Chick Granning From Dodd\'s Luck
This description is from the book "Dodds Luck"
All hell broke out in the fourth quarter against Alabama in Legion Field the next week. During the fourth quarter, Tech punted to the Tide’s Billy Richardson. Richardson signaled for a fair catch and caught the ball.
Chick Graning, of Tech, was near the sidelines covering against a possible run up the sideline . Graning relaxed after Richardson made the fair-catch.
Darwin Holt of Alabama kept coming and drove his elbow up under Graning’s face mask and trotted off the field. Graning lay unconscious on the field, his playing days over.
The damage was fracture of the facial bones, five missing front teeth and the remainder of the front teeth broken, fracture of the nasal bone, fracture of the right maxillary sinus and sinus filled with blood, fracture of the bone beneath the right eye, cerebral concussion, and possible fracture of the base of the skull.
Films of the game showed it was deliberate. There had been other incidences with Holt in other games of excessive and unnecessary roughness. Holt had also bitten Billy Williamson on the leg in the same game.
Dodd wanted Bryant to suspend Holt for several games to insure he would learn to play the game without intentionally trying to maim other players. Bryant refused and Dodd was livid over the incident and Bryant’s unwillingness to correct the situation.
Dodd became angry with Bryant, and it was years before the two buried the hatchet regarding the incident. Dodd never could reconcile himself to accept Bryant’s standard of coaching his players.
Dodd has always insisted the Holt-Graning incident had nothing to do with the termination of the series between Alabama and Tech. Dodd said the decision was made prior to that game. He had already informed the Bear of the termination of the series.
Father Time
This description is from the book "Dodds Luck"
All hell broke out in the fourth quarter against Alabama in Legion Field the next week. During the fourth quarter, Tech punted to the Tide’s Billy Richardson. Richardson signaled for a fair catch and caught the ball.
Chick Graning, of Tech, was near the sidelines covering against a possible run up the sideline . Graning relaxed after Richardson made the fair-catch.
Darwin Holt of Alabama kept coming and drove his elbow up under Graning’s face mask and trotted off the field. Graning lay unconscious on the field, his playing days over.
The damage was fracture of the facial bones, five missing front teeth and the remainder of the front teeth broken, fracture of the nasal bone, fracture of the right maxillary sinus and sinus filled with blood, fracture of the bone beneath the right eye, cerebral concussion, and possible fracture of the base of the skull.
Films of the game showed it was deliberate. There had been other incidences with Holt in other games of excessive and unnecessary roughness. Holt had also bitten Billy Williamson on the leg in the same game.
Dodd wanted Bryant to suspend Holt for several games to insure he would learn to play the game without intentionally trying to maim other players. Bryant refused and Dodd was livid over the incident and Bryant’s unwillingness to correct the situation.
Dodd became angry with Bryant, and it was years before the two buried the hatchet regarding the incident. Dodd never could reconcile himself to accept Bryant’s standard of coaching his players.
Dodd has always insisted the Holt-Graning incident had nothing to do with the termination of the series between Alabama and Tech. Dodd said the decision was made prior to that game. He had already informed the Bear of the termination of the series.
Father Time
