[3] The 1955 team declined an invitation to play in the 1956 Tangerine Bowl due to the organizers' stipulation that Hillsdale's four black players remain at home.
Halfback Nate Clark rushed for 949 yards and led all of college football with 144 points (24 touchdowns) scored in nine games.
[19][20] The team ultimately received an invitation to play in the 1956 Tangerine Bowl, but the organizers stipulated that Hillsdale would have to leave its black players at home.
"[22] Tangerine Bowl officials sought to save face by issuing a public statement that Hillsdale had not been invited because they were "too strong" to play against other teams being considered.
This is the story of the 1955 Hillsdale College football team that chose a better kind of glory.When A Better Kind of Glory premiered, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist signed a document honoring the 1955 team for its "outstanding athletic achievements and its dedication to the American principles of liberty and justice for all.