Joe Hamilton ranked best quarterback in Georgia Tech history

Joe Hamilton played quarterback for the Georgia Tech football team starting in 1996 and earned the title of NCAA Quarterback of the Year in 1999. He played in the NFL from 2000 until 2006 and won one Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2014, he was added to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Credit: DOUG PENSINGER / GETTY IMAGES

Credit: DOUG PENSINGER / GETTY IMAGES

Joe Hamilton played quarterback for the Georgia Tech football team starting in 1996 and earned the title of NCAA Quarterback of the Year in 1999. He played in the NFL from 2000 until 2006 and won one Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2014, he was added to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Georgia Tech has been led by some talented quarterbacks since its first season in 1892.

While there are many to choose from, FanSided's Blake Silvers selected the top six Yellow Jacket quarterbacks.

1. Joe Hamilton (1996-1999)

Silver writes there is “no doubt” that Hamilton is the best quarterback to play at Georgia Tech. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014, Hamilton was the Heisman Trophy runner-up behind Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne in 1999. Hamilton set ACC records of total offense (10,640 yards), total touchdowns (83) and total touchdown passes (65) in his time at Tech.

2. George Godsey (1998-2001)

Godsey, who started behind Hamilton for two years, threw for 6,137 yards and 41 touchdowns in his two seasons as starter for the Yellow Jackets. Godsey threw 17 interceptions at Tech and had a completion percentage of 63.6 percent in 2000— the best in program history.

3. Shawn Jones (1989-1992)

Jones is deemed "perhaps the most underrated and lesser known great in the history of Georgia Tech football” who led Tech to one of its best seasons in school history. Jones threw for 8,441 yards, rushed for 855 yards and scored 70 total touchdowns in four years as a Yellow Jacket.

4. Justin Thomas (2013-2016)

Silvers calls Thomas "perhaps the most capable of all Paul Johnson quarterback recruits at Georgia Tech so far." In his career, Thomas threw for 4,649 yards and 40 touchdowns and rushed for 2,370 yards and 21 touchdowns. Thomas signed an undrafted free agent contract as a cornerback with the New Orleans Saints in May.

5. Josh Nesbitt (2007-2010)

Nesbitt started for the Yellow Jackets for three seasons before breaking his arm during his senior year. As a Yellow Jacket, Nesbitt threw for 3,276 yards and 20 touchdowns and rushed for 2,806 yards and 35 touchdowns. Nesbitt was the first Georgia Tech quarterback and second ACC quarterback to have over 1,000 rushing yards.

6. Billy Lothridge (1961-1963)

Lothridge played quarterback for the Yellow Jackets during Tech’s final three seasons in the SEC. Lothridge was the Heisman trophy runner up to Navy’s Roger Staubach in 1963. During the wishbone era, Lothridge finished his career at Tech with 2,394 passing yards and 746 rushing yards.