Pete Hanna Stadium
Pete Hanna Stadium, originally Howard Stadium, and later Seibert Stadium, is a 6,700-seat football stadium on the campus of Samford University. It was built in 1958 as home field for the Howard Bulldogs football team, which had been playing at Shades Valley High School since the college moved to Shades Valley from East Lake the previous year.
Bobby Bowden took over as head coach of the Bulldogs in 1959 and was successful in bringing success to the team's record and building interest from fans. In 1960 WBRC-TV broadcast at least two games from Howard Stadium with Tom York and Harry Mabry announcing.
The stadium was named in honor of F. Page Seibert, who donated $206,566 to complete the 3000-seat east-side stands and to add field lighting in 1961. Construction, which included completion of the gymnasium building to the north, a brick-clad facade atop the east stands, and fencing around the perimeter, began on July 1 and was completed in time for the Bulldogs' home game against Georgetown in September 30. Portable bleachers seating around 5000 more fans could bring the stadium's total capacity to nearly 12,000. The larger crowds necessitated construction of a new exit road from campus onto Lakeshore Drive, which opened in November 1961.
Over the years, the field has seen some memorable football, including the Bobby Bowden era (1959-1962), a one-loss season in 1971, and the Terry Bowden era, which ended with a 14-game home winning streak. The largest crowd in Seibert Stadium history was in 1994 when 11,189 fans crowded in to see the Bulldogs take on Steve McNair and the Alcorn State Braves.
In fall 2005, the playing surface, which had always been natural grass, was replaced by a new LSR Blade Synthetic Surface. The artificial turf also includes an extensive drainage system.
A statue of Bobby Bowden was erected outside the stadium entrance in 2013. The playing field was named in Bowden's honor after his death in 2021.
The stadium was re-named for former Howard football player and long-time Samford donor Pete Hanna on October 14, 2023. Hanna scored one of the first touchdowns at Howard Stadium prior to its completion in 1958.
References
- "Delta St. Next For For Howard" (October 17, 1960) Birmingham Post-Herald, p. 7
- "From Seibert gift– New seats, lights for Howard." (May 31, 1961) The Birmingham News, p. 36
- "Dedication program of the F. Page Seibert Hall and Stadium" (October 20, 1961)
Samford University Library, Special Collection Department - accessed June 21, 2023
- "Howard has new exit road." (November 10, 1961) The Birmingham News, p. 14
- "Samford renames football stadium in honor of Pete Hanna" (October 14, 2023) The Alabama Baptist