College football’s 150th anniversary: The 150 best moments that stood the test of time

57. Jerry LeVias Breaks SWC Color Barrier (1966)

For the first half-century of its existence, the Southwest Conference remained racially segregated. Talented black football players in Texas and Arkansas were forced to look outside of the preeminent institutions in their home states to secure an opportunity to earn playing time on the gridiron.

SMU coach Hayden Fry put an end to that reality when he recruited a small but dynamic quarterback from Beaumont named Jerry LeVias. Joining the Mustangs in 1965, LeVias shifted to receiver and sat out the first year under freshman restrictions at the time. Eventually winning over the confidence of his teammates, LeVias finally made his debut in a varsity game the following season as a sophomore.

That first season was a revelation, as LeVias played a major role in SMU winning the SWC title and playing in the Cotton Bowl for the first time since the Doak Walker era in the late 1940s. Catching 18 passes for 420 yards and seven receiving touchdowns as a sophomore, LeVias proved that there was no logical explanation for racial segregation in college football.

56. Nate Northington Breaks SEC Color Barrier (1967)

Nate Northington was not the first African-American to play college football south of the Mason-Dixon Line. By the mid-1950s, players like Bobby Grier had participated in bowl games in the deep south, and Darryl Hill helped integrate the ACC in 1963. But until Northington took the field against Ole Miss in 1967, no black athlete had participated for an SEC school in intercollegiate competition in any sport.

Northington came to the University of Kentucky in 1966 along with another black freshman, Greg Page. After sitting out their freshmen years under the rules of the time, the duo looked ready to break the color barrier in the SEC in 1967. But Page suffered a spinal cord injury that ultimately proved fatal, leaving Northington to stand alone in his mission. He would take the field against Ole Miss the day after Page’s passing.

Northington only played three minutes in that contest before a shoulder injury forced him to exit the game. Though he only remained with the Wildcats for four more games before transferring to Western Kentucky, Northington remains a trailblazer for many who have followed in his footsteps in one of college football’s most dominant conferences.

55. The Choke at Doak (1994)

State rivalries are always intense, and the intensity inevitably increases when both teams come into their showdown with strong records and national stakes on the line. Momentum can swing wildly in such contests, as emotions run high and every play takes on added importance.

When Florida traveled to Tallahassee to face off against Florida State in 1994, both teams were sitting at 9-1 in the standings. The Gators were ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll, while the defending national champion Seminoles were hovering behind at No. 6. Steve Spurrier’s squad looked dominant through the first three quarters, amassing a 31-3 lead on the road that looked impossible to overcome.

But chip away the Seminoles did, as they scored four touchdowns in the fourth quarter to force a 31-31 tie at the end of regulation. With overtime rules still a few years away from implementation, the stalemate between the two rivals prevented Florida from any shot at the national title and also eliminated any shot the Seminoles had of defending their crown.