Georgia Tech legend Joe Hamilton doesn’t need a ring to be recognized as one of the greatest players in college football history. But that status will be certified Tuesday night.
Hamilton arrived in New York with family Monday in advance of the National Football Foundation’s annual awards dinner Tuesday night. At the end of the evening, he and the class of 16 inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame will receive their hall of fame rings.
Hamilton has been humbled and amazed at his selection, announced in May. Monday, as he spoke by phone, the honor was still a little hard to believe.
“Absolutely,” he said. “You wonder if somebody’s going to change it up, pull it out, until it’s official.”
A magical season for Hamilton's team – he is now a recruiting assistant for the Yellow Jackets – has one more memory. He will be the 13th Tech player and 18th person associated with Tech to be inducted, as well as its first quarterback.
Undersized, dynamic and fearsome in the clutch, Hamilton is perhaps the most beloved player in Tech history. A dual-threat quarterback, Hamilton was a four-year starter 1996-99, finishing his career with a superior senior season. In 1999, Hamilton won the Davey O’Brien Award (given to the nation’s top quarterback), was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, was a consensus first-team All-American, became Tech’s first ACC player of the year and, not least, beat Georgia a second time.
Hamilton was to attend an event Monday night held by the ACC honoring him, fellow inductee Dre Bly, the North Carolina cornerback and a Hamilton adversary, and Duke athletic director Kevin White, who will also receive an award from the foundation for excellence in athletics administration.
Among those in Hamilton’s party are his wife, two children, his parents, sister and other members of his extended family. Former Tech offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen, whose tutelage spurred Hamilton to re-write the Tech record book and finish his career as the ACC’s all-time leader in total offense, will also be there with his wife Gloria, as well as a close friend of Hamilton’s, fellow Tech grad Clint Padgett.
Hamilton will be spared an acceptance speech. One member of the class, TCU great LaDainian Tomlinson, will speak on behalf of the class.
“I can really enjoy it and not have it in the back of my mind about giving a speech,” he said “That’s good.”
What Hamilton did say he wanted to do, though, was to get to know his fellow inductees, including Tony Boselli (USC offensive tackle), Sterling Sharpe (South Carolina wide receiver), Willie Roaf (Louisiana Tech offensive lineman) and Mike Bellotti (Oregon coach). The class expands the hall to 948 players and 207 coaches. About one out of every 4,400 college football players or coaches has been accorded the honor.
Hamilton hoped to get photos and autographs from the rest of the class.
“I kind of want to pick their brains,” Hamilton said. “I’m looking forward to that more than anything.”
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