Welcome to the third edition of Throwback Thursday, in which we present a series of Georgia Tech-related artifacts in storage at the College Football Hall of Fame.
The item this week is a ball commemorating the Yellow Jackets’ 1956 season, one of coach Bobby Dodd’s best teams. The Jackets finished 10-1 and fourth in the final Associated Press poll. They were second in the SEC behind Tennessee. The Volunteers were the only team to beat Tech that season, a 6-0 loss in Knoxville in a meeting of the No. 2 (Tech) and 3 (Tennessee) teams in the country.
According to the ball’s inscription, it was used in Tech’s 40-0 win over Tulane on homecoming that season. The team’s captains were Wade Mitchell and George Volkert. I had the pleasure of talking with Mr. Mitchell last year for a story about the 1955’s participation in the historic 1956 Sugar Bowl.
That team actually was the last chapter of a remarkable run in the school’s football history. Between 1951 and 1956, Tech finished in the top 10 five times and was a combined 59-7-3. The Jackets were 20-18-3 over the next three seasons before recovering in Dodd’s final six seasons.
Week two: 1991 Kickoff Classic tankard
Week one: Greg Gathers' jersey
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