Bobby Dodd
Encyclopedia
Robert Lee Dodd was an American college football
coach at Georgia Tech
. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
as a player and coach, something that only three people have accomplished.
Bobby Dodd was born in Galax, Virginia
. From there, he moved to Kingsport, Tennessee
and excelled at several sports at Dobyns-Bennett High School. After playing quarterback
at the University of Tennessee
, he served as an assistant coach under Bill Alexander
at Georgia Tech
beginning in 1931. Alexander made the hire while Dodd was still a student at Tennessee. Dodd succeeded Alexander in 1945 as the third head coach at the Institute. He retired from coaching after the 1966 season, compiling a 165–64–8 record. He also served as Athletic Director
from 1950 until 1976. All told, Dodd spent 45 years at Tech in various capacities. Bobby Dodd died in June 1988 at the age of 79 in Atlanta, Georgia.
team from 1928 to 1930, where he was a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity, playing under legendary coach Robert Neyland
. Dodd wanted to play for Georgia Tech but was not offered a scholarship. Ironically, he would later go on to coach the Yellow Jackets. In the games that Dodd started at UT, the Vols held a record of 27–1–2.
Dodd was a difference in one famous game. During his sophomore year, in his first game of The Third Saturday in October rivalry against Alabama
played in Tuscaloosa, "Dodd threw a touchdown pass in that game to tie Alabama, 13–13. Then he punted out of bounds inside the Alabama 1-yard line and Tennessee got a safety on the next play to win, 15–13."
Another instance in Dodd's career foreshadowed the creativity he would use in his coaching career. "Against Florida in 1930 he got his teammates in a huddle and told them about a play he had used in high school (Dobyns-Bennett
). When the ball was snapped, it was placed on the ground unattended. The players ran in one direction. Then the center returned, picked up the ball, and waltzed to the winning touchdown." This play would later come to be popularly known as the "fumblerooski
", after Nebraska
famously used it in the 1984 Orange Bowl
versus Miami
. Tennessee fans even developed a catch phrase for Dodd during his time there: "In Dodd we trust."
Dodd was named to Grantland Rice
's All American team in 1930, making him the 2nd granted that honor at Tennessee (following Gene McEver
). In 1959, Dodd was named to the University of Tennessee
's Hall of Fame and to the College Football Hall of Fame as a player. He was elected in the same year as teammate Herman Hickman
.
(SEC) championships (1951 and 1952) and one national championship in 1952. Under Dodd's leadership, Tech played in 13 major bowls, winning 9, including six in a row from 1952 to 1956, and had a 31-game winning streak from 1951 to 1953.
Dodd took over the Georgia Tech football program following Coach Alexander's retirement in 1944. Dodd's coaching philosophy revolved around player treatment and character development. He did not believe in intense physical practices but rather precise and well executed practices. Dodd's philosophy translated to winning. He set the record for career wins at Tech at 165 career coaching wins including a 31-game winning streak from 1951–1953. He also managed to capture two Southeastern Conference Titles and the 1952 National Title, which concluded a 12–0 perfect season and Sugar Bowl
conquest of Ole Miss
.
Dodd also understood the deep-seated rivalry
with the University of Georgia. His teams won 8 games in a row over the Bulldogs from 1946–1954 outscoring the Bulldogs 176–39 during the winning streak. This 8–game winning streak is still the longest winning streak for either side in the series. Dodd would finish his career with a 12–9 record against the Bulldogs.
Dodd's tenure included Georgia Tech's withdrawal from the Southeastern Conference
. The initial spark for Dodd's withdrawal was a historic feud with Alabama Crimson Tide
Coach Bear Bryant
. The feud began when Tech was playing the Tide at Legion Field in Birmingham in 1961 NCAA Division I-A football season|1961]]. After a Tech punt, Alabama fair-caught the ball. Chick Granning of Tech was playing coverage and relaxed after the signal for the fair catch. Darwin Holt of Alabama continued play and smashed his elbow into Granning's face causing severe fracturing in his face, a broken nose, and blood-filled sinuses. Granning was knocked unconscious and suffered a severe concussion, the result of which left him unable to play football ever again. Dodd sent Bryant a letter asking Bryant to suspend Holt after game film indicated Holt had intentionally injured Granning. Bryant never suspended Holt. The lack of discipline infuriated Dodd and sparked Dodd's interest in withdrawing from the SEC.
Another issue of concern for Dodd was Alabama's and other SEC schools' over-recruitment of players. Universities would recruit more players than they had roster space for. During the summer practice sessions, the teams in question would cut the players well after signing day thus preventing the cut players from finding new colleges to play for. Dodd appealed the SEC administration to punish the "tryout camps" of his fellow SEC members but the SEC did not. Finally, Dodd withdrew Georgia Tech from the SEC in 1963. Tech would remain an independent like Notre Dame
and Penn State
(at the time) during the final four years of Dodd's coaching tenure. In 1967, Dodd passed the head coach position to his favorite coordinator, Bud Carson
. Dodd simply retained his athletic director
position, which he had acquired in 1950. He stepped down as athletic director in 1976. In 1983, he expressed interest in running a United States Football League
team if Atlanta were awarded one, but the league folded before Atlanta received a team.
While Bobby Dodd was a determined competitor, he cared deeply for those who played for him. Unlike some other coaches, he did not believe in winning at any costs; he truly believed that the most important aspect of college football was the college football player.
As a testament to the character of Bobby Dodd, each year a Division I college coach who has demonstrated leadership both on and off the field is awarded the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award
, presented by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
as a player in 1959 and as a coach in 1993. In 1988, Georgia Tech named its stadium Bobby Dodd Stadium
in honor of the legendary coach. The Bobby Dodd Institute is an organization that helps people with disabilities; it is named in honor of Coach Dodd for his assistance to the disabled.
Bobby Dodd went 0–3 vs. Georgia coach Vince Dooley
ending Dodd's coaching career as GT head coach, although he set the record for most consecutive victories (8 straight) in the series, and ended with a 12–9 career against the Bulldogs.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach at Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
as a player and coach, something that only three people have accomplished.
Bobby Dodd was born in Galax, Virginia
Galax, Virginia
Galax is an independent city in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is bounded to the northeast by Carroll County and to the southwest by Grayson County. The population was 7,042 as of 2010...
. From there, he moved to Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...
and excelled at several sports at Dobyns-Bennett High School. After playing quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
at the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, he served as an assistant coach under Bill Alexander
William Alexander (football coach)
William Anderson Alexander was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1920 to 1944, compiling a record of 134–95–15. Alexander's 1928 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have been recognized as national...
at Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
beginning in 1931. Alexander made the hire while Dodd was still a student at Tennessee. Dodd succeeded Alexander in 1945 as the third head coach at the Institute. He retired from coaching after the 1966 season, compiling a 165–64–8 record. He also served as Athletic Director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
from 1950 until 1976. All told, Dodd spent 45 years at Tech in various capacities. Bobby Dodd died in June 1988 at the age of 79 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Player
Bobby Dodd was a quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers footballTennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
team from 1928 to 1930, where he was a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity, playing under legendary coach Robert Neyland
Robert Neyland
Robert Reese Neyland, MBE was an American football player and coach and and officer in the United States Army, reaching the rank of brigadier general. He served three stints as the head football coach as the University of Tennessee...
. Dodd wanted to play for Georgia Tech but was not offered a scholarship. Ironically, he would later go on to coach the Yellow Jackets. In the games that Dodd started at UT, the Vols held a record of 27–1–2.
Dodd was a difference in one famous game. During his sophomore year, in his first game of The Third Saturday in October rivalry against Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
played in Tuscaloosa, "Dodd threw a touchdown pass in that game to tie Alabama, 13–13. Then he punted out of bounds inside the Alabama 1-yard line and Tennessee got a safety on the next play to win, 15–13."
Another instance in Dodd's career foreshadowed the creativity he would use in his coaching career. "Against Florida in 1930 he got his teammates in a huddle and told them about a play he had used in high school (Dobyns-Bennett
Dobyns Bennett High School
Dobyns-Bennett High School is a high school in Kingsport, Tennessee. It is estimated to have around 1,800 some students.As a part of Kingsport City Schools, students must be city residents paying city taxes to attend. Students that are not residents of the city may pay a tuition fee to attend...
). When the ball was snapped, it was placed on the ground unattended. The players ran in one direction. Then the center returned, picked up the ball, and waltzed to the winning touchdown." This play would later come to be popularly known as the "fumblerooski
Fumblerooski
In American football, the fumblerooski is a trick play, most famously used by the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers against the University of Miami Hurricanes in the 1984 Orange Bowl. It was invented by John Heisman....
", after Nebraska
1983 Nebraska Cornhuskers Football Team
The 1983 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln] in the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska...
famously used it in the 1984 Orange Bowl
1984 Orange Bowl
The 1984 Orange Bowl was the 50th annual Orange Bowl Classic, played on January 2, 1984, between the unbeaten Nebraska Cornhuskers and the once-beaten Miami Hurricanes, for the national championship. After leading 31-17 in the fourth quarter, Miami held on for a 31-30 victory...
versus Miami
1983 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1983 Miami Hurricanes were the national champions of the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. The national championship was the first of five won by the University of Miami.-Offense:-Defense:-Special teams:-Coaching staff:-Schedule:...
. Tennessee fans even developed a catch phrase for Dodd during his time there: "In Dodd we trust."
Dodd was named to Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice
Grantland Rice was an early 20th century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose. His writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio.-Biography:...
's All American team in 1930, making him the 2nd granted that honor at Tennessee (following Gene McEver
Gene McEver
-External links:...
). In 1959, Dodd was named to the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
's Hall of Fame and to the College Football Hall of Fame as a player. He was elected in the same year as teammate Herman Hickman
Herman Hickman
Herman M. Hickman was a Hall of Fame college football player for the University of Tennessee and later a head football coach for Yale University. He played pro football for the NFL's Brooklyn Dodgers. He later was a TV and radio analyst and broadcaster, a writer and a professional wrestler.-...
.
Coach
Bobby Dodd compiled a 165–64–8 record as head coach at Georgia Tech. He led Georgia Tech to two Southeastern ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) championships (1951 and 1952) and one national championship in 1952. Under Dodd's leadership, Tech played in 13 major bowls, winning 9, including six in a row from 1952 to 1956, and had a 31-game winning streak from 1951 to 1953.
Dodd took over the Georgia Tech football program following Coach Alexander's retirement in 1944. Dodd's coaching philosophy revolved around player treatment and character development. He did not believe in intense physical practices but rather precise and well executed practices. Dodd's philosophy translated to winning. He set the record for career wins at Tech at 165 career coaching wins including a 31-game winning streak from 1951–1953. He also managed to capture two Southeastern Conference Titles and the 1952 National Title, which concluded a 12–0 perfect season and Sugar Bowl
1953 Sugar Bowl
The 1953 edition to the Sugar Bowl featured the second ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and the seventh ranked Ole Miss Rebels. Georgia Tech won the matchup 24-7 to clinch a national championship....
conquest of Ole Miss
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
.
Dodd also understood the deep-seated rivalry
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate is the nickname given to an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team of the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Georgia Bulldogs football team of the University of Georgia. The two Georgia universities are...
with the University of Georgia. His teams won 8 games in a row over the Bulldogs from 1946–1954 outscoring the Bulldogs 176–39 during the winning streak. This 8–game winning streak is still the longest winning streak for either side in the series. Dodd would finish his career with a 12–9 record against the Bulldogs.
Dodd's tenure included Georgia Tech's withdrawal from the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
. The initial spark for Dodd's withdrawal was a historic feud with Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
Coach Bear Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
. The feud began when Tech was playing the Tide at Legion Field in Birmingham in 1961 NCAA Division I-A football season|1961]]. After a Tech punt, Alabama fair-caught the ball. Chick Granning of Tech was playing coverage and relaxed after the signal for the fair catch. Darwin Holt of Alabama continued play and smashed his elbow into Granning's face causing severe fracturing in his face, a broken nose, and blood-filled sinuses. Granning was knocked unconscious and suffered a severe concussion, the result of which left him unable to play football ever again. Dodd sent Bryant a letter asking Bryant to suspend Holt after game film indicated Holt had intentionally injured Granning. Bryant never suspended Holt. The lack of discipline infuriated Dodd and sparked Dodd's interest in withdrawing from the SEC.
Another issue of concern for Dodd was Alabama's and other SEC schools' over-recruitment of players. Universities would recruit more players than they had roster space for. During the summer practice sessions, the teams in question would cut the players well after signing day thus preventing the cut players from finding new colleges to play for. Dodd appealed the SEC administration to punish the "tryout camps" of his fellow SEC members but the SEC did not. Finally, Dodd withdrew Georgia Tech from the SEC in 1963. Tech would remain an independent like Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
and Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
(at the time) during the final four years of Dodd's coaching tenure. In 1967, Dodd passed the head coach position to his favorite coordinator, Bud Carson
Bud Carson
Leon H. "Bud" Carson was an American football coach best known for his role on the Pittsburgh Steelers' championship teams of the 1970s.-Player:Carson played defensive back for North Carolina from 1949 to 1951, then entered the Marines.-Georgia Tech:...
. Dodd simply retained his athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
position, which he had acquired in 1950. He stepped down as athletic director in 1976. In 1983, he expressed interest in running a United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
team if Atlanta were awarded one, but the league folded before Atlanta received a team.
Legacy
As a testament to the character of Bobby Dodd, each year a Division I college coach who has demonstrated leadership both on and off the field is awarded the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award
Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award
The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award is an annual college football award given to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision head coach whose team excels on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. The award is named for Bobby Dodd, longtime head football coach at Georgia Tech and was...
, presented by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
as a player in 1959 and as a coach in 1993. In 1988, Georgia Tech named its stadium Bobby Dodd Stadium
Bobby Dodd Stadium
Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field is the football stadium located at the corner of North Avenue at Techwood Drive on the campus of Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, who completed the 2011 season with a loss to rival UGA...
in honor of the legendary coach. The Bobby Dodd Institute is an organization that helps people with disabilities; it is named in honor of Coach Dodd for his assistance to the disabled.
Bobby Dodd went 0–3 vs. Georgia coach Vince Dooley
Vince Dooley
Vincent Joseph Dooley was the head football coach and athletic director at the University of Georgia. During his 25 year coaching career at UGA, Dooley compiled a 201–77–10 record. His teams won six Southeastern Conference titles and the 1980 national championship...
ending Dodd's coaching career as GT head coach, although he set the record for most consecutive victories (8 straight) in the series, and ended with a 12–9 career against the Bulldogs.