While Texas may have the reputation as the king of high school football, the inaugural class of the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame should tell you that the Peach State can go toe-to-toe with any other state in terms of gridiron talent.
The 45-member class was narrowed down from an initial group of 100 athletes that played their high school ball in the state of Georgia and the list is a true who’s who that’s loaded with Hall of Famers, Heisman Trophy winners and other notable names dating back to the pre-1950’s including Fran Tarkenton, Calvin Johnson and Herschel Walker just to name a few.
Rusty Mansell, guest host of the Steakhouse on 92.9 The Game along with Steak Shapiro, is the co-chair of the hall of fame and will bestow each member of the inaugural class with a medal, jacket and a commemorative plaque at a ceremony to be held at the College Football Hall of Fame on Saturday after the celebratory weekend kicks off with the Hall of Fame game Friday night between Grayson and Brookwood.
While it could’ve been any of the inductees, two-sport star and Heisman Trophy winner at Florida State Charlie Ward will speak on behalf of the inaugural class, which led Mansell to tell a story on the air detailing just how good he was during his days at Thomas County Central.
The entire class can be seen below:
Pre-1950
Clint Castleberry - Boys
George Maloof - Marist School
Bob McWhorter - Gordon Institute
1950s
Bill Curry - College Park
Pat Dye - Richmond Academy
Stan Gann - Northside
Larry Morris - Decatur
GIA (1948-69)
Emerson Boozer - Laney
Clarence Scott - Trinity
Otis Sistrunk - Spencer
1960s
Charlie Dudish - Avondale
Andy Johnson - Athens
Chip Kell - Avondale
Bill Stanfill - Cairo
1970s
William Andrews - Thomasville
Buck Belue - Valdosta
James Brooks - Warner Robins
Larry Kinnebrew - East Rome
George Rogers - Duluth
Stan Rome - Valdosta
Ron Simmons - Warner Robins
Herschel Walker - Johnson County
1980s
Andre Hastings - Morrow
Garrison Hearst - Lincoln County
Tracy Rocker - Fulton
Charlie Ward - Thomas County Central
1990s
Terrence Edwards - Washington County
Takeo Spikes - Washington County
Matt Stinchcomb - Parkview
Hines Ward - Forest Park
Eric Zeier - Marietta
2000s
Eric Berry - Creekside
Jeff Francoeur - Parkview
David Pollack - Shiloh
Darius Walker - Buford
Monte Williams - Commerce
Pro Football Hall of Famers
Champ Bailey - Charlton County
Mel Blount - Lyons Industrial
Richard Dent - Murphy
Ray Guy - Thomson
Calvin Johnson - Sandy Creek
Jim Parker, Ballard - Hudson
Shannon Sharpe - Glennville
Fran Tarkenton - Athens
Rayfield Wright - Fairmont