FAMU football head coach Willie Simmons talks fundraising, summer prep, and what's to come

Summer vacation is concluding on Wahnish Way.

July is entering its third week, meaning that Florida A&M's fall football training camp is near.

The Rattlers will report to campus on Wednesday, Aug. 2. The first official practice is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 4, at Bragg Memorial Stadium.

Prior to camp's start, the NCAA allotted eight hours per week for players to work out in preparation for the upcoming season ― which has been utilized to its full capacity.

"We can't wait to get to training camp. It seems as it's been at a turtle's pace," FAMU head coach Willie Simmons said of his team's eagerness to start practicing. "We're utilizing our eight hours per week as far as getting our individual drill work done.

"The biggest thing is that the guys are here working out with the strength and conditioning staff. You see a lot of improvement from the guys and they're taking advantage of the meeting time that we have to get an understanding of what we do and how we do things.

"I think this summer is by far the best we've had thus far and it'll pay huge dividends for us."

After securing their third consecutive nine-win season in 2022, the Rattlers will play an 11-game regular season slate with the goal of reaching December's Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship and HBCU Celebration Bowl, which both would be the first appearances in program history.

FAMU's season opener will be against defending SWAC champions Jackson State in the annual Orange Blossom Classic at Miami Garden's Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 3.

"High expectations here on the Highest of Seven Hills ― and rightfully so," Simmons said of the looming 2023 season. "We feel we've put together a football team that will be right in the thick of the SWAC race, just like we've been the last couple of seasons.

"We have our starting quarterback returning in Jeremy Moussa, a lot of our all-conference returnees. The defense is reloaded after losing some key pieces from last season. And even in the special teams phase after losing [kicker Jose Romo-Martinez, punter Chris Faddoul; graduates], as well as [special teams coordinator Chili Davis].

"There's just a lot of excitement ― externally and internally ― about what this season looks like. We can't wait to get on the grass again. I'm as optimistic as I've ever been and we're looking forward to an amazing football season."

FAMU embraces changes that are on the horizon for future football seasons

After a three-year run, this will be FAMU's final year participating in the Orange Blossom Classic.

The annual game, which originally ran from 1933-1978, was revived in 2021 as FAMU meets JSU to open the season on Labor Day Weekend. Retribution is on the Rattlers' mind this season after suffering 7-6 (2021) and 59-3 (2022) losses to the Tigers in the last two years.

Sept. 3 is FAMU's last chance to end the two-game OBC slide against JSU. Following this year, Rattlers versus Tigers games will likely be moved to traditional home-and-home SWAC East matchups.

The OBC could possibly return in years to come, as early as 2025, but with a new opponent and possibly even a modified time period as opposed to being a season opener.

"OBC has been really good to us aside from not winning the game," Simmons said of this chapter of the yearly game closing. "It's been a great experience for players, our coaches, and for our fans. So, I wouldn't fold up the OBC tent just yet because I think there's some opportunity in the near future for that game to continue."

Next season, the Rattlers will compete in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge against Norfolk State on Week 0. The Rattlers and the Spartans will play on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, inside Atlanta's Center Parc Stadium, formerly known as the Braves' Turner Field.

The last time the Rattlers participated in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge was in 2013 as members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), defeating the SWAC's Mississippi Valley 27-10.

"We're excited about playing in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge," Simmons said. "It's been a game that's heavily attended and viewed on major networks as a chance to showcase your ability on a national stage.

"Anytime the Rattlers go to Atlanta, we show up and show out in large numbers."

FAMU continues to push fundraising efforts, hopeful to secure more games in Tallahassee next season

The Rattlers will play only four home games at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium in 2023 ― West Florida, Alabama State, Prairie View A&M (homecoming), and Lincoln (CA).

That tally is down from the team playing five contests in Tallahassee during the 2022 season, giving Rattler Nation one less opportunity to watch their team perform in Bragg this year.

In a July report by HBCU Gameday, FAMU vice president and director of athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes, who is just six months in on the job, stated that she would like to host a minimum of five to six home games per year moving forward. The last time FAMU played six home games was in 2019, Simmons' second season as head coach.

Additionally, FAMU has the second-longest home winning streak in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) with 15 consecutive wins at Bragg, a spot behind Montana State's 20.

"We have a great homefield advantage and once of the best gameday atmospheres in all of FCS," Simmons said of Saturday's at Bragg. "So, any chance we get to host our student body, our fans, and prospective student athletes, we want to do so because Bragg has been good to us.

"We want to bring great competition here and give our fans games they want to see against our rivals ― the Southern's, Alabama State's, Jackson State's, of the world. And even our Division II rivals with Tuskegee, Albany State, and Fort Valley State."

Sykes is working ahead on the Rattlers' future football schedules.

Alongside Norfolk State, FAMU is scheduled to play old MEAC foes South Carolina State, and Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams Troy and Miami in 2024.

"We try to schedule years and years in advance, but AD Sykes and I have had conversations about what our vision is moving forward," Simmons said. "We want to have more games here in Tallahassee at Bragg, but we have to make sure we're positioning ourselves to do so in maximizing the revenue opportunities.

"Because every major city throughout the southeast wants the Rattlers because they know Florida A&M and the Marching 100 is going to bring the crowd and have an economic impact."

But the home game decrease isn't the only difference for the 2023 season.

There's also been a slight price increase in the Investing In Champions season ticket packages, specifically the Green Rattler ($900 to $1,000) and Silver Rattler ($2,800 to $3,000) subscriptions.

Investing in Champions includes commodities such game tickets, reserved parking, endzone or luxury suite passes inside of Bragg.

"Prices across the board are going up," Simmons said of the cost increase. "You can't buy gas today what you bought it for a year ago. That's just the nature of doing business in today's times. I know a few dollars increase may ruffle some feathers, but I think it's on par with industry practices.

"We're trying to do everything we can under AD Sykes' leadership to infuse the funds we need into this program to provide these young men and women with the best opportunities to win in the classroom and on the field of competition."

Simmons and Sykes are amidst the Rattler Athletic Fund STRIKE TOUR, which began in Jacksonville on July 11. They also visited Houston on July 12 and Dallas on July 13. A Miami-Fort Lauderdale trip is slated for July 27.

In 2021, FAMU raised over $500,000 in support of nutritional needs, equipment needs, medical supplies, scholarships obligations, and facility improvements for its 13 athletic teams.

"We can't do what we do without the support of our amazing fanbase, alumni, our constituents, and everyone who loves Florida A&M," Simmons said. "It's imperative that we secure funds through ticket sales through joining the Investing in Champions Package and investing in the Rattler Athletic Fund.

"All of those areas are crucial when it comes to us being able to outfit this football team, having the necessary equipment that we need to be successful, and just provide the resources that it takes to run a first-class program.

"And I'm thankful that we have a fan and alumni base that's eager to give."

FAMU head coach Willie Simmons holds high-level of optimism for assembled roster for 2023 football season

Ahead of training camp, the Rattlers are helping a projected 46 new players adapt to the squad's routines.

Luckily, about 15 of these newcomers were able to participate in the team's spring practice from March to April, which included the Orange and Green Spring Game.

The transition has been seamless, Simmons says.

"They learned how we do things ― our culture, our traditions here. For the most part, they've acclimated themselves pretty well," Simmons said of the early signees.

"We have some that just got on campus for summer term, so they're still figuring things out," Simmons continued about the late additions. "We don't have as much interaction with them as we normally would being that it's the summertime and we're restricted to the eight hours of work.

"But, they're going to come in and contribute. And we have a few more who are waiting for training camp to finish up some classes, then they'll be here."

Of the 46 new Rattlers, 18 are from FBS programs. They are tied for the second most FBS-to-FCS transfers behind Incarnate Word, according to HERO Sports' Senior FCS Analyst Sam Herder. FAMU shares the two spot with Campbell and Northern Arizona.

Most recently, FAMU landed a commitment former FBS, Tulane defensive back TJ Huggins on July 5. Huggins, a redshirt sophomore from Miami, was a top-100 player in the state of Florida as a three-star 2021 prospect at Killian High School.

But the transfer portal can giveth or taketh as the Rattlers may lose 2022 Boxtorow HBCU All-American selection, defensive lineman Kamari Stephens, who re-entered his name last Monday after originally cancelling his transfer plans to remain with FAMU back in May.

"We like to think that we've finished up most of our recruiting," Simmons said of the nonstop marathon of fielding prospects. "Obviously, things always happen. Summer school is still in and there's some guys that have a little bit work to do in the classroom to position themselves to be eligible to play this fall. We need them to for more reasons than one ― particularly for our APR (NCAA Academic Progress Rate).

"In the event that they don't, we're always working the phones, 247Sports, and all the other recruiting websites to see if they're still prospective student-athletes still out there because we don't want to ever be in a position to need and not have. You always recruit more than you'll actually sign, so we have a good database of prospective student-athletes in the event that we still have to make some decisions right before training camp.

"We feel good about the roster and feel like we built quality depth across the board. And that's why the transfer portal was so important to us this offseason. We look forward to getting all of those guys here to see what the 2023 version ultimately looks like ― but we won't know that until August 2."

Florida A&M Rattlers 2023 Football Schedule

• Sunday, Sept. 3 vs. Jackson State University ― DENNY'S ORANGE BLOSSOM CLASSIC inside of Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, 3 p.m. ET*

• Saturday, Sept. 9 at South Florida (USF) inside of Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida, 7 p.m. ET

• Saturday, Sept. 16 vs. West Florida at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida, 6 p.m. ET

• Saturday, Sept. 23 vs. Alabama State at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida, 6 p.m. ET*

• Saturday, Sept. 30 at Mississippi Valley State inside of Rice-Totten Stadium, Itta Bena, Mississippi, TBD*

• Saturday, Oct 7. at Southern inside of A.W. Mumford Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 7 p.m. ET*

• Saturday, Oct 21. at Texas Southern inside of Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, Texas 8 p.m. ET*

• Saturday, Oct. 28 vs. Prairie View A&M ― HOMECOMING at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida 4 p.m. ET*

• Saturday, Nov. 4 at Alabama A&M inside of Louis Crews Stadium, Huntsville, Alabama, 2 p.m. ET*

• Saturday, Nov. 11 vs. Lincoln (CA) at Ken Riley Field Bragg Memorial Stadium, 6 p.m. ET

• Saturday, Nov. 18 vs. Bethune Cookman ― FLORIDA BLUE FLORIDA CLASSIC inside of Camping World Stadium, Orlando Florida, 3:30 ET*

• Saturday, Dec. 2 SWAC Championship ― LOCATION TBD

• Saturday, Dec. 16 CRICKET HBCU CELEBRATION BOWL inside of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Home games in BOLD

Neutral games in italics

*SWAC games

FAMU is the home team in both classics

Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@gannett.com or on Twitter @3peatgee.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Football: Willie Simmons updates what's happening in Rattler Nation