Ironmen Marching to Another Victory!
The Proud Tradition of
Ironmen Football
2002 marked the 64th aniversary of the beginning of Vermilion Community College football and those 62 years have seen a lot of great football. The Ironmen won their first conference championship in just their third year of existence (1940) and the success has continued through the years with 14 conference and four state championship teams. The modern tradition of VCC football began in 1968 when NJCAA Football Coaches Hall of Fame member Rudy Semeja was named head coach. In 22 years, Semeja won enough games to rank among the top 35 winningest coaches in National Junior College Athletic Association history. The tradition continues today as Vermilion, by far the smallest school in the conference, has the highest winning percentage in the league since 1990.
The Ironmen play their home games at Ely Memorial Stadium, located a couple of miles west of the college. The players have the advantage of having both a weight room of free-weights and a fitness room equipped with nautilus weight machines and various aerobic fitness equipment. The players at VCC also take advantage of the gymnasium (newly renovated in 1999) for off-season workouts. Other facilities available include a spacious locker room, an equipment room, an athletic training room, and various coaches' offices.
To succeed as a college football player, work must be done and be done intensley during the off-season. Vermilion Community College football players participate in a rigorous off-season strength and conditioning program, focusing on strength improvement, speed, power, agility, and conditioning. Beginning in March, the team also begins morning conditioning programs. All of this is to improve you athletically and make you an attractive prospect to the many four-year colleges that recruit our athletes.
| CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS | 1940, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 |
| STATE CHAMPIONS | 1986, 1992, 1995, 1996 |
| BOWL BIDS | 1986 MIDWEST BOWL 1995 MIDWEST BOWL |
| UNDEFEATED SEASONS | 1992, 1996 |
| YEAR | RECORD | ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
| 1990 | 6-3 | CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS, STATE PLAYOFFS |
| 1991 | 7-1 | LED NATION IN PASSING AND TOTAL OFFENSE |
| 1992 | 10-0 | CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS, STATE CHAMPIONS, LED NATION IN PASSING AND TOTAL OFFENSE, 8TH IN NATION IN PASS DEFENSE |
| 1993 | 6-2 | LED NATION IN PASSING OFFENSE, 8TH IN TOTAL OFFENSE, 2ND IN NATION IN PASSING AND TOTAL DEFENSE, 9TH IN RUSH DEFENSE |
| 1994 | 8-2 | CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS, STATE PLAYOFFS, LED NATION IN PASSING AND TOTAL OFFENSE |
| 1995 | 9-2 | CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS, STATE CHAMPIONS, BID TO MIDWEST BOWL, 3RD IN NATION PASS OFFFENSE, 4TH IN NATION IN PASSING AND TOTAL DEFENSE, 10TH IN RUSH DEFENSE |
| 1996 | 10-0 | CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS, STATE CHAMPIONS, LED NATION IN PASS OFFENSE, 2ND IN TOTAL OFFENSE, RANKED 11TH IN NATION IN FINAL POLL |
| 1997 | 7-3 | CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS, STATE PLAYOFFS, 3RD IN NATION IN PASSING AND TOTAL OFFENSE |
| 1998 | 4-4 | LED CONFERENCE IN TOTAL AND SCORING OFFENSE, TOTAL AND SCORING DEFENSE |
| 1999 | 6-3 | Co-Conference Champions |
| 2000 | 7-2 | Co-Conference Champions |
| 2001 | 8-2 | Conference Champions - Ranked 15th in Nation |
| 2002 | 3-6 | |
| 2003 |
WINNINGEST NJCAA FOOTBALL PROGRAMS SINCE 1990
DETERMINED BY WINNING PERCENTAGE*
| Nassau Community College (NY) | |
| College of DuPage (IL) | |
| Ricks College (ID) | |
| VERMILION COMMUNITY COLLEGE | |
| Rochester Community College (MN) | |
| Garden City Community College (KS) | |
| Northwest Mississsippi Community College | |
| Hudson Valley Community College (NY) | |
| Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College | |
| Hinds Community College (MS) |
BEST WON-LOSS RECORDS OF MCCC TEAMS SINCE 1990
| VERMILION CC | |
| Rochester CTC | |
| Fergus Falls CC | |
| Central Lakes CC | |
| Ridgewater CTC | |
| Itasca CC | |
| Mesabi Range CTC | |
| Northland CTC | |
| Minnesota West CTC | |
| Hibbing CC |
COLLEGES WHERE VCC PLAYERS HAVE CONTINUED THEIR ATHLETIC CAREERS AT
NCAA DIVISION I-A
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM
UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO
OHIO UNIVERSITY
KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
TEMPLE
NCAA DIVISION I-AA
GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY
University of Massachusetts
NCAA DIVISION II
NORTHERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA
ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY
SOUTHWEST STATE UNIVERSITY
MOORHEAD STATE UNIVERSITY
BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY
VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY
VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY
WEST LIBERTY STATE UNIVERSITY
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-COMMERCE
NORTHEASTERN STATE UNIVERSITY
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
EDINBORO UNIVERSITY
AUGUSTANA COLLEGE (SD)
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-DULUTH
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-MORRIS
TIFFIN UNIVERSITY
MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY-MANKATO
MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
NCAA DIVISION III
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-STOUT
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-STEVENS POINT
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-WHITEWATER
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-RIVER FALLS
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-SUPERIOR
ALMA COLLEGE
LAKELAND COLLEGE
COLORADO COLLEGE
MACALESTER COLLEGE
ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY
NAIA
MIDLAND LUTHERAN COLLEGE
MOUNT SENARIO COLLEGE
LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY
MAYVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY
HURON UNIVERSITY
CIAU
UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
