1961 Jackson State Tigers football team

American college football season

1961 Jackson State Tigers football

SWAC champion

Orange Blossom Classic, L 8–14 vs. Florida A&M

Conference| Southwestern Athletic Conference
Record| 9–2 (6–1 SWAC)
Head coach|

* John Merritt (10th season)

Home stadium| Alumni Stadium

Seasons

<- 1960

1962 ->

1961 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
Jackson State $  | 6  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 2  | - | 0
Grambling | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 8  | - | 2  | - | 0
Southern | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 7  | - | 3  | - | 0
Texas Southern | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 3  | - | 0
Prairie View A&M | 3  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 5  | - | 4  | - | 1
Wiley | 2  | - | 4  | - | 1 |  |  | 4  | - | 4  | - | 1
Arkansas AM&N | 1  | - | 5  | - | 1 |  |  | 3  | - | 6  | - | 1
Texas College | 0  | - | 7  | - | 0 |  |  | 0  | - | 9  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion

The 1961 Jackson State Tigers football team represented Jackson College for Negro Teachers (now known as Jackson State University) as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1961 college football season. Led by tenth-year head coach John Merritt, the Tigers compiled an overall record of 9–2, with a conference record of 6–1, and finished as SWAC champion.

Back Roy Curry received third-team honors on the 1961 Little All-America college football team.[1]

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Opponent| Site| Result| Attendance| Source

|
|
|
|
|

September 23| at Prairie View A&M|

* Blackshear Field
* Prairie View, TX

| W 20–14| | [2]
September 30| at Mississippi Vocational*|

* Magnolia Stadium
* Itta Bena, MS

| W 39–0| | [3]
October 7| at Arkansas AM&N|

* Pumphrey Stadium
* Pine Bluff, AR

| W 19–6| | [4]
October 14| Alcorn A&M|

* Alumni Stadium
* Jackson, MS (rivalry)

| W 28–20| | [5]
October 21| vs. Southern|

* Ladd Stadium
* Mobile, AL (Claver Classic/rivalry)

| L 7–17| 8,000| [6]
October 28| Grambling|

* Alumni Stadium
* Jackson, MS

| W 14–13| 6,000| [7]
November 4| Wiley|

* Alumni Stadium
* Jackson, MS

| W 20–0| 3,500| [8]
November 11| at Texas Southern|

* Jeppesen Stadium
* Houston, TX

| W 12–7| | [9]
November 18| at Texas College|

* Steer Stadium
* Tyler, TX

| W 78–0| | [10]
November 23| at Tennessee A&I*|

* Hale Stadium
* Nashville, TN

| W 12–6| | [11]
December 9| vs. No. 4 Florida A&M*|

* Miami Orange Bowl
* Miami, FL (Orange Blossom Classic)

| L 8–14| 47,791| [12]

* *Non-conference game
* Homecoming
* Rankings from Coaches' Poll released prior to the game

[13]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Harold Claassen (December 6, 1961). "Annual Little All-Americans -- Small College Stars Selected". The Shreveport Journal. p. 17 - via Newspapers.com.
2. ^ "Jackson takes grid victory". The Daily Advertiser. September 24, 1961. Retrieved August 10, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
3. ^ "Power-laden JSC Tigers swamps MVC". Jackson Advocate. October 7, 1961. Retrieved August 10, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
4. ^ "Jackson State Tigers win, 19–6 over Arkansas". The Pittsburgh Courier. October 14, 1961. Retrieved August 10, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ "JSC Tigers have rough time in 28–20 win over Alcorn Braves". Jackson Advocate. October 21, 1961. Retrieved August 10, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ "Southern knocks Jackson State from unbeaten ranks, 17–7". Alabama Tribune. October 27, 1961. Retrieved August 10, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "Jackson St. nudges past Grambling". The Clarion-Ledger. October 29, 1961. Retrieved August 10, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ "Jackson State victor". The Courier-Journal. November 5, 1961. Retrieved August 10, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ "Jackson State leads the Pack". The Clarion-Ledger. November 15, 1961. Retrieved August 10, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ "Jackson Staters win SWAC title". The Clarion-Ledger. November 19, 1961. Retrieved August 10, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
11. ^ "Hopes high for stronger team at A&I in '62". Nashville Banner. November 24, 1961. Retrieved August 10, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ "A&M sneaks by Jackson State, 14–8". Tallahassee Democrat. December 10, 1961. Retrieved August 10, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
13. ^ "Cumulative Football Statistics Report (1961)". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved August 10, 2023.

* v
* t
* e

Jackson State Tigers football

Venues|

* Alumni Field (1922–1968)
* Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium (1967–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* 2021 Celebration Bowl
* 2024 Celebration Bowl
* Alcorn State: Soul Bowl
* Southern
* Tennessee State: Southern Heritage Classic

Culture & lore|

* Sonic Boom of the South
* Coach Prime

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees

Seasons|

* 1911
* 1912
* 1913
* 1914–1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940–1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

National championship seasons in bold

* v
* t
* e

Southwestern Athletic Conference football champions

* Wiley (1921)
* Paul Quinn (1922)
* Wiley (1923)
* Paul Quinn (1924)
* Bishop (1925)
* Samuel Huston (1926)
* Wiley (1927)
* Wiley (1928)
* Wiley (1929)
* Wiley (1930)
* Prairie View (1931)
* Wiley (1932)
* Langston & Prairie View (1933)
* Texas College (1934)
* Texas College (1935)
* Texas College & Langston (1936)
* Texas College (1937)
* Southern & Langston (1938)
* Langston (1939)
* Southern & Langston (1940)
* No champion (1941)
* Texas College (1942)
* No champion (1943)
* Wiley, Texas College, & Langston (1944)
* Wiley (1945)
* Southern (1946)
* Southern (1947)
* Southern (1948)
* Southern & Langston (1949)
* Southern (1950)
* Prairie View (1951)
* Prairie View (1952)
* Prairie View (1953)
* Prairie View (1954)
* Southern (1955)
* Texas Southern & Wiley (1956)
* Wiley (1957)
* Prairie View (1958)
* Southern (1959)
* Southern, Prairie View, & Grambling (1960)
* Jackson State (1961)
* Jackson State (1962)
* Prairie View (1963)
* Prairie View (1964)
* Grambling (1965)
* Grambling & Southern (1966)
* Grambling (1967)
* Alcorn A&M, Grambling, & Texas Southern (1968)
* Alcorn A&M (1969)
* Alcorn A&M (1970)
* Grambling (1971)
* Grambling & Jackson State (1972)
* Grambling & Jackson State (1973)
* Grambling State & Alcorn State (1974)
* Grambling State, Jackson State, & Southern (1975)
* Alcorn State (1976)
* Grambling State (1977)
* Grambling State (1978)
* Grambling State & Alcorn State (1979)
* Grambling State & Jackson State (1980)
* Jackson State (1981)
* Jackson State (1982)
* Grambling State (1983)
* Alcorn State (1984)
* Jackson State & Grambling State (1985)
* Jackson State (1986)
* Jackson State (1987)
* Jackson State (1988)
* Grambling State (1989)
* Jackson State (1990)
* Alabama State (1991)
* Alcorn State (1992)
* Southern (1993)
* Alcorn State & Grambling State (1994)
* Jackson State (1995)
* Jackson State (1996)
* Southern (1997)
* Southern (1998)
* Southern (1999)
* Grambling State (2000)
* Grambling State (2001)
* Grambling State (2002)
* Southern (2003)
* Alabama State (2004)
* Grambling State (2005)
* Alabama A&M (2006)
* Jackson State (2007)
* Grambling State (2008)
* Prairie View (2009)
* Texas Southern (2010) vacated
* Grambling State (2011)
* Arkansas–Pine Bluff (2012)
* Southern (2013)
* Alcorn State (2014)
* Alcorn State (2015)
* Grambling State (2016)
* Grambling State (2017)
* Alcorn State (2018)
* Alcorn State (2019)
* Alabama A&M (2020)
* Jackson State (2021)
* Jackson State (2022)
* Florida A&M (2023)
* Jackson State (2024)

This college football 1960s season article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

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*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties