10/14/2026
Since 1964, Dalton football seniors have put on the red jacket.
The tradition started with Coach Bill Chappell, who led the Dalton program from 1964 to 1996 and was later inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame. He wanted a team rooted in unity, so players and coaches wore red blazers to school on Fridays before games and on special team occasions. As one alum put it, he wanted everybody to be the same, and it showed in how his teams played and carried themselves.
Legend says the jackets started out burgundy before the program switched to true Dalton red, possibly around the time the new high school opened on Manly Street in the late 1970s. In 2003, under Coach Ronnie McClurg, the custom Dalton tie was added, designed with help from Garmany’s here in town.
Last night I had the honor of photographing this year’s DHS football seniors in their red jackets around downtown Dalton. Generations of Dalton players have worn that blazer, and now these young men get to carry it forward. Parents, these are the moments you will want to hold onto long after Friday nights are over.
