Samford Hall of Fame Members
Biography
The 1971 Samford University football team posted a 9-1 record, tying for the second most wins in school history. The team finished the regular season ranked seventh in the national UPI poll. However, the most impressive achievement of the team was to win the NCAA College Division II West Region Championship with a 20-10 victory over Ohio Wesleyan Nov. 25 at Phenix Municipal Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The 1971 Bulldogs, playing in the program's first season as an NCAA member, scored an average of 22.3 points per game, and the defense allowed just 9.7 points a contest, posting four shutouts in the season. In the championship game, quarterback Jimmy Nipper led the Bulldogs, completing 21-of-42 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns. As a team, Samford had 294 yards of total offense; Ohio Wesleyan had only 102 total yards.
