Brown Bears football

Last updated
Brown Bears football
AmericanFootball current event.svg 2023 Brown Bears football team
Brown Bears Athletics logo.svg
First season 1878
Athletic directorJack Hayes
Head coach James Perry
3rd season, 7–23 (.233)
Stadium Richard Gouse Field at Brown Stadium
(capacity: 20,000)
Field surface Turf
Location Providence, Rhode Island
NCAA division Division I FCS
Conference Ivy League
All-time record607–565–40 (.517)
Bowl record0–1 (.000)
Conference titles4 (1976, 1999, 2005, 2008)
Rivalries Rhode Island (rivalry)
Consensus All-Americans10
Current uniform
Brown bears football unif.png
ColorsSeal brown, cardinal red, and white [1]
     
Fight songEver True
Marching band Brown University Band
Website BrownBears.com
For information on all Brown University sports, see Brown Bears
Brown Bears
Brown univ football team 1878.jpg
The first team fielded by the Brown University, 1878
Cornell-Brown football game 2018.jpg
Brown Bears vs. Cornell, 2018
The Brown Bears football team files off the field at halftime.jpg
2021 team

The Brown Bears football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Brown University located in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Ivy League. Brown's first football team was fielded in 1878. The Bears play their home games at the 20,000-seat Richard Gouse Field at Brown Stadium in Providence, Rhode Island. The team's head coach is James Perry, who was hired on December 3, 2018.

Contents

History

Brown University was slow to adopt football as an intercollegiate sport, compared to some other Ivy League schools like Princeton (1869), Yale (1872), Harvard (1873), and Penn (1876). [2] Brown president Barnas Sears banned the sport in 1862 "because of its violent nature." [2] It was introduced as an intramural sport in 1866, but Brown didn't play its first intercollegiate football game until November 13, 1878, losing a game against Amherst College. [2] Brown then played a rather sporadic schedule; they played (and lost) one game in 1880 against Yale; in 1886 played two games, losing one to Boston University and winning one against Providence High School. [2] Lack of campus interest in the sport led Brown to skip the 1887 and 1888 seasons entirely. [2] Future football legend John Heisman, frustrated by the lack of playing opportunity at Brown, joined a Pawtucket club team to get more time on the field. [2] He departed for Penn for the 1889 season. [2]

Fritz Pollard, “the human torpedo,” led Brown to the Rose Bowl in 1915 as a freshman. [3] In 1916 Pollard led Brown to an 8-1 record, including Brown's first win against Harvard. [3]

In the middle of the 1926 season, the “Iron Men” came into being when the same 11 players played against Yale for 60 minutes and a 7–0 win. The next week the same 11 players played without substitution against Dartmouth and won 10–0. Two weeks later the Iron Men played 58 minutes against Harvard, but in the last two minutes the substitutes came in to earn their letters. Brown won all its games that year until the Thanksgiving game against Colgate ended in a 10–10 tie. The famed “Iron Men” were Thurston Towle ’28, Paul Hodge ’28, Orland Smith ’27, Charles Considine ’28, Lou Farber ’29, Ed Kevorkian ’29, Hal Broda ’27, Al Cornsweet ’29, Dave Mishel ’27, Ed Lawrence ’28, and Roy Randall ’28. In the 1948 season, Brown fans were the originators of the popular "de-fense!" chant that spread to the NFL in the 1950s. Following the 1981 season, the Ivy League was reclassified to Division I-AA, today known as the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Brown moved to Division I-AA play with the rest of the league. [4] Brown has 607 wins, making them tied for 72nd all time in wins among division one football programs.

In 1997, Phil Estes began a twenty-one year tenure as Brown's head coach, resulting in three Ivy League championships. In 2018, after two consecutive winless seasons in the Ivy League, Estes announced that he would be stepping down. [5]

Before the start of the 2020 season, the Ivy League announced that no sports would be played until January 1, 2021, at the earliest, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has not yet been determined whether the football season will take place in the spring 2021 or not at all. [6]

Championships

The Bears have no national championships, though they do have one undefeated team, the 1926 team, also known as the Iron Men of 1926, finishing 9–0–1 (and winning all three of their Ivy League games), with a 10–10 tie with Colgate in the last game of the season.

Conference championships

The Bears have won the Ivy League title four times in their history. The Bears won their first Ivy League title in 1976, sharing it with Yale while finishing 8–1 on the season, clinching the title with a 28–17 victory over Columbia. [7] In 1999, the Bears went 9–1 (the most victories since 1926, along with a record seven game winning streak), while beating Columbia 23–6 to share the Ivy League title with Yale. [8] In 2005, the Bears finished 9–1, beating Columbia 52–21 in their final game in order to clinch their first ever outright Ivy League title and third overall. [9] In 2008, the Bears finished 7–3 (while losing only one Ivy League game), beating Columbia 41–10 to clinch a share of the Ivy League title, their fourth over conference title and third in nine years. [10] [11]

YearConferenceCoachOverall recordConference record
1976 Ivy League John W. Anderson 8–16–1
1999Ivy League Phil Estes 9–16–1
2005Ivy LeaguePhil Estes9–16–1
2008Ivy LeaguePhil Estes7–36–1

Bowl games

Brown has made one bowl appearance, garnering a record of 0–1.

SeasonDateBowlCoachOpponentResult
1915 January 1, 1916 Rose Bowl Eddie N. Robinson Washington State L 0–14

Rivalries

Rhode Island

Brown leads the series with Rhode Island, their in-state rival, 73–27–2.

College Football Hall of Famers

Notable former players

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Gouse Field at Brown Stadium</span> Football stadium of Brown University

Richard Gouse Field at Brown Stadium is a football stadium located in Providence, Rhode Island. It is the home of Brown University's football and outdoor track teams. The athletic teams at Brown University, known as the Bears, compete in the Ivy League. Brown was the last Ivy stadium with a grass playing field until the installation of a FieldTurf surface in 2021. The field is named for Richard I. Gouse '68, the primary donor of the turf field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yale Bulldogs</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Yale University

The Yale Bulldogs are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school sponsors 35 varsity sports. The school has won two NCAA national championships in women's fencing, four in men's swimming and diving, 21 in men's golf, one in men's hockey, one in men's lacrosse, and 16 in sailing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yale Bulldogs football</span> Football team of Yale University

The Yale Bulldogs football program represents Yale University in college football in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. Yale's football program, founded in 1872, is one of the oldest in the world. Since their founding, the Bulldogs have won 27 national championships, two of the first three Heisman Trophy winners, 100 consensus All-Americans, 28 College Football Hall of Fame inductees, including the "Father of American Football" Walter Camp, the first professional football player Pudge Heffelfinger, and coaching giants Amos Alonzo Stagg, Howard Jones, Tad Jones and Carmen Cozza. With over 900 wins, Yale ranks in the top ten for most wins in college football history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown Bears</span> Sports teams that represent Brown University

The Brown Bears are the sports teams that represent Brown University, an American university located in Providence, Rhode Island. The Bears are part of the Ivy League conference. Brown's mascot is Bruno. Both the men's and women's teams share the name, competing in 34 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I sports. In football, the Bears, along with all other the Ivy League teams, compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princeton Tigers football</span> Football team of Princeton University

The Princeton Tigers football program represents Princeton University and competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member of the Ivy League. Princeton's football program—along with the football program at nearby Rutgers University—began in 1869 with a contest that is often regarded as the beginnings of American football.

The Bethlehem Bears were an early professional football team from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The team was initiated and formed by Michael "Gyp" Downey who served as player-coach and the team's manager. The Bears competed in the Eastern League of Professional Football in 1926.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl Sprackling</span> American football player (1890–1980)

William Earl Sprackling was an American football quarterback. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1964. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Sprackling was the quarterback for the Brown University football team in 1909, 1910, and 1911. He was selected as an All-American at the quarterback position in 1910 and has been rated as the best college football player in the United States in 1910.

Edward Thurston Towle was an American football player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn Quakers football</span> College football team

The Penn Quakers football program is the college football team at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The Penn Quakers have competed in the Ivy League since its inaugural season of 1956, and are a Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Penn’s first game was in 1876, and the team has played in 1,413 football games, the most of any school in any division. Penn plays its home games at historic Franklin Field, the oldest football stadium in the nation. All Penn games are broadcast on WNTP or WFIL radio.

Mark Farnum was an All-American football player. He played tackle for Brown University in 1915 and 1916.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1916 Brown Bears football team</span> American college football season

The 1916 Brown Bears football team was an American football team that represented Brown University as an independent during the 1916 college football season. In its 15th season under head coach Edward N. Robinson, Brown compiled an 8–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 254 to 27. The team played its home games at Andrews Field in Providence, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princeton–Yale football rivalry</span> American college football rivalry

The Princeton–Yale football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Princeton Tigers of Princeton University and the Yale Bulldogs of Yale University. The football rivalry is among the oldest in American sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown Bears women's basketball</span> Brown University sports team

The Brown Bears women's basketball team is the intercollegiate women's basketball program representing Brown University. The school competes in the Ivy League in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Bears play home basketball games at the Pizzitola Sports Center in Providence, Rhode Island on the university campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Brown Bears football team</span> American college football season

The 2018 Brown Bears football team represented Brown University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by 21st-year head coach Phil Estes and played their home games at Brown Stadium. They were a member of the Ivy League. They finished the season 1–9, 0–7 in Ivy League play to finish in last place. Brown averaged 4,112 fans per game.

The 1999 Brown Bears football team was an American football team that represented Brown University during the 1999 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Brown was co-champion of the Ivy League.

The 2000 Brown Bears football team was an American football team that represented Brown University during the 2000 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Brown was declared ineligible for the Ivy League championship, though its league record would have placed it in a tie for third.

The 2005 Brown Bears football team was an American football team that represented Brown University during the 2005 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Brown won the Ivy League championship.

The 2007 Brown Bears football team was an American football team that represented Brown University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Brown finished third in the Ivy League. Brown averaged 5,138 fans per game.

The 2008 Brown Bears football team was an American football team that represented Brown University during the 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Brown tied for first in the Ivy League. Brown averaged 7,088 fans per game.

The 2010 Brown Bears football team was an American football team that represented Brown University during the 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Brown tied for second in the Ivy League.

References

  1. ↑ "Brown University Athletics & Recreation Brand Guidelines" (PDF). June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Heisman, John M. (2012). Heisman: The Man Behind the Trophy. Simon and Schuster. ISBN   9781451682939 . Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  3. 1 2 Brown University Archives (January 10–31, 2005). "About Fritz Pollard". Remembering Fritz Pollard and the African-American Experience at Brown. Brown University Library. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)
  4. ↑ New York Times – 2006-11-17
  5. ↑ "Estes steps down as Brown's coach". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2018-11-21.
  6. ↑ West, Jenna. "Ivy League to Postpone Fall Athletics, No Date Set for Return". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  7. ↑ "Ivy League Championships". brownbears.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  8. ↑ "Ivy League Championships". brownbears.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  9. ↑ "Ivy League Championship Teams". brownbears.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  10. ↑ "Ivy League Championship Teams". brownbears.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  11. ↑ "Ivy League" (PDF). Ivy League. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-04-12. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.