Richard Von Albade Gammon (December 4, 1879 – October 31, 1897) was a University of Georgia football fullback who died after injuries sustained in a collegiate football game.

Biography

Richard Von Albade Gammon was born December 4, 1879 in

Rome, Georgia Rome is the largest city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, it is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia metropolitan area, Rome, Georgia, metropolitan statisti ...

. He grew up on downtown Rome's 3rd Avenue and was a very talented athlete.

University of Georgia

Gammon attended the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

and played football on the 1896 and 1897 teams under Glenn "Pop" Warner and Charles McCarthy. In 1897, they played their first two games against Clemson and

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

Death versus Virginia

On October 30, 1897, UGA played the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

in Atlanta, Georgia. The two teams the year before were the two most vocal claimants to a Southern football title. Early in the second half, Von Gammon was on defense, and dove into the mass around Virginia's right tackle. Once the pile-up cleared, he lay there motionless. Two doctors in the stands came to his aid and determined he had a severe concussion. He was on his feet in a few minutes, however, and was being taken off the field by Coach McCarthy, when

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and later

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William B. Kent, not realizing how badly he was hurt, said to him:

"Von, you are not going to give up, are you?" "No, Bill," he replied, "I've got too much Georgia grit for that."

Those were the last words he ever spoke. Upon reaching the sideline, he lapsed into unconsciousness. They rushed him to

Grady Memorial Hospital Grady Memorial Hospital, frequently referred to as Grady Hospital or simply Grady, is the public hospital for the city of Atlanta. It is the tenth-largest public hospital in the United States, and one of the busiest Level I trauma centers in th ...

in Atlanta. Gammon died in the early morning hours of October 31, 1897. His funeral was held at First Presbyterian Church in Rome, Georgia. News spread of Von Gammon's death and the people were devastated as were the Virginia players.

Legacy

The Georgia Legislature was in session at the time and public opinion caused them to pass a bill to ban the sport of football in the state of Georgia. The bill would have ended the football programs of Georgia, Georgia Tech, and

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. The bill only needed the signature of Governor

William Yates Atkinson William Yates Atkinson (November 11, 1854 – August 8, 1899), was the 55th Governor of Georgia from 1894 to 1898. Early life Atkinson was born in the Oakland community in Meriwether County, Georgia on November 11, 1854. He graduated from the ...

to become a law. Rosalind Burns Gammon wrote a letter to her representative, which later was in the hands of the governor. She was saddened by her son's death, but did not want the sport outlawed. She mentioned in her letter how his two friends were killed in rock climbing and skating accidents, and how those sports were not banned. Gov. Atkinson vetoed the bill on December 7, 1897.http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/vongammon.htm Georgia Info His mother is known as the woman who saved college football in Georgia. In 1921, the University of Virginia team presented a plaque to the University of Georgia in honor of Von Gammon and his mother. Less than three years after Von's death, his brother Will died when he fell under a train following a baseball game in

Cartersville, Georgia Cartersville is a city in Bartow County, Georgia, United States; it is located within the northwest edge of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 23,187. Cartersville is the county seat of Bartow Coun ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gammon, Richard Von Albade 1879 births 1897 deaths American football fullbacks Georgia Bulldogs football players Sports deaths in Georgia (U.S. state) Sportspeople from Rome, Georgia American football quarterbacks 1897 college football season 19th-century players of American football