. With almost no money for sports, it was up to students and staff to get things started. Special Collections librarian Norbert St. Clair wanted a soccer team, so Rohter bought him a ball, and the makeshift team practiced behind the library, using trees as goal posts. When a student asked for a baseball team, he was given some equipment and permission to play at a local high school. more |
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 | | Memorable Home Football Games A total of 14,138 fans witnessed UCF's first home game at the Tangerine Bowl, and head coach Don Jonas made sure they would leave with a very memorable experience. On Fort Benning's first possession, Ron Johnson picked off a pass and returned it seven yards to the Fort Benning 46-yard line. Nine plays and two penalties later, quarterback Mike Cullison completed a 4-and-goal pass to Bobby Joe Plain for UCF's lone points. Fort Benning attempted a comeback to begin the second half, putting together a 77-yard drive to make it 7-6, but failed on the extra-point attempt. The Doughboys tried again in the fourth quarter and had two chances to take the lead. Their first opportunity collapsed when UCF recovered a fumble on a 2-and-goal try at the Knights' one-yard line. Fort Benning did grab a 9-6 advantage with a 44-yard field goal only to see it called back on an illegal procedure penalty. On the very next play, Doug Gatewood intercepted his second pass of the game, ultimately sealing the one-point victory. In all, the Doughboys completed just four passes while throwing four interceptions. Cullison finished 15-for-23 with 104 yards in the air. more |
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 | | UCF Football All-Time Lettermen more |
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 | | UCF Football in the Pros more |
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| UCF Football All-Americans more | |
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 | | When the USFL Called UCF Home Much of the United States Football League's (USFL) early attention focused on the signing of Heisman Trophy-winning running back Herschel Walker, who left the University of Georgia a year early to sign a multi-million dollar contract with the New Jersey Generals. Walker and the Generals were as large as any sports story at the time, which included all of the coverage around the National Football League (NFL) 1983 playoff race and Super Bowl match-up between the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins. more |
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 | | A look back at UCF football's move to Division I-A The following press release may have been the biggest in the history of UCF Athletics, as it commemorated the Knights long-awaited approval for its move to Division I-A for football. Reliving some of those glorious years when Daunte was leading the Knights' charge, we re-post this 1998 biography exactly as it was The press release wording is exactly as it was written on April 12, 1993 by the UCF Sports Information Office. more pdf  |
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 | | A look back at UCF's own Daunte Culpepper To help promote its senior all-star quarterback Daunte Culpepper in 1998, UCF Sports Information built a dedicated website at www.daunte.ucf.edu that featured a comprehensive view of its All-American candidate. Reliving some of those glorious years when Daunte was leading the Knights' charge, we re-post this 1998 biography exactly as it was written for Daunte prior his selection by the Minnesota Vikings as the 11th pick in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft. more |