The List: Great Jackets (and what I call them)

GOAT

So, on facebook this past weekend, I, on a pure cocaine-quality high following Georgia Tech's improbable come-from-behind victory over u(sic)ga in Athens, offhandedly made a list of my favorite Yellow Jackets of all time. The response I got to my post was YUUUGE, so, after some discussion and deliberating, I decided to brush off the ole' blog and publish a newer, more picture-y list of my favorite GT athletes of all time (regardless of sport):

1. Calvin "Megatron" Johnson. 

As you may have guessed from the giant picture at the top of this listicle, #1 on this list is etched in stone and handed down from the Almighty Dodd himself. No one wore the uniform with more dignity, and no one electrified Bobby Dodd in the lull period of "the aughts" than CJ21. I'd like to think I'm a decent writer, but I can't do the sheer giftedness of "Megatron" anything approaching justice, so instead I'll post this youtube link to highlights here.

Seriously, words like "transcendent" and "prodigious" don't even cover what Calvin did during his time on "the Flats." The catch he made to win the game against Clemson in Death Valley in 2004 was so iconic that when they played it on the big screen at Grant Field in 2007 during a tight game against the same Tigers, the effect it had on Clemson players was undeniable. Everyone wearing orange in the stadium that day looked as though they'd just seen the ghost that haunts their nightmares all over again. Tech went on to win in convincing fashion. THAT's an icon. CJ had an effect on games that he wasn't even a part of. That's why he'll always be my #1.

2. Joe Hamilton

"Mighty Joe" came along at a time when the Jackets needed him most. A diminiutive offensive juggernaut from equally tiny Moncks Corner, SC, Hamilton played with a severity FAR beyond his size. He did things long since deemed impossible for a kid from Georgia Tech. He beat u(sic)ga twice, lit up scoreboards like Georgia Power, and came as close as anyone from the Institute has in 30 yrs. to a Heisman Trophy. It was stolen off his mantle, if you ask me. Joe was incredible, and offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen used him like a coal miner employs dynamite; to weaken and destroy. Had he any real help from his defense, we'd be talking about him as the last Tech man to quarterback a National Championship team. Here's his 1999 Heisman candidacy video;

3. Jarrett Jack

Everything about "the Architect" was appealing to me; his ability to score, his innate understanding of where his teammates were, and his dynamic leadership on one of Georgia Tech's most accomplished basketball teams of all time. Jarrett wasn't ever the most talented point guard in the ACC, but no one competed like he did, and as a result, he led an improbable run to the Final Four in 2004. He's on this list because he was a joy to watch. I won't post his highlights here, because I want you to do yourself a favor and go find them.

4. Tashard Choice

"The War Machine" embodied everything you want in a running back. Tough, patient, steady, and fearless. Never the fleetest of foot, Choice made up for a less than optimal 40 yd. dash time with guts and an uncanny ability to deliver punishing runs between the tackles at a time when GT was desperate for any kind of threat to take attention away from the aforementioned Johnson. A transfer from Oklahoma, Choice made his first mark on Tech football lore when he took over an away game against a top 5 Miami team in 2005. Choice finished runs with authority, and became a fan favorite due to his outspoken leadership and emotional pregame speeches. The guy wandered the sidelines with a sledgehammer, for pete's sake. He punished defenders and exulted teammates and fans with spirited play, and the Jackets are lucky to have had him. Here's a highlight of maybe my favorite play he made as a Jacket; a punishing run against Clemson that embodied everything he was as a player:

5. Justin Thomas

I was VERY conflicted as to whether or not to put him or the next guy down on the list, but JT gets the nod because he twice walked into enemy territory and delivered victory to Georgia Tech teams that were not as talented as their opponents. His freewheeling running style and fearless playmaking ability make him an indispensable part of Paul Johnson's "scorched earth" attack, and his blinding speed and ankle-breaking elusiveness make him a threat to score any time he touches the ball. In addition, his electric (if sometimes erratic) throwing arm gave the Jackets' ground attack another dimension for opposing defensive coordinators to lose sleep over. Go back and watch his 2014 Orange Bowl performance against Mississippi State. He absolutely humiliates one of the fastest, most aggressive defenses of that year with his arms, leg, and his ability to comprehend every part of Paul Johnson's complex system. He does to that defense what Donald Trump's twitter does to KellyAnne Conway. Because of his ability to inspire and lead in the face of overwhelming adversity, my proposal for his nickname is "the Mockingjay." More guys have played James Bond than have beaten georgia twice in Athens while quarterbacking the Jackets, and JT is one of them. His place in history is forever assured, and if I had my say, his name would be one of the next in the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame. Here's some video;

6. Roddy Jones

Roddy Jones came to Georgia Tech as part of the heralded 2006-2007 recruiting class that stunned the nation by coming to the Flats together. Jones makes this list ahead of any of his 2008 teammates because of his unabashed love of the Institute. He found himself being "The last outlaw" on some mediocre Tech teams after several of his more heralded teammates left for the NFL, and never once did he complain or criticize. He simply did his job. He even spent time on the Jackets' radio broadcast team after graduation. Roddy, or "the Hot Rod," as many know him, earned his spot in Tech lore with a performance so beyond belief great in Athens in 2008 that people still talk about it in hushed tones today. Jones again and again burned a bewildered Dwag defense with runs down the sidelines that left the Dwags shaking their heads and gasping for air. 

I posted that highlight because some scholar spliced the u(sic)ga radio call with the game footage. I love hearing Dwag play-by-play man (and noted mouth- breathing dingleberry) Scott Howard so frustrated with the Dwags inability to stop what they derisively referred to as a "high school offense" that he sounds like he's gonna break dow nat any moment. The tears cried in Athens after that loss gave dozens of angels their wings, and having been there in person, gave me maybe the fondest experience I've ever had at a sporting event. Roddy, you are one of the best of us, and the Institute loves you as much as you love us.

7. Joe Anoa'i

I can hear y'all say it now. "Who?" The man who now plies his trade in World Wrestling Entertainment as "Roman Reigns" came to Tech a lightly heralded linebacker out of Florida. He ended his career an all-conference defensive lineman and team captain. Anoa'i gave every defense he played on a nasty streak a mile wide, and was often accused by opposing teams and fans as being "dirty." 

Maybe he did play slightly after the whistle stopped blowing, but every team needs an "enforcer", and A'noai seemed more than happy to play that role to perfection for Jon Tenuta's hyper-aggressive scheme. I would submit that A'noai ranks up there amongst the great enforcers in sports history, alongside legends such as Dave Semenko, Tie Domi, Arn Anderson, Kurt Rambis, and Kyle Farnsworth. I just always really enjoyed the ferocity he brought to Tech, and since it's my list, he's on it.

8. The 2003-2006 Women's volleyball teams

Here's another one on here simply because they're a personal favorite. I knew very little about volleyball until some friends convinced me to go check out the Lady Jackets one friday night. The rest, as they say, is history. I was enraptured by the athleticism and fluidity the young women showed during their game, and the enthusiastic, cult-like atmosphere of the small gym the girls played in was half rock show, half sporting event. It was LOUD, and they were GOOD. Then I got to know some of them as people, and my appreciation for their efforts grew even more. Marisa Aston (Jackson), Keight Vincent (Dukes), Lauren Sauer (something else now, but I'm not sure what), Kele Eveland, and others that I KNOW I'm forgetting were as gracious and kind off the court as they were tenacious and gifted on it. Somewhere at my parents house I still have a banner signed by the entire squad. I have very few fonder memories than I do of screaming my head off in that tiny, sweltering gym for a group of ladies who truly deserved and fed off of our support. I put them on here collectively because I can't POSSIBLY pick one favorite out of that bunch. MAYBE Keight, because she married a good friend of mine, and her social media is a must-follow, but that doesn't seem fair to the others. Thank all of you for the memories. POINT TECH!!!

9. Joshua Nesbitt

"The Wolverine" wasn't the most adept at running Paul Johnson's complicated triple option attack. He wasn't the fastest of Johnson's QB's, nor was he the most accurate of passers. What Josh Nesbitt was was TOUGH. Nesbitt took hits in 2008 and 09 that would've carried jail time if delivered on the street, and popped up and ran the next play. His steadfast, even-keeled presence was exactly what was needed during those early CPJ years, and I'm not sure any player has ever embodied his Coach's vision for football as much as Nesbitt. Guy just made plays. Over and over again. There may have been a few guys who were as tough, but no one has ever strapped on a helmet on the Flats and been tougher than Josh. His career was cut short by cheapshot in Blackburg, VA, but we remember his leadership and grit fondly. I've got some video;

10. Phillip Wheeler

I end my top 10 with one of my favorite defenders of the Tenuta era at Georgia Tech. Equal parts linebacker and cruise missile, no one found themselves in position to deliver a game-changing play to an opposing offense like Wheeler did. There were other great Tech defenders on those teams, but Wheeler's ability to ALWAYS be around the ball is what differentiates him to me. Go watch GT Clemson 2007. It's on youtube. I'll wait. He's EVERYWHERE. Cullen Harper probably still wakes up covered in cold sweat because of him. Jon Tenuta's defense depended on fast, athletic players making fast, athletic plays, and Phillip Wheeler was that and then some. Sacks. Tackles for loss. Interceptions. Wheeler could cover, blitz, and play the run. He was nothing short of a revelation while on the Flats, and his playmaking ability is something this current bunch of Jackets could sorely use. I look at current sophomore linebacker Vic Alexander and see some Wheeler in there. I hope that that blossoms while he's on the Flats. 

Honorable Mention

Pat Swilling, Marco Coleman, Shawn Jones, George Godsey, Harrison Butker, Will Bynum, Marcus Georges-Hunt, Mark Teixeira, Nomar Garciaparra, and Scott Sisson.