Joe Bennett (American football)

Joe Bennett
Georgia Bulldogs – No. 11
PositionTackle
Class1923
MajorLaw
Personal information
Born:(1901-04-09)April 9, 1901
Statesboro, Georgia, U.S.
Died:October 23, 1975(1975-10-23) (aged 74)
Alameda, California, U.S.
Weight180 lb (82 kg)
Career history
CollegeGeorgia (1920–1923)
Career highlights and awards

Joseph Johnston Bennett Jr. (April 9, 1901 – October 23, 1975)[1] was an American football and basketball player for the Georgia Bulldogs of the University of Georgia. Bennett was captain of the 1923 team, and considered one of the best kick-blockers in the south.[2] "Prior to the 1960s, Bennett is likely Georgia's most outstanding tackle."[3] After university, he became an executive with Coca-Cola in Atlanta and Los Angeles. Bennett was inducted into the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1984.[4][5]

Biography

Early years

Joseph Johnston Bennett, Jr. was born on April 1, 1901, in Statesboro, Georgia, to Joseph Sr., a Baptist minister, and Mary Conyers.

University of Georgia

Bennett was a prominent tackle for coaches Herman Stegeman and Kid Woodruff's Georgia Bulldogs football team from 1920 to 1923, starting as a freshman.[6] During his playing years Georgia's football team compiled a record of 25–9–4. The team shared Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) titles in 1920 and 1921. Bennett received Walter Camp All-America honorable mention in 1922.[7] An All-Time Georgia All-Star Team published in 1935 had Bennett as a first-team tackle.[8]

Death

Bennett died on October 23, 1975, in Alameda, California, at the age of 74.

See also

References

  1. ^ "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP65-Y28 : accessed July 7, 2015), Joseph J Bennett, October 23, 1975; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
  2. ^ "Georgia Team Trains". Lawrence Daily Journal-Herald. September 22, 1923.
  3. ^ Patrick Garbin (2008). About Them Dawgs!: Georgia Football's Memorable Teams and Players. p. 30. ISBN 9780810860407.
  4. ^ "Joseph J. Bennett, Jr". Archived from the original on March 13, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  5. ^ "UGA All Americans".
  6. ^ "2009 Media Guide: All-Americans" (PDF). University of Georgia Athletics. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 14, 2018.
  7. ^ "Camp's All America Stars Show Why They Are Winners; Have Brains, Power, Spirit". Harrisburg Telegraph. December 26, 1922. p. 15. Retrieved March 8, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  8. ^ Trevor, George (1935). The Greenie - Georgia v. Tulane Game Program. p. 6.