1976 Davenport Central football team prepares for 50-year reunion

In 1976, Gerald Ford was president, the original "Rocky" movie was a box office hit, and Davenport Central Football had one of its best seasons in program history.

Fast forward to 2026, the champions are back in town.

This Friday, more than 50 players and coaches from the 1976 team will be at the Central vs. West game.

The 1976 squad went 12-0, and defeated Dowling Catholic in the state title game. The team included future Pro Football Hall of Famer Roger Craig and NFL standout Jamie Williams. As well, the team had many talented athletes and great coaches.

"The brotherhood (was great). We knew what it took. Coach Fox had a saying that the will to prepare to win was more important than just the will to win. The summer prior to that, guys were working out, running, lifting weights. Everybody from the first man to the last man on the squad had an opportunity and job to do," said Joe Brophy, a member of the 1976 Davenport Central football team. "If you weren't a starter, that meant you were running the scout team offense or defense, and without that you don't prepare the starters for their games. Back in the day, here was the thing. We played in the Metro Conference, not the districts they have today so we played other Quad Cities schools. We played Davenport West and Assumption, Rock Island, Moline, Alleman, East Moline. So when we went undefeated, we were the city champions, we were the Metro Conference champions, and then that meant something to us."

In 1976, Central outscored its opponents 398-121 for the entire season.

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