We found it impossible to choose between Billy Lothridge and Joe
Hamilton as Georgia Tech's all-time quarterback. Both were
All-Americans and Heisman Trophy runners-up as seniors.
Three of the players from coach John Heisman's 1917 national
champions landed on our all-time Georgia Tech squad - halfbacks
Everett Strupper and Joe Guyon, and Bill Fincher, who played both tackle
and end. All three are enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Strupper, the first All-American ever selected from the Deep South, could
only be mentioned as a running back; Guyon and Fincher made the team
on defense.


Our choices as the Yellow Jackets' all-time wide receivers are John Sias,
who caught 110 passes during his college career, including a school
record 14 in one game in 1968; and Dez White, who caught 90 passes
over his three years at Tech and whose average of 20.4 yards per catch is
a school record. At tight end we have chosen Billy Martin, Lothridge's
favorite receiver in the early '60s and a 1963 All-American.
Joining Strupper at running back are Robert Lavette, whose 4,066 net
rushing yards and 18 100-yard games are school career records; and
Eddie Lee Ivery, whose 1,562 rushing yards in 1978 tops the school's
single-season chart. Ivery's 5.7-yard average is the best career mark in
school history.


Harvey Hardy, Ray Beck, Larry Morris, Peter Pund, Jim Breland, John
Davis and Chris Brown all brought All-America honors to the Georgia
Tech offensive line. Beck, Morris and Pund are Hall of Famers. The Yellow
Jacket program has been well known for developing outstanding players
at center, where Pund, Breland and Morris excelled.


One of the best centers to come out of Georgia Tech was Maxie Baughn,
whose strong suit was defense. Baughn was a second-round draft pick
by Philadelphia in 1960 and enjoyed a stellar NFL career at linebacker
with the Eagles and the LA Rams. Baughn and George Morris, who was
an instrumental part of Tech's 1952 national championship under
legendary coach Bobby Dodd, can both be found in the Hall of Fame.
Filling out Tech's all-time linebacker unit are more recent standouts Pat
Swilling, a 1985 All-American, and Keith Brooking, the school's career
tackle record-holder with 467.


This past season, current Yellow Jacket defensive end Greg Gathers
eclipsed Coleman Rudolph as Georgia Tech's all-time leader in both
tackles for loss and sacks. Rudolph notched 52 career tackles behind the
line and 28.5 sacks. Gathers now stands atop both lists with 55 and 30
respectively. Renso "Rock" Perdoni, a consensus All-American and
Lombardi Award finalist in 1970, and Hall of Fame tackle Bobby Davis join
Gathers and Rudolph up front, along with the aforementioned Fincher.
Alongside Guyon in the defensive backfield is Randy Rhino, who
intercepted 14 passes during his three-year college career and remains
the only three-time All-American in school history. The unit is rounded out
by All-America DBs Don Bessillieu and Ken Swilling, a unanimous
selection in 1990.


Halfback Buck Flowers was the first Georgia Tech player to be elected to
the Hall of Fame. In 1920 he ran for 819 yards, averaging over 10 yards
per carry, and dropkicked 14 field goals, including a 44-yarder. He
compiled a career punting average of 47 yards and launched one 80
yards in a game against Davidson. Scott Sisson was an All-America
placekicker in 1992 and scored more points (299) over his career then
any other Georgia Tech player.


Georgia Tech's All-Time Roster

Offense

WR John Sias 1966-68

WR Dez White 1997-99

TE Billy Martin 1961-63

OL Harvey Hardy 1941-42

OL Ray Beck 1949-51

OL Larry Morris 1951-54

OL Peter Pund 1926-28

OL Jim Breland 1965-66

OL John Davis 1983-86

OL Chris Brown 1997-2000

QB Billy Lothridge 1961-63

QB Joe Hamilton 1996-99

RB Everett Strupper 1915-17

RB Eddie Lee Ivery 1975-78

RB Robert Lavette 1981-84

K Scott Sisson 1989-92



Defense

DL Bill Fincher 1916-20

DL Bobby Davis 1944-47

DL Renso Perdoni 1969-70

DL Coleman Rudolph 1989-92

DL Greg Gathers 1999-2001

LB George Morris 1950-52

LB Maxie Baughn 1957-59

LB Pat Swilling 1982-85

LB Keith Brooking 1994-97

DB Joe Guyon 1917-18

DB Randy Rhino 1971-74

DB Don Bessillieu 1975-78

DB Ken Swilling 1988-91

P Buck Flowers 1918-20