How did you become a TECH fan?

[TechnicalPossum]

I grew up as a Duke fan because of my parents. I ended up going to Tech and have been a Tech fan ever since. And I most definitely enjoy Duke losing.

 

[Techfan14]

With you living that close to Augusta, it would be great to meet you sometime. There are two of us from down here who tailgate together in the Fall and stay in touch the rest of the year. And there are also quite a few other Tech fans in the Augusta area who COULD form a nucleus of a very representative Tech "club" here, if somebody would just take charge. At any rate, we CSRA Tech fans need to stick together.

Great idea. Where do y'all tailgate at?

 

[Skeptic]

I've told this story many times, but I'll tell it one more. My first Georgia Tech football game was September 30, 1961, Georgia Tech vs Rice. Rice was ranked #7 and Tech was the underdog being unranked. My Uncle Jimmy was a Junior at Tech, I was 10, and he took me to the game. Grant Field was packed, standing room only. In 1961 Georgia Tech was the premier sports event in the state (UGA was just an after thought back then). The game was a surreal experience forthe a young lad of 10. We sat in the North Endzone bleachers and it was a beautiful autumn afternoon. The 'Ramblin Wreck' made it's debut that day. Georgia Tech dominated Rice and I fell in love with the White and Gold..............

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/6...Rice-Owls_Grant-Field_American-football-match

You know what was really cool? The '50s-'60s 2-handed pitches, to a back almost directly behind him, the way it was once taught. Wonder what some of those players and coaches from that era think when they see what somebody like Thomas can do with an option pitch, and where he is when it happens sometimes. (Well, it was cool seeing Lothridge and Billy Martin on the field. Martin is a name I almost forgot.) Thanks for posting it.

 

[Supersizethatorder-mutt]

Great idea. Where do y'all tailgate at?

The Tech-owned lot behind the Varsity. There are about 10 of us who met through the AJC blogs a couple of years ago. I will send you a pvt message, so maybe we can stay in touch.

 

[Yoda]

I, myself, like @Yoda come from the same town where a GT fan sighting over the past few years has been as rare as a Bigfoot sighting. Living as close to the Cesspool as we do and pulling for the jackets has grown to be a part of life.

My first memory of anything involving GT was the 1987 Baseball ACC championship in Greenville,SC.
The "Joltin Jackets" with Ricardo Ingram were a fun team to watch.

From Growing up with my grandparents and other relatives being Die Hard dwag fans, I decided to take a different path and pull for the "other" GA team.
I really started paying more attn. to the team from Atl after the baseball tourney I saw them play in.
Soon after I started watching GT football and have been hooked ever since to anything GT.

I have enjoyed reading these stories. It makes me see that no matter where we are in the state or country, we all share a huge common denominator.

By meeting several people at varied GT activities, I have found the fan base to be closer to a family than just people who attend games.

The fan base is very tight knit seem to be more appreciative and really love telling you stories of their favorite moments.

With my business, I have a lot of GT customers/business owners and spend a lot of time listening to the older Alums and letting them reminisce.

Thanks for starting this thread.

Biggest GT fan I've ever seen.

 

[tech_wreck47]

We need to have huge tailgate party's for the ones that can't make the out of town games. Does anyone do this already or know of a good place to do so? I'll bring the corn hole boards lol.

 

[buzz_wiser©]

The Tech-owned lot behind the Varsity. There are about 10 of us who met through the AJC blogs a couple of years ago. I will send you a pvt message, so maybe we can stay in touch.

I'm willing to help with this some how.
Keep me posted please.

 

[COJacket]

Bubba had 3 picks on Grant Field in 1969 against the Bulldogs.

And the Rock had 10 tackles and was constantly putting on pressure to help in those picks to secure the defensive 6-0 V. Rock was a true All American

 

[RamblinRed]

Moved to GA from WI when I was 12 - that was 1981.
Was obviously a Badger guy - my dad's alma mater. Was a big UGA fan (Hershel Walker, coming off a NC) and also liked GT (they had tied AL the year I moved down I believe).
After about 3 months in middle school, couldn't stand UGA anymore because the kids and their parents were so obnoxious.
My new best friend's mom was the female tennis coach at GT at the time. My friend had his birthday party at a GT basketball game. Loved the game - despite losing to UVA, and became a huge GT fan and have been a fan (and eventually an alum) ever since.

RamblinRed

 

[techman78]

My dad's dad and his uncle were Tech fans. They were the only ones in our entire family so when I was born in 78' I was automatically a Tech fan I guess you could say. My earliest real Tech memories were probably from around '84 and the black watch defense days. I was at every Friday night football game and then was listening to every Tech game on Saturdays. I grew up in Stephens County home of Pat and Ken Swilling which everyone knows. Our small town is 90% mutt fans with a handful of us Tech fans. My first Tech game was one of the best ever as we made the trip to Orlando to see the butt kicking we put on Nebraska. I was hooked after that one game. Last season was my first as a season ticket holder and I hope to continue the season tickets for many years to come and hopefully celebrate another national championship!! THWG

 

[ultimatejacket]

I was born....and so it was and will always be. I love GT.

This pretty much captures my experience. My dad went to Tech after serving in the navy in WWII. He graduated in 1950 with a degree in textile engineering. He used to tell me about old "Sideways" greeting students as they left class outside the textile engineering building which today is a math building. Sideways grave is located nearby and is a shrine for students needing a little luck. Anyway, all of the Tech traditions together with the school's integrity and history was enough to make me a life long Tech fan. I teach high school in south Georgia and it is kind of surprising how many Tech fans are in Albany. Love our team and our coach.

 

[jackets3517]

I grew up in Fort Valley, GA. Not many GT fans so had to deal with it weekly/daily. Like most engineers, it's in your blood and DNA. I moved away from ATL several years ago, but my boys get GT in their face every day. Married a good Hokie girl, but that's better than marrying one from athens. I love the Jackets. EE 1999.

 

[CTJacket]

I grew up in the small town of Hampton, GA. There were a couple of Tech fans then but we were mightily outnumbered by dwag fans. My dad (originally from west Tennessee but not a Vols fan) always liked Tech and Bobby Dodd, so he passed it on to the entire family. He took us to the Thanksgiving game that so many of you went to as well. I went to Tech, taking a .... circuitous route to graduation (changing majors a couple of times, co-op for a year, you name it) and was there from 88-94. I was fortunate enough to be a student trainer with football in 90 and 91 and then baseball for the next two years, so I was on the field in the Citrus Bowl and at the CWS.

I love hearing these - great idea for a thread!!!

 

[sl1m75]

Became a fan in the early 80's when Robert Lavette was playing. Been a diehard ever since. Wanted to be different than all of the Ugag fans in my family of course. Ended up attending Tech in the 90's (didn't graduate from there though). Nothing like the Flats and Bobby Dodd Stadium! My one year old watches all the games with me now...gotta train her up right!

 

[lastoption]

I am a recent fan. Grew up in rural Minnesota and have lived in the north my whole life so no connection to the area or the school. I am a fan of the option based offense and a huge fan of CPJ so for me I became a fan in 2008. That said, it is much easier being a fan of a school like tech where the student athletes are actually intelligent students and are subject to legitimate academic requirements. My daughter and I came down to the virginia game last year. It was our first time in Atlanta and we had a great time. I am hoping to make it back this year maybe for Carolina or Pitt if I can swing it.

 

[Architorture23]

I'm 27 and live in a small town about 30 miles from Thomson and Augusta filled with Uga fans. My daddy had season tickets from 87-2000. I have been going to Bobby Dodd since I was 9 months old and still do to this day. I have two children, one girl who went to he first game this last season and a boy who has Dodd as his middle name. Needless to say I'm already teaching them right from wrong. Go jackets!!! To hell with Georgia!!! Fondest memories when I was little was the joe Hamilton days so I wore #14 proudly in high school.

if you said you were from Lincolnton you'd make my day.

 

[croberts]

No choice in the matter. Grandfather Tech man class of 22 . My father was at Tech when Japan bombed PH. Enlisted like every red blooded American and was transferred to Bradley for officer training and joined 96th I.D. . When the war was over, Tech would not accept his transcript from Bradley, so he finished his 4 year
in Illinois. Came home and had Season tickets from 50 until 2001 . Forgot to mention that my Grandfather had tickets to all home games from 1921 until passing in 1977. The time of his Graveside service was set so we could all get to Grant Field for the Auburn Game. I feel blessed to have watched Kim King , Lenny Snow, Jeff Ford , Rock Perdoni, Eddie McShan??, Kent Hill, Drew Hill. Lucius Sanford ,Eddie Lee Ivery, Randy Robinson,Robert Lavette,Jerry Mays,Joe Harris,Henry Johnson. The Fridge Mover, Pat Swilling, Marco Coleman, Ken Swilling, Shawn Jones, Big Play Clay, Coleman Rudolph, William Bell, Little Joe, Kelly Campbell, Ron Rodgers, Megatron, BayBay,Nesbit, and on and on. Only one team worth watching. THWG

 

[tech_wreck47]

Off topic here, but I'm listening to 92.9 the game (guys on here are big uga fans) and they just said they believe tech will win the acc this year. One went on to say we are LOADED!

 

[Skeptic]

I am a recent fan. Grew up in rural Minnesota and have lived in the north my whole life so no connection to the area or the school. I am a fan of the option based offense and a huge fan of CPJ so for me I became a fan in 2008. That said, it is much easier being a fan of a school like tech where the student athletes are actually intelligent students and are subject to legitimate academic requirements. My daughter and I came down to the virginia game last year. It was our first time in Atlanta and we had a great time. I am hoping to make it back this year maybe for Carolina or Pitt if I can swing it.

Oh yah, come on down.

 

[OldJacketFan]

Off topic here, but I'm listening to 92.9 the game (guys on here are big uga fans) and they just said they believe tech will win the acc this year. One went on to say we are LOADED!

Dukes and Bell in the afternoon give Tech more love that ANYBODY of the radio it Atlanta! My radio won't even tune in 93.7 anymore