As a light drizzle fell and the dark clouds gave way to the morning light, a new era in Florida Memorial University football began.
As head coach Tim “Ice” Harris and his coaching staff blew their whistles, players hit the field at Betty T. Ferguson Park in Miami Gardens for the first day of spring practice.
As a member of the Mid-South Conference, Florida’s newest football program, which has been dormant since the late 1950’s was alive and kicking on Monday morning
With several dignitaries and members of the media on hand to greet the Lions on Day 1 of 15 days of spring football, there was plenty to be excited about.
From the first day of practice to FMU Athletic Director Ernest T. Jones presenting the Lions' 10-game slate, there were smiles around the room. Yes, football had returned the Florida Memorial.
"We're going to play one of the toughest schedules in NAIA, right out the gate…and we love it," Jones said. "We're going to play five teams ranked in the top 25 in year one. There are two ways you can look at it – but we're looking at it as we're going to go out there and upset five top 25 ranked teams in year one. Be excited to be a Lion, be excited to be a part of the rebirth, be excited to be a part of the new day."
As players sat in the room with administration, it was tough to temper the enthusiasm.
As of this challenging schedule wasn’t enough, Jones also spoke of a possible addition of an 11th game for the Lions, saying that it would be a "special game versus a Division-IAA HBCU, at their place".
THE INAUGURAL SCHEDULE IS INDEED TOUGH
Florida Memorial's 2020 football season – which is evenly split with five home games and five road games – will begin with a home game, as it hosts NAIA power Reinhardt University on August 29th. The Lions, who will host all of its spring practices at Betty T. Ferguson, plan to play its fall home football games at the newly renovated Nathaniel "Traz" Powell Stadium.
Reinhardt has won 34 of its past 37 games and will likely begin the 2020 season ranked in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) top 20. The tilt with the Eagles will also be Florida Memorial's first game against a Mid-South Conference opponent.
The Lions will hit the road for the first time a week later when they travel to Columbia, Kentucky to take on Lindsey Wilson College. It'll be another tough test for the first-year program, as the Blue Raiders finished the 2019 season 12-1 after being knocked out in the semifinals of the NAIA FCS playoffs.
"I really appreciate the schedule. We want to play the best," Coach Harris said. "We want to put ourselves in position to train and compete with the best in country because that's who were and that's what we do. Then when it all clicks, it will elevate the entire university."
While at Miami’s Booker T. Washington High School, Harris and the Tornadoes reached national status by playing the best schedule in the country, and that will NOT change at the collegiate level.
"We can do this. We can take this schedule and do what we need to do with it. We can do this. And we will do this," Harris explained.
FMU returns home on September 12 when it will host HBCU rival Edward Waters College in what will be the inaugural "Big Cat Classic" and Florida Memorial's only non-conference game in 2020. As the Lions and Tigers do battle on the gridiron for the first time, Florida Memorial will also be honoring its student-athletes that earn Athletic Director Honor Roll honors.
The Lions will have a bye week (Sept. 19) following its showdown with Edward Waters, giving the team an extra week to prepare for the back-to-back road trips coming in the following two weeks. The Lions will travel to Tennessee – its final out-of-state road trip of the season – to face another perennial NAIA power in Bethel University on September 26th then make a trip to Babson Park, Florida to take on Webber International University.
FMU's final five games will all be against conference foes, beginning with an October 10 showdown with neighborhood rival St. Thomas University. The "10-10" game will also serve as Florida Memorial University's homecoming game – its first-ever football homecoming game.
The Lions will have another set of road games in consecutive weeks on October 17 (at Warner University) and October 24 (at Keiser University) before its second open week of the season.
The final two games of the Lions' season will be played in the friendly confines of its home stadium. Ave Maria University (Naples/Fort Myers area) will come to town for a November 7th meeting and FMU's regular season will conclude with a November 14 showdown with Lakeland’s Southeastern University.
Both of the November games will have special promotional themes; the Nov. 7 game will be a "Black Out" game and the Nov. 14 game will be Florida Memorial's "Senior Day" as well as "Armed Forces/Community Day".
In addition, FMU is going to add a huge game against a D1AA level program that is nationally recognized – and that will be released soon.
"At the recent Coaching Convention in Nashville, I made sure I followed and sat next to the five head coaches – who have all been [named] Conference Coach of the Year at some point – of the teams that are on our home schedule," said Harris. "I sat next to a different one every day because I wanted to make sure that they know that I'm not going anywhere and that I will be right there in their chest. And that there will be no fear in Florida Memorial University."
While spring practice will set the tome for the upcoming year, recruiting is still going on – and more than 60 prospects are expected to join the group already in place.
During the National Signing Day period, the Lions got quite a few impressive athletes to come aboard for the first season:
A NEW ERA BEGINS
Jordan Brown, MLB/TE, St. Petersburg Lakewood
Justin Carpenter, QB, Kissimmee Poinciana
Kevin Castor, DB, Miami Dr. Krop
Tyrik Collins, Athlete, Miami Central
Jerald Cooper, Athlete, Hialeah-Miami Lakes
Ladarius Edwards, LB, Coral Springs Charter
Jordan Elliott, QB, Jefferson County
Brandon Escalona, OL, Miami High
Naquan Fagan, LB, Miami Southridge
Christopher Francisco, OL, Doral Academy
Courtney Gordon, DB, Pompano Beach Blanche Ely
Favion Harden, DB, Fort Lauderdale Dillard
Anthony Harris, DL, Miami Carol City
Le’Treyveon Harris, OL, Bainbridge, Georgia
Quaylen Hill, DT, Kissimmee Poinciana
Roderick Howell, DT, Hialeah-Miami Lakes
Jerry Jean, LB, Fort Lauderdale Dillard
Jeremiah Jenkins, LB, Miami Booker T. Washington
Darian Johnson, DB, Coconut Creek
Tremaine Johnson, DB, Doral Academy
Wilkari Jones, WR, Miami Edison
Gregorie Jules, OLB/DE, Pompano Beach Blanche Ely
Nishon King, DB, Hialeah-Miami Lakes
Travaris Lark, DE, Miami Northwestern
Deandre Lawson, DE, Havana Gadsden County
Keane Lewis, DB, Miami Northwestern
Justyn Mack, OL, Miami Northwestern
DeMarcus McEachern, QB, Coconut Creek
Alonzo Missick, OL, Fort Lauderdale
Emmanuel Morency, RB, Hallandale
Wilson Noel, LB, Pompano Beach Blanche Ely
James Payoute, DB, North Miami Mourning
Earl Pope, WR, Miami Carol City
Armando Posse, QB, Miami Christian
Ariyon Riley, WR, Miami Killian
Mykel Rucker, DB, Coconut Creek
Katavion Scott, OL, Daytona Beach Mainland
Gabriel Showers, DB, Havana Gadsden County
Roland Smith III, LB, Miami Monsignor Pace
Terry Smith, S, Miami Central
Corey Stanley, WR, Miami Booker T. Washington
Andre Stringfield Jr., RB, Miami Northwestern
Armani Triplett, DL, Miami Killian
Vick Wimberly, DL, Bainbridge, Georgia
Derek Wright, DL, Port St. Lucie Treasure Coast
Myles Jordan, DB, Hallandale
Brant Williams, OL, Coconut Creek