Countdown to Kickoff: No. 52
Craig Page
The countdown to kickoff is officially on as Georgia Tech‘s season-opening matchup at Colorado on Aug. 29 is less than 100 days away.
Until then JOL will be counting it down with one Jackets’ player daily that wore the corresponding number of days remaining until toe meets leather in Boulder.
With it now 52 days until kickoff in Boulder, today’s focus is on No. 52 Craig Page, who started his college career elsewhere as a defensive lineman before transferring to Georgia Tech and becoming one of the best centers in the program’s history.
Page signed with Louisville in the 1994 recruiting class following his graduation from Jupiter High in Jupiter, Florida where he was one of the best defensive tackles in the state and won multiple awards to catch the attention of college coaches across the country. After one year with the Cardinals, however, Page made the decision to transfer to Georgia Tech in 1995.
After sitting out a year per NCAA rules, Page was shifted over to the offensive line for the Jackets and became a starter at center in the 1996 season and held that spot all the way through his senior season in 1998 when he snapped the ball to legendary Tech QB Joe Hamilton during the team’s memorable run to a 10-2 record, a win over rival Georgia in Athens, a Gator Bowl victory over Notre Dame and a No. 9 ranking in the final Associated Press (AP) Poll.
For his incredible efforts that season up front, Page was named a consensus All-American, a First-Team ACC selection and winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy (top blocker in the ACC). He also became well known among his teammates and coaches for his abilities in the weight room during his time on The Flats.
Following his college career wrapping up, Page wasn’t picked in the 1999 NFL Draft but signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans. He went on to spend time with three other NFL franchises (Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, St. Louis Rams) over the next five seasons on the professional level, playing in two games.
Page was inducted in to the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 alongside his former teammate Hamilton, who went in with the same class.
