Birmingham, Alabama, UAB — Blaze statue at the UAB Collat School of Business building. Photo by Pat Byington for Bham Now.

For the second time in three years, the UAB Blazers are Conference USA football champions.

Last night, the Blazers were crowned king of the C-USA after winning a hard-fought 22-13 victory over Marshall in the 2020 Ryan C-USA Football Championship game.

Led by a stingy defense and game MVP Spencer Brown, the Blazers finished off the Thundering Herd after a late fourth quarter 71 yard TD reception by receiver Trea Shropshire from quarterback Tyler Johnston III.

This Football Team is Special

I’m thinking the good folks at Disney need to start writing a movie script about our Blazers. Here is a suggestion for the title… UAB’s slogan “Win As One!”

It is hard to believe that in 2014, the UAB football team was disbanded, restarted in 2017, and now has competed in the C-USA championships three straight years and subsequently taken home two titles.

ESPN College Football summed it up in one tweet on Twitter.

The UAB football program shut down after the 2014 season.

Since the program’s return in 2017, they’ve made three trips to the Conference USA title game and won two C-USA titles.

What a story 🏆 pic.twitter.com/tXYZUuFN06
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 19, 2020

We went back into the Bham Now archives and found this story written on April 1, 2017 celebrating the first Green and Gold since the team was dissolved. Our writer back then, Cary Estes does a great job describing how our community – Birmingham – brought the team back from the brink of extinction.

Give Coach Bill Clark Key to the City

UAB Bill Clark — UAB Head Coach Bill Clark. Photo by Pat Byington for Bham Now

If they are holding a Birmingham City Council meeting this next Tuesday, Mayor Randall Woodfin and the city Council need to give Head Coach Bill Clark an honorary key to the city.

He has stuck with UAB and Birmingham through it all. From the sudden end of the program in 2014 to two titles in three years. He could have gone anywhere, but he stayed with us.

Along the way Clark has taught us there is more to UAB football than wins and losses. In 2017, he established one of the best homecoming traditions in college football with Children’s Harbor. For the past four years, UAB players have worn the names of the patients, past and present at Children’s Harbor on their back.

“We talk a lot about playing for the name on the front of the jersey,” head coach Bill Clark says. “This is our chance to play for the name on the back.”