Bobby Dodd came to Knoxville with a history of success. Described as a “winner all the way” with high school accolades in excess for football, basketball, and baseball, as well as winning city-wide tournaments in tennis and contact bridge per his official CFB College Football Hall of Fame biography. He played with a stacked deck with the Volunteers, playing with over half a dozen other Hall of Fame players under Hall of Famer, Coach Neyland. But Dodd was a leading engine of that team. Despite Eugene McEver being the star, the team still went 9-1 in 1931 when he was out with a blown knee. It was Dodd leading the team then, directing Feathers and Hickman to success. He was dynamic, running around the backfield to find open receivers or tucking the ball under his own arm to run it. He was also a villain turned hero as a freshman in 1928. After missing an extra point attempt against Florida, the Gators stormed down for a touchdown and a one-point deficit. But Florida decided to go for a 2-point conversion. Dodd’s missed point would be the nail in the coffin, But Dodd played tenacious defense, and used his 6’2” frame to knock down the pass, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
After building a Hall of Fame resume as a player, Dodd proved his mettle by becoming a Hall of Fame coach at the collegiate ranks. He cemented his legacy by taking on his alma mater while the Head Coach of Georgia Tech, where he amassed a 165-64-8 record, and served for 57 years. Even though his coaching career was never for the University of Tennessee, he is still among a rarity in college football as he was enshrined as a coach in 1993.