FAMU football returns to Atlanta, a city that has been good to the Rattlers over the years
As the song goes, “If you want me, you can find me in ‘The A.’”
The Atlanta-based rapper Big Boi’s song may be blasting on Florida A&M’s football team bus speakers as the Rattlers commute to Black Hollywood this week.
Atlanta is synonymous with FAMU as an institution and the school’s football team.
Last December, the FAMU football team won the Celebration Bowl at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium to claim the program’s 16th Black College National Championship.
Fast forward eight months, and the Rattlers will begin their quest to reach Atlanta’s annual Celebration Bowl game again by starting their 2024 season in Atlanta.
On Saturday, FAMU faces Norfolk State in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge at Center Parc Stadium, formerly the Atlanta Braves’ Turner Field. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
First-year FAMU head football coach James Colzie III arrived at FAMU in 2022 as an assistant.
In two years, Colzie has learned how important Atlanta is to the Rattlers from their Celebration Bowl victory and seeing supporters raise over $35,000 during last month’s FAMU Athletics’ Strike Tour visit to Atlanta.
“During our Strike Tour, the people that showed up were excited about us being there and us opening the season in Atlanta,” Colzie said. “The goal is to get back to Atlanta at the end of the season.”
FAMU has a large Atlanta alumni base of a few thousand, Metro-Atlanta National Association Alumni Chapter President Michael Collins told the Tallahassee Democrat.
Collins added that the FAMU NAA Metro-Atlanta Chapter has over 300 active members.
“With the MEAC/SWAC Challenge being a week away, the excitement is in the air here in Atlanta. We are excited to kick week zero off with FAMU football,” Collins said.
“Atlanta has a huge FAMU alumni base, and we are looking forward to supporting our team through this upcoming football season. We ended the season here in Atlanta and are also kicking it off here.
“Go Rattlers!”
Rattlers tight end Jeremiah Pruitte is one of those thousands of FAMU alumni from Atlanta.
Pruitte graduated from FAMU this spring with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology.
“It’s a great honor. I don’t take being a FAMU alumnus from Atlanta lightly,” said Pruitte, now playing his final college football season as a graduate student.
“In Atlanta, we got a lot of Rattlers in the house. It means a lot to me to know that I have many people from the same grounds and graduated from the same school. It makes me feel more comfortable.”
'Everybody I grew up around will be there': The Rattlers are returning to "FAMU North"
FAMU played in the first-ever Atlanta Football Classic in 1989, where the Rattlers defeated the Tennessee State Tigers 21-9 in Bobby Dodd Stadium, home of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
From 1998 until 2009, FAMU and TSU met in the Atlanta Football Classic annually.
FAMU’s last Atlanta Football Classic was in 2012, losing to Southern 21-14. The Rattlers finished with the Atlanta Football Classic’s most wins with 11 victories against six losses.
The Atlanta Football Classic was discontinued in 2014 to start the Celebration Bowl, the de facto Black College National Championship game. FAMU, in its first Celebration Bowl appearance, beat Howard 30-26 last year.
“I think this a big opportunity for me,” Pruitte said.
“Of course, we ended the season last year in the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta. But I didn’t have the game I wish I had. So, starting in Atlanta this year is like my redemption game to pop out and do everything in front of my home crowd.
“That’s big for me because everybody I grew up around will be there.”
Start in Atlanta at Saturday’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge and end in Atlanta at Dec. 14’s Celebration Bowl.
The Rattlers will need their devoted fans located in Atlanta, known as “FAMU North,” to jumpstart what they hope will be another championship season.
“We should have our huge fanbase at the football game. We’re expecting the Rattlers to be there live and proud to support the football team next week,” Colzie said.
Florida A&M vs. Norfolk State ― Week 0, MEAC/SWAC Challenge
When: Saturday, Aug. 24
Where: Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
Broadcast: ABC/WTXL (Television), Rattlers Mobile App (Audio)
Tickets: Purchase Here
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 in Atlanta: Home of Rattlers 2023 HBCU title, many alumni
