Here's something GT Swarm can argue over

[Heisman's Ghost]

The link I provided shows a good bit of the Sugar Bowl and backs up what you stated. Our defense led by Mississippian, George Morris was just too stout.

Another reason Mississippi hated us was Dodd's canny ability to scoop one or two of the best players out of that state just about every year.

 

[4shotB]

Another reason Mississippi hated us was Dodd's canny ability to scoop one or two of the best players out of that state just about every year.

If that sounds surprising I am guessing you have never been to Mississippi! If they had a decent educational system he could have gotten more than 1 or 2.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

If that sounds surprising I am guessing you have never been to Mississippi! If they had a decent educational system he could have gotten more than 1 or 2.

Au contraire, my wife went to school in Jackson at Belhaven and hails from LA (Lower Alabama). It is telling that in his autobiography, Dodd said that he NEVER got a bad player out of Mississippi which was probably true but he was also very selective. He also got players from the Carolinas, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, and Kentucky. He cast a wide net I assume because of Tech's academics and the state of Georgia did not produce nearly the talent then that it does today.

 

[stinger 1957]

A lot of people of the era quietly believed the '51 team was actually better than the '52 team but the '51 had one blemish on it's record, a tie with Duke. I remember the next year the Duke game was considered a really big game and the Jackets went to Durham and handed it to the Devils pretty handily. If I remember correctly, Lum Snyder was one hell of a man/player, but don't think he played on the '52 team, only the '51 team. The two guys that really helped that defense IMO were Morris and Morris LBs, that's not to disparage the other players at all because they were all good, but George Morris from Mississippi and Larry Morris from Decatur were both all Americans while at Tech, Larry went on to play in the NFL, George thought about it, but on the advice of Dean George Griffin decided to get on with a private career. The Money in the NFL wasn't any thing like what we have known in the last 20 years, as a matter of fact most of those NFL players would retire in their Pro cities and get into the Insurance business, stock brokerage etc and do well because of who they were. Just kinda how i remember it, could be off somewhere.
About Hardeman, Teas, Turner, they were all three outstanding and added to each others games as you can imagine, but my favorite to watch was Hardeman. You would be sitting with a friend and turn and say"how did he do that". They ran the "belly" series and I remember in one game they ran it so well it fooled the referees. They blew the ball dead and Hardeman was downfield running for a touchdown and the Refs thought another back that was tackled inside had the ball.

 

[4shotB]

Au contraire, my wife went to school in Jackson at Belhaven and hails from LA (Lower Alabama). It is telling that in his autobiography, Dodd said that he NEVER got a bad player out of Mississippi which was probably true but he was also very selective. He also got players from the Carolinas, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, and Kentucky. He cast a wide net I assume because of Tech's academics and the state of Georgia did not produce nearly the talent then that it does today.

Actually my post was TIC of course but I have to admit that I find this thread fascinating and very enjoyable. I go back to the Pepper Rogers days and love to hear eye-witness accounts from those who saw Tech play in its truly "golden" era (bad pun intended). hope y'all keep these posts coming!!

 

[Pointer]

I had that picture (from the Atlanta Constitution) in my GT scrapbook.

Side note, my highschool history teacher called it the Atlanta urinal constipation.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

Actually my post was TIC of course but I have to admit that I find this thread fascinating and very enjoyable. I go back to the Pepper Rogers days and love to hear eye-witness accounts from those who saw Tech play in its truly "golden" era (bad pun intended). hope y'all keep these posts coming!!

Speaking of Pepper. He went to Brown High School in Atlanta and chased a girl who later became Harry Wright's wife. He despised Pepper for that reason among others but that Pepper was something else. At an Orange Bowl game in circa 1950, he was the place kicker and in practice kept shanking balls right and left which really got Coach Dodd upset and he was yelling at Pepper. Pepper turned to him and said "Coach, how many people are in the stands today? None? Tomorrow when this stadium is full I will make them." He kicked the game winning field goal in the fourth quarter and in typical Pepper style he threw up his hands just after he kicked the ball.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

A lot of people of the era quietly believed the '51 team was actually better than the '52 team but the '51 had one blemish on it's record, a tie with Duke. I remember the next year the Duke game was considered a really big game and the Jackets went to Durham and handed it to the Devils pretty handily. If I remember correctly, Lum Snyder was one hell of a man/player, but don't think he played on the '52 team, only the '51 team. The two guys that really helped that defense IMO were Morris and Morris LBs, that's not to disparage the other players at all because they were all good, but George Morris from Mississippi and Larry Morris from Decatur were both all Americans while at Tech, Larry went on to play in the NFL, George thought about it, but on the advice of Dean George Griffin decided to get on with a private career. The Money in the NFL wasn't any thing like what we have known in the last 20 years, as a matter of fact most of those NFL players would retire in their Pro cities and get into the Insurance business, stock brokerage etc and do well because of who they were. Just kinda how i remember it, could be off somewhere.
About Hardeman, Teas, Turner, they were all three outstanding and added to each others games as you can imagine, but my favorite to watch was Hardeman. You would be sitting with a friend and turn and say"how did he do that". They ran the "belly" series and I remember in one game they ran it so well it fooled the referees. They blew the ball dead and Hardeman was downfield running for a touchdown and the Refs thought another back that was tackled inside had the ball.

Yep. I believe you are right about Lum Snyder. My source was my friend's dad who was a backup running back on the 1952 team but played in 1951 as well. He was about 80 when he related that tale to me so a little fuzzy memory is to be expected. He was small but very fast. He was offered a track scholarship to Tennessee but chose to follow the quarterback who was from Kingsport as well to Tech along with some other friends. A knee injury kept him from playing much but he was part of two great teams.

 

[forensicbuzz]

Is there a place we can put threads like this that only those over the age of 65 75 have a clue how to even answer? As a 52-year-old, I know the names, but most of these guys played well before I was born, and most younger than me probably don't even recognize the names.

Maybe we can call it A Living History of Tech Football or something like that. Something like a compendium or the likes.