Texas Southern University alums everywhere are standing a little taller tonight as their Tigers rolled into Birmingham and claimed the SWAC championship trophy with a dominating 11-6 win over the SWAC East Division Champion Alabama State Hornets.Texas Southern's eighth straight win helped them capture their first football title of any kind in the SWAC since a 1968 tri-championship and their first outright championship ever. They also tied a school record for most wins ever in a season with their 9-3 record.
"Nobody will ever again say that TSU hasn't won a championship," TSU head coach Johnnie Cole said. "It is bigger than the coach. This is about all that TSU has been and can be and about a group of young men who fought through all types of adversity to become champions."And it was an even sweeter win for coach Cole because he was a quarterback for TSU back in the 80's amd took over the reins after TSU hit rock bottom with an 0-11 campaign in 2007
It also means that the SWAC Championship trophy is staying in Texas. Prairie View won the SWAC football title in 2009.
It's going to set up an interesting match up the next time TSU and Prairie View bump heads on the gridiron in the 2011 football season.
But they ain't thinking about that over on Wheeler Avenue right now or on that long and happy bus ride back from Alabama with the SWAC championship trophy in their possession.
Texas Southern University is the 2010 SWAC football champion. Say it, and let the parties begin on The Yard.
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