UAB Blazers football
Encyclopedia
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Blazers
college football
team competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A), as a member of the East Division of Conference USA
(C-USA). UAB plays its home games at Legion Field
, which is located off-campus in Birmingham
, Alabama
. With a capacity of 71,594, Legion Field is currently the third largest college football stadium in the state of Alabama and the 40th largest football stadium in the US. On February 3, 2011, it was announced that UAB would be moving forward with plans to build a horseshoe-shaped stadium on campus with an estimated seating capacity of around 30,000.
announced that the university would compete in football as a NCAA Division III team beginning in the fall of 1991, with Jim Hilyer
serving as the first head coach. From 1991 to 1992, UAB competed as a Division III Independent
, and during this period, the Blazers compiled an 11–6–2 overall record. During this period, the Blazers played their first all-time game on September 7, 1991, a 28–0 loss at Millsaps
, and notched their first all-time win on September 21, 1991, a 34–21 victory at Washington & Lee
.
After only a pair of seasons at the Division III level, a NCAA ruling resulted in the Blazers being reclassified as a I-AA team for the 1993 season
. The reclassification was a result of the NCAA prohibiting a school's athletic program from being multi-divisional, and since UAB already competed in Division I in other sports, the move became necessary. In their first game as a I-AA team, the Blazers would lose to Troy State
37–3 before a home crowd on September 6, 1993. By 1994
, the Blazers would play their first I-A opponent against Kansas
. Following the 1994 season, coach Hilyer would resign with Watson Brown
being announced as the program's second ever coach on January 2, 1995.
During the 1995 season
the Blazers would notch their first ever victory over a I-A opponent on the road against North Texas
by a final score of 19–14. From 1993 to 1995, UAB competed as a Division I-AA Independent, and during this period compiled a 21–12 overall record before making the jump to Division I-A for the 1996 season.
On November 9, 1995, UAB was officially informed by the NCAA that the school had met all requirements for reclassification, and as such the Blazers would enter the 1996
season as an I-A Independent. In their first I-A game, UAB was defeated by in-state rival Auburn
29–0, and would finish their first I-A season with a 5–6 overall record. Already a participating member in other sports, on November 13, 1996, Conference USA
commissioner Mike Slive announced that UAB would be admitted to the league as a football playing member for the 1999
season.
Since the transition to I-A, UAB has made a habit of playing many of college football's traditional powers. In 2000, UAB achieved a monumental victory by beating LSU
in Baton Rouge
. In 2004, UAB reached yet another milestone earning their first bowl trip in school history, the Hawaii Bowl
.
After being the face of the program for twelve years, on December 9, 2006, Watson Brown resigned as UAB's head coach to take the head coaching position at Tennessee Tech
. Following Brown's resignation, former Alabama player and Georgia
offensive coordinator Neil Callaway
was named head coach on December 17, 2006. Callaway led the Blazers to the school's worst season (2–10), dropping the program's all-time record under .500 for the first time in school history.
On November 27, 2011, Callaway was fired as UAB's head coach having compiled a record of 18 wins and 42 losses (18–42) during his five years with the Blazers.
| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="80%"
!bgcolor="#008000"| Tenure
!bgcolor="#008000"| Coach
!bgcolor="#008000"| Years
!bgcolor="#008000"| Record
!bgcolor="#008000"| Pct.
|- align="center"
| 1991–1994 || Jim Hilyer
|| 4 || 27–12–2 ||
|- align="center"
| 1995–2006 || Watson Brown
|| 12 || 62–74 ||
|- align="center"
| 2007–2011|| Neil Callaway
|| 5 || 18–42 ||
|- align="center"
| 2012-Present|| TBD || TBD || 0-0 ||
|-
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| Totals
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| 3 coaches
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| 21
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| 107–128–2
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|
|-
|}
|-style="background: #008000" align=center
| Date || Bowl || Location || W/L || Opponent || PF || PA
|-align=center
| December 24, 2004 || Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl
|| Honolulu, Hawaii
|| L || Hawaii Warriors
|| 40 || 59
|-style="background: #CFB53B" align=center
| Total || 1 bowl game || || 0–1 || || – || –
|}
Located to the west of campus in the Graymont neighborhood of Birmingham, the Blazers play their home games at Legion Field
. Construction on the stadium began in 1926 and was completed in 1927 with a seating capacity
of 21,000. Subsequent expansions would raise its capacity to 81,000 at its peak only to have it reduced to 72,000 with the removal of the upper deck in 2004. The Blazers have utilized the facility since the inaugural 1991 season, and have played all but two home games at Legion Field throughout their history. The only home games not played at Legion included a contest at Lawson Field in 1992, and a contest at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in 1998. At present, UAB is under contract with the City of Birmingham to utilize the facility through the 2013 season.
The prospect of constructing an on-campus stadium has been debated since the mid-1990s. By 1999, former head coach Watson Brown
stated that UAB would eventually need to construct a facility comparable to Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
at Louisville
. On February 3, 2011, university officials announced that UAB will be moving forward with plans to build a horseshoe-shaped stadium on campus with an estimated seating capacity of around 30,000 as part of a new campus master plan.
On September 16, 2011 UAB vice president Richard Margison outlined preliminary plans for the proposed on-campus football stadium to the University of Alabama board of trustees. The plan calls for a horse-shoe stadium that would seat 27,511 with an additional 2,500 lawn seats in one end zone. It would also include 33 suites and 24 loge boxes. The proposed cost for the stadium complex is $66 million with a total project cost of $75 million.
|+Top 10 Home Football Attendance Records
|-
! !! Opponent !! style="width:120px" | Attendance
|-
| 1 || Southern Miss (2003) || 44,669
|-
| 2 || Mississippi State (2006) || 36,104
|-
| 3 || TCU (2004) || 33,280
|-
| 4 || Troy (2006) || 32,818
|-
| 5 || Virginia Tech (1998) || 31,897
|-
| 6 || Southern Miss (2005) || 31,363
|-
| 7 || Kansas (1998) || 30,543
|-
| 8 || Houston (1999) || 28,573
|-
| 9 || Mississippi State (2011) || 28,351
|-
| 10 || Memphis (2004) || 27,192
|-
!colspan="3"|
|}
!Name || Position || Team
|-
| Darrell Hackney
|| Quarterback
|| Free Agent
|-
| Bryan Thomas || Linebacker
/Defensive End
|| New York Jets
|-
| Roddy White
|| Wide receiver
|| Atlanta Falcons
|-
|-
| Joe Webb
|| Quarterback
/Wide receiver
|| Minnesota Vikings
|}
University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public university in Birmingham in the U.S. state of Alabama. Developing from an extension center established in 1936, the institution became an autonomous institution in 1969 and is today one of three institutions in the University of Alabama System...
Blazers
UAB Blazers
The UAB Blazers are the forest green and old gold-swathed athletic teams at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The school is one of the twelve member institutions of Conference USA and participates in Division I of the NCAA...
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
team competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A), as a member of the East Division of Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
(C-USA). UAB plays its home games at Legion Field
Legion Field
Legion Field is a large stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used for other large outdoor events. The stadium is named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans. At its peak...
, which is located off-campus in Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. With a capacity of 71,594, Legion Field is currently the third largest college football stadium in the state of Alabama and the 40th largest football stadium in the US. On February 3, 2011, it was announced that UAB would be moving forward with plans to build a horseshoe-shaped stadium on campus with an estimated seating capacity of around 30,000.
History
The origins of football at UAB begin with the play of an organized club football team in 1989. After two years competing as a club football team, on March 13, 1991, UAB President Charles McCallum and athletic director Gene BartowGene Bartow
Gene Bartow is a former men's college basketball coach. The Browning, Missouri, native coached 36 years at six universities after coaching two high schools in Missouri for six years.-High school:...
announced that the university would compete in football as a NCAA Division III team beginning in the fall of 1991, with Jim Hilyer
Jim Hilyer
-References:...
serving as the first head coach. From 1991 to 1992, UAB competed as a Division III Independent
NCAA Division III independent schools
NCAA Division III independents are four-year institutions that compete in college athletics at the NCAA’s Division III level, but do so independently of an established athletic conference. These same institutions often compete as members of an intercollegiate athletic conference in some sports...
, and during this period, the Blazers compiled an 11–6–2 overall record. During this period, the Blazers played their first all-time game on September 7, 1991, a 28–0 loss at Millsaps
Millsaps Majors
The Millsaps Majors is the nickname for the sports teams of Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi and their colors are purple and white. They participate in the NCAA's Division III and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference....
, and notched their first all-time win on September 21, 1991, a 34–21 victory at Washington & Lee
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...
.
After only a pair of seasons at the Division III level, a NCAA ruling resulted in the Blazers being reclassified as a I-AA team for the 1993 season
1993 UAB Blazers football team
The 1993 UAB Blazers football team represented the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the college football season of 1993, and was the third team fielded by the school. The team's head coach was Jim Hilyer, who was entering his third season as the program's head coach. They played their home...
. The reclassification was a result of the NCAA prohibiting a school's athletic program from being multi-divisional, and since UAB already competed in Division I in other sports, the move became necessary. In their first game as a I-AA team, the Blazers would lose to Troy State
Troy Trojans football
The Troy Trojans football program represents Troy University, Alabama, in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-A, of which it has been a member since 2001...
37–3 before a home crowd on September 6, 1993. By 1994
1994 UAB Blazers football team
The 1994 UAB Blazers football team represented the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the college football season of 1994, and was the fourth team fielded by the school. The team's head coach was Jim Hilyer, who was entering his fourth season as the program's head coach. They played their home...
, the Blazers would play their first I-A opponent against Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
. Following the 1994 season, coach Hilyer would resign with Watson Brown
Watson Brown
Lester Watson Brown is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Tennessee Technological University, a position he has held since 2007...
being announced as the program's second ever coach on January 2, 1995.
During the 1995 season
1995 UAB Blazers football team
The 1995 UAB Blazers football team represented the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the college football season of 1995, and was the fifth team fielded by the school. The team's head coach was Watson Brown, who was entering his first season as the program's head coach. They played their home...
the Blazers would notch their first ever victory over a I-A opponent on the road against North Texas
North Texas Mean Green football
The North Texas Mean Green football team represents the University of North Texas in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-FBS college football and competes as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Mean Green have attained several conference championships, including four...
by a final score of 19–14. From 1993 to 1995, UAB competed as a Division I-AA Independent, and during this period compiled a 21–12 overall record before making the jump to Division I-A for the 1996 season.
On November 9, 1995, UAB was officially informed by the NCAA that the school had met all requirements for reclassification, and as such the Blazers would enter the 1996
1996 UAB Blazers football team
The 1996 UAB Blazers football team represented the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the college football season of 1996, and was the sixth team fielded by the school. The team's head coach was Watson Brown, who was entering his second season as the program's head coach. They played their home...
season as an I-A Independent. In their first I-A game, UAB was defeated by in-state rival Auburn
1996 Auburn Tigers football team
The 1996 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season.Coached by Terry Bowden, they tallied an 8–4 record, played in the , and finished the season ranked #22 in the AP Poll and #21 in the Coaches' Poll.-Schedule:...
29–0, and would finish their first I-A season with a 5–6 overall record. Already a participating member in other sports, on November 13, 1996, Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
commissioner Mike Slive announced that UAB would be admitted to the league as a football playing member for the 1999
1999 UAB Blazers football team
The 1999 UAB Blazers football team represented the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the college football season of 1999, and was the ninth team fielded by the school. The team's head coach was Watson Brown, who was entering his fifth season as the program's head coach. They played their home...
season.
Since the transition to I-A, UAB has made a habit of playing many of college football's traditional powers. In 2000, UAB achieved a monumental victory by beating LSU
2000 LSU Tigers football team
The 2000 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the college football season of 2000–2001. Coached by Nick Saban in his first year at LSU, the Tigers played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Saban led the team to a remarkable turnaround from a...
in Baton Rouge
Tiger Stadium (LSU)
Tiger Stadium is an outdoor stadium located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is best known as the home stadium of the Louisiana State University football team.Tiger Stadium opened with a capacity of 12,000 in 1924...
. In 2004, UAB reached yet another milestone earning their first bowl trip in school history, the Hawaii Bowl
Hawaii Bowl
The Hawaii Bowl is a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that has been played annually at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii since 2002. Typically played on either Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, the game matches teams from either...
.
After being the face of the program for twelve years, on December 9, 2006, Watson Brown resigned as UAB's head coach to take the head coaching position at Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Technological University
Tennessee Technological University, popularly known as Tennessee Tech, is an accredited public university located in Cookeville, Tennessee, US, a city approximately seventy miles east of Nashville. It was formerly known as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute , and before that as Dixie College, the...
. Following Brown's resignation, former Alabama player and Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
offensive coordinator Neil Callaway
Neil Callaway
-External links:**...
was named head coach on December 17, 2006. Callaway led the Blazers to the school's worst season (2–10), dropping the program's all-time record under .500 for the first time in school history.
On November 27, 2011, Callaway was fired as UAB's head coach having compiled a record of 18 wins and 42 losses (18–42) during his five years with the Blazers.
Head coaches
{| border="0" width="100%"| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="80%"
!bgcolor="#008000"| Tenure
!bgcolor="#008000"| Coach
!bgcolor="#008000"| Years
!bgcolor="#008000"| Record
!bgcolor="#008000"| Pct.
|- align="center"
| 1991–1994 || Jim Hilyer
Jim Hilyer
-References:...
|| 4 || 27–12–2 ||
|- align="center"
| 1995–2006 || Watson Brown
Watson Brown
Lester Watson Brown is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Tennessee Technological University, a position he has held since 2007...
|| 12 || 62–74 ||
|- align="center"
| 2007–2011|| Neil Callaway
Neil Callaway
-External links:**...
|| 5 || 18–42 ||
|- align="center"
| 2012-Present|| TBD || TBD || 0-0 ||
|-
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| Totals
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| 3 coaches
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| 21
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| 107–128–2
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|
|-
|}
All-time bowl results
{| class="wikitable"|-style="background: #008000" align=center
| Date || Bowl || Location || W/L || Opponent || PF || PA
|-align=center
| December 24, 2004 || Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl
2004 Hawaii Bowl
The 2004 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, part of the 2004 bowl game season, took place on December 24, 2004, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The competing teams were the UAB Blazers, representing Conference USA and the Hawaii Warriors, representing the Western Athletic Conference...
|| Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
|| L || Hawaii Warriors
2004 Hawaii Warriors football team
The 2004 Hawaii Warriors football team represented the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the 2004 NCAA Division I-A college football season. Hawaii finished the 2004 season with a 8-5 record, going 4-4 in WAC play. The Warriors made their third straight appearance in the Hawaii Bowl, facing off...
|| 40 || 59
|-style="background: #CFB53B" align=center
| Total || 1 bowl game || || 0–1 || || – || –
|}
Conference affiliations
- 1991–92, Division III Independent
- 1993–95, Division I-AA Independent
- 1996–98, Division I-A Independent
- 1999–present, Conference USAConference USAConference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
Stadium
Legion Field
Legion Field is a large stadium in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, primarily designed to be used as a venue for American football, but is occasionally used for other large outdoor events. The stadium is named in honor of the American Legion, a U.S. organization of military veterans. At its peak...
. Construction on the stadium began in 1926 and was completed in 1927 with a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 21,000. Subsequent expansions would raise its capacity to 81,000 at its peak only to have it reduced to 72,000 with the removal of the upper deck in 2004. The Blazers have utilized the facility since the inaugural 1991 season, and have played all but two home games at Legion Field throughout their history. The only home games not played at Legion included a contest at Lawson Field in 1992, and a contest at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in 1998. At present, UAB is under contract with the City of Birmingham to utilize the facility through the 2013 season.
The prospect of constructing an on-campus stadium has been debated since the mid-1990s. By 1999, former head coach Watson Brown
Watson Brown
Lester Watson Brown is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Tennessee Technological University, a position he has held since 2007...
stated that UAB would eventually need to construct a facility comparable to Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
Papa John's Cardinal Stadium is a football stadium located in Louisville, Kentucky, USA and serves as the home of the University of Louisville football program. It opened in 1998, making it the second-to-last football stadium in NCAA Division I-A to open in the 20th century, with SMU's Gerald J....
at Louisville
Louisville Cardinals football
The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in college football as a member of the Big East Conference. Howard Schnellenberger started the program's rise to relevancy after winning the Miami Hurricanes' first national championship...
. On February 3, 2011, university officials announced that UAB will be moving forward with plans to build a horseshoe-shaped stadium on campus with an estimated seating capacity of around 30,000 as part of a new campus master plan.
On September 16, 2011 UAB vice president Richard Margison outlined preliminary plans for the proposed on-campus football stadium to the University of Alabama board of trustees. The plan calls for a horse-shoe stadium that would seat 27,511 with an additional 2,500 lawn seats in one end zone. It would also include 33 suites and 24 loge boxes. The proposed cost for the stadium complex is $66 million with a total project cost of $75 million.
Attendance records
{|class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto; text-align: center"|+Top 10 Home Football Attendance Records
|-
! !! Opponent !! style="width:120px" | Attendance
|-
| 1 || Southern Miss (2003) || 44,669
|-
| 2 || Mississippi State (2006) || 36,104
|-
| 3 || TCU (2004) || 33,280
|-
| 4 || Troy (2006) || 32,818
|-
| 5 || Virginia Tech (1998) || 31,897
|-
| 6 || Southern Miss (2005) || 31,363
|-
| 7 || Kansas (1998) || 30,543
|-
| 8 || Houston (1999) || 28,573
|-
| 9 || Mississippi State (2011) || 28,351
|-
| 10 || Memphis (2004) || 27,192
|-
!colspan="3"|
|}
Current NFL Players
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 40em; text-align:center"!Name || Position || Team
|-
| Darrell Hackney
Darrell Hackney
Darrell Hackney is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
|| Quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
|| Free Agent
|-
| Bryan Thomas || Linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
/Defensive End
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
|| New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
|-
| Roddy White
Roddy White
Sharod Lamor White is an American football wide receiver playing for the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League...
|| Wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
|| Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
|-
|-
| Joe Webb
Joe Webb
Joseph "Joe" Webb, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. In college he played for the UAB Blazers. He was selected by the Vikings in the sixth round, number 199 overall, of the 2010 NFL Draft.-Early years:Born to Joseph and Wanda Webb,...
|| Quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
/Wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
|| Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
|}