College Football: The Mount Rushmore for the 30 best programs of all time
By Brad Weiss
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Calvin Johnson, Bobby Dodd, Buck Flowers, Joe Hamilton
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets may not have won a national title since 1990, but that has not stopped them from producing some of the more exciting college football players we have seen since then. Overall, the program has won four national championships, produced 21 All-Americans, and has brought home 15 conference titles.
Calvin Johnson
Considered one of the greatest wide receivers of all time, Calvin Johnson was an absolute beast during his time at Georgia Tech, starting with an incredible freshman season where he broke records, to his final season as a junior. A three-time All-ACC player, Johnson was twice named an All-American and won the Fred Biletnikoff Award in 2006. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Bobby Dodd
Bobby Dodd became the head football coach at Georgia Tech back in 1945, and he held that position for over 20 years. He led the Yellow Jackets to a national title in 1952, was twice named SEC Coach of the Year, and did enough during his time as the head coach to be named to the College Football Hall of Fame. He is one of four people to be enshrined as both a coach and a player. The Yellow Jackets’ current stadium is named after him.
Buck Flowers
Buck Flowers may have begun his college career at Davidson, but by the time all was said and done, he was one of the more electric running backs Georgia Tech has ever seen. The catalyst on that special 1920 Georgia Tech team that went 8-1, Flowers was a master at making people miss. While he was never a First-Team All-American, he was one of the best running backs in the country for a three-year period in the late 1910s to early 1920s.
Joe Hamilton
The Georgia Tech football program has had some special quarterbacks during its history, but Joe Hamilton stands above them all in terms of production. Hamilton set ACC records during his time at the school, including for touchdown passes and total yards, while being named an All-American along the way. He won the Davey O’Brien Award, was twice named MVP of the Gator Bowl. Hamilton is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.