Your First GT QB

[forensicbuzz]

Shawn Jones. I was at tech 1987-1990. I got spoiled with both FB and BB

Shawn started in '89. Your first QB, like mine, was Strom. Then Rampley, then Jones.

 

[GSOJacket]

I always thought the '56 team was Dodd's best and also thought the '51 team was actually a better team than the '52 NC team but they slipped up and had a tie I think it was with Duke. Duke had really good teams back in that era. That period from 1950 until about '57 was the best era of GTFB ever IMO. In that period we had a stretch where we went 33?? games undefeated.

I was at that Duke game (14-14) with my father. Back in the 50's, the Tech-Duke series was one of the great rivalries in the South.
Difficult to choose between Dodd's 51, 52 and 56 teams. The 52 team had six All Americans (3 offense, 3 defense). The 56 team played in the one platoon era and so quite different from the 51/52 teams.

 

[Heisman's Ghost]

So, I had started a thread within a thread about everyone’s first Tech game and I noticed a few Billy Lothridge mentions.

For another thread, how about your first GT QB when you started following Tech and what was your favorite memory/play/game?

all I have to say is: The Goose.
its insane that I remember him when I was so young. I grew up with Reggie and I will always have his back. He loves Tech. Of course - Calvin’s NC State catch

what say you?

First quarterback? Lothridge. Favorite memory of him was 1962 against number one Alabama. But the only play I remember clearly was Don Toner's interception of a Joe Namath pass on about the 14 yard line with very little time left in the game. I don't know why the Bear was passing deep in Tech territory unless the very muddy and wet conditions influenced his thinking about playing for a winning field goal with the score 7-6.

 

[UgaBlows]

This thread is great! Thanks everyone for all your good memories from the old days, I love it. Shawn Joes was my first, 89/90 what a year to start following Tech fb!

 

[stinger78]

As a 65 freshman the year before I was in awe of those guys for my 4 years. We never best uga. The 6-3 Gt Tennesse game was one of the greatest I have ever seen. Tennessee had lots of fans and we had many young fans as well. The roar never stopped. I think Dodd had King quick kick to pin them deep for a late winning field goal.

The new King reminds me of King's grit.

Yea, 6-3 not 6-0. What a game it was and I was hooked. That 1966 team was a very good one, too.

 

[stinger 1957]

I was at that Duke game (14-14) with my father. Back in the 50's, the Tech-Duke series was one of the great rivalries in the South.
Difficult to choose between Dodd's 51, 52 and 56 teams. The 52 team had six All Americans (3 offense, 3 defense). The 56 team played in the one platoon era and so quite different from the 51/52 teams.

You're right about the '56 team and one platoon. It was made up by more fall of '53 freshmen than any other class if I remember correctly and that '53 class was recruited under the free substitution rules and they then started having to recruit more two way players seems like going forward with the '54 class and Dodd's recruiting started falling off a little. He seemed to better recruit when he could recruit to one side or the other, specialist type players. That '51 team had Ray Beck, Lum Snyder, Darrell Crawford and others along with many of the '52 All Americans.

Seems like Wade Mitchell started over Toppy Van because Wade was a good safety IMO and Toppy never seem to like defense if I remember correctly. You had to play defense fairly well or you were not going to see the field much is what I seem to remember about it under the very ltd substitution rules.

 

[bobongo]

I really like threads like this because you hear from some people who rarely post, and also learn from some of the older folks details about the old days expressed with an amazing memory.
Thanks to the O.P. and everyone participating in this discussion. It's an interesting and fun read.

 

[takethepoints]

Charlie Dudish, for a short while. Being the #1 recruit in America in 1968 and played freshman football, Playing varsity starting QB as a sophomore, he started the first two games in the 1969 season. He then got hurt in the 3rd game. Clemson won that game, their first win at Grant Field since 1945. He left school in the spring of 1970 and then signed a baseball contract with the Padres. He got hurt again and then signed with the Braves and played for Hoyt Wilhelm in Greenwood SC. He found religion during that time and became a minister. Later he founded a roofing business in Lilburn, GA. He was inducted into the inaugural Georgia High School football Hall of Fame in 2022, along with Georgia Tech's Clint Castleberry, Bill Curry, Larry Morris, and George Maloof. Charlie, Brent Cunningham, and I first met at the 1968 Georgia High School All Star football and basketball games before going to Tech..

I actually wrote Bud Carson before Dudish's sophomore season and told him to put in the veer. I swear to hits day that if Tech had put in a veer with Dudish at QB we would have waltzed to a 10 win season and perhaps the MNC. He was perfect to that O; the only comparison would have been Warrne Moon.

 

[Tommy_Taylor_1972]

I actually wrote Bud Carson before Dudish's sophomore season and told him to put in the veer. I swear to hits day that if Tech had put in a veer with Dudish at QB we would have waltzed to a 10 win season and perhaps the MNC. He was perfect to that O; the only comparison would have been Warrne Moon.

Charlie was just a decade late in coming to Tech. Interesting discussion in the Veer Offense in https://veersite.blogspot.com/2004/06/coach-homer-rice.html to quote: "Coach Homer Rice is one of the names you will hear when the Veer offense is discussed. Coach Rice wrote one of the first books on the offense, "On Triple Option Football." It clearly explained the ideas behind the offense and how to implement it. I have his "Air Option" book which is also a good read. The interesting thing about the second book is that it has a few of the West Coast passing ideas in it. It would be a stretch to say that Coach Rice "invented" the West Coast Offense, however! He is often attributed to "inventing" the Veer due to his popular book, although he clearly gives Coach Bill Yeoman credit for the offense in the first page of his book. So don't blame Coach Rice if he's incorrectly credited with the Veer - He gave Coach Yeoman credit with it in the 2nd or 3rd paragraph." But Bud Carson and Jerry Glanville were not into the triple option offenses, including the veer. Defense was their specialty.

 

[Tommy_Taylor_1972]

Charlie was just a decade late in coming to Tech. Interesting discussion in the Veer Offense in https://veersite.blogspot.com/2004/06/coach-homer-rice.html to quote: "Coach Homer Rice is one of the names you will hear when the Veer offense is discussed. Coach Rice wrote one of the first books on the offense, "On Triple Option Football." It clearly explained the ideas behind the offense and how to implement it. I have his "Air Option" book which is also a good read. The interesting thing about the second book is that it has a few of the West Coast passing ideas in it. It would be a stretch to say that Coach Rice "invented" the West Coast Offense, however! He is often attributed to "inventing" the Veer due to his popular book, although he clearly gives Coach Bill Yeoman credit for the offense in the first page of his book. So don't blame Coach Rice if he's incorrectly credited with the Veer - He gave Coach Yeoman credit with it in the 2nd or 3rd paragraph." But Bud Carson and Jerry Glanville were not into the triple option offenses, including the veer. Defense was their specialty.

Coach Rice is being inducted into the National Football Foundation Leadership Hall of Fame at the College Football Hall of Fame on June 20, 2024.

 

[GSOJacket]

You're right about the '56 team and one platoon. It was made up by more fall of '53 freshmen than any other class if I remember correctly and that '53 class was recruited under the free substitution rules and they then started having to recruit more two way players seems like going forward with the '54 class and Dodd's recruiting started falling off a little. He seemed to better recruit when he could recruit to one side or the other, specialist type players. That '51 team had Ray Beck, Lum Snyder, Darrell Crawford and others along with many of the '52 All Americans.

Seems like Wade Mitchell started over Toppy Van because Wade was a good safety IMO and Toppy never seem to like defense if I remember correctly. You had to play defense fairly well or you were not going to see the field much is what I seem to remember about it under the very ltd substitution rules.

I was a freshman in '58 and had spent summers in Atlanta before that. When the one platoon thing hit, Dodd frequently stated that he would start his best defensive players. And he wasn't shy about punting on third down (to the consternation of many Tech fans). The '56 team's starting FB was Ken Owen (NC HS POY before he came to Tech), and he was a master of the quick kick in addition to being an excellent FB. The quick kick was designed to enable Tech to flip the field when the offense was sluggish. It was a viable strategy in an era favoring defensive football.

 

[TampaBuzz]

I don't remember...it was the guy handing the ball to Eddie Lee Ivery....

 

[g0lftime]

first qb for me was Kim King. I went through 3 coaches in my 4 years at GT. and scheme dramatically changed with Pepper coming. But he led GT to a win over UGA in a pouring rain in Athens in 1974. GT was way ahead at the half and me and about 5,000 GT fans were the only ones left in the stands of a 34,-14 blowout

I was there to the bitter end. The bands didn't March at halftime and left the stadium. It was miserable weather. Rain, windy and cold. Nothing stinks like a wet dog.

 

[stinger78]

I don't remember...it was the guy handing the ball to Eddie Lee Ivery....

Four of them did that: Danny Myers, Rudy Allen, Gary Lanier, and Gary Hardie.

ETA: Also, add Michael Jolley and Bucky Shamburger for a game or two, IIRC.

 

[MWBATL]

Since we are waltzing down memory lane in this thread…I have a question. My memory says that just before I got to GT in the late 60’s that GT and UGA played an odd game….1st half was in one stadium (Athens) and second half later that same day in the other stadium. Am I imagining that?

 

[whitegoldsphinx]

Mike Kelley graduated from the same HS I did. My grandfather loved him.

Yeah, I'm glad I got some time with Kelly before I was treated to the likes of JimBob Taylor. (I wonder why no one ever mentions him?) Kelly actually got drafted by the Falcons but didn't make the team. JimBob would have made a great point guard because he perfected the art of the bounce pass. His throws would have been right on target if they didn't hit the turf on the way there.

 

[GTJohn70]

Kim King and Lenny Snow

 

[DeepSnap]

Since we are waltzing down memory lane in this thread…I have a question. My memory says that just before I got to GT in the late 60’s that GT and UGA played an odd game….1st half was in one stadium (Athens) and second half later that same day in the other stadium. Am I imagining that?

Yep, but it makes a good bar story.

 

[DeepSnap]

Charlie was just a decade late in coming to Tech. Interesting discussion in the Veer Offense in https://veersite.blogspot.com/2004/06/coach-homer-rice.html to quote: "Coach Homer Rice is one of the names you will hear when the Veer offense is discussed. Coach Rice wrote one of the first books on the offense, "On Triple Option Football." It clearly explained the ideas behind the offense and how to implement it. I have his "Air Option" book which is also a good read. The interesting thing about the second book is that it has a few of the West Coast passing ideas in it. It would be a stretch to say that Coach Rice "invented" the West Coast Offense, however! He is often attributed to "inventing" the Veer due to his popular book, although he clearly gives Coach Bill Yeoman credit for the offense in the first page of his book. So don't blame Coach Rice if he's incorrectly credited with the Veer - He gave Coach Yeoman credit with it in the 2nd or 3rd paragraph." But Bud Carson and Jerry Glanville were not into the triple option offenses, including the veer. Defense was their specialty.

That's putting it mildly, Tom.

Budro's failing re: offenses was his openly & often stated view "If I can take apart an offense, I know how to put one together."

Thus Bill Crutchfield, Tom Moore, and Jack Griffin suffered as what passed for Offensive Coordinator in that era.

 

[grandpa jacket]

I believe it was Stan Gann