Career
He was the fullback in "s famous backfield of 1917, and was also a track athlete. Harlan was a prominent running back for John Heisman"s and William Alexander"s Golden Tornado football team of the Georgia Institute of Technology, called by some the school"s greatest back. Playing in the days before two platoons, Harlan was also one of the best defensive backs in the country.
1917
Coming from old Technical High, Harlan was a fullback on the school"s famous backfield of 1917, alongside halfbacks Everett Strupper and Joe Guyon, and quarterback Albert Hill.
Harlan often blocked for Strupper or Guyon, performing notably as a freshman having to fill the void left by Tommy Spence. Harlan once spoke of Joe Guyon, a full blooded Indian, and his antics: "Once in a while the Indian would come out in Joe, such as the nights Heisman gave us a white football and had us working out under the lights.
That"s when Guyon would give out the blood curdling war whoops."
Pittsburgh had beaten 32 to 0 after declining an offer to play the year before. Ducote kicked the winning field goal.
Harlan stated: "I intercepted a pass and returned it to midfield in the fourth quarter.
I felt I at least had evened up some of the losses we had at Technology"
1919
Harlan came into his own upon returning to Technical for the 1919 season, "the line plunger almost unfailingly good for "must" yardage to keep a drive rolling."
1921
Harlan was captain of the Technical team in 1921. Former Technical fullback Sam Murray, who played behind Doug Wycoff, was asked about a certain strong runner in the 1930s, "He"s good. But if I were playing again, I would have one wish – never to see bearing down upon me a more fearsome picture of power than Judy Harlan blocking for Red Barron." Harlan was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 1960.
