Numbers to Know: The Inaugural Season of Lumberjack Football
7/1/2026 1:57:00 PM | Football
Humble beginnings for SFA’s gridiron squad more than ten decades ago
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The 100th campaign of the Stephen F. Austin football team kicks off August 29 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The defending Southland Conference champions are coming off one of the most dominant seasons in program history. Below is a collection of numbers to know regarding the program's humble beginnings alongside the birth of a Piney Woods institution. Check back at www.SFAjacks.com throughout the summer and into Season 100 as we dive into the gridiron history of the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks.
1923: The first season of Lumberjack Football
-Lumberjack Football and Stephen F. Austin State University, then known as Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College, have shared beginnings. Not long after the doors opened to the college, Dripping Springs, Texas native Robert H. Shelton was designated by SFASTC President Dr. A.W. Birdwell as the program's first football coach. Shelton, who would become known as the "father of SFA Athletics," not only led the team in 1923, but dressed out and practiced as well.
120: The number of points scored in SFASTC's first-ever game
-SFASTC defeated Center High School 120-0 in the first game in program history. It was the first of three wins in the inaugural season and the first of 16 victories in Shelton's six-season tenure. The point total remains a program record for points scored in a single game.
23: The number of players in the inaugural team photo
-Nearly two dozen players joined head coach Bob Shelton in the team photo that was produced in the school's first yearbook: the 1924 edition of the Stone Fort. The first season's roster included the likes of Dewey Walker, Herman Alders, Vernon "Cotton" Olds, Eura "Wildcat" Bates, Ellison Shelton, Blackwell, Sanders, Putman, Hallmark, Miller, C.B. Davis (Captain), Glen Hale, Kirk Willingham, Grady "Chock" Thompson, Luther "Red" Garner, Zola Avery (Captain-Elect), William M. Ray, Russell, Landers, Madkins, Hollis "Red" Parrish, Crocker and Crawford.
11: The number of days from the University's opening to the inaugural game
-SFASTC was created in 1921 by the 36th Texas Legislature and officially opened its doors on September 18, 1923. Less than two weeks later, the program's first game was contested at Birdwell Field.
1: The number of opponents in season one that appear on the 2026 schedule
-Lamar, which was known as South Park Junior College and was also in its inaugural season in 1923, defeated SFA 10-0 on October 12 in Nacogdoches. The two sides meet for the 39th time on November 7 in Beaumont.
"From the standpoint of victories, the season does not seem successful, but when we take into consideration that the Lumberjacks were made up entirely of Freshmen and Preps, and that they were meeting colleges of long experience in football, then we feel that in the course of a year or two we will be meeting and holding our own with the best teams of the State." - Final paragraph of the 1924 Stone Fort's "A Resume of the Football Season"
SEASON 100: ON THE HEELS OF HISTORY
The 2026 season will be the eighth for head coach Colby Carthel as the SFA football program hits the century mark in gridiron campaigns. The Lumberjacks are coming off a historic 2025 that saw SFA capture the program's fifth SLC title and first since 2010, while making the program's ninth FCS postseason appearance. That title came behind the program's first eight-win conference season and first perfect finish in league play in 99 seasons. The Jacks reached double-digit wins for the fifth time in program history, and the 11 victories last fall are the most since the '95 campaign.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
There's never been a better time to lock in your seat at Homer Bryce Stadium! Season tickets for the upcoming SFA Football season are on sale now, offering the best value for a six-game home slate. Don't miss a single snap as SFA looks to defend its Southland Conference title. Visit www.SFATickets.com to secure your season tickets today and be part of the action all season long.
FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA football, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Lumberjacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
1923: The first season of Lumberjack Football
-Lumberjack Football and Stephen F. Austin State University, then known as Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College, have shared beginnings. Not long after the doors opened to the college, Dripping Springs, Texas native Robert H. Shelton was designated by SFASTC President Dr. A.W. Birdwell as the program's first football coach. Shelton, who would become known as the "father of SFA Athletics," not only led the team in 1923, but dressed out and practiced as well.
120: The number of points scored in SFASTC's first-ever game
-SFASTC defeated Center High School 120-0 in the first game in program history. It was the first of three wins in the inaugural season and the first of 16 victories in Shelton's six-season tenure. The point total remains a program record for points scored in a single game.
23: The number of players in the inaugural team photo
-Nearly two dozen players joined head coach Bob Shelton in the team photo that was produced in the school's first yearbook: the 1924 edition of the Stone Fort. The first season's roster included the likes of Dewey Walker, Herman Alders, Vernon "Cotton" Olds, Eura "Wildcat" Bates, Ellison Shelton, Blackwell, Sanders, Putman, Hallmark, Miller, C.B. Davis (Captain), Glen Hale, Kirk Willingham, Grady "Chock" Thompson, Luther "Red" Garner, Zola Avery (Captain-Elect), William M. Ray, Russell, Landers, Madkins, Hollis "Red" Parrish, Crocker and Crawford.
11: The number of days from the University's opening to the inaugural game
-SFASTC was created in 1921 by the 36th Texas Legislature and officially opened its doors on September 18, 1923. Less than two weeks later, the program's first game was contested at Birdwell Field.
1: The number of opponents in season one that appear on the 2026 schedule
-Lamar, which was known as South Park Junior College and was also in its inaugural season in 1923, defeated SFA 10-0 on October 12 in Nacogdoches. The two sides meet for the 39th time on November 7 in Beaumont.
"From the standpoint of victories, the season does not seem successful, but when we take into consideration that the Lumberjacks were made up entirely of Freshmen and Preps, and that they were meeting colleges of long experience in football, then we feel that in the course of a year or two we will be meeting and holding our own with the best teams of the State." - Final paragraph of the 1924 Stone Fort's "A Resume of the Football Season"
SEASON 100: ON THE HEELS OF HISTORY
The 2026 season will be the eighth for head coach Colby Carthel as the SFA football program hits the century mark in gridiron campaigns. The Lumberjacks are coming off a historic 2025 that saw SFA capture the program's fifth SLC title and first since 2010, while making the program's ninth FCS postseason appearance. That title came behind the program's first eight-win conference season and first perfect finish in league play in 99 seasons. The Jacks reached double-digit wins for the fifth time in program history, and the 11 victories last fall are the most since the '95 campaign.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
There's never been a better time to lock in your seat at Homer Bryce Stadium! Season tickets for the upcoming SFA Football season are on sale now, offering the best value for a six-game home slate. Don't miss a single snap as SFA looks to defend its Southland Conference title. Visit www.SFATickets.com to secure your season tickets today and be part of the action all season long.
FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA football, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Lumberjacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Thursday, April 23
Monday, December 15
Saturday, December 13
Monday, December 08
