The 1975 North Alabama Lions football team represented the University of North Alabama as a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) during the 1975 NAIA Division I football season. Led by third-year head coach Mickey Andrews, the Lions compiled an overall record of 6–4 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, finishing sixth in the GSC. North Alabama played home games at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama.
Schedule
Offseason Spring Game The annual spring intrasquad matchup took place on Tuesday, April 1, at Braly Stadium. The game saw the team split into both Gold and Purple squads. The Golds, led by Steve Clark and Jerry Mizell, defeated the Purples 26-21.
The game also saw honorary head coaches for both teams: Miss UNA Susie Vaughan for the Purple team and Miss Alabama Pam Long for the Gold team.
GSC Summer Meeting From June 12th to 15th, the Gulf South Conference summer meeting was held in Birmingham, Alabama. During the meeting, several topics were discussed. Due to multiple schools in the league holding dual membership in both the NCAA and NAIA, a recommendation was brought forward that any school must accept an invitation to any NCAA postseason tourney. The NCAA Division II-only schools of the league brought forth the idea to create a committee to look at the possibility of moving the conference up to Division I.
Other decisions made during the meeting were to forbid exchanging football film with non-conference teams and to reduce football rosters from 55 to 50 players.
Conference Realignment On July 4th, it was announced that Northwestern State would leave the GSC to join the Southland Conference. The school listed poor attendance for conference games and the proposed plan to reduce Division II scholarship limits from 70 to 55. They believed this would give nearby Division I schools a recruiting advantage.
Preseason conference poll The Gulf South Conference released its preseason coaches' poll on August 3. The poll still includes Northwestern State despite its departure from the conference in July. GSC coaches' poll 1Jacksonville State 87 (7) 2Southeastern Louisiana70 (1) 3Delta State 56 Livingston56 5Troy State 55 (1) 6North Alabama 44 7Nicholls State 37 8Northwestern State 21 9Mississippi College 17 Tennessee-Martin 17
Recruiting Signees Name Pos. Hometown High School Weldon Abercrombie DG Robertsdale, AL Robertsdale High School Danny Beeler TE Knoxville, TN Knox Central High School Eddie Blankenship SE Pompano Beach, FL Pompano Beach High School Bruce D. Childs OG Birmingham, AL Huffman High School Phillip Connell DE Dunwoody, GA North Springs High School Reginald Green OT Birmingham, AL Woodlawn High School Harry Grimes LBTuscumbia, AL Deshler High School Marty Hanson DBAddison, AL Addison High School Brad Hendrix DEBirmingham, AL Woodlawn High School Mark Holmes FBBirmingham, AL Berry High School Billy Hudson DTMuscle Shoals, AL Muscle Shoals High School Marvin Jackson FBMillbrook, AL Stanhope Elmore High School Mark Kreider QBBirmingham, AL West End High School Chuck Lane OTDecatur, AL Decatur High School Hugh Martin DTBrilliant, AL Brilliant School Ronald Moon RBCommerce, GA Commerce High School Rusty Prater DBFlorence, AL Coffee High School Howard Ross LBBirmingham, AL Woodlawn High School Terry Stooksberry RBFlorence, AL Bradshaw High School Albert Walker DEDecatur, AL Decatur High School David Waller OGHuntsville, AL Johnson High School Ricky Wheeler QBNashville, TN Glencliff High School Tim White DERobertsdale, AL Robertsdale High School Johnny Williams DEHolt, AL Holt High School Source:
Roster
Awards Honors
Weekly Honors Mike Allison GSC Defensive Player of the Week (Week One) Rodney Bivens GSC Defensive Player of the Week (Week Eight) Burnis Rose GSC Co-Offensive Player of the Week (Week Nine) Marc Merritt GSC Offensive Player of the Week (Week Ten) Ivan Richard GSC Defensive Player of the Week (Week Eleven)
Yearly Honors Roger Ralph All-AmericanGSC Offensive Player of the YearAll-GSC First Team - Offense Terence Witherspoon All-GSC First Team - Offense Jerry Mizell All-GSC Second Team - Offense Barry Johnson All-GSC Second Team - Offense Norman Sims All-GSC Second Team - Defense
References