Randy Rhino’s photo with the rhino was one of the more creative publicity shots that came out of a college sports information department in the 1970s. The idea behind it was to help Georgia Tech’s Rhino become a three-time All-American, and it certainly didn’t hurt his campaign.
The year was 1974 and Rhino was considered the best defensive back in the nation. As a sophomore, he led the nation in punt returns, averaging 17.6 yards on 25 returns including one for what is still a school-record 96 yards and also intercepted eight passes, taking one for a touchdown. He came back the next season and intercepted six passes and returned 25 kickoffs for a 25-yard average.
So right before his senior season, Rhino was taken out to a place called Lion Country Safari, a drive-through cageless zoo of sorts south of Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Clayton County. There in full uniform, Rhino was put in the pen with a Rhino named “Sally.’’
“I remember getting in there with a photographer and a guy with a dart gun,’’ Rhino said. “Sally wasn’t moving around much as I remember taking a photo with my hand on her head and then running in front of her and the photographer tried to get her to run after me, but she wouldn’t. I slapped her in the nose and everything. We got a lot of mileage out of those rhino shots.
And yes, Rhino was named All-American for the third time.
“I do remember 10 years later reading something in the AJC about them shutting down the place and the fact that they had been heavily tranquilizing the animals so they wouldn’t come after the cars,’’ he said. “No wonder Sally wasn’t moving that much.’’
But there was another Rhino photo taken almost 30 years later at Zoo Atlanta when Randy was escorted by his son, Kelley, and father, Chappell, three generations of Rhinos who played football at Tech. This time, they were on a level above what was an aggressive rhino.
“We were on an upper level, and a worker came by and fed the rhino and then got out of the way so the photos could be taken,’’ said Rhino. “Even though the rhino couldn’t really get at us, it was a little scarier than the first time I did it with Sally.’’
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