Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame holds first induction ceremony

Oct. 26—ATLANTA — The Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame honored its first class of inductees Saturday, Oct. 22 with a big ceremony at the College Football Hall of Fame.

Forty-five players, spanning more than a century, had their names and lives commemorated in front of a crowd that included not only themselves, their families and friends, but also in front of current players, such as a Pepperell squad that made the trip from near Rome.

The inaugural group covered all of the Georgia natives in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and included players from several eras of football, including years before the Georgia High School Association's official state tournaments and also for the Georgia Interscholastic Association (1948-70), which existed for players at all-Black high schools.

South Georgia was heavily represented. Players from Macon and areas south were Bill Stanfill (Cairo), Buck Belue (Valdosta), Otis Sistrunk (Spencer), Shannon Sharpe (Glennville), James Brooks (Warner Robins), Ron Simmons (Warner Robins), Mel Blount (Lyons Industrial), Jim Parker (Ballard-Hudson), Champ Bailey (Charlton County), Stan Rome (Valdosta), William Andrews (Thomasville), Charlie Ward (Central of Thomasville) and Herschel Walker (Johnson County).

Rome was in an additional presentation at the HOF. Only one week earlier, his all-time receiving yards record, 4,477 yards, was broken by Rabun County's Jaden Gibson. Gibson was brought forward to meet the man whose record stood for nearly 50 years.

Each of the inductees in attendance was asked a question about his high school career.

Belue was kidded about Valdosta falling to Clarke Central in the 1977 Class 4A state finals. Rome talked about playing for the legendary Wright Bazemore.

Rome said in high school, he did what coaches Bazemore and Joe Wilson trained him to do.

"I've been very blessed, I've been very fortunate," said Rome. Everyone revered Bazemore, he said, who laid the foundation for Valdosta's dominance. "They integrated the school system when I was an eighth grader and my older brother, Roger, played two years for Wright Bazemore. I had the benefit of playing four years for Valdosta, two years for Wright Bazemore and two years for Charlie Greene. Valdosta has been very, very good to me and my family."

Rome played football and basketball at Clemson and was drafted by NFL and NBA teams, ultimately playing four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. His wife graduated from Lowndes. "I am so proud of my family, my kids. I'm proud of Valdosta, I'm proud of the state of Georgia. The state of Georgia produces the best football players in this nation."

Andrews was one of a handful of inductees are deceased or were unable to appear in person. His daughter, Khea Greene, represented him at the ceremony and Andrews sent in a video message that was played for the audience.

Andrews, who excelled with Auburn and the Atlanta Falcons after his days in Thomasville, said he had numerous stories about his high school days, "But we don't have enough tape."

Ward is the only inductee to win the Heisman Trophy and play in the NBA. He spoke of the rivalry between Central and Thomasville. Many Thomasville players were his friends, but when they played one another, "it was a different story." He said he won most of the football games, but Thomasville usually won in basketball.

One of the more legendary moments of Sistrunk's pro career with the Oakland Raiders came when broadcaster Alex Karras, noticing the steam rising from Sistrunk's head on a cold day, announced him as hailing not from an actual school but from "the University of Mars."

Sistrunk said he heard about Karras' comment the next day. Asked in 2022 where the University of Mars is located. "Heaven," said Sistrunk.

Bill Curry, the Georgia Tech, Alabama and Kentucky head coach who had a long NFL career as a player, talked about the decision that led him on that path. As a 12-year-old, he had two goals: to marry the prettiest girl in his class and to pitch for the New York Yankees. To get any girls to pay attention in College Park, Curry said a boy had to play football.

Curry said his high school coach with the Rams, Bill Badgett, told them that life is like football: a 100-yard field marked off in 10-yard increments. Badgett told them they would be knocked down frequently and had to determine whether to get back up or not.

He laughed about being a center, "That job, which is really to hike the ball and be run over slowly." Curry never pitched for the Yankees. He did marry the girl he initially suited up to impress and they will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in December.

David Pollack, Takeo Spikes and Jeff Francoeur were unable to be in attendance because of their broadcast duties. Francoeur sent in a speech, wearing his jacket in the broadcast booth before Saturday's Yankees-Astros ALCS championship game.

Spikes and Pollack were both presented their jackets on air, Pollack on ESPN's College GameDay and Spikes by the SEC Network.

Ward delivered the closing speech. He was appreciative to the committee for selecting himself and others to the inaugural class of the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame.

"I'm grateful to be in the class with you guys and I'm going to consider you guys STUDs," said Ward, explaining the letters stood for sacrifice, teammates, understanding and discipline.

"We had to have great teammates and we had to be great teammates," he said.

The night's biggest reactions were perhaps for Sistrunk, Ron Simmons and Clint Castleberry. Castleberry only played a year of college football. After finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting at Georgia Tech in 1942, Castleberry enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces. In 1944 he was killed in action when his plane went down over Africa. Castleberry, who received a standing ovation, was represented at the ceremony by a cousin.

The full list of inductees were Bill Stanfill, Buck Belue, Shannon Sharpe, Takeo Spikes, Monte Williams, Bob McWhorter, Otis Sistrunk, Larry Kinnebrew, Tracy Rocker, Eric Zeier, Jeff Francoeur, Emerson Boozer, Charlie Dudish, George Rogers, Garrison Hearst, Terence Edwards, Clint Castleberry, George Maloof, Andy Johnson, James Brooks, Ron Simmons, Ray Guy, Mel Blount, Andre Hastings, David Pollack, Chip Kell, Larry Morris, Jim Parker, Eric Berry, Fran Tarkenton, Champ Bailey, Calvin Johnson, Clarence Scott, Darius Walker, Stan Rome, William Andrews, Richard Dent, Bill Curry, Hines Ward, Charlie Ward, Pat Dye, Matt Stinchcomb, Stan Gann, Rayfield Wright and Herschel Walker.

Note: Becky Taylor is a member of the induction committee for the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame.