Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
Encyclopedia
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology
in collegiate level
football
. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets
are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC). The Georgia Institute of Technology has fielded a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 664–447–43 (a .575 winning percentage). The Jackets play in Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field
in Atlanta, Georgia, which has a capacity of 55,000. The Jackets have won four Division I-A college football national championships and 15 conference titles. Their success led to Street and Smith to call them the 16th greatest football program of all time, two spots ahead of hated rival University of Georgia
.
A number of successful collegiate and professional football players once played for Tech. The school has 48 first-team All-Americans and over 150 alumni who have played in the NFL
. Among the most lauded and most notable players the school has produced are Keith Brooking
, Joe Hamilton, Joe Guyon
, Billy Shaw
and Calvin Johnson
. In addition to its players, Tech's football program has been noted for its coaches and its, in many cases bizarre traditions and game finishes. Among the team's former coaches are John Heisman
, for whom the Heisman trophy
is named, and Bobby Dodd
, for whom the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award
and the school's stadium are named. Heisman led the team to the highest-scoring game in American football history, and both Heisman and Dodd led Tech's football team to national championships. Dodd also led the Jackets on their longest winning streak against the University of Georgia
, Tech's most time-endured rival.
Tech began its football program with several students forming a loose-knit troop of footballers called the Blacksmiths. On November 5, 1892, Tech played its first football game against Mercer University
. The team lost to Mercer 12–6 in Macon, GA
. The Macon Telegraph reported, "The game, while not brilliant, was full of earnest and determined effort, and this sort of playing, is after all, the most enjoyable to watch." Tech played two other games during their first season and lost both of them for a season record of 0–3. Discouraged by these results, the Blacksmiths sought a coach to improve their record. Leonard Wood
, a local Atlantan, heard of Tech's football struggles and volunteered to player-coach the team.
In 1893, Tech played against the University of Georgia for the first time. Tech defeated Georgia 28–6 for the school's first-ever victory. The angry Georgia fans threw stones and other debris at the Tech players during and after the game. The poor treatment of the Blacksmiths by the Georgia faithful gave birth to the rivalry now known as Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate
. Over the span of 1892–1903, Tech only won 8 games, tied in 5, and lost 32. A professional coach was desperately needed if Tech wished to build a truly competitive football program.
's Clemson
; shortly after the season, Tech offered Heisman a coaching position. Heisman was hired by Tech for $2,250 a year and 30% of the home ticket sales. Heisman would not disappoint the Tech faithful as his first season was an 8–1–1 performance. He would also muster a 5-game winning streak against the hated Georgia Bulldogs from 1904–1908 before incidents led up to the cutting of athletic ties with Georgia in 1919.
The most notable game of Heisman's career was the most lopsided victory in college football history. In 1916, Cumberland College
ended its football program and attempted to cancel a scheduled game with Heisman's Jackets. Heisman, however, was seeking vengeance for a 22–0 baseball loss to Cumberland in the spring of 1916, a game in which Heisman suspected Cumberland of hiring professional players to pose as Cumberland students. Heisman refused the game's cancellation and Cumberland mustered up a group of commonfolk to play Tech. Tech won 222–0. Neither team achieved a first down, as Cumberland either punted or turned the ball over before a first down and Tech scored on almost every play from scrimmage. Jim Preas, Tech's kicker, kicked 16 point after tries, which is still a record for a single game.
Heisman coached Tech all the way up until 1919. He had amassed 104 wins over 16 seasons, helped students construct Grant Field in 1913, and led Tech to its first national title in 1917. However in 1919, he had divorced his wife and felt that he would embarrass his wife socially if he remained in Atlanta. Heisman moved to Pennsylvania leaving Tech's Yellow Jackets in the hands of William Alexander.
and justified their rating throughout the season going 9–0 in their first 9 games. Alexander's plan was to minimize injuries by benching his starters early no matter the score of every game before the UGA finale. On December 3, 1927, UGA rolled into Atlanta on the cusp of a National Title. Tech's well rested starters shut out the Bulldogs 12–0 and ended any chance of UGA's first National Title.
Alexander's 1928 team would be the very first Tech team to attend a bowl game. The team had amassed a perfect 9–0 record and was invited to the 1929 Rose Bowl
to play California
. Tech traveled by train to meet the awaiting Golden Bears. The game was a defensive struggle with the first points being scored after a Georgia Tech fumble. The loose ball was scooped up by California Center Roy Riegels
and then accidentally returned in the wrong direction. Riegels returned the ball all the way to Georgia Tech's 3 yard line. After Riegels was finally tackled by his own team, the Bears opted to punt from the end zone. The punt was blocked and converted by Tech into a safety giving Tech a 2–0 lead. Cal would score a touchdown and point after but Tech would score another touchdown to finally win the game 8–7. This victory made Tech the 10–0 undefeated National Champions of 1928
. It was Tech's second National Title in 11 years. After the game, Jack "Stumpy" Thomason acquired a live bear cub. He brought the cub back to Atlanta, where it lived under the bleachers of Grant Field for several years before it moved along with Stumpy up to Pittsburgh
.
Coach Alexander found campus spirit to be particularly low following the Great Depression
. His successful football program and the other athletic teams had very few student fans attending the games. He helped to establish a spirit organization known as the Yellow Jacket Club in 1930
to bolster student spirit. The group would later become the Ramblin' Reck Club. Coach Alexander finally retired in 1944 after winning 134 games as head coach and taking Tech to the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl Classic, and Sugar Bowl
. To this day, Alexander has the second most victories of any Tech football coach. The record for most coaching victories in Tech history is still held by Alexander's then coordinator and eventual successor Bobby Dodd
.
The only retired jersey in Georgia Tech football history is #19. The number belonged to Tech halfback Clint Castleberry
. Castleberry played on the 1942 Tech team as a true freshman and was third place in the 1942 Heisman Trophy
voting. After ending his freshman year at Tech, Castleberry elected to join the war effort and signed up for the Army Air Corps
. While co-piloting a B-26 Marauder
over Africa, Castleberry, his crew, and another B-26 disappeared and were never heard from again. Castleberry has been memorialized on Grant Field ever since his passing with a prominent #19 on display in the stadium.
Bobby 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 1951–1952. 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 previously undefeated, seventh ranked Mississippi Ole Miss
., in a season that also included victories over Orange Bowl
champions, 9th ranked, Alabama
, 15th ranked Gator Bowl
champions Florida Gators football
, 16th ranked Duke
, and a 7-4 rival Georgia. While 9-0 Michigan State
would capture the AP and UP titles, the Yellow Jackets' were ranked first in the International News Service poll.
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 against Georgia remains the longest winning streak by either team 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 visiting the Tide at Denny Stadium
in 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 would not retire from athletic directing until 1976.
scholarship athlete and being the first Tech head coach to be fired.
Carson recruited Eddie McAshan
to play quarterback in 1970. After several Summer practices, McAshan won the starting quarterback job and became the first African American quarterback to start for a major Southeastern
university. This decision initially polarized Georgia Tech's fan base, but after winning his first 4 starts and leading Tech to a 9–3 season after three straight 4–6 seasons, McAshan won the hearts of the Tech faithful. McAshan's besting of UGA in the annual rivalry game made McAshan a fixture on campus. The following season, however, led to Carson's demise. In 1971, Tech went 6–6 and a fan base used to Bobby Dodd's 8 wins per season average forced Carson out by James E. Boyd
's hand. Carson went on to form the Steel Curtain
Pittsburgh Steelers
defense.
Bill Fulcher
supplanted Bud Carson. Fulcher appeared to be the right choice but quit after two seasons, overwhelmed by the Tech fan base. Fulcher's tenure included a terrible feud with Eddie McAshan, which peaked before the 1972 UGA game. McAshan had requested additional tickets for the game so that his family could attend. Fulcher refused the ticket request and McAshan sat out of practice in protest. Fulcher responded by suspending the quarterback for the UGA game and the upcoming Liberty Bowl
. The story exploded on the national scene when Jesse Jackson
attended the UGA game, allowing McAshan to sit with him outside of the stadium
in protest.
Pepper Rodgers
was hired soon after Fulcher quit. Rodgers was hired away from the UCLA Bruins
and like Carson and Fulcher, simply could not return Tech to its national prominence of Dodd's era, and after six seasons, Rodgers had accumulated only 34 wins and barely a 50% winning percentage. Rodgers flamboyant demeanor shortened his welcome at the school, and Athletic Director Doug Weaver, replaced him with Bill Curry. Homer Rice became Athletic Director, and attempted to reinvigorate Tech's program by joining the Atlantic Coast Conference
in 1980. The Georgia Tech football program reached its lowest point in modern history after the hiring of Bill Curry
, who had no experience as a head coach, but was a refreshing change after the flamboyant Rodgers. Curry's first two Tech teams from 1980–1981 went 2-19-1 with the only bright spots being a brilliant 24-21 victory over Bear Bryant's Alabama team at Legion Field to open the 1981 season and a 3-3 slug fest in 1980 with then No.1 rated Notre Dame at Grant Field. Things had gotten so bad, they could only get better. He slowly rebuilt the team, restored a winning mentality to the Georgia Tech fan base, and in 1985 Tech won 9 games, including a 17-14 victory over Michigan State in the All American Bowl.
Tech's 1984–1985 teams featured the "Black Watch" defense. The Black Watch defense was created by defensive coordinator Don Lindsey and featured linebackers Ted Roof
and Jim Anderson and lineman Pat Swilling
. The elite defensive players were awarded black stripes down the center of their helmets and black GT emblems on the side of their helmets. Curry's leadership and ability to build a winning program sparked interest from the Crimson Tide and Alabama hired Curry away from Tech in 1986
. After Curry's departure, Tech hired the talented Maryland Terrapins
Coach Bobby Ross
, who departed a Maryland athletic program in turmoil after the Len Bias
tragedy.
and several other key freshman. After two seasons and only five total wins, Jones helped the Jackets rebound at the end of the 1989 season.
In Jones' sophomore season, Tech powered through their schedule and won the ACC. The four game unbeaten streak in 1989
extended all the way through 1990
and into the 1991 Citrus Bowl. The key victory in the streak was a huge 41-38 come from behind upset victory over then No.1 ranked Virginia in Charlottesville before a nationwide TV audience. Tech demolished Nebraska 45–21 in the 1991 Citrus Bowl, finishing the season 11–0–1, and earning a share of the 1990 National Title with the Colorado Buffaloes
.
Tech's winning streak ended against Penn State in the 1991 Kick Off Classic. Ross and Jones never replicated that 1990 season but managed to win 8 games in 1991 making Shawn Jones one of the most heralded quarterbacks in Tech history. Ross was offered a head coach position after the 1991 season
for the San Diego Chargers
, which he took. After first considering Ross assistant coaches, Ralph Friedgen and George O'Leary, Tech hired Bill Lewis
away from East Carolina soon after Ross' departure.
. He led ECU to a 11-1 record, Peach Bowl Victory over NCST and Final Poll ranking of #9. The Tech faithful hoped that he could continue the winning tradition of Tech that Bobby Ross has kick-started. They were wrong. Bill Lewis' first season at Tech in 1992
saw a team two years removed from a National Title only win 5 games. Preseason All-American Shawn Jones
suffered from nagging injuries, leaving Tech's offense inept. After Jones' fourth year ran out, redshirt
freshman Donnie Davis
stepped in to fill his shoes in 1993
. Davis did no better than Jones under Lewis. Davis only won 5 games for Tech. The Lewis era had completely squandered the successful momentum established by Bobby Ross.
During the Summer of '94, George O'Leary was rehired as defensive coordinator, and quarterback Donnie Davis was injured so Lewis recruited junior college
transfer Tom Luginbill
. Luginbill was a proficient passer at Palomar College
. Luginbill's first two games in 1994
showed promise as Tech almost upset Arizona
who was projected as the #1 team in the nation by Sports Illustrated
and won 45-26 over Western Carolina. After Western Carolina, Luginbill and Tech struggled. Tech lost its next 6 games before Lewis was terminated midseason. Defensive coordinator George O'Leary
took immediate control of Tech and after his interim session in 1994, he was appointed head coach in 1995
. O'Leary's first season saw Senior Donnie Davis return as starter and Tech won 6 games. O'Leary's second season saw the emergence of Joe Hamilton as starter when Brandon Shaw struggled in his first two starts. Hamilton would eventually lead the Jackets back to bowl contention and Tech attended its first bowl in six years, the 1997 Carquest Bowl.
Hamilton's prowess as a runner and passer thrilled the Georgia Tech fans. Offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen
utilized a complex offense with Hamilton that featured option football
mixed in with complex timing routes. Hamilton racked up yardage, touchdowns, and wins for Tech. In 1998
, Hamilton and Tech's high powered offense won 10 games and a season ending victory over Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl
. Hamilton's senior year put him on the national stage. He was a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy against rushing phenomenon Ron Dayne
. Hamilton passed for over 3000 yards and rushed for over 700 yards. But while Hamilton dazzled, the Georgia Tech defense was a liability (they allowed around 28 points per game), and may have ultimately cost Hamilton the 1999 Heisman Trophy. In a late-season, nationally-televised game against Wake Forest, Tech gave up 26 points and Hamilton threw two interceptions and no touchdowns. As an indirect result, Dayne went on to win the Heisman (Joe was runner-up). Hamilton's Georgia Tech career ended on a sour note in the 2000 Gator Bowl
against the Miami
, where the Jackets lost 28–13. The following season, redshirt
junior George Godsey, a more traditional pocket passer, succeeded Hamilton at the helm of Tech's powerful offense. The drop-off was minimal—Godsey continued where Hamilton left off, winning 9 games in 2000
and 8 games in 2001
. In 2000, Godsey also led Tech to their third straight victory over the archival Georgia Bulldogs.
The end of the 2001 season saw George O'Leary entertain a coaching offer from Notre Dame after Bob Davie
announced resignation as Irish head coach. O'Leary was eventually awarded the position, but it was revoked shortly thereafter when Notre Dame discovered that O'Leary had fabricated several aspects of his resume. He claimed to have played three years for the University of New Hampshire
and to have attained a Master's degree from New York University
; in actuality, he had attended NYU but did not graduate, and he never played a down of New Hampshire football. Following O'Leary's departure, Mac McWhorter
was named interim head coach for Georgia Tech's bowl game, a victory over Stanford
in the 2002 Seattle Bowl
. The following spring, Chan Gailey
was hired to replace O'Leary as Georgia Tech's head coach.
Chan Gailey
came to Georgia Tech in 2002 after head coaching stints with the Dallas Cowboys
, Samford Bulldogs
, and Troy Trojans
. Gailey's first team in 2002
managed to win seven games under the quarterbacking of A.J. Suggs. The most notable game of the 2002 season was an upset of National Title Contender North Carolina State. Georgia Tech rallied in the fourth quarter to upset N.C. State and end Philip Rivers
's Heisman Trophy hopes. In 2003
, eleven Georgia Tech players were found academically ineligible. Despite the academic losses and the playing of true freshman Reggie Ball
, Gailey would lead Tech to a seven-win season and humiliation of Tulsa in the Humanitarian Bowl. P.J. Daniels racked up over 300 yards rushing in the effort.
2004
and 2005
saw Georgia Tech improve talent and skill wise but Tech won seven games again. Star Calvin Johnson
arrived as a true freshman in 2004. His performance against Clemson in 2004 helped cement Johnson's place in the annals of all-time Tech greats. Two off-the-field problems affected the Yellow Jackets' 2005 season. First, Reuben Houston
, a starting cornerback
, was arrested for possession of over one hundred pounds of marijuana. Reuben was dismissed from the football team immediately following this arrest but a later court order forced Coach Gailey to allow Houston to return to the team. Houston would see little playing time following the court order.
At the end of the 2005 season, an NCAA investigation found that eleven ineligible players had played for the Yellow Jackets between the 1998 and 2005 seasons. These players played while not making progress towards graduation on the NCAA-approved schedule. The football victories for that season were initially revoked, and Georgia Tech was put on two years of NCAA probation. Twelve football scholarships were stricken from Georgia Tech's allotment for the 2006 and 2007 freshman classes. The Georgia Tech Athletic Department appealed this decision by the NCAA, and the records were restored but scholarship reductions and probation remained. Athletic Director Dave Braine retired in January 2006, and Dan Radakovich was hired as Athletic Director.
Gailey's most successful year at Georgia Tech was in 2006 with nine victories and the ACC Coastal Division championship. The Yellow Jackets football team
reached its first New Year's Bowl since the 1999 Gator Bowl and played the West Virginia Mountaineers
in the Gator Bowl. Tashard Choice
led the ACC in rushing yards and Calvin Johnson
led the ACC in receptions and receiving yardage. After an impressive 33-3 victory at Notre Dame to open the 2007 season, the team slid to finish 7-6. On the morning of Monday, November 26, 2007, Gailey was fired from the Yellow Jackets, two days after another heartbreaking loss to the University of Georgia
.
The Yellow Jackets' Athletic Department hired Paul Johnson
, then the head coach at Navy and former Georgia Southern
head coach, as Gailey's replacement on December 7, 2007.
was announced as the new Georgia Tech head football coach. Johnson was hired under a seven year contract worth more than $11 million. Johnson immediately began installing his unique flexbone option offense
at Georgia Tech. By the regular season's end, Johnson had led the Yellow Jackets to a 9–3 record including an ACC Coastal Division Co-Championship and a 45–42 win in Athens, GA over arch-rival UGA, Tech's first win against the Bulldogs since 2000. In recognition of his accomplishments in his first season, Johnson was named 2008 ACC Coach of the Year by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association as well as the CBSSports.com coach of the year.
Several weeks after Johnson's defeat of rival Georgia, Georgia Tech rewarded Johnson with a new contract worth $17.7 million, a 53% raise that made him the second highest paid coach in the ACC before he had even completed his first year in the conference. In 2009, Johnson led the Yellow Jackets to their first win over Florida State in Tallahassee in school history, a 49-44 shootout that featured over 1000 total yards between the two teams. One week later, Johnson defeated #4 Virginia Tech 28-23 at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The win broke an 0-17 losing streak to top five opponents at Grant Field in the past 47 years. On October 24, 2009, Johnson led the Yellow Jackets to their first win against the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville, VA since 1990. At Duke University Johnson and his team clinched the ACC Coastal Division for the first time since 2006. Still, Johnson and company could not win their second game in a row over hated Georgia as the Bulldogs upset Tech 30-24 in the final home game of the season in 2009. On December 5 the Jackets defeated the Clemson Tigers to make them ACC champions, a title that would be vacated on July 14, 2011 due to NCAA infractions. The Yellow Jackets went on to lose to Iowa in the Orange Bowl, 24-14.
The Yellow Jackets play their home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field in Atlanta, Georgia. Upon his hiring in 1904, John Heisman insisted that the Institute acquire its own football field. Grant Field was constructed to appease Heisman as well as bring a true home field advantage to Tech football.
From 1893–1912, the team used area parks such as Brisbane Park, Ponce de Leon Park
, and Piedmont Park
as the home field. Georgia Tech took out a seven-year lease on what is now the southern end of Grant Field, although the land was not adequate for sports, due to its unleveled, rocky nature. In 1905, Heisman had 300 convict laborers
clear rocks, remove tree stumps, and level out the field for play; Tech students then built a grandstand on the property. The land was purchased by 1913, and John W. Grant
donated $15,000 towards the construction of the field's first permanent stands; the field was named Grant Field in honor of the donor's deceased son, Hugh Inman Grant.
The stadium now sits amongst a unique urban skyline and is the oldest Division I FBS football stadium. In fact, the only Division I stadiums older are Franklin Field
at the University of Pennsylvania
and Harvard Stadium
. Grant Field was natural grass until 1971. The astroturf
was replaced by grass in 1995. The stadium officially holds 55,000 but has held up to 56,412 in 2005 and 56,680 in 2006.
When head coach Paul Johnson was hired in 2008, the Yellow Jackets adopted a new uniform style. One year later, the uniforms were altered to change the yellow to gold. A year after that, the uniforms were altered again. This time, the team adopted separate white uniforms for both home and away games, while retaining the previous styles' navy and gold jerseys for occasions when the Yellow Jackets could not wear white at home.
|-
| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" style="width:80%;"
|-
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| Year
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| Coach
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| Selector
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| Record
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| Bowl
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 1917 || John Heisman
|| National Championship Foundation, Helms Athletic Foundation, Houlgate || 9-0 || --
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 1928 || William Alexander || National Championship Foundation, Helms Athletic Foundation, Houlgate || 10-0 || Won Rose
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 1952 || Bobby Dodd
|| Berryman, INS, Poling || 12-0 || Won Sugar
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 1990
|| Bobby Ross
|| UPI
|| 11-0-1 || Won Citrus
|- style="text-align:center;"
| colspan=4 bgcolor="#FFFFFF"| Total national championships:
| colspan=2 bgcolor="#FFFFFF"| 4
|}
{| class="collapsible collapsed" cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="60%" text-align:"center"
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|W/L/T
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Date
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Bowl
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Opponent
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|PF
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|PA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1929 || Rose Bowl
|| California
|| 8 ||7
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1940 || Orange Bowl || Missouri
|| 21 ||7
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||01-01-1943 || Cotton Bowl Classic || Texas
|| 7 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1944 || Sugar Bowl
|| Tulsa || 20 ||18
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||01-01-1945 || Orange Bowl || Tulsa || 12 ||26
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1947 || Oil Bowl
|| Saint Mary's (CA) || 41 ||19
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1948 || Orange Bowl || Kansas
|| 20 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1952 || Orange Bowl || Baylor
|| 17 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1953 || Sugar Bowl
|| Ole Miss
|| 24 ||7
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1954 || Sugar Bowl || West Virginia
|| 42 ||19
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1955 || Cotton Bowl Classic || Arkansas || 14 ||6
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-02-1956 || Sugar Bowl
|| Pittsburgh
|| 7 ||0
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-29-1956 || Gator Bowl
|| Pittsburgh || 21 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||01-02-1960 || Gator Bowl || Arkansas || 7 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-30-1961 || Gator Bowl || Penn State || 15 ||30
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-22-1962 || Bluebonnet Bowl
|| Missouri || 10 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-22-1965 || Gator Bowl || Texas Tech
|| 31 ||21
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||01-02-1967 || Orange Bowl || Florida || 12 ||27
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-19-1970 || Sun Bowl
|| Texas Tech || 17 ||9
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-30-1971 || Peach Bowl || Ole Miss || 18 ||41
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-18-1972 || Liberty Bowl
|| Iowa State
|| 31 ||30
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-25-1978 || Peach Bowl || Purdue
|| 21 ||41
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-31-1985 || Hall of Fame Classic || Michigan State
|| 17 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1991 || Citrus Bowl
|| Nebraska
|| 45 ||21
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-25-1991 || Aloha Bowl
|| Stanford
|| 18 ||17
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-29-1997 || Carquest Bowl || West Virginia || 35 ||30
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1999 || Gator Bowl || Notre Dame || 35 ||28
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||01-01-2000 || Gator Bowl || Miami
|| 13 ||28
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-29-2000 || Peach Bowl
|| Louisiana State || 14 ||28
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-27-2001 || Seattle Bowl
|| Stanford || 24 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-31-2002 || Silicon Valley Classic || Fresno State
|| 21 ||30
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-03-2004 || Humanitarian Bowl || Tulsa
|| 52 ||10
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-21-2004 || Champs Sports Bowl
|| Syracuse
|| 51 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-29-2005 || Emerald Bowl
|| Utah
|| 10 ||38
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||01-1-2007 || Gator Bowl || West Virginia
|| 35 ||38
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-31-2007 || Humanitarian Bowl
|| Fresno State
|| 28 || 40
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-31-2008 || Chick-fil-A Bowl
|| Louisiana State
|| 3 || 38
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||01-05-2010 || Orange Bowl
|| Iowa
|| 14 || 24
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-27-2010 || Independence Bowl
|| Air Force
|| 7 || 14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
|}
balloting. Eddie Prokop finished fifth in the 1943 Heisman voting, Lenny Snow finished 14th in the 1966 voting, Eddie Lee Ivery finished 8th in the 1978 voting, and Calvin Johnson finished 10th in the 2006 voting. Billy Lothridge is the only Tech player to receive votes in multiple years. He was 8th in 1962 and runner-up in 1963. Clint Castleberry was the only freshman in the history of the Heisman to finish as high as third until Herschel Walker
's third place finish in 1980. Castleberry and Walker, however, were both surpassed in 2004 by true freshman Adrian Peterson's Heisman runner-up season. Joe Hamilton tied Lothridge's runner-up status in 1999.
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="60%" text-align:"center"
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Name
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Position
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Year
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Finish
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Clint Castleberry
|| HB || 1942 || Third
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Eddie Prokop || QB || 1943 || Fifth
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Billy Lothridge
|| QB || 1963 || Runner-up
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Joe Hamilton || QB || 1999 || Runner-up
|}
in 1917 while the most recent were Durant Brooks in 2007, Michael Johnson in 2008, and Derrick Morgan in 2009.
{|class="collapsible collapsed" cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="60%" text-align:"center"
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Name
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Position
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Selected
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Hometown
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Maxie Baughan
|| C || 1959 || Bessemer, AL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Ray Beck
|| G || 1951 || Cedartown, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Don Bessillieu
|| DB || 1978 || Decatur, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Jim Breland || C || 1966 || Blacksburg, VA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| George Broadnax || E || 1948 || Atlanta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Durant Brooks
|| P || 2007 || Macon, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Chris Brown || T || 2000 || Augusta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Pete Brown || OC || 1952 || Rossville, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Gerry Bussell
|| DB || 1964 || Jacksonville, FL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Walker Carpenter || T || 1917 || Newnan, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Marco Coleman
|| OLB || 1990 || Dayton, OH
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Bobby Davis || T || 1947 || Columbus, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| John Davis || T || 1985 || Ellijay, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| A.M. Day || C || 1918 || -
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Paul Duke || C || 1946 || Atlanta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Bill Fincher
|| E || 1918, 1920 || -
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Smylie Gebhart || DE || 1971 || Meridian, MS
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Rufus Guthrie
|| G || 1962 || Atlanta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Joe Guyon
|| T, HB || 1918 || White Earth, MN
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Joe Hamilton || QB || 1999 || Alvin, SC
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Leon Hardeman || HB || 1952 || LaFayette, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Harvey Hardy
|| G || 1942 || Marion, AL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Bill Healy || DG || 1948 || -
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Robert Ison || E || 1939 || -
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Calvin Johnson
|| WR || 2005, 2006 || Tyrone, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Michael Johnson
|| DE || 2008 || Selma, AL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Billy Lothridge
|| QB || 1963 || Gainesville, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Billy Martin
|| E || 1963 || Gainesville, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Buck Martin || E || 1952 || Haleyville, AL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Hal Miller || OT || 1952 || Kingsport, TN
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Warner Mizell || HB || 1928 || -
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Derrick Morgan
|| DE || 2009 || Coatesville, PA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Bobby Moorhead || DB || 1952 || Miami, FL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| George Morris
|| LB || 1952 || Vicksburg, MS
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Larry Morris
|| C || 1953 || Decatur, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Craig Page
|| C || 1998 || Jupiter, FL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Rock Perdoni || DT || 1970 || Wellesley, MA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Peter Pund
|| C || 1928 || Augusta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Randy Rhino
|| DB || 1972 || Charlotte, North Carolina
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Coleman Rudolph
|| DT || 1992 || Valdosta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Lucius Sanford
|| LB || 1977 || Atlanta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Scott Sisson
|| K || 1992 || Marietta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Lenny Snow || TB || 1966 || Daytona Beach, FL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Frank Speer || T || 1928 || Atlanta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| John Steber
|| G || 1943 || -
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Don Stephenson
|| C || 1956 || Bessemer, AL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Everett Strupper
|| HB || 1917 || -
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Ken Swilling || FS || 1990 || Toccoa, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Pat Swilling
|| DE || 1985 || Toccoa, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Phil Tinsley || E || 1944 || Bessemer, AL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Lamar Wheat || DT || 1951 || Chattanooga, TN
|}
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="60%" text-align:"center"
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Name
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Award
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Year
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Joe Hamilton || O'Brien
|| 1999
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Calvin Johnson
|| Biletnikoff
|| 2006
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Durant Brooks
|| Ray Guy
|| 2007
|}
in South Bend, Indiana
. Coaches Heisman, Alexander, and Dodd were inducted in the 1954, 1951, and 1993 classes respectively.
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="60%" text-align:"center"
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Name
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Position
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Played
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Inducted
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Maxie Baughn || C || 1957–1959 || 1988
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Ray Beck || G || 1948–1951 || 1997
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Bobby Davis || T || 1944–1947 || 1978
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Bill Fincher || E, T || 1916–1920 || 1974
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Buck Flowers || OG || 1916–1920 || 1955
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Joe Guyon || HB, T || 1912–1918 || 1971
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| George Morris || C || 1950–1952 || 1981
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Larry Morris || C || 1951–1954 || 1992
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Pat Swilling || DE || 1982–1985 || 2009
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Peter Pund || C || 1926–1928 || 1963
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Randy Rhino || S || 1972–1974 || 2002
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Everett Strupper || HB || 1915–1917 || 1972
|}
Georgia Tech has over 150 alumni that have played in the National Football League
. Tech has had ten players selected in the first round of the NFL draft since its inception in 1937. The first Georgia Tech player ever to be drafted was Middleton Fitzsimmons in 1937. He was drafted 2nd in the 10th round by the Chicago Bears
. The first Tech player selected in the first round was Eddie Prokop in 1945 and the most recent first round Yellow Jackets were Demaryius Thomas and Derrick Morgan in 2010.
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="60%" text-align:"center"
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Name
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Position
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Year
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Overall Pick
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Team
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Derrick Morgan
|| DE || 2010 || 16th || Tennessee Titans
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Demaryius Thomas
|| WR || 2010 || 22nd || Denver Broncos
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Calvin Johnson
|| WR || 2007 || 2nd || Detroit Lions
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Keith Brooking
|| LB || 1998 || 12th || Atlanta Falcons
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Marco Coleman
|| DE || 1992 || 12th || Miami Dolphins
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Eddie Lee Ivery || RB || 1979 || 15th || Green Bay Packers
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Kent Hill || OG || 1979 || 26th || L.A. Rams
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Rufus Guthrie || OG || 1963 || 10th || L.A. Rams
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Larry Morris || LB || 1955 || 7th || L.A. Rams
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Eddie Prokop || QB || 1945 || 4th || Boston Yanks
|}
Two Yellow Jackets have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
. Joe Guyon played professional football from 1920-1927. Guyon was a collegiate teammate of Jim Thorpe
at Carlisle Indian Industrial School
before transferring to Georgia Tech. His playing career began with the Canton Bulldogs
and finished with the New York Giants
. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the class of 1966. Billy Shaw played professional football for the Buffalo Bills
from 1961-1969. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the class of 1999.
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="60%" text-align:"center"
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Name
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Position
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Played
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Inducted
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Joe Guyon || HB, T || 1920–1927 || 1966
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Billy Shaw || OG || 1961–1969 || 1999
|}
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
in collegiate level
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...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are 8 men's and 7 women's teams that...
are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC). The Georgia Institute of Technology has fielded a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 664–447–43 (a .575 winning percentage). The Jackets play in Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field
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 Atlanta, Georgia, which has a capacity of 55,000. The Jackets have won four Division I-A college football national championships and 15 conference titles. Their success led to Street and Smith to call them the 16th greatest football program of all time, two spots ahead of hated rival University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
.
A number of successful collegiate and professional football players once played for Tech. The school has 48 first-team All-Americans and over 150 alumni who have played in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Among the most lauded and most notable players the school has produced are Keith Brooking
Keith Brooking
Keith Howard Brooking is a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech...
, Joe Hamilton, Joe Guyon
Joe Guyon
Joseph Napoleon Guyon was a professional American football player in the National Football League...
, Billy Shaw
Billy Shaw
William Lewis "Billy" Shaw is an American former college and professional football player.Drafted in 1961 by the American Football League's Buffalo Bills, Billy Shaw of Georgia Tech was the prototypical "pulling guard" who despite his size held his own against much bigger defensive linemen like...
and Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson (American football)
Calvin Johnson, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech....
. In addition to its players, Tech's football program has been noted for its coaches and its, in many cases bizarre traditions and game finishes. Among the team's former coaches are John Heisman
John Heisman
John William Heisman was an American player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Oberlin College , Buchtel College, now known as the University of Akron , Auburn University , Clemson University , Georgia Tech , the...
, for whom the Heisman trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
is named, and Bobby Dodd
Bobby Dodd
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....
, for whom 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...
and the school's stadium are named. Heisman led the team to the highest-scoring game in American football history, and both Heisman and Dodd led Tech's football team to national championships. Dodd also led the Jackets on their longest winning streak against the University of Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
, Tech's most time-endured rival.
The beginnings: 1892–1903
Mercer University
Mercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
. The team lost to Mercer 12–6 in Macon, GA
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
. The Macon Telegraph reported, "The game, while not brilliant, was full of earnest and determined effort, and this sort of playing, is after all, the most enjoyable to watch." Tech played two other games during their first season and lost both of them for a season record of 0–3. Discouraged by these results, the Blacksmiths sought a coach to improve their record. Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood was a physician who served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Military Governor of Cuba and Governor General of the Philippines. Early in his military career, he received the Medal of Honor. Wood also holds officer service #2 in the Regular Army...
, a local Atlantan, heard of Tech's football struggles and volunteered to player-coach the team.
In 1893, Tech played against the University of Georgia for the first time. Tech defeated Georgia 28–6 for the school's first-ever victory. The angry Georgia fans threw stones and other debris at the Tech players during and after the game. The poor treatment of the Blacksmiths by the Georgia faithful gave birth to the rivalry now known as Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate
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...
. Over the span of 1892–1903, Tech only won 8 games, tied in 5, and lost 32. A professional coach was desperately needed if Tech wished to build a truly competitive football program.
Heisman's legend: 1904–1919
The Tech football team noted a particular coach during their initial abysmal run. The first game of the 1903 season was a 73–0 destruction at the hands of John HeismanJohn Heisman
John William Heisman was an American player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Oberlin College , Buchtel College, now known as the University of Akron , Auburn University , Clemson University , Georgia Tech , the...
's Clemson
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
; shortly after the season, Tech offered Heisman a coaching position. Heisman was hired by Tech for $2,250 a year and 30% of the home ticket sales. Heisman would not disappoint the Tech faithful as his first season was an 8–1–1 performance. He would also muster a 5-game winning streak against the hated Georgia Bulldogs from 1904–1908 before incidents led up to the cutting of athletic ties with Georgia in 1919.
Cumberland University
Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842, though the current campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896.-History:...
ended its football program and attempted to cancel a scheduled game with Heisman's Jackets. Heisman, however, was seeking vengeance for a 22–0 baseball loss to Cumberland in the spring of 1916, a game in which Heisman suspected Cumberland of hiring professional players to pose as Cumberland students. Heisman refused the game's cancellation and Cumberland mustered up a group of commonfolk to play Tech. Tech won 222–0. Neither team achieved a first down, as Cumberland either punted or turned the ball over before a first down and Tech scored on almost every play from scrimmage. Jim Preas, Tech's kicker, kicked 16 point after tries, which is still a record for a single game.
Heisman coached Tech all the way up until 1919. He had amassed 104 wins over 16 seasons, helped students construct Grant Field in 1913, and led Tech to its first national title in 1917. However in 1919, he had divorced his wife and felt that he would embarrass his wife socially if he remained in Atlanta. Heisman moved to Pennsylvania leaving Tech's Yellow Jackets in the hands of William Alexander.
Alexander continues the trend: 1920–1944
Alexander had attended Georgia Tech and after graduating as valedictorian of his class in 1912, taught mathematics at Tech and served as Heisman's assistant coach. In 1920, he was given the job of head coaching Tech's football team. Alexander's first season saw Tech win an SIAA title and finish the season with a win over rival Auburn. In 1927, Alexander instituted "the Plan." Tech and UGA had just renewed their annual rivalry game in 1925 after an eight-year hiatus. Georgia was highly rated to start the 1927 season1927 college football season
The 1927 college football season ended with the Illini of the University of Illinois being recognized as champion under the Dickinson system. In the Rose Bowl, the Pittsburgh Panthers were invited to play against the Pacific Coast Conference champion...
and justified their rating throughout the season going 9–0 in their first 9 games. Alexander's plan was to minimize injuries by benching his starters early no matter the score of every game before the UGA finale. On December 3, 1927, UGA rolled into Atlanta on the cusp of a National Title. Tech's well rested starters shut out the Bulldogs 12–0 and ended any chance of UGA's first National Title.
Alexander's 1928 team would be the very first Tech team to attend a bowl game. The team had amassed a perfect 9–0 record and was invited to the 1929 Rose Bowl
1929 Rose Bowl
The 1929 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game and the 15th annual Rose Bowl Game. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defeated the California Golden Bears by a score of 8-7. The game was notable for a play by California All-American Roy Riegels in which he scooped up a Georgia Tech fumble and ran...
to play California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
. Tech traveled by train to meet the awaiting Golden Bears. The game was a defensive struggle with the first points being scored after a Georgia Tech fumble. The loose ball was scooped up by California Center Roy Riegels
Roy Riegels
Roy "Wrong Way" Riegels played for the University of California, Berkeley football team from 1927 to 1929...
and then accidentally returned in the wrong direction. Riegels returned the ball all the way to Georgia Tech's 3 yard line. After Riegels was finally tackled by his own team, the Bears opted to punt from the end zone. The punt was blocked and converted by Tech into a safety giving Tech a 2–0 lead. Cal would score a touchdown and point after but Tech would score another touchdown to finally win the game 8–7. This victory made Tech the 10–0 undefeated National Champions of 1928
1928 college football season
The 1928 college football season had the USC Trojans recognized as champions under the Dickinson System, but the Rose Bowl was contested between the #2 and #3 teams, California and Georgia Tech...
. It was Tech's second National Title in 11 years. After the game, Jack "Stumpy" Thomason acquired a live bear cub. He brought the cub back to Atlanta, where it lived under the bleachers of Grant Field for several years before it moved along with Stumpy up to Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
.
Coach Alexander found campus spirit to be particularly low following the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. His successful football program and the other athletic teams had very few student fans attending the games. He helped to establish a spirit organization known as the Yellow Jacket Club in 1930
1930 college football season
The 1930 college football season saw Notre Dame repeat as national champion under the Dickinson system, and a post-season Rose Bowl matchup between two unbeaten teams, Washington State and Alabama, ranked #2 and #3, respectively...
to bolster student spirit. The group would later become the Ramblin' Reck Club. Coach Alexander finally retired in 1944 after winning 134 games as head coach and taking Tech to the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl Classic, and Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
. To this day, Alexander has the second most victories of any Tech football coach. The record for most coaching victories in Tech history is still held by Alexander's then coordinator and eventual successor Bobby Dodd
Bobby Dodd
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....
.
The only retired jersey in Georgia Tech football history is #19. The number belonged to Tech halfback Clint Castleberry
Clint Castleberry
Lt. Clinton Dillard Castleberry, Jr. was a football player in the 1940s.-College football:...
. Castleberry played on the 1942 Tech team as a true freshman and was third place in the 1942 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
voting. After ending his freshman year at Tech, Castleberry elected to join the war effort and signed up for the Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
. While co-piloting a B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
over Africa, Castleberry, his crew, and another B-26 disappeared and were never heard from again. Castleberry has been memorialized on Grant Field ever since his passing with a prominent #19 on display in the stadium.
Dodd wins titles, sets records, & beats the Dogs: 1945–1966
Bobby Dodd
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....
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 1951–1952. 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 previously undefeated, seventh ranked Mississippi 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...
., in a season that also included victories over Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
champions, 9th ranked, 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...
, 15th ranked Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
champions Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
, 16th ranked Duke
Duke Blue Devils football
The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal...
, and a 7-4 rival Georgia. While 9-0 Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
would capture the AP and UP titles, the Yellow Jackets' were ranked first in the International News Service poll.
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 against Georgia remains the longest winning streak by either team 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 visiting the Tide at Denny Stadium
Bryant-Denny Stadium
Bryant–Denny Stadium, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is the home stadium for the University of Alabama football team. The stadium opened in 1929, and was originally named Denny Stadium, in honor of former Alabama president George Hutchenson Denny...
in 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 would not retire from athletic directing until 1976.
Coaching in Dodd's shadow: 1967–1986
Bud Carson was Tech's defensive coordinator in 1966. His job was to appease the massive Tech fan base Bobby Dodd had accumulated. Carson was not the charismatic leader like Dodd but rather a strategy man that enjoyed intense game planning. Carson's most notable achievements included recruiting Tech's first ever African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
scholarship athlete and being the first Tech head coach to be fired.
Carson recruited Eddie McAshan
Eddie McAshan
Edward 'Eddie' McAshan, III was born the son of a mortician in Gainesville, Florida. He was a successful college quarterback for Georgia Tech and became one of the most famous athletes in college football history for being the first African American to start at quarterback for a major Southeastern...
to play quarterback in 1970. After several Summer practices, McAshan won the starting quarterback job and became the first African American quarterback to start for a major Southeastern
Deep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
university. This decision initially polarized Georgia Tech's fan base, but after winning his first 4 starts and leading Tech to a 9–3 season after three straight 4–6 seasons, McAshan won the hearts of the Tech faithful. McAshan's besting of UGA in the annual rivalry game made McAshan a fixture on campus. The following season, however, led to Carson's demise. In 1971, Tech went 6–6 and a fan base used to Bobby Dodd's 8 wins per season average forced Carson out by James E. Boyd
James E. Boyd (scientist)
James Emory "Jim" Boyd was an American physicist, mathematician, and academic administrator. He was director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute from 1957 to 1961, president of West Georgia College from 1961 to 1971, and acting president of the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1971 to...
's hand. Carson went on to form the Steel Curtain
Steel Curtain
The Steel Curtain was the nickname given to the front four of the famous defensive line of the American football team Pittsburgh Steelers during their 1970s dynasty years. This defense was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won 4 Super Bowls...
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
defense.
Bill Fulcher
Bill Fulcher
-External links:*...
supplanted Bud Carson. Fulcher appeared to be the right choice but quit after two seasons, overwhelmed by the Tech fan base. Fulcher's tenure included a terrible feud with Eddie McAshan, which peaked before the 1972 UGA game. McAshan had requested additional tickets for the game so that his family could attend. Fulcher refused the ticket request and McAshan sat out of practice in protest. Fulcher responded by suspending the quarterback for the UGA game and the upcoming Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
. The story exploded on the national scene when Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
attended the UGA game, allowing McAshan to sit with him outside of the stadium
Sanford Stadium
Sanford Stadium is the on-campus playing venue for football at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, United States. The 92,746-seat stadium is the seventh largest stadium in the NCAA. Architecturally, the stadium is known for the fact that its numerous expansions over the years have been...
in protest.
Pepper Rodgers
Pepper Rodgers
Franklin C. "Pepper" Rodgers is a former American football player and coach in the United States. He served as the head coach at the University of Kansas , University of California, Los Angeles , and the Georgia Institute of Technology , compiling a career college football record of...
was hired soon after Fulcher quit. Rodgers was hired away from the UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
and like Carson and Fulcher, simply could not return Tech to its national prominence of Dodd's era, and after six seasons, Rodgers had accumulated only 34 wins and barely a 50% winning percentage. Rodgers flamboyant demeanor shortened his welcome at the school, and Athletic Director Doug Weaver, replaced him with Bill Curry. Homer Rice became Athletic Director, and attempted to reinvigorate Tech's program by joining the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
in 1980. The Georgia Tech football program reached its lowest point in modern history after the hiring of Bill Curry
Bill Curry
William Alexander "Bill" Curry is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head coach at Georgia State University, which began competing in college football in 2010...
, who had no experience as a head coach, but was a refreshing change after the flamboyant Rodgers. Curry's first two Tech teams from 1980–1981 went 2-19-1 with the only bright spots being a brilliant 24-21 victory over Bear Bryant's Alabama team at Legion Field to open the 1981 season and a 3-3 slug fest in 1980 with then No.1 rated Notre Dame at Grant Field. Things had gotten so bad, they could only get better. He slowly rebuilt the team, restored a winning mentality to the Georgia Tech fan base, and in 1985 Tech won 9 games, including a 17-14 victory over Michigan State in the All American Bowl.
Tech's 1984–1985 teams featured the "Black Watch" defense. The Black Watch defense was created by defensive coordinator Don Lindsey and featured linebackers Ted Roof
Ted Roof
Terrence Edwin Roof, Jr. is an American football coach and former player. Currently, he is the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Auburn University. Roof served as the head coach at Duke University from 2003 to 2007, compiling a 6–45 record...
and Jim Anderson and lineman Pat Swilling
Pat Swilling
Patrick Travis Swilling is a former American football linebacker in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints and a delegate in the Louisiana House of Representatives. He earned five Pro Bowl appearances.-College career:...
. The elite defensive players were awarded black stripes down the center of their helmets and black GT emblems on the side of their helmets. Curry's leadership and ability to build a winning program sparked interest from the Crimson Tide and Alabama hired Curry away from Tech in 1986
1986 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Penn State winning the national championship. Coached by Joe Paterno, they defeated Miami 14–10 in the Fiesta Bowl. This Fiesta Bowl was the first in the game's history to decide the national championship, launching it into the top tier of...
. After Curry's departure, Tech hired the talented Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
Coach Bobby Ross
Bobby Ross
Robert Joseph Ross is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at The Citadel , the University of Maryland, College Park , the Georgia Institute of Technology , and the United States Military Academy , compiling a career college football record of 103–101–2...
, who departed a Maryland athletic program in turmoil after the Len Bias
Len Bias
Leonard Kevin "Len" Bias was a first team All-American college basketball player at the University of Maryland. He was selected by the Boston Celtics as the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft on June 17, but died two days later from cardiac arrhythmia induced by a cocaine overdose...
tragedy.
Old gold gets new shine: 1987–1991
Bobby Ross came from Maryland after winning three ACC titles over four years. Ross' first season at Tech experienced a severe talent vacuum after Curry's departure, and the players Ross inherited resisted the changes he demanded. The team only won two games, and Ross contemplated ending his coaching career after a humbling loss to Wake Forest in 1987. Ross decided to remain at Tech and continued to rebuild Tech's program. The turning point came in 1989 with the recruitment of Shawn JonesShawn Jones
Shawn Jones was a National Football League player for the Minnesota Vikings. Jones was a four year starter at Quarterback for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.- High School :...
and several other key freshman. After two seasons and only five total wins, Jones helped the Jackets rebound at the end of the 1989 season.
In Jones' sophomore season, Tech powered through their schedule and won the ACC. The four game unbeaten streak in 1989
1989 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Miami winning its third National Championship during the 80s, cementing its claim as the decade's top team, winning more titles than any other program....
extended all the way through 1990
1990 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split championship and the ensuing controversy led to the creation of the Bowl Coalition, a precursor to the Bowl Championship Series. The title was split between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets...
and into the 1991 Citrus Bowl. The key victory in the streak was a huge 41-38 come from behind upset victory over then No.1 ranked Virginia in Charlottesville before a nationwide TV audience. Tech demolished Nebraska 45–21 in the 1991 Citrus Bowl, finishing the season 11–0–1, and earning a share of the 1990 National Title with the Colorado Buffaloes
1990 Colorado Buffaloes football team
The 1990 Colorado Buffaloes football team represented the University of Colorado at Boulder in the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Buffaloes offense scored 338 points while the defense allowed 160 points. Led by head coach Bill McCartney, Colorado competed against Notre Dame in the...
.
Tech's winning streak ended against Penn State in the 1991 Kick Off Classic. Ross and Jones never replicated that 1990 season but managed to win 8 games in 1991 making Shawn Jones one of the most heralded quarterbacks in Tech history. Ross was offered a head coach position after the 1991 season
1991 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split champion for the second consecutive season. Both the Miami Hurricanes and the Washington Huskies finished the season undefeated and with the top ranking in a nationally recognized poll...
for the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, which he took. After first considering Ross assistant coaches, Ralph Friedgen and George O'Leary, Tech hired Bill Lewis
Bill Lewis (football)
-External links:*...
away from East Carolina soon after Ross' departure.
Controversies and Heisman contention: 1992–2001
Bill Lewis was hired from East CarolinaEast Carolina Pirates football
The East Carolina Pirates is a college football team that represents East Carolina University . The team is currently a member of the Conference USA, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association .The Pirates have won seven conference championships and...
. He led ECU to a 11-1 record, Peach Bowl Victory over NCST and Final Poll ranking of #9. The Tech faithful hoped that he could continue the winning tradition of Tech that Bobby Ross has kick-started. They were wrong. Bill Lewis' first season at Tech in 1992
1992 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition, and ended with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant...
saw a team two years removed from a National Title only win 5 games. Preseason All-American Shawn Jones
Shawn Jones
Shawn Jones was a National Football League player for the Minnesota Vikings. Jones was a four year starter at Quarterback for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.- High School :...
suffered from nagging injuries, leaving Tech's offense inept. After Jones' fourth year ran out, redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
freshman Donnie Davis
Donnie Davis
Donnie Davis was the starting quarterback for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 1993 and 1995...
stepped in to fill his shoes in 1993
1993 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State crowned national champions, but not without controversy.Under the Bowl Coalition, undefeated Big 8 champ and #2 ranked Nebraska hosted ACC champ and #1 ranked Florida State in the Orange Bowl...
. Davis did no better than Jones under Lewis. Davis only won 5 games for Tech. The Lewis era had completely squandered the successful momentum established by Bobby Ross.
During the Summer of '94, George O'Leary was rehired as defensive coordinator, and quarterback Donnie Davis was injured so Lewis recruited junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
transfer Tom Luginbill
Tom Luginbill
Tom Luginbill is a college football analyst for ESPN. Luginbill grew up in Tempe, Arizona and San Diego. He is the son of the professional and college coach Al Luginbill.-Playing career:...
. Luginbill was a proficient passer at Palomar College
Palomar College
Palomar College is a community college with one campus and six education sites in San Diego County, California. The main campus is located in San Marcos, while the six education sites are located elsewhere throughout north San Diego County. The largest of these is the education center located in...
. Luginbill's first two games in 1994
1994 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season saw yet another controversial finish as both Nebraska and Penn State finished undefeated, and yet Penn State finished a distant second in the final AP and UPI polls. The controversial finish, however, could have been an even worse morass if not for some...
showed promise as Tech almost upset Arizona
Arizona Wildcats football
The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:...
who was projected as the #1 team in the nation by Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
and won 45-26 over Western Carolina. After Western Carolina, Luginbill and Tech struggled. Tech lost its next 6 games before Lewis was terminated midseason. Defensive coordinator George O'Leary
George O'Leary
George Joseph O'Leary is the head football coach of the UCF Knights football team that represents the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida; he previously coached the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team from 1994 to 2001, and served as an assistant coach for the Minnesota...
took immediate control of Tech and after his interim session in 1994, he was appointed head coach in 1995
1995 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Alliance and was a relatively calm year compared to the early 1990s.Tom Osborne led Nebraska to its second straight national title with a victory over Florida in the Fiesta Bowl....
. O'Leary's first season saw Senior Donnie Davis return as starter and Tech won 6 games. O'Leary's second season saw the emergence of Joe Hamilton as starter when Brandon Shaw struggled in his first two starts. Hamilton would eventually lead the Jackets back to bowl contention and Tech attended its first bowl in six years, the 1997 Carquest Bowl.
Hamilton's prowess as a runner and passer thrilled the Georgia Tech fans. Offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Harry Friedgen is an American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2001 to 2010. Friedgen was previously an offensive coordinator at Maryland, Georgia Tech, and in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers...
utilized a complex offense with Hamilton that featured option football
Option offense
The option offense is a generic term that is used to describe a wide variety of offensive systems in American football. Option offenses are characterized as such due to the predominance of option running plays employed in these schemes. Option offenses have traditionally relied heavily upon running...
mixed in with complex timing routes. Hamilton racked up yardage, touchdowns, and wins for Tech. In 1998
1998 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first of the Bowl Championship Series, which saw Tennessee win the national championship, one year after star quarterback Peyton Manning left for the NFL...
, Hamilton and Tech's high powered offense won 10 games and a season ending victory over Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
. Hamilton's senior year put him on the national stage. He was a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy against rushing phenomenon Ron Dayne
Ron Dayne
Ron Dayne is a former American football running back who is currently a free agent. He holds the NCAA record for career rushing yards, and he won the 1999 Heisman Trophy.-Early life:...
. Hamilton passed for over 3000 yards and rushed for over 700 yards. But while Hamilton dazzled, the Georgia Tech defense was a liability (they allowed around 28 points per game), and may have ultimately cost Hamilton the 1999 Heisman Trophy. In a late-season, nationally-televised game against Wake Forest, Tech gave up 26 points and Hamilton threw two interceptions and no touchdowns. As an indirect result, Dayne went on to win the Heisman (Joe was runner-up). Hamilton's Georgia Tech career ended on a sour note in the 2000 Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
against the Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
, where the Jackets lost 28–13. The following season, redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
junior George Godsey, a more traditional pocket passer, succeeded Hamilton at the helm of Tech's powerful offense. The drop-off was minimal—Godsey continued where Hamilton left off, winning 9 games in 2000
2000 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Oklahoma Sooners claiming their first national championship and their first conference championship since the departure of head coach Barry Switzer....
and 8 games in 2001
2001 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the University of Miami winning the national title for the fifth time.The Hurricanes were led by Larry Coker, who was in his first year as head coach after five years as Miami's offensive coordinator under Butch Davis...
. In 2000, Godsey also led Tech to their third straight victory over the archival Georgia Bulldogs.
The end of the 2001 season saw George O'Leary entertain a coaching offer from Notre Dame after Bob Davie
Bob Davie (coach)
Robert Edwin "Bob" Davie, Jr. is the head coach for the University of New Mexico Lobos. He is a former ESPN analyst and former American football player...
announced resignation as Irish head coach. O'Leary was eventually awarded the position, but it was revoked shortly thereafter when Notre Dame discovered that O'Leary had fabricated several aspects of his resume. He claimed to have played three years for the University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
and to have attained a Master's degree from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
; in actuality, he had attended NYU but did not graduate, and he never played a down of New Hampshire football. Following O'Leary's departure, Mac McWhorter
Mac McWhorter
Hamilton Pierce "Mac" McWhorter is the former offensive line coach for the Texas Longhorns and was the interim head coach for Georgia Tech's football team in 2001 after George O'Leary resigned and only coached for one game, the 2001 Seattle Bowl against No. 11-ranked Stanford...
was named interim head coach for Georgia Tech's bowl game, a victory over Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
in the 2002 Seattle Bowl
2002 Seattle Bowl
The 2002 Seattle Bowl was the second and final edition of the college football bowl game , and was played at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington. The game pitted the University of Oregon Ducks from the Pac-10 and the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons from the ACC...
. The following spring, Chan Gailey
Chan Gailey
Thomas Chandler "Chan" Gailey, Jr. is an American professional and college football coach. Gailey is the current head coach of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League ; he was formerly the head coach of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets college football...
was hired to replace O'Leary as Georgia Tech's head coach.
Great upsets, upsetting losses, and a termination: 2002–2007
Chan Gailey
Thomas Chandler "Chan" Gailey, Jr. is an American professional and college football coach. Gailey is the current head coach of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League ; he was formerly the head coach of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets college football...
came to Georgia Tech in 2002 after head coaching stints with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, Samford Bulldogs
Samford Bulldogs
Samford University fields 17 varsity teams . The Bulldogs have done well in recent years in both football and men's basketball, participating in the 1999 and 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The women's basketball team made its initial NCAA tournament appearance in the 2011 NCAA...
, and Troy Trojans
Troy Trojans
The Troy Trojans were a Major League Baseball team in the National League for four seasons from 1879 to 1882. Their home games were played at Putnam Grounds , Haymakers' Grounds , and Troy Ball Clubs Grounds , all in the upstate New York city of Troy. Overall, the franchise won 131 games and lost...
. Gailey's first team in 2002
2002 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season ended the season with what most consider an exciting double overtime national championship game. Ohio State and Miami both came into the Fiesta Bowl undefeated. The underdog Buckeyes defeated the Hurricanes 31–24, ending Miami's 34 game winning...
managed to win seven games under the quarterbacking of A.J. Suggs. The most notable game of the 2002 season was an upset of National Title Contender North Carolina State. Georgia Tech rallied in the fourth quarter to upset N.C. State and end Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
's Heisman Trophy hopes. In 2003
2003 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with an abundance of controversy, resulting in a split national championship. This was the first split title since the inception of the BCS, something the BCS intended to eliminate....
, eleven Georgia Tech players were found academically ineligible. Despite the academic losses and the playing of true freshman Reggie Ball
Reggie Ball
Reginald Lewis Ball is an American football Quarterback who currently plays for the Bricktown Brawlers of the Indoor Football League He was originally signed by the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
, Gailey would lead Tech to a seven-win season and humiliation of Tulsa in the Humanitarian Bowl. P.J. Daniels racked up over 300 yards rushing in the effort.
2004
2004 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2004 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the college football season of 2004-2005. The team's coach is former Dallas Cowboys, Samford Bulldogs, and Troy Trojans coach Chan Gailey...
and 2005
2005 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2005 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the college football season of 2005-2006. The team's coach is former Dallas Cowboys, Samford Bulldogs, and Troy Trojans coach Chan Gailey...
saw Georgia Tech improve talent and skill wise but Tech won seven games again. Star Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson (American football)
Calvin Johnson, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech....
arrived as a true freshman in 2004. His performance against Clemson in 2004 helped cement Johnson's place in the annals of all-time Tech greats. Two off-the-field problems affected the Yellow Jackets' 2005 season. First, Reuben Houston
Reuben Houston
Reuben James Houston was a cornerback for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team from 2002 to 2005. Houston had 158 career tackles, 16 pass breakups, 12 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He is also a former all-ACC triple jumper for Georgia Tech's track...
, a starting cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
, was arrested for possession of over one hundred pounds of marijuana. Reuben was dismissed from the football team immediately following this arrest but a later court order forced Coach Gailey to allow Houston to return to the team. Houston would see little playing time following the court order.
At the end of the 2005 season, an NCAA investigation found that eleven ineligible players had played for the Yellow Jackets between the 1998 and 2005 seasons. These players played while not making progress towards graduation on the NCAA-approved schedule. The football victories for that season were initially revoked, and Georgia Tech was put on two years of NCAA probation. Twelve football scholarships were stricken from Georgia Tech's allotment for the 2006 and 2007 freshman classes. The Georgia Tech Athletic Department appealed this decision by the NCAA, and the records were restored but scholarship reductions and probation remained. Athletic Director Dave Braine retired in January 2006, and Dan Radakovich was hired as Athletic Director.
Gailey's most successful year at Georgia Tech was in 2006 with nine victories and the ACC Coastal Division championship. The Yellow Jackets football team
2006 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2006 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the college football season of 2006-2007. The team's coach is former Dallas Cowboys, Samford Bulldogs, and Troy Trojans coach Chan Gailey...
reached its first New Year's Bowl since the 1999 Gator Bowl and played the West Virginia Mountaineers
2006 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2006 West Virginia Mountaineers football team completed the season with a 11–2 record. The Mountaineers had a regular season Big East record of 5–2.-2006 Schedule:-Rankings:- References :...
in the Gator Bowl. Tashard Choice
Tashard Choice
Tashard J. Choice , is an American football running back for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He played collegiately at Georgia Tech. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft.Choice began his collegiate career at The University of Oklahoma but...
led the ACC in rushing yards and Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson (American football)
Calvin Johnson, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech....
led the ACC in receptions and receiving yardage. After an impressive 33-3 victory at Notre Dame to open the 2007 season, the team slid to finish 7-6. On the morning of Monday, November 26, 2007, Gailey was fired from the Yellow Jackets, two days after another heartbreaking loss to the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
.
The Yellow Jackets' Athletic Department hired Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson (American football coach)
Paul Johnson is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology, a position he has held since the 2008 season. Previously, Johnson served as the head coach at Georgia Southern University from 1997 to 2001 and at the United States Naval Academy...
, then the head coach at Navy and former Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University is a national public university located on a campus in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1906, it is part of the University System of Georgia and is the largest center of higher education in the southern half of Georgia offering 117 academic majors in a comprehensive...
head coach, as Gailey's replacement on December 7, 2007.
Paul Johnson era: 2008–Present
On Friday, December 7, 2007, less than two weeks after Georgia Tech announced the firing of Chan Gailey, Paul JohnsonPaul Johnson (American football coach)
Paul Johnson is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology, a position he has held since the 2008 season. Previously, Johnson served as the head coach at Georgia Southern University from 1997 to 2001 and at the United States Naval Academy...
was announced as the new Georgia Tech head football coach. Johnson was hired under a seven year contract worth more than $11 million. Johnson immediately began installing his unique flexbone option offense
Flexbone formation
The flexbone formation is an offensive formation in American football that uses a quarterback, five offensive linemen, three running backs, and varying numbers of tight ends and wide receivers. The flexbone formation is a predominant running formation derived from the wishbone formation and it...
at Georgia Tech. By the regular season's end, Johnson had led the Yellow Jackets to a 9–3 record including an ACC Coastal Division Co-Championship and a 45–42 win in Athens, GA over arch-rival UGA, Tech's first win against the Bulldogs since 2000. In recognition of his accomplishments in his first season, Johnson was named 2008 ACC Coach of the Year by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association as well as the CBSSports.com coach of the year.
Several weeks after Johnson's defeat of rival Georgia, Georgia Tech rewarded Johnson with a new contract worth $17.7 million, a 53% raise that made him the second highest paid coach in the ACC before he had even completed his first year in the conference. In 2009, Johnson led the Yellow Jackets to their first win over Florida State in Tallahassee in school history, a 49-44 shootout that featured over 1000 total yards between the two teams. One week later, Johnson defeated #4 Virginia Tech 28-23 at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The win broke an 0-17 losing streak to top five opponents at Grant Field in the past 47 years. On October 24, 2009, Johnson led the Yellow Jackets to their first win against the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville, VA since 1990. At Duke University Johnson and his team clinched the ACC Coastal Division for the first time since 2006. Still, Johnson and company could not win their second game in a row over hated Georgia as the Bulldogs upset Tech 30-24 in the final home game of the season in 2009. On December 5 the Jackets defeated the Clemson Tigers to make them ACC champions, a title that would be vacated on July 14, 2011 due to NCAA infractions. The Yellow Jackets went on to lose to Iowa in the Orange Bowl, 24-14.
Home stadium
From 1893–1912, the team used area parks such as Brisbane Park, Ponce de Leon Park
Ponce de Leon Park
Ponce de Leon Park, also known as Spiller Park or Spiller Field during 1924-1932, was the primary home field for the minor league baseball team called the Atlanta Crackers for nearly six decades. The Crackers played here in the Southern Association and the International League...
, and Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park is a urban park in Atlanta, Georgia, located about northeast of Downtown, between the Midtown and Virginia Highland neighborhoods. Originally the land was owned by Dr. Benjamin Walker, who used it as his out-of-town gentleman's farm and residence...
as the home field. Georgia Tech took out a seven-year lease on what is now the southern end of Grant Field, although the land was not adequate for sports, due to its unleveled, rocky nature. In 1905, Heisman had 300 convict laborers
Penal labour
Penal labour is a form of unfree labour in which prisoners perform work, typically manual labour. The work may be light or hard, depending on the context. Forms of sentence which involve penal labour include penal servitude and imprisonment with hard labour...
clear rocks, remove tree stumps, and level out the field for play; Tech students then built a grandstand on the property. The land was purchased by 1913, and John W. Grant
John W. Grant
John W. Grant was a member of the Georgia School of Technology board of trustees and a well-known Atlanta merchant sometime around the 1880s.He was the grandson of John T. Grant and the son of William D...
donated $15,000 towards the construction of the field's first permanent stands; the field was named Grant Field in honor of the donor's deceased son, Hugh Inman Grant.
The stadium now sits amongst a unique urban skyline and is the oldest Division I FBS football stadium. In fact, the only Division I stadiums older are Franklin Field
Franklin Field
Franklin Field is the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for football, field hockey, lacrosse, sprint football, and track and field . It is also used by Penn students for recreation, and for intramural and club sports, including touch football and cricket, and is the site of Penn's graduation...
at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
and Harvard Stadium
Harvard Stadium
Harvard Stadium is a horseshoe-shaped football stadium in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Built in 1903, the stadium seats 30,323. The stadium seated up to 57,166 in the past, as permanent steel stands were installed in the north end of the stadium in 1929...
. Grant Field was natural grass until 1971. The astroturf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
was replaced by grass in 1995. The stadium officially holds 55,000 but has held up to 56,412 in 2005 and 56,680 in 2006.
Logos and uniforms
The interlocking GT logo was developed in 1967 at the request of Bobby Dodd. One of the varsity players was asked to design a logo for the helmets. Several variations of the design were submitted. The yellow jacket was not submitted because to make the insect look mean it would have to be stinging and therefor flying backwards. The interlocking GT was selected during the summer of 1967 and formalized into decals for the helmets. Over the years it became the official logo for Georgia Tech.When head coach Paul Johnson was hired in 2008, the Yellow Jackets adopted a new uniform style. One year later, the uniforms were altered to change the yellow to gold. A year after that, the uniforms were altered again. This time, the team adopted separate white uniforms for both home and away games, while retaining the previous styles' navy and gold jerseys for occasions when the Yellow Jackets could not wear white at home.
Rivalries
- Georgia – Georgia Tech's fight songs and cheers are tailored to belittle the University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaThe University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
BulldogsGeorgia Bulldogs footballThe Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
, and the perennial catch-phrase for Georgia Tech fans for many decades has been "To Hell with Georgia". Georgia Tech and the Univ. of Georgia have played each other in football over 100 times (and hundreds more times in basketball, baseball, track and field, tennis, etc.) and this rivalry has become known as Clean, Old-Fashioned HateClean, Old-Fashioned HateClean, 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...
. The annual football game is by far the most important game on the schedule for most Georgia Tech sports fans. The winner of this game takes home the Georgia StateGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
Governor's Cup. Georgia Tech trails Georgia in the all-time series 61-37-5.
- Auburn – The Yellow Jackets have played the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (A.P.I.) or Auburn University TigersAuburn Tigers footballOnly Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
more than 80 times in football, and the series of football games between the two is the second-oldest in the Southeast. Auburn Univ. or A.P.I. is by far Georgia Tech's second-most-often played opponent in football. The rivalry is also intense in basketball, baseball, etc. For many years, the rivalry between Georgia Tech and A.P.I. in football became so heated that the annual games were not played in Atlanta or Auburn, but rather at the neutral site of a stadium in Columbus, GeorgiaColumbus, GeorgiaColumbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
, very close to the boundary between the two states.
- This rivalry lost some luster when the Georgia Tech Athletics discarded its membership in the Southeastern ConferenceSoutheastern ConferenceThe Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
in 1963 to become an independent institute and also to focus more on the academics of technology. However, the Yellow Jackets continued their annual series of football games with the Auburn Tigers through 19871987 NCAA Division I-A football seasonThe 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Miami winning its second national championship during the 80s in an Orange Bowl match-up featuring a rare #1 vs...
, and with the University of Georgia though the present day. Georgia Tech and Auburn play football games in occasional years, and games in other sports regularly. Even though the Yellow Jackets have joined the Atlantic Coast Conference for all sports in recent decades, from a historical perspective, the Auburn Tigers are Georgia Tech's second-highest sports rivalry, behind only the Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia Tech trails Auburn in the all time series 41-47-4, but beat Auburn at Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium in 2003 and in Auburn to open the 2005 season.
- Clemson TigersClemson – Georgia Tech rivalryThe Clemson–Georgia Tech football rivalry is an American college football rivalry game played by the Clemson Tigers football team of Clemson University and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team of the Georgia Institute of Technology...
– The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Clemson TigersClemson Tigers footballThe Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
have the fourth-most-played series in Georgia Tech football history. Clemson is Tech's closest opponent, geographically, in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Also, in the ACC's new two-division arrangement, each team has one football opponent in the opposite division which has been selected as the two teams' official cross-division rival that they play every year. The Yellow Jackets and the Clemson Tigers are one of these six pairs. In addition to their geographical closeness, the Georgia Tech – Clemson pairing is also a logical one because of both schools' long history in engineering, technology, and science education. Recently, the game has become known for last-minute, extremely close finishes.
- In 1977 (before the Yellow Jackets had even joined the ACC), this football series was being considered for termination by the administration of Georgia Tech. Clemson football fans, in an effort to show their economic impact on the Atlanta, Ga., area, brought with them to Atlanta large stockpiles of two-dollar bills that were stamped with Clemson Tiger Paws. Georgia Tech leads Clemson in the all time series 50-25-2.
- Notre Dame – The Georgia Tech-Notre Dame Fighting Irish footballNotre Dame Fighting Irish footballNotre 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...
rivalry is infamous more for atrocious off-the-field behavior, rather than the actual games. Georgia Tech fans pelted the Notre Dame players, coaches, and visiting fans with fish and liquor bottles during the games played at Bobby Dodd Stadium during the 1960s and 1970s. One of the more note worthy games was the 1980 3-3 slug fest at Grant Field during Bill Curry's first season, when then No.1 ranked Notre Dame left Grant Field with its hopes for a national championship in ruins, and once again the visitors were pelted with fish. The football game in 1975 was made famous nationwide in the movie RudyRudy (film)Rudy is a 1993 American sports film directed by David Anspaugh. It is an account of the life of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, who harbored dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame despite significant obstacles...
, in which the Notre Dame player Rudy Ruettiger tackles the Georgia Tech quarterback Rudy Allen. Georgia Tech trails Notre Dame in the all time series 27-6-1.
- Virginia Tech- The Georgia Tech – Virginia Tech (V.P.I. - Virginia Polytechnic Institute) rivalry has grown considerably since Virginia Tech entered the ACC. In previous years, the teams played infrequently. The intra-conference game has often seen both teams ranked and the outcome has played a key part in determining the winner of the ACC Coastal Division. Since the ACC switched to Division format in 2005, the winner of this game has gone on to win the Coastal Division, with VT winning four times and GT winning twice. Dubbed the Battle of the TechsBattle of the TechsThe Battle of the Techs is an American college football rivalry between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team of the Georgia Institute of Technology , and the Virginia Tech Hokies football team of Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University...
, the game has seen some very close, very intense match-ups.
Traditions
- Colors – Georgia Tech football features old gold and white uniforms with old gold helmets. Navy blueNavy blueNavy blue is a very dark shade of the color blue which almost appears as black. Navy blue got its name from the dark blue worn by officers in the British Royal Navy since 1748 and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world....
and black have been used as alternate jerseys. In 2006, Georgia Tech featured a throwbackThrowback uniformThrowback uniforms and jerseys are one-time or limited-time variations on a sports team's uniforms styled to resemble uniforms from that team's past. They have proven popular in all major pro and college sports in the USA, not only with fans, but with the teams' marketing and merchandising...
jersey based on Bud CarsonBud CarsonLeon 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:...
-era uniforms. The jerseys were mustard gold and the helmets were white. - Songs – The fight songs for Georgia Tech are "Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia TechRamblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech" Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech" is the fight song of the Georgia Institute of Technology, better known as Georgia Tech. The composition is based on "Son of a Gambolier", composed by Charles Ives in 1895, the lyrics of which are based on an old English and Scottish drinking song of the same...
" and "Up With the White and Gold". If Georgia Tech scores a touchdown, then both songs are played. If Georgia Tech only kicks a field goal, "Ramblin' Wreck" is played. For some big plays, a shortened version of either song is played. - Nicknames – Georgia Tech football teams have had several nicknames over the years including the "Blacksmiths", the "Engineers", the "Golden Tornado", or just the "Techs". Officially, the teams are called the "Yellow Jackets" or the "Ramblin' Wreck".
- Mascots – The "Ramblin' Wreck" and the yellow jacket "BuzzBuzz (mascot)Buzz is one of the two official mascots of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Buzz is usually represented as a stylized yellowjacket with yellow-and-black fur, white wings, a yellow head, and antennae. He is almost never drawn with six legs, but rather with arms, legs, hands and feet , like a...
" are the mascots of Georgia Tech football. The "Ramblin' Wreck" is a 1930 Ford Model AFord Model A (1927)The Ford Model A of 1927–1931 was the second huge success for the Ford Motor Company, after its predecessor, the Model T. First produced on October 20, 1927, but not sold until December 2, it replaced the venerable Model T, which had been produced for 18 years...
Sports Coupe, and it has led the football team on to Grant Field every game since September 30, 1961. "Buzz" began pacing the sidelines of Grant Field as a mischievous anthropomorphized yellow jacket during the 1970s. "Buzz" was ranked the number three top mascot in all of college football by "America's Best" and the "Top Ten" Web site. - Yellow Jacket Alley – "Yellow Jacket Alley" is an event staged before every game. It is a players' walk in which the team and coaches walk from the buses to the stadium, and the fans surround and cheer the walking players.
- Steam Whistle – An industrial steam whistle has been present on Georgia Tech's campus ever since the early industrial shop years. It typically was blown for the change of classes at five minutes before the hour. On football game days, the whistle is blown after every Yellow Jackets' score, and again after every Yellow Jackets' victory.
- Student Section – The student sections for the Yellow Jackets' home football games are primarily located in the North and South End Zones of Grant Field. Until the 2011 season, Flash Card displays were performed by the student section every football season since 1957. A semi-official student cheering section called the "Swarm" is located in the North End Zone adjacent to the marching band. The Swarm began in 1996.
- RAT Caps - Incoming Georgia Tech freshmen are referred to as RATS - Recently Admitted Tech Students. A RAT is encouraged to wear the gold colored beanie caps with the front bill worn turned up and bearing the students name, hometown, major, class year and the letters "RAT". A RAT should record the scores of each football game on the sides of their RAT Cap, written right side up for victories, upside down for losses, and sideways for ties. A RAT should write the "Good Word" on their caps: "To HELL with georgia". It is the responsibility of a RAT to know the fight songs, the Alma Mater, all of the cheers and the "Good Word". Before ACC conference regulations prohibited the practice, upperclassmen ordered "RATS on the field" before each home game, and RATS would line up in the end zone along both sides of the entry way from the locker room forming an alley way for the Ramblin' Wreck to drive through leading the team out onto the field. The ACC forced an end to this tradition after the 1980 season. The RAT cap tradition is most strictly observed by members of the marching band.
- Marching Band - Even though Georgia Tech is a high-ranking Institute of Technology, and not a college of the arts and humanities, it still fields a 300+ member marching band at all home football games and Bowl Games. A smaller Pep Band attends road games which the full band doesn't attend. Among other songs, the Yellow Jacket Marching BandGeorgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching BandThe Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching Band is the official marching band of the Georgia Institute of Technology...
always plays the Georgia Tech fight songs and the Alma Mater, and in addition, it plays "When You Say Budweiser, You've Said It All" at the completion of the third quarter.
Team achievements
Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket football has been ranked as the 18th most prestigious college football program in American history by ESPN U.National championships
{| border="0" style="width:100%;"|-
| valign="top" |
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" style="width:80%;"
|-
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| Year
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| Coach
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| Selector
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| Record
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"| Bowl
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 1917 || John Heisman
John Heisman
John William Heisman was an American player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Oberlin College , Buchtel College, now known as the University of Akron , Auburn University , Clemson University , Georgia Tech , the...
|| National Championship Foundation, Helms Athletic Foundation, Houlgate || 9-0 || --
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 1928 || William Alexander || National Championship Foundation, Helms Athletic Foundation, Houlgate || 10-0 || Won Rose
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 1952 || Bobby Dodd
Bobby Dodd
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....
|| Berryman, INS, Poling || 12-0 || Won Sugar
|- style="text-align:center;"
| 1990
1990 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 1990 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Yellow Jackets offense scored 379 points while the defense allowed 186 points. Led by head coach Bobby Ross, the Yellow Jackets participated in the...
|| Bobby Ross
Bobby Ross
Robert Joseph Ross is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at The Citadel , the University of Maryland, College Park , the Georgia Institute of Technology , and the United States Military Academy , compiling a career college football record of 103–101–2...
|| UPI
Coaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
|| 11-0-1 || Won Citrus
|- style="text-align:center;"
| colspan=4 bgcolor="#FFFFFF"| Total national championships:
| colspan=2 bgcolor="#FFFFFF"| 4
|}
Conference titles
- SIAA – 1916, 1917, 1918, 1920, 1921 – Head Coaches John Heisman and William Alexander coached the Georgia Tech football team to five conference titles during Tech's 26-year span in the SIAA.
- Southern Conference – 1922, 1927, 1928 – Head Coach William Alexander coached Georgia Tech football teams to three Southern Conference titles during Georgia Tech's ten-year membership in the Southern Conference.
- Southeastern Conference – 1939, 1943, 1944, 1951, 1952 – Head Coach Alexander and Head Coach Dodd lead Georgia Tech football teams to five SEC titles during Tech's 30-year membership in the SEC.
- Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast ConferenceThe Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
– 1990, 1998 (shared), 2009 (vacated) – Head Coaches Bobby Ross and George O'Leary's most notable performances included one ACC football championship apiece during Georgia Tech's soon-to-be 29-year membership in the ACC. Forced to vacate 2009 title due to NCAA sanctions.
ACC Division titles
- ACC Coastal Division – 2006, 2008 (shared), 2009 (vacated) – Led by wide receiver Calvin Johnson, senior quarterback Reggie BallReggie BallReginald Lewis Ball is an American football Quarterback who currently plays for the Bricktown Brawlers of the Indoor Football League He was originally signed by the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
, and running back Tashard ChoiceTashard ChoiceTashard J. Choice , is an American football running back for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He played collegiately at Georgia Tech. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft.Choice began his collegiate career at The University of Oklahoma but...
, the Yellow Jackets won their first Coastal Division Championship in 2006, just one year after the ACC introduced its system of two divisions. In 2008, Paul Johnson's first year as the Head Coach, the Yellow Jackets won a share of the Coastal Division Championship, tied with the Virginia Tech Hokies, but the Yellow Jackets did not advance to the ACC Championship Game because of an earlier loss to the Hokies in a head-to-head regular-season game. The 2009 ACC Coastal Division Title was vacated, along with the ACC Title, as the result of NCAA violations committed by Athletic Director Dan Radakiovich and Coach Paul Johnson in regards to talking to players about what to say to NCAA investigators before they arrived on campus to investigate alleged infractions.
Bowl history
Georgia Tech has appeared in 39 bowl games, but Georgia Tech has not won a bowl game since 2004. Georgia Tech's 2010 loss to Air Force extended their post season losing streak to 6 games. Georgia Tech ranks ninth in all time bowl wins with 22. Georgia Tech's first four bowl game appearances, the Rose Bowl (1929), Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl Classic, and Sugar Bowl, marked the first time a team had competed in all four of the Major Bowl Games.{| class="collapsible collapsed" cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="60%" text-align:"center"
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|W/L/T
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Date
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Bowl
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Opponent
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|PF
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|PA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1929 || Rose Bowl
1929 Rose Bowl
The 1929 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game and the 15th annual Rose Bowl Game. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defeated the California Golden Bears by a score of 8-7. The game was notable for a play by California All-American Roy Riegels in which he scooped up a Georgia Tech fumble and ran...
|| California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
|| 8 ||7
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1940 || Orange Bowl || Missouri
Missouri Tigers football
The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
|| 21 ||7
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||01-01-1943 || Cotton Bowl Classic || Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
|| 7 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1944 || Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
|| Tulsa || 20 ||18
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||01-01-1945 || Orange Bowl || Tulsa || 12 ||26
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1947 || Oil Bowl
Oil Bowl
Oil Bowl was a college football bowl game played at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas, in 1944, 1946, and 1947. Muddy conditions for the first and freezing temperatures for the third game doomed future contests....
|| Saint Mary's (CA) || 41 ||19
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1948 || Orange Bowl || Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
|| 20 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1952 || Orange Bowl || Baylor
Baylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
|| 17 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1953 || 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....
|| 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...
|| 24 ||7
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1954 || Sugar Bowl || West Virginia
1953 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 1953 West Virginia Mountaineers football team completed the regular season with an 8–1 record and traveled to the Sugar Bowl, where they lost to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 42–19.-Schedule:-References:...
|| 42 ||19
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1955 || Cotton Bowl Classic || Arkansas || 14 ||6
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-02-1956 || Sugar Bowl
1956 Sugar Bowl
The 1956 Sugar Bowl featured the 7th ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and the 11th ranked Pitt Panthers. The game was played on January 2, since New Year's Day was a Sunday. Much controversy preceded the 1956 Sugar Bowl...
|| Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
|| 7 ||0
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-29-1956 || Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
|| Pittsburgh || 21 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||01-02-1960 || Gator Bowl || Arkansas || 7 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-30-1961 || Gator Bowl || Penn State || 15 ||30
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-22-1962 || Bluebonnet Bowl
Bluebonnet Bowl
The Bluebonnet Bowl was an annual college football bowl game played in Houston, Texas. A civic group was appointed by the Houston Chamber of Commerce Athletics Committee in 1959 to organize the bowl game. It was held at Rice Stadium from 1959 through 1967, and again in 1985 and 1986. The game was...
|| Missouri || 10 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-22-1965 || Gator Bowl || Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
|| 31 ||21
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||01-02-1967 || Orange Bowl || Florida || 12 ||27
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-19-1970 || Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
|| Texas Tech || 17 ||9
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-30-1971 || Peach Bowl || Ole Miss || 18 ||41
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-18-1972 || Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
|| Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones football
The Iowa State Cyclones football team represents Iowa State University in college football. The Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. ISU started playing football in 1892, however, it did not become an official sport until 1894...
|| 31 ||30
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-25-1978 || Peach Bowl || Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
|| 21 ||41
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-31-1985 || Hall of Fame Classic || Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
|| 17 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1991 || Citrus Bowl
Citrus Bowl
The Florida Citrus Bowl is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, USA, built for football, which currently seats around 70,000 people....
|| Nebraska
1990 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1990 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Tom Osborne and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska.-Schedule:...
|| 45 ||21
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-25-1991 || Aloha Bowl
Aloha Bowl
The Aloha Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game played in Honolulu, Hawaii at Aloha Stadium. With the exception of the 1983-86 playings, the Aloha Bowl was traditionally played on Christmas morning in Honolulu. For most of its...
|| Stanford
1991 Stanford Cardinal football team
The 1991 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University in the 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season. It would be Dennis Green's final season as the head coach.-Regular season:...
|| 18 ||17
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-29-1997 || Carquest Bowl || West Virginia || 35 ||30
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-01-1999 || Gator Bowl || Notre Dame || 35 ||28
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||01-01-2000 || Gator Bowl || Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
|| 13 ||28
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-29-2000 || Peach Bowl
2000 Peach Bowl
The 2001 edition to the Peach Bowl featured the , and the LSU Tigers.LSU scored first on a 32 yard John Corbello field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Georgia Tech responded with a 32 yard Joe Burns touchdown run to take a 7-3 lead...
|| Louisiana State || 14 ||28
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-27-2001 || Seattle Bowl
2001 Seattle Bowl
The 2001 Jeep Seattle Bowl was the first edition to be named as such of the college football bowl game , and was to be played at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington. The game pitted the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from the ACC and the from the Pac-10...
|| Stanford || 24 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-31-2002 || Silicon Valley Classic || Fresno State
Fresno State Bulldogs football
The Fresno State Bulldogs football team represents California State University, Fresno in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The green “V” on the Bulldogs' helmets, uniforms, field symbolize California Central Valley, specifically the San Joaquin Valley, the agricultural valley from which they...
|| 21 ||30
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||01-03-2004 || Humanitarian Bowl || Tulsa
Tulsa Golden Hurricane football
The University of Tulsa's Golden Hurricane football team represents Tulsa in Conference USA. Tulsa is currently coached by first-year head coach Bill Blankenship. The football team was coached by Todd Graham until he accepted the head coaching job at Pittsburgh....
|| 52 ||10
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| W ||12-21-2004 || Champs Sports Bowl
2004 Champs Sports Bowl
The 2004 Champs Sports Bowl was the 15th edition of the college football bowl game and was played on December 21, 2004, featuring the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and the ....
|| Syracuse
Syracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
|| 51 ||14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-29-2005 || Emerald Bowl
2005 Emerald Bowl
The 2005 Emerald Bowl, part of the 2005-06 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 29, 2005, at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California. It featured the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and the Utah Utes.-Game summary:...
|| Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
|| 10 ||38
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||01-1-2007 || Gator Bowl || West Virginia
2006 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
The 2006 West Virginia Mountaineers football team completed the season with a 11–2 record. The Mountaineers had a regular season Big East record of 5–2.-2006 Schedule:-Rankings:- References :...
|| 35 ||38
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-31-2007 || Humanitarian Bowl
2007 Humanitarian Bowl
The 2007 Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, part of the 2007-08 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 31, 2007 at Bronco Stadium on the campus of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho....
|| Fresno State
2007 Fresno State Bulldogs football team
The 2007 Fresno State football team represent California State University, Fresno in the 2007 college football season. This season will be the Bulldogs' 27th in their current home of Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California, and their 11th with Pat Hill as head coach.-Pre-Season:At the end of the 2006...
|| 28 || 40
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-31-2008 || Chick-fil-A Bowl
2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl
The 2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl was the 41st annual edition of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, formerly known as the Peach Bowl and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. It pitted the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets against the Louisiana State Tigers in a postseason American college football game in Atlanta, Georgia...
|| Louisiana State
2008 LSU Tigers football team
The 2008 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team's head coach was Les Miles who entered his fourth year at the helm of LSU Football. They played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
|| 3 || 38
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||01-05-2010 || Orange Bowl
2010 Orange Bowl
The 2010 FedEx Orange Bowl game featured the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Iowa Hawkeyes on Tuesday, January 5, 2010, at Land Shark Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida...
|| Iowa
2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa and the Iowa Hawkeyes athletic program during the 2009 college football season. The team played its home games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. 2009 marked Kirk Ferentz's 11th year as head coach of Iowa...
|| 14 || 24
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| L ||12-27-2010 || Independence Bowl
2010 Independence Bowl
The 2010 AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl was the thirty-fifth edition of the college football bowl game and was played at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The game started at 5:00 PM US EST on Monday, December 27, 2010...
|| Air Force
2010 Air Force Falcons football team
The 2010 Air Force Falcons football team represented the United States Air Force Academy in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by fourth year head coach Troy Calhoun and played their home games in Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colorado...
|| 7 || 14
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
|}
Individual achievements
Heisman Trophy finalists
Georgia Tech has had several players receive votes in the Heisman TrophyHeisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
balloting. Eddie Prokop finished fifth in the 1943 Heisman voting, Lenny Snow finished 14th in the 1966 voting, Eddie Lee Ivery finished 8th in the 1978 voting, and Calvin Johnson finished 10th in the 2006 voting. Billy Lothridge is the only Tech player to receive votes in multiple years. He was 8th in 1962 and runner-up in 1963. Clint Castleberry was the only freshman in the history of the Heisman to finish as high as third until Herschel Walker
Herschel Walker
Herschel Junior Walker is an American mixed martial artist and a former American football player. He played college football for the University of Georgia Bulldogs and earned the 1982 Heisman Trophy. He began his professional career with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League...
's third place finish in 1980. Castleberry and Walker, however, were both surpassed in 2004 by true freshman Adrian Peterson's Heisman runner-up season. Joe Hamilton tied Lothridge's runner-up status in 1999.
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="60%" text-align:"center"
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Name
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Position
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Year
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Finish
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Clint Castleberry
Clint Castleberry
Lt. Clinton Dillard Castleberry, Jr. was a football player in the 1940s.-College football:...
|| HB || 1942 || Third
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Eddie Prokop || QB || 1943 || Fifth
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Billy Lothridge
Billy Lothridge
William Lamar Lothridge was an American football quarterback and punter in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, and the Miami Dolphins. He played college football at Georgia Tech where he finished second in the 1963 Heisman Trophy voting...
|| QB || 1963 || Runner-up
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Joe Hamilton || QB || 1999 || Runner-up
|}
All-Americans
Georgia Tech has fielded 50 First Team All-Americans. The first All-Americans at Tech were Walker Carpenter and Everett StrupperEverett Strupper
George Everett "Stroop" Strupper was an All-American football player. He played halfback for Georgia Tech from 1915 to 1917. Strupper overcame deafness resulting from a childhood illness and was selected as an All-American in 1917...
in 1917 while the most recent were Durant Brooks in 2007, Michael Johnson in 2008, and Derrick Morgan in 2009.
{|class="collapsible collapsed" cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="60%" text-align:"center"
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Name
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Position
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Selected
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Hometown
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Maxie Baughan
Maxie Baughan
-Honors:In addition to being a member of the Georgia Tech and College Football Halls of Fame, Baughan has also been inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame , the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame. However, he has not yet been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of...
|| C || 1959 || Bessemer, AL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Ray Beck
Ray Beck
Ray Merril Beck was an American football player in the National Football League for the New York Giants in 1952 and from 1955 to 1957.Beck was born in Bowdon, Georgia and graduated from Cedartown High School...
|| G || 1951 || Cedartown, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Don Bessillieu
Don Bessillieu
Don Bessillieu was a National Football League safety for the Miami Dolphins, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Los Angeles Raiders. He also played in the United States Football League. He played collegiately at Georgia Tech....
|| DB || 1978 || Decatur, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Jim Breland || C || 1966 || Blacksburg, VA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| George Broadnax || E || 1948 || Atlanta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Durant Brooks
Durant Brooks
Durant Stiles Brooks is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by Washington Redskins in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
|| P || 2007 || Macon, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Chris Brown || T || 2000 || Augusta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Pete Brown || OC || 1952 || Rossville, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Gerry Bussell
Gerry Bussell
Gerald Wheeler Bussell is a former American football defensive back who played for the American Football League's Denver Broncos. He played collegiately for the Georgia Tech football team....
|| DB || 1964 || Jacksonville, FL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Walker Carpenter || T || 1917 || Newnan, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Marco Coleman
Marco Coleman
Marco Darnell Coleman is a former American football player. A fourteen year veteran who was originally drafted by Miami Dolphins in the 1992 NFL Draft as a first round pick . Has been to one Pro Bowl. He went to Georgia Tech. He retired from professional football after the 2005 season...
|| OLB || 1990 || Dayton, OH
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Bobby Davis || T || 1947 || Columbus, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| John Davis || T || 1985 || Ellijay, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| A.M. Day || C || 1918 || -
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Paul Duke || C || 1946 || Atlanta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Bill Fincher
Bill Fincher
-External links:...
|| E || 1918, 1920 || -
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Smylie Gebhart || DE || 1971 || Meridian, MS
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Rufus Guthrie
Rufus Guthrie
Rufus Guthrie is a former American football player in the National Football League. He was selected as the 10th pick in the 1963 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He played collegiately for the Georgia Tech football team. He was inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame in 1971...
|| G || 1962 || Atlanta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Joe Guyon
Joe Guyon
Joseph Napoleon Guyon was a professional American football player in the National Football League...
|| T, HB || 1918 || White Earth, MN
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Joe Hamilton || QB || 1999 || Alvin, SC
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Leon Hardeman || HB || 1952 || LaFayette, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Harvey Hardy
Harvey Hardy
Harvey Boland Hardy was an American football player who played collegiately for the Georgia Tech football team, was a consensus All-American, and was an MVP of the 1943 Cotton Bowl Classic....
|| G || 1942 || Marion, AL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Bill Healy || DG || 1948 || -
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Robert Ison || E || 1939 || -
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson (American football)
Calvin Johnson, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech....
|| WR || 2005, 2006 || Tyrone, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson (defensive end)
Michael D. Johnson is a professional American football defensive end for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Bengals. He played college football at Georgia Tech.- Early years :Johnson played at Dallas County High...
|| DE || 2008 || Selma, AL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Billy Lothridge
Billy Lothridge
William Lamar Lothridge was an American football quarterback and punter in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, and the Miami Dolphins. He played college football at Georgia Tech where he finished second in the 1963 Heisman Trophy voting...
|| QB || 1963 || Gainesville, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Billy Martin
Billy Martin (American football tight end)
Jake William "Billy" Martin is a former American football tight end in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at Georgia Tech and was drafted in the second round of the 1964 NFL Draft...
|| E || 1963 || Gainesville, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Buck Martin || E || 1952 || Haleyville, AL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Hal Miller || OT || 1952 || Kingsport, TN
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Warner Mizell || HB || 1928 || -
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Derrick Morgan
Derrick Morgan (American football)
-Tennessee Titans:Morgan was drafted by the Tennessee Titans 16th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. He and the Titans agreed to a six-year deal on July 31, 2010. However, with playing time incentives the contract could revert to five years...
|| DE || 2009 || Coatesville, PA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Bobby Moorhead || DB || 1952 || Miami, FL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| George Morris
George Morris (football player)
George Augustus Morris, Jr. was an American football player. Born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, he played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and professionally for the San Francisco 49ers for one season in 1956. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981...
|| LB || 1952 || Vicksburg, MS
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Larry Morris
Larry Morris
Larry Morris is a retired American football linebacker.Morris attended Georgia Tech. After college, he played professionally in the National Football League with the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons. He was named of the linebackers on the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team...
|| C || 1953 || Decatur, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Craig Page
Craig Page
Warren Craig Page is a former American football player in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Georgia Tech and the University of Louisville....
|| C || 1998 || Jupiter, FL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Rock Perdoni || DT || 1970 || Wellesley, MA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Peter Pund
Peter Pund
Peter Pund was an American football player. He was elected to the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame in 1958, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1977, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1963.-References:...
|| C || 1928 || Augusta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Randy Rhino
Randy Rhino
Randy Rhino was an all-star defensive back in the Canadian Football League.A graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, he played with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets...
|| DB || 1972 || Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Coleman Rudolph
Coleman Rudolph
Coleman Rudolph is a former player in the NFL. He played for the New York Jets and the New York Giants. He played collegiately for the Georgia Tech football team. He was also inducted as a member of the Valdosta High School Hall of Fame in 2007. He is a member of the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame and...
|| DT || 1992 || Valdosta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Lucius Sanford
Lucius Sanford
Lucius M. Sanford is a former American football linebacker who played ten seasons in the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns. He played collegiately for the Georgia Tech football team. Was a six year winner and two year runner up of the Milledgeville mean-mug award...
|| LB || 1977 || Atlanta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Scott Sisson
Scott Sisson
Scott O'Neal Sisson is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League. He played for the New England Patriots and the Minnesota Vikings . He played collegiately for the Georgia Tech football team and was an All-America selection in 1992...
|| K || 1992 || Marietta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Lenny Snow || TB || 1966 || Daytona Beach, FL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Frank Speer || T || 1928 || Atlanta, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| John Steber
John Steber
John Warren Steber, III was an American football guard in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He played college football for the Vanderbilt Commodores and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1945 NFL Draft.-External links:...
|| G || 1943 || -
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Don Stephenson
Don Stephenson
Don Stephenson in Chattanooga, Tennessee is an American actor, and director. He is a graduate of Hixson High School in Chattanooga and the University of Tennessee. He has numerous credits on both television and in Broadway plays. He starred as Leo Bloom in the Tony Award winning Broadway...
|| C || 1956 || Bessemer, AL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Everett Strupper
Everett Strupper
George Everett "Stroop" Strupper was an All-American football player. He played halfback for Georgia Tech from 1915 to 1917. Strupper overcame deafness resulting from a childhood illness and was selected as an All-American in 1917...
|| HB || 1917 || -
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Ken Swilling || FS || 1990 || Toccoa, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Pat Swilling
Pat Swilling
Patrick Travis Swilling is a former American football linebacker in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints and a delegate in the Louisiana House of Representatives. He earned five Pro Bowl appearances.-College career:...
|| DE || 1985 || Toccoa, GA
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Phil Tinsley || E || 1944 || Bessemer, AL
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Lamar Wheat || DT || 1951 || Chattanooga, TN
|}
Position award winners
Three Georgia Tech players have been awarded the highest collegiate award possible for their position. Joe Hamilton won the Davey O'Brien Award after his senior season in 1999, Calvin Johnson won the Fred Biletnikoff Award after his junior season in 2006, and Durant Brooks won the Ray Guy Award in 2007. Hamilton and Johnson were the only Tech players to be named ACC Player of the Year until Jonathan Dwyer received the honor in 2008.{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="60%" text-align:"center"
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Name
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Award
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Year
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Joe Hamilton || O'Brien
Davey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
|| 1999
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson (American football)
Calvin Johnson, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech....
|| Biletnikoff
Fred Biletnikoff Award
The Fred Biletnikoff Award has been presented since 1994 to America's top college football receiver by the TQC Foundation, Inc. , an independent not-for-profit organization which created the award in 1994 and has sponsored it since...
|| 2006
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Durant Brooks
Durant Brooks
Durant Stiles Brooks is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by Washington Redskins in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
|| Ray Guy
Ray Guy Award
The Ray Guy Award is presented annually to college football's top punter by the Greater Augusta Sports Council. The award is named after punter Ray Guy, a former All-American at Southern Mississippi and an all-pro player for the Oakland Raiders.-Criteria:...
|| 2007
|}
Post-collegiate accolades
Georgia Tech has had three coaches and twelve players inducted into the College Football Hall of FameCollege 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...
in South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
. Coaches Heisman, Alexander, and Dodd were inducted in the 1954, 1951, and 1993 classes respectively.
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="60%" text-align:"center"
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Name
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Position
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Played
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Inducted
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Maxie Baughn || C || 1957–1959 || 1988
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Ray Beck || G || 1948–1951 || 1997
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Bobby Davis || T || 1944–1947 || 1978
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Bill Fincher || E, T || 1916–1920 || 1974
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Buck Flowers || OG || 1916–1920 || 1955
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Joe Guyon || HB, T || 1912–1918 || 1971
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| George Morris || C || 1950–1952 || 1981
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Larry Morris || C || 1951–1954 || 1992
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Pat Swilling || DE || 1982–1985 || 2009
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Peter Pund || C || 1926–1928 || 1963
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Randy Rhino || S || 1972–1974 || 2002
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Everett Strupper || HB || 1915–1917 || 1972
|}
Georgia Tech has over 150 alumni that have played in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Tech has had ten players selected in the first round of the NFL draft since its inception in 1937. The first Georgia Tech player ever to be drafted was Middleton Fitzsimmons in 1937. He was drafted 2nd in the 10th round by the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The first Tech player selected in the first round was Eddie Prokop in 1945 and the most recent first round Yellow Jackets were Demaryius Thomas and Derrick Morgan in 2010.
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="60%" text-align:"center"
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Name
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Position
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Year
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Overall Pick
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Team
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Derrick Morgan
Derrick Morgan (American football)
-Tennessee Titans:Morgan was drafted by the Tennessee Titans 16th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. He and the Titans agreed to a six-year deal on July 31, 2010. However, with playing time incentives the contract could revert to five years...
|| DE || 2010 || 16th || Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Demaryius Thomas
Demaryius Thomas
Demaryius Antwon Thomas is an American football wide receiver for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Thomas led the team in receiving in all 3 of his seasons at Tech, 2007, 2008,...
|| WR || 2010 || 22nd || Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson (American football)
Calvin Johnson, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech....
|| WR || 2007 || 2nd || Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Keith Brooking
Keith Brooking
Keith Howard Brooking is a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech...
|| LB || 1998 || 12th || Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Marco Coleman
Marco Coleman
Marco Darnell Coleman is a former American football player. A fourteen year veteran who was originally drafted by Miami Dolphins in the 1992 NFL Draft as a first round pick . Has been to one Pro Bowl. He went to Georgia Tech. He retired from professional football after the 2005 season...
|| DE || 1992 || 12th || Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Eddie Lee Ivery || RB || 1979 || 15th || Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Kent Hill || OG || 1979 || 26th || L.A. Rams
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Rufus Guthrie || OG || 1963 || 10th || L.A. Rams
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Larry Morris || LB || 1955 || 7th || L.A. Rams
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Eddie Prokop || QB || 1945 || 4th || Boston Yanks
Boston Yanks
The Boston Yanks were a National Football League team based in Boston, Massachusetts that played from 1944 to 1948. The team played its home games at Fenway Park. Games that conflicted with the Boston Red Sox schedule were held at the Manning Bowl in Lynn, Massachusetts...
|}
Two Yellow Jackets have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
. Joe Guyon played professional football from 1920-1927. Guyon was a collegiate teammate of Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe
Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete of mixed ancestry...
at Carlisle Indian Industrial School
Carlisle Indian Industrial School
Carlisle Indian Industrial School was an Indian boarding school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1879 at Carlisle, Pennsylvania by Captain Richard Henry Pratt, the school was the first off-reservation boarding school, and it became a model for Indian boarding schools in other locations...
before transferring to Georgia Tech. His playing career began with the Canton Bulldogs
Canton Bulldogs
The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and its successor, the National Football League, from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs would go on to win the 1917, 1918...
and finished with the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the class of 1966. Billy Shaw played professional football for the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1961-1969. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the class of 1999.
{| cellpadding="1" border="1" cellspacing="0" width="60%" text-align:"center"
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Name
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Position
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Played
!bgcolor="#CFB53B"|Inducted
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Joe Guyon || HB, T || 1920–1927 || 1966
|-align="center" style="background: #ffffff;"
| Billy Shaw || OG || 1961–1969 || 1999
|}