RIP Pepper Rodgers

thegtstunner08

thegtstunner08

Earl of Cheap Seats and Cold Pizza
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Messages
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Just received word he has passed away. Not the greatest coach ever for Tech but he did some cool things. God a signed football by him. Just a nice individual. Prayers for his family.
 
I am so sorry to hear this. He brought some renewed life to Tech football. He came home to coach the Jackets my sophomore year. My friends on the team liked him. They did not idolize him, but liked that he recognized there were some things more important than football. That may have been his undoing. He thought life should be fun.

Rest In Peace, Coach. You were a champion at Brown High and at Georgia Tech. You had the funniest, most entertaining coach’s show ever. And you created some great memories - that rainy and cold day in Athens in ‘74 and a Homecoming whipping of Notre Dame in ‘76 chief among them.
 
A coach whose weekly TV show was actually fun to watch. As part of the questions segment, he’d have local celebs ask, “Pepper, why don’t you pass more?”

You got to love a guy who takes his work seriously without taking himself seriously. Hope he and my boyhood hero (Coach Shula) are swapping stories and enjoying themselves in Coaches’ Valhalla tonight. Peace be with them both.
 
His head coaching record wasn't the best but you knew he LOVED Tech and worked hard to try and bring us back to the greatness we had when he played there. He was a true Tech Man through and through.
 
Ok, so I am going against principle and posting a pretty good article about Pepper from the AJC.

What he did: If football came down to personality, Franklin “Pepper’’ Rodgers never would have lost a game.
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He was drafted in the 12th round of the 1954 draft by the Baltimore Colts, but instead entered the Air Force where he spent five years as a pilot.
He likes to say, “When you were flying, you were always professional, but when you landed the plane, you headed straight for the officers club. I used to tell reporters after games, ‘Look boys, the four most important things are to have a fast back, a big line during football games and after six a beautiful woman and a cold beer. Well, it’s after six, so I am going to get a cold beer.’’
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Many felt Rodgers could have built a dynasty with the Bruins, running the wishbone and leading the nation in offense. But Tech came calling in 1974 and despite being an independent with outdated facilities, Rodgers returned home.
Never the country-club type, Pepper showed up his first day at Tech driving a Harley and sporting a new perm.
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On coaching at Tech: “We were not in a conference and the facilities hadn’t changed since I had played. I knew how hard it was going to be to win there. But that had nothing to do with taking the job. It was about my love for Tech.’’
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https://www.ajc.com/sports/college/whatever-happened-pepper-rodgers/rOHqtX8mQt355gkw8CCGgO/
 
Man this is sad news....my first time watching a Tech football game, that I can remember as a child, was when CPR was there. I loved the Wishbone offense. I suppose that is why I liked to watch CPJ's offense as well. It was a tough time for Tech football then but CPR had some great Tech men play for him. He for sure loved Tech and that will always be more important than his record.
 
MUCH better coach than many ever gave him credit for.

He left UCLA (much better job back then) to come back to the school he loved. Wish he could have come back as HC earlier in his career.

And promises made to him by important people were not kept. That hurt him and he never said a word.

And he made the kick to beat Baylor in the Orange Bowl that helped make GT national champs in 52.

Thank you Pepper

R.I.P.
 
Met him at an alumni dinner in DC a few years back. Just an all around good guy. He will be missed.
 
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