Whisenhunt key in unlikely drive

Ken Whisenhunt said he doesn't often think about it.

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As offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Augusta native has plenty on his weekly schedule to keep his mind chugging along.

But long before Whisenhunt became one of the top assistants in the National Football League, he was one of college football's feel-good stories.

Twenty-five years ago today, the Georgia Tech freshman walk-on came off the bench and helped engineer a 3-3 tie against top-ranked Notre Dame.

"That's quite depressing that it was 25 years ago," Whisenhunt joked. "I don't think about it unless somebody mentions it. Then it becomes as clear as day."

In the late 1970s, Whisenhunt was a highly sought-after junior quarterback at Richmond Academy until he injured his knee. Big-time scholarship offers dried up. So upon graduation, he walked-on in Atlanta as a defensive back.

During preseason practice, he played quarterback, running back and wide receiver. During the season, he played some special teams and wide receiver while Georgia Tech won just one of its first eight games - a victory over lowly Memphis State.

Mighty Notre Dame blew into Atlanta in early November looking to swat the Yellow Jackets and keep its unblemished record intact. In the week leading up to the game, Whisenhunt took a few snaps at quarterback during practice - just in case.

Whisenhunt wasn't the top freshman on the team. Heck, he wasn't even the top Augustan - Mike Kelley was the team's starting quarterback and Dean Waters the center.

Whisenhunt was No. 3 on the quarterback depth chart, behind Kelley and Ted Peebles. Both had suffered injuries during the season, but Kelley had recovered from a shoulder injury to get the start.

For Kelley, the stay would be short-lived. After he re-injured his shoulder early in the game, Whisenhunt was about to live out his own Rudy fantasy.

Except this was for real, and he would take his first snap against the top college football team in America.

Sammie Lamb, the former Richmond Academy coach, knew Whisenhunt would be just fine when he entered the game in front of 41,000 screaming fans.

"He was a competitor," Lamb said. "He really wasn't big enough or fast enough. He just didn't give up.

"He was smart as a whip. He didn't make many mistakes. He was a great student of the game."

Early in the second quarter, Notre Dame pinned the Yellow Jackets deep in their own territory. Enter Whisenhunt.

He had a very limited passing game plan to work with when he came into the game. During his first drive, Whisenhunt remembers rolling right to pass and finding freshman receiver Jeff Keisler streaking open. Whisenhunt fired the ball, Keisler turned around and hauled in a 23-yard reception.

"I saw it. He caught it," Whisenhunt said. "It was just our day."

That play keyed the Georgia Tech drive as the Yellow Jackets marched to the Notre Dame 23. Johnny Smith connected on a 39-yard field goal attempt to give Georgia Tech a 3-0 lead.

The advantage remained intact until an Irish field goal in the fourth quarter.

Whisenhunt wasn't able to lead Georgia Tech to victory down the stretch. He too got stung with the Yellow Jackets' injury bug, leaving the game in the second half with a hip pointer. It was also later discovered Whisenhunt suffered a stress fracture in his right leg.

That just adds to the aura of his gutty performance.

Whisenhunt said the tie didn't diminish anything.

"You're just kind of stunned. That was the No. 1 team in the country," he said. "It was a surprise. It came out of nowhere."

On the same day of Georgia Tech's miracle, Georgia pulled one of its own. Buck Belue hit Lindsay Scott on a 93-yard pass play late in the fourth quarter to lift the Bulldogs to a 26-21 win over Florida.

With the Yellow Jackets' tie against Notre Dame, Georgia leaped over the Irish for the No. 1 position in the poll.

"A lot of my friends were Bulldogs," Whisenhunt said. "Needless to say, they were happy."

Whisenhunt moved to tight end his sophomore season and thrived in the position the rest of his college days - he was an honorable mention All-American his senior season. Whisenhunt then got drafted by the Atlanta Falcons and played nine seasons in the NFL with three teams.

Whisenhunt began his coaching career at Vanderbilt before coaching tight ends with the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets. He joined the Steelers coaching staff as the tight ends coach in 2001.

Pittsburgh head coach Bill Cowher tabbed Whisenhunt the team's offensive coordinator in January 2004.

"It's an honor to work for the Steelers organization," Whisenhunt said. "It's been a very good learning experience."

"I compare it to Georgia Tech. They both have a lot of tradition."

For now, the memory of the Notre Dame game fades to black. Whisenhunt moves forward. Cleveland's next on the slate.

Time to put together another game plan.

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.