1956 Sugar Bowl facts for kids
The 1956 Sugar Bowl was a big football game between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (ranked 7th) and the Pittsburgh Panthers (ranked 11th). It happened on January 2, 1956, because New Year's Day was a Sunday. This game was very important because of a big argument before it. Some people, including the Governor, tried to stop Pitt's player Bobby Grier from playing because he was Black. But Bobby Grier did play, making it the first Sugar Bowl and one of the first major bowl games in the Deep South to have Black and white players on the field together.
Contents
Why Was This Game So Important?
This game took place during a time when there were many fights against segregation in the Southern United States. Segregation meant keeping Black and white people separate, including in sports. Since it started in 1935, the Sugar Bowl had always been segregated. No Black players had ever played in it. Even the stadium had separate areas for Black and white fans.
In the past, many Southern colleges, like Georgia Tech, only had white students. They often had an unwritten rule with Northern schools that had Black players. This rule said that if they played each other, the Black players would not be allowed to play. By the 1950s, this rule started to break down. Some Northern schools refused to follow it. Some Southern schools agreed to play integrated teams, but only if the game was in the North. Many Southern schools then just stopped playing Northern teams altogether.
Big bowl games, which mostly happened in the South, became a key point of disagreement. The Cotton Bowl in Texas had its first integrated game in 1948. The Sun Bowl in Texas had one in 1950. But most Southern games were still segregated until 1956.
Georgia Tech had been part of a similar situation in 1934. They refused to play against the University of Michigan unless Michigan's Black star player, Willis Ward, was benched. Michigan agreed, but only if Georgia Tech also benched their own star player. By 1956, Georgia Tech had played against integrated teams before, like Notre Dame two years earlier. But these games had never been played in the South.
Bobby Grier and Pitt's Stance
Bobby Grier, a player for Pittsburgh, was Black. Many people in New Orleans who supported segregation tried to stop him from playing. This was very different from the 1956 Rose Bowl, which had many Black players on both teams.
Pittsburgh's team had a clear message: "No Grier, no game." They announced that Grier would "travel, eat, live, practice, and play with the team."
After getting the invitation to the Sugar Bowl, Georgia Tech's coach, Bobby Dodd, asked his players if they were willing to play an integrated team. Every single player voted yes. Their quarterback, Wade Mitchell, said he had no problem playing a team with a Black player, and he believed his teammates felt the same way.
Governor Griffin's Opposition
Georgia's Governor, Marvin Griffin, had a son at Georgia Tech. He first told Coach Dodd and Georgia Tech's President, Blake R. Van Leer, that the game could happen. But later, he publicly spoke out against Georgia Tech playing in the game.
On December 2, 1955, the day after Rosa Parks started her Montgomery bus boycott, Governor Griffin sent a public message. He asked that Georgia teams not play in any events with Black people participating or watching. He wrote:
The South stands at Armageddon. The battle is joined. We cannot make the slightest concession to the enemy in this dark and lamentable hour of struggle. There is no more difference in compromising integrity of race on the playing field than in doing so in the classrooms. One break in the dike and the relentless enemy will rush in and destroy us.
That same night, about 2,000 Georgia Tech students protested against Governor Griffin's words. The protest turned into a big gathering. Students held signs that said "We play anybody" and "Governor Griffin sits on his brains." They marched to the governor's house and stayed there until early morning. They only left when a state representative promised them the game would be played. A few days later, students at the rival University of Georgia also protested against Griffin, saying, "For once we are with Georgia Tech." Many people across America spoke out against Griffin.
Governor Griffin publicly blamed Georgia Tech's President for the student protests. President Van Leer was called to a meeting with the Board of Regents. On December 5, the Georgia Tech Board of Regents voted 13-1 to let the game happen as planned.
How the Game Was Played
The game was a strong defensive battle. Both teams together scored only 7 points and gained a total of 453 yards. Georgia Tech won the game 7-0. Pittsburgh gained more yards (311 to 142) but lost because they fumbled the ball twice and had 72 penalty yards.
After Georgia Tech recovered a fumble by Pitt, Bobby Grier was called for a pass interference penalty. This gave Georgia Tech the ball very close to the goal line. Many fans and Pitt players disagreed with this call. On the very next play, Georgia Tech's quarterback, Wade Mitchell, ran the ball into the end zone, giving his team a 7-0 lead.
In the second quarter, Georgia Tech had very few plays. Pitt had a chance to score, driving the ball almost to Georgia Tech's goal line. But with little time left, Pitt's quarterback was stopped by Georgia Tech defenders and couldn't score.
In the third quarter, Bobby Grier had a good run, moving the ball closer to Georgia Tech's goal. But this drive ended with an interception, meaning no points for Pitt. Later, Pitt again got close to the goal line but lost the ball on a fumble. In the last quarter, Pitt tried one more time to score and tie the game, but time ran out when they were still close to the goal line.
Bobby Grier was the game's top rusher, with 51 yards.
What Happened After the Game
After the game, Bobby Grier said he didn't agree with the pass interference call against him. But he praised the Georgia Tech players, saying they were good sports. The referee who made the call later admitted it was a mistake.
The game did not immediately lead to more integration in the Sugar Bowl. In July 1956, Louisiana passed a law that banned sports competitions between different races. The law said that no one could organize or take part in activities where Black and white people mixed, including sports.
Because of this law, the Sugar Bowl did not host another Northern team for eight years. Eventually, a federal court said this law was against the Constitution. The United States Supreme Court agreed with this decision. The court said that cities like New Orleans had to accept that public places would be desegregated.
The next year, in 1965, Louisiana State University played in the 1965 Sugar Bowl against Syracuse University. The Syracuse team had two Black players, Floyd Little and Jim Nance, who later played in the NFL.
In 1957, a senator in Georgia tried to pass a law to ban all integrated sports games and other social events. Governor Griffin supported this law. But sports writers and clubs strongly opposed it, saying it would ruin Georgia athletics. The bill passed in the Georgia senate but failed in the house. A few months later, the Georgia Bulldogs played against an integrated University of Michigan team.
The 1956 Sugar Bowl is seen as a first step toward integration for Georgia Tech. They also opposed Governor Griffin's idea to cut money from colleges that allowed integration. President Van Leer died suddenly two weeks after the game. Four years after his death, most Georgia Tech students voted to support allowing qualified students of any race to attend.
Georgia Tech player Franklin Brooks was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP). Bobby Grier's playing in the 1956 Sugar Bowl, and the support he received, is seen by many as a very important moment in American race relations. Bobby Grier is now known as a trailblazer who helped break down racial barriers.
A film about Bobby Grier and Blake R. Van Leer is being made by Bobby's son and Blake's grandson. They want the film to be about hope and people coming together.
