Judy Harlan

Last updated

Judy Harlan
TechJudyRed.jpg
Harlan running interference for Red Barron
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Position Fullback
Class1921
Personal information
Born:(1896-11-06)November 6, 1896
Ottumwa, Iowa, U.S.
Died:May 20, 1978(1978-05-20) (aged 81)
Springfield, Missouri, U.S.
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight182 lb (83 kg)
Career history
College
  • Georgia Tech (1917, 19191921)
  • Cleveland Naval Reserve (1918)
High school Technical
Career highlights and awards

Julian Washington "Judy" Harlan Jr. (November 6, 1896 – May 20, 1978) was an American college football player for the Georgia Tech Golden Tornado football of the Georgia Institute of Technology. He was the fullback in Georgia Tech's famous backfield of 1917, and was also a Georgia Tech track athlete.

Contents

Georgia Tech

Harlan was a prominent running back for John Heisman's and William Alexander's Georgia Tech Golden Tornado football team of the Georgia Institute of Technology, called by some the school's greatest back. [1] Playing in the days before two platoons, Harlan was also one of the best defensive backs in the country. [2]

1917

Coming from old Tech High, Harlan was a fullback on the school's famous backfield of 1917, alongside halfbacks Everett Strupper and Joe Guyon, and quarterback Albert Hill. [3] [4] Harlan often blocked for Strupper or Guyon, performing notably as a freshman having to fill the void left by Tommy Spence. [5] The 1917 team won Georgia Tech's first national championship and outscored opponents 491 to 17. Harlan was a member of the school's ANAK Society.

Harlan once spoke of Joe Guyon, a full blooded Indian, and his antics: "Once in a while the Indian would come out in Joe, such as the nights Heisman gave us a white football and had us working out under the lights. That's when Guyon would give out the blood curdling war whoops." [6]

Harlan punting c. 1921 JudyHarlan.jpg
Harlan punting c. 1921

1918

Due to the First World War, Harlan was also a teammate of Auburn great Moon Ducote on the 1918 Cleveland Naval Reserves which upset national champion Pittsburgh by a 10 to 9 score. [7] Pittsburgh had beaten Georgia Tech 32 to 0 after declining an offer to play the year before. Ducote kicked the winning field goal. Harlan stated: "I intercepted a pass and returned it to midfield in the fourth quarter. I felt I at least had evened up some of the losses we had at Tech." [6]

1919

Harlan came into his own upon returning to Tech for the 1919 season, [5] "the line plunger almost unfailingly good for "must" yardage to keep a drive rolling." [5]

1921

Harlan was captain of the Tech team in 1921. [8] [9] Former Tech fullback Sam Murray, who played behind Doug Wycoff, was asked about a certain strong runner in the 1930s, "He's good. But if I were playing again, I would have one wish never to see bearing down upon me a more fearsome picture of power than Judy Harlan blocking for Red Barron." [5] Harlan was inducted into the Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame in 1960. [10]

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The 1917 Georgia Tech Golden Tornado football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in American football during the 1917 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The Golden Tornado, coached by John Heisman in his 14th year as head coach, compiled a 9–0 record and outscored opponents 491 to 17 on the way to its first national championship. Heisman considered the 1917 team his best, and for many years it was considered "the greatest football team the South had ever produced". The team was later named national champion by the Billingsley Report, Helms Athletic Foundation, Houlgate System, and National Championship Foundation.

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The 1918 Georgia Tech Golden Tornado football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology during the 1918 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The Tornado was coached by John Heisman in his 15th year as head coach, compiling a record of 6–1 and outscoring opponents 466 to 32. Georgia Tech played its home games at Grant Field.

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The 1916 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Tech Golden Tornado of the Georgia Institute of Technology during the 1916 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. Georgia Tech was a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). The Tornado was coached by John Heisman in his 13th year as head coach, compiling a record of 8–0–1 and outscoring their opponents 421 to 20. Georgia Tech played its home games at Grant Field. One writer claimed the 1916 team "seemed to personify Heisman." This was the first team to vault Georgia Tech to national prominence.

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The 1917 College Football All-Southern Team consists of American football players selected to the College Football All-Southern Teams selected by various organizations for the 1917 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. Georgia Tech won the SIAA and the south's first national championship. Walker Carpenter and Everett Strupper were the first two players from the Deep South selected first-team All-American.

The College Football All-Southern Team was an all-star team of college football players from the Southern United States. The honor was given annually to the best players at their respective positions. It is analogous to the All-America Team and was most often selected in newspapers. Notable pickers of All-Southern teams include John Heisman, Dan McGugin, George C. Marshall, Grantland Rice, W. A. Lambeth, Reynolds Tichenor, Nash Buckingham, Innis Brown, and Dick Jemison.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Tech–Vanderbilt football rivalry</span> American college football rivalry

The Georgia Tech–Vanderbilt football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Vanderbilt Commodores. Both universities are founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Southern Conference (SoCon), and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). Georgia Tech leads the series all time 20–15–3.

References

  1. "Another Judy Harlan". Ironwod Daily Globe. October 19, 1927. p. 7. Retrieved May 14, 2015 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  2. "Eight Stars of Constitution's All-Southern". Atlanta Constitution. November 28, 1920. p. 3. Retrieved May 14, 2015 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. Adam Van Brimmer (2006). Stadium Stories: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. p. 7. ISBN   9780762740208.
  4. "Everett Strupper, Tech Immortal, Passes Suddenly". Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. 28 (4). 1950.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Lynn Hogan (1973). "They Walked Away Into Legend..." Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. 51 (4): 15–19.
  6. 1 2 Wiley Lee Umphlett (1992). Creating the Big Game: John W. Heisman and the Invention of American Football . Greenwood Publishing Group. pp.  141–142, 144, 148, 151–152.
  7. Morgan Blake (1918). "Foot Ball in the South". Spalding's Official Foot Ball Guide. p. 55.
  8. "To Judy Harlan, Leader of Tech". Atlanta Constitution. November 27, 1921. p. 19. Retrieved May 14, 2015 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  9. "Judy Harlan". Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. Vol. 54. 1973.
  10. "Georgia Tech Honors" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 8, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2014.