Complacency can be FAMU football's greatest adversary in 2024. How do the Rattlers avoid it?
Last year ended with the confetti falling on the Florida A&M Rattlers as they raised the Celebration Bowl trophy, signifying their 2023 Black College Football National Championship win.
But past success has no bearing on what’s to come.
At least, that’s how the Rattlers view it. They vie to avoid stagnancy and bring another national title trophy to Galimore-Powell Fieldhouse.
“Last season is last season. We haven’t done anything in 2024,” said FAMU offensive lineman TJ Lee. “The work restarted after the Celebration Bowl. Now, we’re reloading and going to repeat.”
FAMU’s 2024 football season begins in a little over two months as the Rattlers take on the Norfolk State Spartans in Atlanta’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge. It’ll be FAMU’s first time representing the Southwestern Athletic Conference and first appearance since 2013 in the annual game between the two NCAA Division I HBCU conferences.
Opposing teams may be licking their chops when they see the HBCU football title holders Rattlers on the schedule, assuming FAMU to be vulnerable since it’s under the new leadership of head coach James Colzie III and has a new-look roster.
This January, Colzie signed a three-year contract worth $270,000 to replace Willie Simmons, who left FAMU to become Duke’s running backs coach after five seasons (2018-2023).
“Our guys understand what’s at stake,” said Colzie, formerly FAMU’s assistant head coach and cornerbacks coach. “No matter who we play, we will get their best. So, we do not want to be caught in that complacency mode.”
After not securing a winning record since 2011, FAMU compiled a 45-13 record in its last five seasons ― all under Simmons.
Now, with Simmons moving on to Duke, the Rattlers aim to upkeep FAMU football’s fortune it enjoyed for the last half-decade.
“Coach Simmons and the guys before me set a standard here,” said FAMU linebacker Aric Horne, who transferred from Iowa State in 2022. “We’re going to work, stack days, and keep going. We can’t get complacent because we have the same goal.”
'Complacency is a disease': FAMU football making constant progress for 2024
Alongside their national title, the Rattlers garnered many individual player and team awards for 2023.
FAMU was recently named the Black College Football Hall of Fame’s Team of the Year.
But the 2023 Rattlers fell short of having the top defense in the Football Championship Subdivision. FAMU ranked second in the category.
FAMU defensive coordinator Milton Patterson says the No. 2 spot gives his ‘Dark Cloud Defense’ something to work for.
“Complacency is a disease. What we did last year was great. But it’s last year,” said Patterson, who got promoted from the defensive line coach this February.
“We were second best. Doing the extra to be the best is our challenge in our day-to-day aspirations. That’s a challenge I’m enjoying in this chair.”
Currently, FAMU is doing its summertime preparation as fall training camp’s July 24 start date looms.
The Rattlers are enduring Tallahassee’s warm temperatures with team workouts and field drills to get conditioned for when it’s all systems go next month.
“We come here every day in the hot sun because we have to try and get back to the championship. You must come here and work because nothing will be easy,” Horne said.
FAMU wanted the responsibility of being called champions. And they went and got it last December.
Now, the Rattlers are making progress to develop, so they can take all comers when their full 12-game slate kicks off for a season they hope ends the same way last year’s did.
“Everybody knows what comes with it,” said Ashton Grable, a 2023 All-SWAC Second Team. “We just got to get the young guys and the transfers on point.”
Florida A&M Rattlers 2024 Football Schedule
Aug. 24 vs. Norfolk State in MEAC/SWAC Challenge, Atlanta* at 7:30 p.m., ABC
Aug. 31 vs. South Carolina State, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Sept. 7 at Miami, 6 p.m., ACC Network
Sept. 21 at Troy, 7 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN+
Sept. 28 vs. Alabama A&M, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Oct. 5 at Alabama State, 3 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN+
Oct. 19 at Jackson State, 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN Network
Oct. 26 vs. Southern, 7 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN Network
Nov. 2 vs. Texas Southern (HOMECOMING), 4 p.m., ESPN+
Nov. 9 at Prairie View A&M, 3 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN+
Nov. 16 vs. Mississippi Valley State, 1 p.m.
Nov. 23 vs. Bethune-Cookman in Florida Classic, Orlando*, 3:30 p.m., ESPN Network
Nov. 30: FCS Playoffs Begin
Dec. 7: SWAC Championship, LOCATION/TEAMS TBA, ESPN2
Dec. 14: Celebration Bowl, Atlanta*, TEAMS TBA, 12 p.m., ABC
BOLD = SWAC
* = Neutral Site
Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Football: How will the Rattlers stave off complacency in 2024?
