TALLAHASSEE, Fla –– The Florida A&M Rattlers are no strangers to success, and the 2023-24 season had no shortage when it came to winning on the field and made history with two HBCU National Champions for the first time in program history after football won the 2023 Celebration Bowl and golf won the 2024 PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship.
 
The women's cross country team got things started for the Rattlers as the women won their first-ever Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship, scoring 63 points and beating Alabama State by nine points. The champions had three runners finish in the top ten: Serenity Williams (6th), Niya Coleman (9th), and Sierra Barrera (10th).
 
Football was next to bring multiple trophies to the Highest of Seven Hills, and it began in week one when the Rattlers brought the Orange Blossom Classic trophy home after beating Jackson State 28-10. The Rattlers would go on to dominate the SWAC in the regular season, going 8-0 to claim their first-ever SWAC East Championship. The Rattlers retained the Florida Classic trophy after beating Bethune-Cookman in the Florida Classic for the third consecutive season. They returned to Bragg to host Prairie View A&M in their first SWAC Championship game as the Rattlers won that game 35-14 to win their first-ever SWAC Championship. Following the win, the Rattlers traveled to Atlanta to play in the Celebration Bowl for the first time and defeated Howard 30-26 to claim their first-ever Celebration Bowl Championship. Following the 12-1 season, the Rattlers were dubbed the HBCU National Champions. The Rattlers also finished the season ranked 10th in the nation and currently hold the FCS second-longest home game winning streak with 20 straight wins in Bragg and second-longest overall winning streak with 11.
 
The women's indoor track & field team was the first team to win a SWAC Championship in 2024 as the women won their first-ever SWAC Championship, scoring 122 points and beating Alabama State again by nine points. The women would have nine medalists and five first-place finishes.
 
The men's golf team would be the final team to bring a trophy back to the Highest of Seven Hills as they won their second HBCU National Championship in program history. The Rattlers competed at the historic TPC Sawgrass in the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship and dominated the field, winning by 29 strokes with a final score of 891, +27. The Rattlers also had the top two finishers as Marcus Taylor was the low medalist with a 218, +2, and Patrick Mwendapole finished right behind him with 223, +7. The championship was the first since 2000, and the Rattlers' head coach, Mike Rice, was the low medalist on the 2000 team with a 208. Taylor had become the ninth Rattler to be the individual winner in program history.
 
The Rattlers also had five teams that finished second in the SWAC: volleyball, tennis, men's golf, softball, and women's outdoor track & field.
 
Individually, the Rattlers were one of the most successful teams in the SWAC as they earned 75 Player of the Week, 58 All-SWAC honors, nine SWAC individual award winners, and six Coach of the Year.
 
Coach of the Year
Garfield Ellenwood, Women's Cross Country, and Women's Indoor Track & Field
Willie Simmons, Football
Rochelle "Nikki" Houston, Women's Tennis
Camise Patterson, Softball
Jamey Shouppe, Baseball
 
SWAC Individual Award Winners
Brooke Hudson | Volleyball | Libero of the Year
Jeremy Moussa | Football | Offensive Player of the Year
Isaiah Major | Football | Defensive Player of the Year
Ahriahna Grizzle | Women's Basketball | Player of the Year
Breanna Brown-Marshall | Women's Outdoor Track & Field | Most Outstanding Field Performer
Zoryana Hughes | Softball | Co-Freshman and Pitcher of the Year
Samantha Smith | Softball | Newcomer of the Year
Caleb Granger | Baseball | Pitcher of the Year
 
All-SWAC Honors (58)
Cross Country (3)
Serenity Williams, 2nd
Niya Coleman, 2nd
Sierra Barrera, 2^nd
 
Volleyball (5)
Brooke Hudson, 1st
Brooke Lynn Watts, 1st
Camila De La Rosa, 1st
Iyonnie Sanford, 2nd
Isis Williams, 2^nd
 
Football (13)
Jeremy Moussa, 1st
Cameron Covin, 1st
Isaiah Major, 1st
Anthony Dunn Jr. 1st
Kendall Bohler, 1st
Eric Smith, 1st
Cameron Gillis, 1st
Marcus Riley, 2nd
Jah'Marae Sheread, 2nd
Ashton Grable, 2nd
Gentle Hunt, 2nd
Johnny Chaney Jr., 2nd
Lovie Jenkins, 2^nd
 
Women's Basketball (1)
Ahriahna Grizzle, 1^st
 
Women's Indoor Track & Field (8)
Tionna Brown, 1st 60m
Nya Blocker, 2nd 60m
Kimeone McLeod, 1st, 60m hurdles
Nya Blocker, 1st 200m
Alesia Douglas, 2nd 800m
Breanna Brown-Marshall, 1st high jump
Tatianna Martinez, Rori Lowe, Lacie Deboskie, Alesia Douglas, 1st 4x400
Alesia Douglas, Lacie Deboskie, Madison Gordon, Niya Coleman, 1st Distance Medley
 
Men's Indoor Track & Field (3)
Dajon Clark, 2nd long jump
Dajon Clark, 2nd 60m
Kendrick Winfield, 2nd 400m
 
Golf (2)
Patrick Jean-Pierre, 1st
Patrick Mwendapole, 2^nd
 
Tennis (3)
Rebekkah Gaines, 1st
Sara Rakim, 2nd
Genesis Whitelock, 2^nd
 
Women's Outdoor Track & Field (8)
Breanna Brown-Marshall, 1st high jump
Kennedy Hill, 1st discus
Rori Lowe, Lacie Deboskie, Katelynn Smith, Tatianna Martinez, 1st 4x400
Katelynn Smith, 1st 400m hurdles
Nya Blocker, 1st 100m
Nya Blocker, Breanna Brown-Marshall, Dakya Cunningham, Rori Lowe, 2nd 4x100
Lacie Deboskie, 2nd 800m
Mia Heard, 2nd triple jump
 
Men's Outdoor Track & Field (1)
Kirk Dawkins, 2nd 800m
 
Softball (5)
Zoryana Hughes, 1st
Amaya Gainer, 1st
Nyah Morgan, 2nd
Brianna Duggins, 2nd
Mia Blasingane, 2^nd
 
Baseball (6)
Ty Jackson, 1st
Caleb Granger, 1st
Broedy Poppell, 2nd
True Fontenot, 2nd
Adam Haidermota, 2nd
Janmikell Bastardo, 2^nd
 
On top of the SWAC awards, the Rattlers had three finalists for national awards.
 
National Award Finalists
• Jeremy Moussa | Football | Walter Payton Award
• Isaiah Major | Football | Buck Buchanan Award 
• Willie Simmons | Football | Eddie Robinson Award
 
The Rattlers also had five All-Americans, four of whom came from football and one from women's basketball.
 
All-Americans
• Isaiah Major | Football | Stats Perform, FCS Football Central, BOXTOROW
• Trey Wilhoit | Football | FCS Football Central
• Kendall Bohler | Football | BOXTOROW
• Cameron Covin | Football | BOXTOROW
• Ahriahna Grizzle | Women's Basketball | BOXTOROW
 
The Rattlers also saw two football players sign undrafted free agent contracts with NFL teams. Wide receiver Marcus Riley signed with the New York Jets, and running back Terrell Jennings signed with the New England Patriots.
 
Finally, the department honored three Rattler legends with three different renamings. The football locker room became the George "Godfather" Thompson Locker Room, the football field became Ken Riley Field, and the softball field became Veronica Wiggins Field.

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