Houston Academy coach Brundidge named honorary Troy football captain

TROY, Ala. (WTVY) - Troy University Athletics announced on social media that former player and current Houston Academy head football coach Eddie Brundidge will serve as honorary team captain when the Trojans take the field on Saturday for their conference opener against James Madison.

Brundidge, who has served as the head coach of the Raiders football program since 2020, returns to the campus that hailed him as “Chief,” a nickname stuck to him by former Troy quarterback and longtime Huntingdon College head coach Mike Turk.

One of Brundidge’s biggest marks as a player for the Trojans came at the end of the 1986 season. First, in a state rivalry matchup against Jacksonville State to wrap up the regular season, Brundidge set the single-game rushing record for a Troy rushing back when he went for 226 yards and four scores en-route to a 45-43 victory for the Trojans.

Just one game later, Brundidge broke his own record when the #3-ranked Trojans took on #5 Virginia Union in the NCAA Division II quarterfinals on November 29, 1986. In 32 touches, Brundidge carried the ball to 244 yards and a touchdown, and average of about 7.6 yards per rush.

That not only passed the record he set just one week prior, but it became one of the Troy football program’s most iron-clad records for nearly 4 decades.

After almost 37 years of that record standing and three close attempts to break that long-coveted statistical mark coming short, Trojans star running back Kimani Vidal finally did it when he rushed for 248 yards on 45 carries to finally take the record himself during Troy’s season opening win over Stephen F. Austin on September 2, 2023.

Vidal had come close to breaking the record just a season prior when he rushed for 242 yards against Arkansas State, missing the then record held by Brundidge by just 2 yards.

“Chief” Brundidge will have the opportunity to not only give his nod of respect to Vidal and pass the torch to the Trojans junior back, but he’ll get to shine in his honorary captain role and take in the glory that came with holding a record that really stood the test of time on multiple occasions.

Troy’s game against James Madison will kick off 6 p.m. from Veterans Memorial Stadium, and will be broadcasted live on NFL Network.

Subscribe to our News 4 newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email every morning. Get instant notifications on top stories from News 4 by downloading our mobile apps.