Georgia Tech Football and the deep South’s first black quarterback

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

One thing about some of these posts. They assume that Eddie didn't have his own views about his position and what he should do. I know that Jesse is a hard person to say no to, but my guess is that he simply put words to what Eddie felt anyway. That's what he's done for African- Americans throughout his life.

Now, the person to ask is Eddie, of course, but I would guess that he feels he did his part to effect the changes we see today and would see no reason to explain himself further. I do understand why Fulcher was at sea about what to do about race relations on his team; he was not alone then and still isn't today. But that's the way things play out when you are in the middle of as big a change in American life as beginning to see African-Americans as something other then aliens in our midst. As you may have noticed, this is still a problem for some of us.

Btw: the 1972 UT team had about the best talent of any football team I ever saw. Why they didn't win the MNC is still a mystery to me.

As I remember it, and this may not be the complete story, Eddie wanted extra free tickets, to the point of demanding them. Tech said no, and that is when Jesse came in, whether of his own accord or at Eddie's request I don't know. Although I am sure there were some, if not lots, I didn't know any Tech fans personally who thought of anything about Eddie, other than him being a terrific QB. The sequence of events turned many, if not all Tech fans, against him, and I think that race relations were severely damaged in the process.

 

[Sideways]

That Tennessee FB was Bill Rudder

That's him. Kind of tall for a fullback looked more like a tight end but a fine player. I saw him play against Georgia and he ended up scoring a touchdown on the ground and catching a touchdown from Holloway and basically beating UGA by himself.

 

[Sideways]

The answer to your last question is Bill Battle. He won from 1970-1972 with Doug Dickey's 1969 recruits and it went downhill from 1973-1976 because he couldn't recruit.

Yep. He was one of Bear's Boys but ended up getting run out of Knoxville. His claim to fame was to wake up one morning with a moving van parked in his driveway.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

Yep. He was one of Bear's Boys but ended up getting run out of Knoxville. His claim to fame was to wake up one morning with a moving van parked in his driveway.

After UGAG beat Tennessee 35-31 in Knoxville on homecoming in 1973 when Bill returned home in Farragut later that day he found a moving van in his driveway. Tennessee lead UGAG 31-28 late in the 4th quarter and he called for a fake punt which lost yardage and Andy Johnson the QB of UGAG scooped up a fumble and ran for UGAG's winning touchdown a play or two later.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

That's him. Kind of tall for a fullback looked more like a tight end but a fine player. I saw him play against Georgia and he ended up scoring a touchdown on the ground and catching a touchdown from Holloway and basically beating UGA by himself.

In 1971 Bill Rudder ran 11-0 Penn State into the ground in Tennessee's 31-11 win in the final regular season game of the 1971 season.

 

[Sideways]

After UGAG beat Tennessee 35-31 in Knoxville on homecoming in 1973 when Bill returned home in Farragut later that day he found a moving van in his driveway. Tennessee lead UGAG 31-28 late in the 4th quarter and he called for a fake punt which lost yardage and Andy Johnson the QB of UGAG scooped up a fumble and ran for UGAG's winning touchdown a play or two later.

Yes, it was one really dumb play that was the catalyst but I could not remember what or against whom. What would General Neyland have said about not punting and losing field position?

 

[MikeJackets1967]

Yes, it was one really dumb play that was the catalyst but I could not remember what or against whom. What would General Neyland have said about not punting and losing field position?

General Neyland(Who said Defense and Kicking were where the breaks were made) and also Bobby Dodd wouldn't have panicked like Bill Battle did. Tennessee's talent really fell off after 1972 and the defense was very poor in 1973.

 

[GTL]

to be fair, Eddie was subjected to a lot of racial abuse, at least verbally. It's a shame, but the times were what they were. That could have influenced him to listen to Jesse.

 

[Sideways]

General Neyland(Who said Defense and Kicking were where the breaks were made) and also Bobby Dodd wouldn't have panicked like Bill Battle did. Tennessee's talent really fell off after 1972 and the defense was very poor in 1973.

Tennessee "talent falling off" ? What is the world coming to? I always thought that Tennessee was a program with problems every now and then like any other factory but talent would never be one of them.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

Tennessee "talent falling off" ? What is the world coming to? I always thought that Tennessee was a program with problems every now and then like any other factory but talent would never be one of them.

Lack of High School talent has been a problem in the past but it's not as big a problem as it used to be with so many people moving to Tennessee.

 

[Techster]

The amount of sports history that originates from GT is incredible. Hopefully more is still to come.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

The amount of sports history that originates from GT is incredible. Hopefully more is still to come.

Let's hope it's better than that page.

 

[augustabuzz]

to be fair, Eddie was subjected to a lot of racial abuse, at least verbally. It's a shame, but the times were what they were. That could have influenced him to listen to Jesse.

I'll defer to deep snap and GT18YJ to address what went on behind the scenes.

 

[GTL]

I'll defer to deep snap and GT18YJ to address what went on behind the scenes.

Yeah, I'd like to hear about it from them as well. I was a student during his time at GT and was referring to how the student body acted toward him... especially after losses. I have no clue about behind the scenes.

 

[Skeptic]

Yes, Eddie was under a lot of pressure from people who may not have had his best interest in mind.

If he was the first black QB in a major Southern football program that at the time was, as they say, storied, then he had more pressure than 90% of us ever experienced, so give the guy some windage. GT was still living, faintly, in the righteousness of being the first major southern (white) football program that competed against a black athlete, Bobby Grier of Pittsburgh in the 1956 Sugar Bowl. Politicians of the time as of today, still, made fools of themselves trying to keep Tech home.

 

[MikeJackets1967]

If he was the first black QB in a major Southern football program that at the time was, as they say, storied, then he had more pressure than 90% of us ever experienced, so give the guy some windage. GT was still living, faintly, in the righteousness of being the first major southern (white) football program that competed against a black athlete, Bobby Grier of Pittsburgh in the 1956 Sugar Bowl. Politicians of the time as of today, still, made fools of themselves trying to keep Tech home.

Freddie Summers of Wake Forest was the first Black Quarterback in the South. He started playing quarterback for the Demon Deacons in 1967.

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/article168280867.html

 

[Skeptic]

Freddie Summers of Wake Forest was the first Black Quarterback in the South. He started playing quarterback for the Demon Deacons in 1967.

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/article168280867.html

Well see, there you go. I stipulated major.

 

[iopjacket]

to be fair, Eddie was subjected to a lot of racial abuse, at least verbally. It's a shame, but the times were what they were. That could have influenced him to listen to Jesse.

I was at GT during that period. Eddie McAshan was a very talented and a very sensitive individual. He would have been better off at a black or northern school. As mentioned Condredge Holloway could put his down and just play football, Eddie couldn't.

 

[LibertyTurns]

One thing about some of these posts. They assume that Eddie didn't have his own views about his position and what he should do. I know that Jesse is a hard person to say no to, but my guess is that he simply put words to what Eddie felt anyway. That's what he's done for African- Americans throughout his life.

Now, the person to ask is Eddie, of course, but I would guess that he feels he did his part to effect the changes we see today and would see no reason to explain himself further. I do understand why Fulcher was at sea about what to do about race relations on his team; he was not alone then and still isn't today. But that's the way things play out when you are in the middle of as big a change in American life as beginning to see African-Americans as something other then aliens in our midst. As you may have noticed, this is still a problem for some of us.

Btw: the 1972 UT team had about the best talent of any football team I ever saw. Why they didn't win the MNC is still a mystery to me.

An interesting take. Lot of pressure on that young man in addition to the academics & football.

Jesse is still a master manipulator, more for his own personal gain than any other.

 

[takethepoints]

An interesting take. Lot of pressure on that young man in addition to the academics & football.

Jesse is still a master manipulator, more for his own personal gain than any other.

Depends on how you look at it.

All leaders are, in part, in it for themselves. You can't lead unless people associate your actions with success. That will take some manipulation as well. I often compare Ghandi and Martin King with Jesus. All of them were a terrific pain in the ***. You couldn't co-opt them, you couldn't buy them off, you couldn't out argue them, and you couldn't intimidate them. The only thing you could do was give in or kill them. And all three (read the New Testament) manipulated people right and left to get what they thought they needed to raise people up.

Jesse isn't quite in their league; he's not as patient or as brave (scarce commodities thoughout history). He is an inspirational leader, however. People like that have to watch themselves; it's easy to step over the line and do more harm then good. In general, I think Jesse probably regrets some of the things he's done (joining the rest of humanity with a few exceptions). But if all he ever did was stand in the rain before a crowd of wet, discouraged African-Americans and get them to chant "I AM SOMEBODY", that would be enough for him to be remembered. And enough to give us all pause.