MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. | It's 7:30 a.m. at the Betty T. Ferguson Stadium in Miami Gardens, where the Florida Memorial University Lions are in the second hour of their regular predawn football practice.

"It builds character and it helps with time management," head coach Bobby Rome II told The Miami Times of the early-morning workouts. "We get the football done before school and there's no excuses as far as our academic progress. We don't want to be in the way of their education. That's the reason why they're here." 

The practices that begin under stadium lights have led to success stories not only in the classroom – where Rome says "tomorrow's leaders" are being groomed – but also on the football field, where FMU is chasing a conference championship just three years after the school reinstituted the sport after a 62-year hiatus.

The Lions are on the cusp of history after defeating Thomas University 37-24 last Saturday in Thomasville, Ga., to win a record fifth Sun Conference game. Quarterback Cedquan Smith, a junior from Miami, passed for 282 yards and three touchdowns as FMU improved to 6-3 on the season and 5-1 in conference play. The Lions end their season at 1 p.m. this Saturday against Keiser University on Senior Day at Betty T. Ferguson Stadium.
 

"It means everything," Rome said. "It shows the hard work that our young men and coaches have put in, and it shows the support the institution has shown us by providing the resources we need as a football program to play championship football week in and week out." 

FMU is the underdog Saturday against the Seahawks, who are 7-2 overall and 6-0 in the Sun Conference. The Seahawks have won six straight games and feature a prolific offense that has scored more than 50 points in each of their last four matchups.

Overcoming considerable odds is something Rome has been preaching since he was named the FMU's head coach in April 2022. The program was reinstated in 2020 and the Lions won their first game two years ago. Rome, 3-7 overall and 0-5 in the conference last year, has taken things to the next level this season. On Saturday, his team, representing the one and only HBCU school in South Florida, is playing for a championship.

"Not everybody is playing for something this late in the season," Rome said. "We've come together and we're winning now. I'm excited for them. They worked their behinds off this offseason and it's starting to show on the field."

It's already a special season, a character-building season where the standards and expectations are engrained on and off the field. Smith is the offensive leader. The left-handed signal caller has passed for 1,592 yards and 19 touchdowns while rushing for 143 yards and three scores. Running back Walter Wilbon, a junior from Tampa, rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown against Thomas. He has 847 yards and six scores on the season. Wide receiver Corey Stanley caught eight passes for 72 yards against Thomas, giving the freshman from Booker T. Washington Senior High School 161 yards and one score on the season. 

The Lions' cohesive play on the field is a product of the camaraderie that has been developed as a team. 

"Everybody comes to compete," Rome said. "When your name is called we expect you to produce. I don't think anybody has ever depended on these young men like that before. There's an expectation. We expect you to do your job and these young men are up for the challenge, and they feel good that somebody is depending on them."

Rome played in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers after being a co-captain under Butch Davis at North Carolina. The native of Norfolk, Va., began his coaching career in Russia as an American ambassador for the sport of football. It was there he learned to speak a bit of Russian and embrace coaching as his true calling. He served as head coach at Central State University and Virginia University – Lynchburg before coming to FMU and starting practices before sunrise. 

"When you hear about South Florida kids and inner-city Miami kids, people think it's a lot harder job than it is," Rome said. "You just have to get in here and relate to these kids and understand where they came from. I'll be honest. I never thought I would be down here in Miami Gardens, but this is where I've been called to and I'm proud of that. We try our best as coaches to mentor these young men. It's bigger than football for us. We're turning people into citizens." 

Maybe even champions.