One could make the argument that Dodd was more bad than good for Tech
Only a foolish person would even ATTEMPT to make such an absurd argument! Unfortunately, Tech has a great deal of knuckleheads for a fan base. Bobby Dodd gave us a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP in football in 1952! Tech was 12-0 that season and beat an #7 Ole MISSY team 24-7 in the Sugar Bowl. We actually were voted as National Champions in 1951 by some publications when Coach Dodd lead the Jackets to a 11-0-1 season. Tech should claim the 51' Title, no one beat us that year.
From 1951 to 1956 Tech WON 6 STRAIGHT BOWL GAMES, which included the Orange Bowl (1951 season), the Sugar Bowl (1952 season), the Sugar Bowl (1953 season), The Cotton Bowl (1954 Season), The Sugar Bowl (1955 Season) and Gator Bowl (1956 Season). By the way, the least prestigious of the bowls during that stretch was the Gator Bowl. And Tech's record in 1956 was 10-1! Just for those those 6 seasons by themselves no other Tech coach since Dodd comes close to that success! He also lead the Jackets to victory in the 1948 Orange Bowl. Coach Dodd was 9-4 in bowl games. No other Tech coach has a bowl record that compares to that. Bobby Dodd is one of a few who is in both the College Football Hall of Fame as both a player and as a coach.
But most importantly, Bobby Dodd was a good person. The man had principles that many in the stinking SEC lacked (Just as they do today). For instance, regarding Coach Dodd pulling Tech out of the SEC (which so many of our fans love to bash Dodd for doing) was actually a decision made for the betterment of all athletes in the SEC. I'm sure many of our fan base haven't a clue on why Coach Dodd pulled us out of the SEC and how some prominent, but unethical scoundrels didn't back him. Coach Dodd pulled Tech out of the SEC after the 1963 season due to the 140 rule, which allowed schools to "over-recruit".
"The 140 Rule stated a college program could only have 140 football and basketball players on scholarship at any one time, but the teams were still allowed to sign up to 45 players a year..." However, Dodd would sign about 30–32 football players a year to meet the guidelines, but the other schools in the SEC were offering 45 scholarships a year. Many SEC schools would "Stockpile" players so other schools couldn't play them. Then if that coach deemed the player not good enough to fall under the 140 Rule they would withdrawal their scholarship. Dodd believed this wasn't fair to the player that had been given a scholarship. Therefore, Coach Dodd did not allow any of his players to be dismissed from the team and lose their scholarship just because they were not considered among the best players. Coach Dodd said, "It is not the recruit's fault for not making the squad, it was the coaches' fault for misjudging their talents." "If a recruit came to Tech, he would stay on a football scholarship until he graduated."
Bobby Dodd asked the SEC to limit the amount of scholarships to about 32 per year. In so doing, this would have prevented schools from offering 45 scholarships (where they could cherrypick the best and withdrawal the scholarships from the rest). Coach Dodd made it clear if the SEC didn't change the 140 Rule he would pull Tech out of the SEC. "Bear Bryant had promised Dodd he would get his president to vote for Dodd's position, which would have changed the rule. When the meeting was held on January 24, 1964, the Alabama president voted against Dodd's position and the 140 Rule was upheld when the presidents split 6–6. Tech's president immediately walked to the podium and announced Tech was withdrawing from the SEC." So Coach Dodd again demonstrated integrity, which Bear Bryant failed to show.
In 1954, Coach Dodd said that football with all it's thrills and everything that makes it great that there was one thing that was most important of all and that was "the boy who plays it." He lived by that with his actions. That's why his players would go threw a brick wall for him. Therefore, Bobby Dodd was much more GOOD for Georgia Tech than bad!
GO JACKETS! And may our fans learn and celebrate our schools history instead of running it down. Hell, for decades UGA has produced journalism majors that have run us down in the press. Then, we got our own fans doing the same. Sad.
