The Mercer Bears football program is the intercollegiate football team of Mercer University located in Macon, Georgia, United States. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and is a member of the Southern Conference. The team plays its home games at the 10,200-seat Five Star Stadium on the university's Macon campus.
| Mercer Bears | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1891[a] | ||
| Athletic director | Jim Cole | ||
| Head coach | Mike Jacobs 1st season, 8–1 (.889) | ||
| Stadium | Five Star Stadium (capacity: 10,200) | ||
| Field surface | FieldTurf | ||
| Location | Macon, Georgia | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | Southern Conference | ||
| Past conferences | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association | ||
| All-time record | 683–651–24 (.512) | ||
| Rivalries | Furman Samford | ||
| Colors | |||
| Mascot | Toby | ||
| Website | MercerBears.com | ||
History
editMercer's first football team was fielded in 1891, but the school did not consistently field teams until 1906. The sport was dropped in 1917 and 1918 during U.S. involvement in World War I, but returned after the war. Until 1924, the Mercer Bears were known as the Mercer Baptists. After the 1941 season, with the beginning of U.S. involvement in World War II, Mercer dropped football again, but did not resume the sport after the war. The program was reinstated after a 72-year hiatus in 2013; the first game was on August 31, 2013, when Mercer defeated (40–37) Reinhardt University in front of an overflow crowd of 12,172 at the Moye Complex.[1]
Mercer football became nationally ranked in the FCS Coaches Poll in 2022. The Bears stayed within the FCS Coaches Poll rankings through the entire 2022 season, and reached as high as 11th in both the FCS Coaches Poll and FCS STATS Perform Poll.
The rankings streak continued through the first four games of 2023. Mercer fell outside of the rankings after losing to Furman, but would eventually join back in after an upset win at Western Carolina. Mercer finished 8–3 in 2023 and obtained a program-high eight wins against Division I opponents in their 2023 campaign, helping pave the way to the Bears' first-ever FCS playoff berth.
Conference affiliations
edit- Independent (1891–1895)
- Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1896–1937)
- Dixie Conference (1931–1941)
- No program (1942–2012)
- Pioneer Football League (2013)
- Southern Conference (2014–present)
Notable former players
editThe first secretary of the Vacation Bible School Department of Nashville's Baptist Sunday School Department (now Lifeway) was Homer Grice, a prominent Mercer player. Georgia Tech player and later Hall of Fame coach Bill Alexander called Grice "the meanest and toughest guy I ever ran across on a gridiron."[2]
Brothers Crook Smith and Phoney Smith were both stars for Mercer.
Famous University of Georgia football coach Wally Butts, who led UGA to four Southeastern Conference titles and two National Championships, played end for Mercer from 1925 to 1928.
Les Olsson, known around Mercer as "Swede," was the only Mercer player from the pre-World War II era to go pro, playing for the Washington Redskins from 1934 to 1938. He was part of the 1937 championship squad.
Year-by-year results
editOn August 31, 2013, Mercer played its first game since 1941 before an overflow crowd of 12,172 spectators. The Bears' opponent, Reinhardt University, also revived its football program, having last played in 1920.[3] In a thrilling game that saw multiple lead changes, Josh Shutter helped Mercer clinch the victory with a 31-yard field goal with three seconds left in the game. Mercer won 40–37.
Playoff appearances
editNCAA Division I-AA/FCS
editThe Bears have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs one time, with a combined record of 1–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | First Round Second Round |
Gardner–Webb South Dakota State |
W, 17–7 L, 0–41 |
Notes and references
edit- ^ The first fielded team played from 1891 to 1941, then folded. Program was relaunched in the 2013 season; 11 years ago.
- ^ "News from Macon and Warner Robins, GA, and beyond | The Telegraph". Macon.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ^ Morgan Blake (1952). A Sports Editor Finds Christ. p. 95.
- ^ Constantine, Tim. "Communities — Voices and Insights – Washington Times". Communities.washingtontimes.com. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
