Question about a past coach?

Supersizethatorder-mutt

Supersizethatorder-mutt

Banned
Messages
13,443
Location
Augusta, GA
redmule said:
"Lost opportunity" is how I remember the Pepper years. Change one play in '76 and one play in '78, and he takes 4 of 5 from uga. With that, we don't hit rock bottom, uga's run in the early 80's never happens, the state sidewalk fans stay split between Tech and uga, lots of things change about Tech football. Another thing I remember is how he completely revamped the team in '78 going away from the wishbone when he saw that freshman qb Mike Kelly could throw the ball, or am I just confused?

Didn't Pepper have a couple of bit parts in movies while he was at UCLA?
Click to expand...
You are correct about the changes made for Mike Kelly and the movie thing too.
 
northgajacket

northgajacket

Banned
Messages
1,150
GlennW said:
For those unaware; the GA Tech's football facilities (dressing rooms, training room, equipment room, laundry, weight room, etc) were probably some of the worst in the Country (including Division II and Division III) during Pepper Rodger's tenure, with everything located under the East Stands (except the weight "room," which was an open air facility under the North Stands. The Coaches offices were in the old, grey, AA building, which housed all of the Administrative areas as well, like ticketing and the Athletic Director, PR, etc.

If anyone has ever been under the East Stands, you'll know that is where the original Grant Field Stadium seating still sits, but what many people didn't know was that a small "hive" was built right along the road side (a small aisle with rooms on the field side for the training room, locker rooms, equipment room, then the laundry). The hallway was so narrow, you could almost touch both sides by stretching both arms out (two guys couldn't walk side-by-side down the hall at the same time). The training room (not to be confused with a training table, which served meals), could only handle 6 or so players at a time, on tables, with a couple of ice baths. Then there were two sets of locker rooms; one large room for the varsity, which was carpeted and had a juke box, and then a series of smaller rooms that held about ten non-varsity players, and they worked their way down the hall towards the equipment room (where Sarge and the student football managers were located).

There was a small alley outside towards the road that golf carts could be used to drive tackling dummies from the equipment room to Rose Bowl Field for two-a-day practices.
Click to expand...

I have always heard the facilities were bad during his tenure. Question: Was the reason why the stadium was remodeled because of the inclusion of new facilities?
 
northgajacket

northgajacket

Banned
Messages
1,150
redmule said:
"Lost opportunity" is how I remember the Pepper years. Change one play in '76 and one play in '78, and he takes 4 of 5 from uga. With that, we don't hit rock bottom, uga's run in the early 80's never happens, the state sidewalk fans stay split between Tech and uga, lots of things change about Tech football. Another thing I remember is how he completely revamped the team in '78 going away from the wishbone when he saw that freshman qb Mike Kelly could throw the ball, or am I just confused?

Didn't Pepper have a couple of bit parts in movies while he was at UCLA?
Click to expand...


What happened in the '76 game?
 
Gtyellowjackets

Gtyellowjackets

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
113
Location
Atlanta
Was the '76 UGAg team ranked like 5th and lost to #1 Pitt in the Sugar Bowl with Ray Goof at qb against Tony Dorsett? Might have the years and players mixed up.
 

augustabuzz

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,404
Pepper was allowed some academic exceptions in 1975, and that class contained some good talent. Pepper was having a good year in 1978, and some of "our" alumns were upset that he might be given an extension. So, in an effort to cut off your nose to spite your face, they sent an anonymous letter to our recruits telling them to not come to Tech. This led directly to the down years in the early eighties. It also gave Dr. Petit an excuse to end the football program, which he almost did.
 
northgajacket

northgajacket

Banned
Messages
1,150
augustabuzz said:
Pepper was allowed some academic exceptions in 1975, and that class contained some good talent. Pepper was having a good year in 1978, and some of "our" alumns were upset that he might be given an extension. So, in an effort to cut off your nose to spite your face, they sent an anonymous letter to our recruits telling them to not come to Tech. This led directly to the down years in the early eighties. It also gave Dr. Petit an excuse to end the football program, which he almost did.
Click to expand...

I had always wondered why there was such a drop off from 1979 to 1980
 

Sideways

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,589
GlennW said:
For those unaware; the GA Tech's football facilities (dressing rooms, training room, equipment room, laundry, weight room, etc) were probably some of the worst in the Country (including Division II and Division III) during Pepper Rodger's tenure, with everything located under the East Stands (except the weight "room," which was an open air facility under the North Stands. The Coaches offices were in the old, grey, AA building, which housed all of the Administrative areas as well, like ticketing and the Athletic Director, PR, etc.

If anyone has ever been under the East Stands, you'll know that is where the original Grant Field Stadium seating still sits, but what many people didn't know was that a small "hive" was built right along the road side (a small aisle with rooms on the field side for the training room, locker rooms, equipment room, then the laundry). The hallway was so narrow, you could almost touch both sides by stretching both arms out (two guys couldn't walk side-by-side down the hall at the same time). The training room (not to be confused with a training table, which served meals), could only handle 6 or so players at a time, on tables, with a couple of ice baths. Then there were two sets of locker rooms; one large room for the varsity, which was carpeted and had a juke box, and then a series of smaller rooms that held about ten non-varsity players, and they worked their way down the hall towards the equipment room (where Sarge and the student football managers were located).

There was a small alley outside towards the road that golf carts could be used to drive tackling dummies from the equipment room to Rose Bowl Field for two-a-day practices.
Click to expand...

Good gracious Glenn! I knew,even then, that things were bad but I had no idea. How did the coaches manage to convince anyone to come to Tech? I was at another college in those days and would come home to Atlanta and go to every single home game. My mother and dad had season tickets in the west stands and bought me a season ticket in the north stands. Dad thought I would get too excitied and wanted me to sit away from them. We would go to the Varsity afterwards. Fun times but it was obvious we were a little bit outmanned against good teams.
 
Supersizethatorder-mutt

Supersizethatorder-mutt

Banned
Messages
13,443
Location
Augusta, GA
augustabuzz said:
Pepper was allowed some academic exceptions in 1975, and that class contained some good talent. Pepper was having a good year in 1978, and some of "our" alumns were upset that he might be given an extension. So, in an effort to cut off your nose to spite your face, they sent an anonymous letter to our recruits telling them to not come to Tech. This led directly to the down years in the early eighties. It also gave Dr. Petit an excuse to end the football program, which he almost did.
Click to expand...
WOW. Didn't know any of that
 
SolicitorJacket

SolicitorJacket

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
296
Location
McDonough, GA
augustabuzz said:
Pepper was having a good year in 1978, and some of "our" alumns were upset that he might be given an extension. So, in an effort to cut off your nose to spite your face, they sent an anonymous letter to our recruits telling them to not come to Tech. This led directly to the down years in the early eighties. It also gave Dr. Petit an excuse to end the football program, which he almost did.
Click to expand...

I had no idea that bbuzzoff was around in 1978.
 
ilovetheoption

ilovetheoption

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,803
augustabuzz said:
Pepper was allowed some academic exceptions in 1975, and that class contained some good talent. Pepper was having a good year in 1978, and some of "our" alumns were upset that he might be given an extension. So, in an effort to cut off your nose to spite your face, they sent an anonymous letter to our recruits telling them to not come to Tech. This led directly to the down years in the early eighties. It also gave Dr. Petit an excuse to end the football program, which he almost did.
Click to expand...
If that is true, then you had literally the worst fanbase in the country at that time.
I can't stand Bronco Mendenhall, but I hope like heck he succeeds. I can't imagine wishing failure on my own team, much less actively contributing to it.
 
JacketFromUGA

JacketFromUGA

Helluva Engineer
Messages
4,895
ilovetheoption said:
If that is true, then you had literally the worst fanbase in the country at that time.
I can't stand Bronco Mendenhall, but I hope like heck he succeeds. I can't imagine wishing failure on my own team, much less actively contributing to it.
Click to expand...
If there's one thing I know about my Tech friends (granted they're much younger than those being talked about) is that as long as they are correct the world could burn around them. I love my wife but she'd let the house burn down to prove I left the oven on.
 
Top