There was some good-natured humor that broke the ice during the coaches’ portion of Tuesday’s Orange Blossom Classic press conference, but then Jackson State head coach T.C. Taylor and Florida A&M head coach Willie Simmons got down to the business of promoting the game.
“I want to thank security for keeping us safe because there’s a lot of Rattlers in here,” Taylor said about all the FAMU fans in attendance. “Make sure y’all get us out of here safe so we can be ready for September.”
“We know underneath those uniforms are FAMU t-shirts,” Simmons said to which Taylor playfully responded, “We’re in trouble, then.”
All kidding aside, both coaches understand what the OBC means to their programs and universities.
“We know that when our guys and gals play these games in front of these crowds, it shows kids that you can play at an HBCU, and it’s okay,” Taylor said.
“The ramifications of this game are huge,” added Simmons. “The winner of this game the last two years has gone on to represent the SWAC in the Celebration Bowl, so we’re excited to bring Black excellence to Miami Gardens.”
The winner of the last two Orange Bowl Classic games, of course, were the Tigers, who, under Deion Sanders’ won the SWAC’s Eastern Division crown and championship game in 2021 and 2022 before he took over as Colorado’s head coach.
“We’ve built our program with the Jackson State brand,” Taylor said, a former All-SWAC wide receiver. “That time was great, but it has passed, and I’m looking forward to 2023. The expectations have always been there, and that’s what I mean when I say that ‘the bar is high.'”
Simmons, meanwhile, begins his sixth season with the Rattlers. His resume includes a career 32-12 record, an NCAA FCS playoff appearance in 2021, and a current nine-game winning streak he hopes FAMU can extend to double digits at the OBC.
“FAMU has been a worldwide brand before I was even thought of,” he said. “This game, one of the first to be played on TV during the season, gives two phenomenal institutions a chance to show what we’re all about.”
The Orange Blossom Classic was revived for the 2021 season after a 42-year absence as a game between FAMU and Jackson State to start the season. The winner has a leg up on the other in the SWAC Eastern Division race.
The original Orange Blossom Classic occurred between 1933 and 1978 as FAMU against various HBCU opponents as a mythical HBCU championship game.
