| 1897 Georgia Tech football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Independent |
| Record | 1–1–0 |
| Head coach |
|
| Captain | Walter West |
| Home stadium | Brisbine Park |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oklahoma | – | 2 | – | 0 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arkansas | – | 2 | – | 0 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Navy | – | 8 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Virginia | – | 6 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Add-Ran | – | 3 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington and Lee | – | 3 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VPI | – | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina | – | 7 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| VMI | – | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Guilford | – | 2 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Virginia | – | 5 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Davidson | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Tech | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Columbian | – | 4 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Richmond | – | 3 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina A&M | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas A&M | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Delaware | – | 1 | – | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| William & Mary | – | 0 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marshall | – | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Carolina | – | 0 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 1897 Georgia Tech football team represented the Georgia School of Technology during the 1897 college football season. The team was called the Techs throughout the season.[1] After fielding no team in 1895, the 1896 Georgia Tech team played well and finished with a record of 2–2–1. Georgia Tech had much optimism heading into the 1897 season; however, all Georgia football teams agreed to disband on November 3.
J. B. Wood returned to coach the team for his second season.[2] Allgood Holmes was elected as the team's manager. The team had a training table installed in the basement of the newly built Knowles Dormitory on campus, which also featured a gym and hot and cold baths. Tech also scheduled weekly practices with the Fort McPherson team.[1]
Practices began on September 29 with over fifty players trying out for the team.[2] With so many players, Wood was able to form a second team to give the varsity team a regular group to compete against.[1] Georgia Tech held practice games against the Atlanta YMCA on October 5 (6-6), 6 (0-8), 7 (4-0), and 8 (unknown score) at Brisbine Park, which Georgia Tech had leased for the season.[3][4][5] Another practice game was played against the local College Park team, winning by 18-0.[6] Wood said of the team before the season: "We regard the outlook as being unusually good. The boys are now getting down to hard work, and we feel confident we will win. The material is mostly raw, but we are fast overcoming this difficulty with hard training. There is no reason why we should not carry off our full share of the honors this season, if the boys will work."[7]
After compiling a record of 1-1-0, Georgia Tech's season came to an abrupt end following the death of Georgia player Von Gammon in a football game on October 30. Gammon had been considering playing at Tech prior to the season.[1] On November 1, the Atlanta City Council announced that it would be a misdemeanor to play football within the city limits. Georgia Tech had a match scheduled against Mercer for November 6, but the teams decided to cancel the game.[8] Georgia Tech's Athletic Association disbanded the team on November 3 pursuant to an agreement reached in a meeting of managers of schools in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee the night before.[9] Football was almost outlawed completely in Georgia by legislative action, but the final bill was vetoed by Governor William Atkinson.
- ^ a b c d "Athletes to Train for the Gridiron". The Atlanta Journal. Atlanta, Georgia. June 1, 1897.
- ^ a b "Tech Football Men Here". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. September 30, 1897.
- ^ "Will Open Season in Macon". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. October 6, 1897.
- ^ "Y. M. C. A. Defeats Techs". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. October 7, 1897.
- ^ "Techs Defeat Y.M.C.A.". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. October 8, 1897.
- ^ "The Tech School Eleven Defeats College Park". The Atlanta Journal. Atlanta, Georgia. October 28, 1897.
- ^ "Techs Ball Team Shows Good Form". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. October 11, 1897.
- ^ "Game for Saturday Is Declared Off". The Atlanta Journal. Atlanta, Georgia. November 2, 1897. p. 6. Retrieved December 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ "Techs Have Disbanded". The Atlanta Journal. Atlanta, Georgia. November 3, 1897.
