Football Team Overview/Updated July 2006

July 10, 2005
Football Team Overview/Updated July 2005

Football began at St. Thomas more than 100 years ago, and the first official varsity intercollegiate games were held in 1904.

The Tommies played their 850th game in 2005 (now at 851) and played their 100th varsity season in 2004. They have 498 all-time wins and are looking in 2006 to become just the third Minnesota institution to reach 500 victories.

UST's rich football history includes the famed 1948 team which played in the Cigar Bowl in Tampa. That's the only Minnesota program besides the Minnesota Gophers to play in a Jan. 1 bowl game. The Tommies also played Minnesota on their home field in 1918 -- the lone MIAC team ever to host the Division I Gophers.

The St. Thomas football program has turned out many exceptional scholars and players, including lineman Walt Kiesling, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; running back Vince Lombardi Jr., son of the legendary Green Bay Packers coach; ex-Minnesota Viking receiver Jim Gustafson; ex-Viking and New York Giant defensive back Neal Guggemos; and former NFL tight end Ryan Collins.

Nearly 30 Tommies have been drafted or signed free-agent contacts with NFL teams, and nine have played games in the NFL. The most recent pro was Collins, who finished his college career in 1997 as a two-time All-American tight end. He played for seven different pro teams before an injury ending his career in 2003.

The Tommies are 62-36 in their last nine seasons and have had only four losing seasons since 1991. Since 1981, their overall record is 153-93-3. The program has had either an All-American or Academic All-American in 25 of the last 33 seasons. The Tommies had three Verizon Academic All-Americans in both 2001 and 2005. (Only two universities nationally had more overall Academic All-Americans that St. Thomas' eight -- Notre Dame (14) and Nebraska (11).

Longtime UST assistant coach Don Roney was hired as head coach in January 1998. The Tommies are 45-23 in conference play in his first eight seasons. From 1993-97, under former coach Mal Scanlan, the Tommies' offense earned a national reputation for excellence and broke several school, conference and even NCAA Division III passing records.

As a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), St. Thomas' challenging schedule includes a special rivalry with perennial NCAA power St. John's University, and a crowd of approximately 7,000 is expected to attend when the teams play on the UST campus this November. The Tommies play in the 5,000-seat O'Shaughnessy Stadium, where a state-of-the-art FieldTurf surface was installed in 2004. They often play once a season in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.

Approximately 60 incoming freshmen join the program each season. St. Thomas has a no-cut policy. All players practice together, and there are five junior-varsity games in addition to the 10 varsity games.