Howard Seadogs football, 1943–1945

The Howard Seadogs were a college football team fielded by participants of the V-12 Navy College Training Program at Howard College (now known as Samford University) in the college football seasons of 1943, 1944, and 1945 during World War II.[1] In January 1942, Howard announced their intercollegiate football program would be suspended for the duration of the war.[2] After abandoning football for the 1942 college football season, in September 1943 College Chairman Frank P. Samford announced the school would field a team for the 1943 season. Called the Seadogs, the team was composed of trainees from the V-12 Unit.[3]

Euil Snider served as head coach for the 1943 season and led the Seadogs to an overall record of 2–2. After Snider resigned as head coach and athletic director, Bub Walker was hired as head coach and athletic director at Howard after a stint as an assistant coach at Wake Forest.[4] During Walker's two seasons he led the Seadogs, Howard was winless with an overall record of 0–10.

Prior to the start of the 1945 season, College President Harwell Davis stated it would likely be the last for the school as a result primarily of monetary losses and a small fan following throughout Birmingham.[5] Howard did not field teams in either 1946 or 1947 and only fielded a student-led and coached club called the Howard College Sportsmen’s Club in 1948.[1] In May 1949, school officials announced Howard would reinstate intercollegiate football for the 1949 season with Earl Gartman as head coach.[6]

1943

1943 Howard Seadogs football
ConferenceIndependent
Record2–2
Head coach
Home stadiumLegion Field
1943 Southern college football independents records
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 4 Navy   –   8 – 1 – 0
Miami (FL)   –   5 – 1 – 0
West Virginia   –   4 – 3 – 0
Howard (AL)   –   2 – 2 – 0
North Texas Aggies   –   3 – 4 – 1
Virginia   –   3 – 4 – 1
Texas Tech   –   4 – 6 – 0
Tennessee Tech   –   1 – 5 – 0
Sewanee   –   0 – 3 – 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1943 Howard Seadogs football team was an American football team that represented Howard College (now known as Samford University) as an independent during the 1943 college football season. In their first year under head coach Euil Snider, the team compiled a 2–2 record. Howard played their home games at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
October 23Carson–Newman
L 20–273,000[7][8]
October 29at Georgia
L 0–394,500[9][10]
November 6at Alabama Informals
W 42–67,000[11]
November 20Sewanee
  • Legion Field
  • Birmingham, AL
W 42–63,000[12]

1944

1944 Howard Seadogs football
ConferenceIndependent
Record0–5
Head coach
Home stadiumLegion Field
1944 Southern college football independents records
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Virginia   –   6 – 1 – 2
No. 4 Navy   –   6 – 3 – 0
West Virginia   –   5 – 3 – 1
Millsaps   –   3 – 6 – 0
Delaware State   –   2 – 3 – 0
Tennessee Tech   –   1 – 2 – 0
North Texas Aggies   –   2 – 6 – 0
Miami (FL)   –   1 – 7 – 1
Sewanee   –   0 – 3 – 1
Howard (AL)   –   0 – 5 – 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1944 Howard Seadogs football team was an American football team that represented Howard College (now known as the Samford University) as an independent during the 1944 college football season. In their first year under head coach Bub Walker, the team compiled an 0–5 record. Howard played their home games at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 23at Millsaps
L 14–205,000[13][14]
September 29at Auburn
L 0–3210,000[15]
October 7Alabama
L 7–635,000[16]
October 14vs. Carson–NewmanFlorence, ALL 6–122,500[17]
October 21Millsaps
  • Legion Field
  • Birmingham, AL
L 7–19[18]

1945

1945 Howard Seadogs football
ConferenceIndependent
Record0–5
Head coach
Home stadiumLegion Field
1945 Southern college football independents records
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Miami (FL)   –   9 – 1 – 1
No. 3 Navy   –   7 – 1 – 1
Louisiana Normal (Grambling)   –   9 – 2 – 0
Virginia   –   7 – 2 – 0
Chattanooga   –   5 – 3 – 0
Jacksonville State   –   1 – 1 – 0
West Virginia   –   2 – 6 – 1
Tennessee Tech   –   1 – 8 – 0
Howard (AL)   –   0 – 5 – 0
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1945 Howard Seadogs football team was an American football team that represented Howard College (now known as the Samford University) as an independent during the 1945 college football season. In their second year under head coach Bub Walker, the team compiled an 0–5 record. Howard played their home games at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 21at Auburn
L 0–3814,000[19]
September 29at Louisiana Tech
L 6–32[20]
October 5at Murray State
L 6–41[21]
October 13at Georgia Tech
L 0–4315,000[22]
October 19at Chattanooga
L 7–47[23]

References

  1. ^ a b "2025 Samford Football Fact Book" (PDF). Homewood, Alabama: Samford University. p. 89. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  2. ^ "Howard drops gridiron games for 'duration'". The Birmingham News. January 9, 1942. Retrieved November 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Howard resumes football with probable three-game slate". The Birmingham Age-Herald. September 14, 1943. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "'Bub' Walker chosen head football coach at Howard". The Birmingham News. July 9, 1944. Retrieved November 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Last year for football at Howard". The Birmingham News. September 28, 1945. Retrieved November 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Howard College resumes football". The Birmingham News. May 5, 1949. Retrieved November 12, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "C–N beats Bulldogs". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. October 24, 1942. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Howard College's gridders fall to Carson–Newman Eagles, 27–20". The Birmingham News. October 24, 1942. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Georgia whips Howard team by 39–0 score". The Birmingham News. October 30, 1943. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Howard crushes by Georgia, 39–0". The Birmingham Age-Herald. October 30, 1942. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Howard College stampedes Alabama Informals by 42 to 6 count". The Birmingham News. November 7, 1943. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Howard Seadogs crush Sewanee, 42–6". The Nashville Tennessean. November 21, 1943. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Millsaps opens season tonight at Tiger Stadium". The Clarion-Ledger. September 23, 1944. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Rush leads Majors in 20–14 victory over Howard eleven". The Clarion-Ledger. September 24, 1944. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Auburn's young backs roll up 32–0 score on Howard". The Montgomery Advertiser. September 30, 1944. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Tiders vanquish Howard, 63 to 7". The Birmingham News. October 8, 1944. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Carson Eagles top Howard in Florence, 12–6". The Birmingham News. October 15, 1944. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Majors sink Seadogs, 19–7, in last stand". The Birmingham News. October 22, 1944. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Auburn backs run wild in 38–0 triumph over Howard". The Montgomery Advertiser. September 22, 1945. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Louisiana Tech gridders beat Howard, 32–6". The Birmingham News. September 30, 1945. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Murray State beats Howard by 41–6 count". The Birmingham News. October 6, 1945. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Tech defeats Howard, 43–0". The Durham Morning Herald. October 14, 1945. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Howard loses to Moccasins, 47–7, in final". The Birmingham News. October 20, 1945. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
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