100-player ballot revealed for third-annual class of Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame

Hogansville’s Alfred Jenkins, Wheeler’s Robert Shaw and Griffin’s Jessie Tuggle are three of the 40 first-time nominees that have earned places on this year’s 100-player ballot released this week for the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame launched in 2022 with a 45-member inaugural class that was comprised of the nine NFL Hall of Famers that played high school football in Georgia on automatic bids and the 36 inductees that were voted in. The 64 nominations from the inaugural ballot that missed out on the inaugural class returned for another opportunity with 36 new nominees that brought the tally back to 100.

This year’s 100-player ballot will have 40 first-time nominees, 27 nominees that debuted last year and 33 nominees from the inaugural 100. Last year, DJ Shockley, Jeff Saturday, Jamal Lewis and Quincy Carter were names that were inducted after missing out the first year. These guys were joined in the second class by Parkview’s Jon Stinchcomb, Thomasville’s Mike Bobo and Americus’ Dan Reeves—who each got in as first-time nominees.

The 100 nominees are separated into eight different eras and the board is obligated to vote for two players in each category before finalizing their ballot. These categories are the 1900-47’s, the 1948-59 graduates, the 1960’s, GIA, 1970’s, 1980’s 1990’s and 2000’s. In the 1900-47 category, Riverside Military legend Everett Strupper is on the ballot for the third time. Washington-Wilkes’ Tom Nash and Tech’s Johnny “Stumpy” Thomason are returning after debuting last year and five newcomers will round out the eight nominees from the 1900-47 era.

Johnny Carson—a 1948 Roosevelt graduate debuts in 1948-59 and is represented with four three-time nominees and four names from last year. Carson became the only athlete in UGA history to letter in four sports and went on to have an all-pro NFL career. The 1960’s have six new nominees—including Jenkins, Valdosta grad Giles Smith and Avondale’s Billy Brice. The 1970’s features five newcomers, five returning guys that debuted last year and six three-time nominees.

The 1980’s added eight new nominees, including Griffin’s Jessie Tuggle and Banks County’s Terry Allen. The 1990’s will have four new nominations among its 13 total names and the 2000’s have added eight first-time nominees—including West Laurens’ 2005 grad and beloved former Georgia Tech and Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.

The Hall of Fame’s board of 38 past and present coaches, players, administrators, and media members plans to complete voting by the end of the month to select a 30-member 2024 class that will be inducted Saturday, Oct. 26 at the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta. Each board member is given the ballot that has a biography and list of accomplishments for each nominee. In the case of a tie, the board will hold a separate vote-off.

See below for the full 100-player ballot.

2024 Georgia High School Hall of Fame Ballot

**Three-time nominee

*Returning from last year

1900-47 (8)

**Everett Strupper, Riverside Military (1913)

*Tom Nash, Washington-Wilkes (1922)

*Johnny “Stumpy Thomason, Tech (1924)

Jack “The Ripper” Roberts, Albany (1927)

Bill Paschall, Tech (1939)

Frank Broyles, Decatur (1941)

Jack “William” Peek, Tech (1944)

Bobby North, Tech (1946)

1948-59 (9)

**Ken Rice, Bainbridge (1956)

**Pete Case, Decatur (1957)

**Jimmy Burson, LaGrange (1958)

**Len Hauss, Wayne County (1959)

*Lauren Hargrove, Fitzgerald (1948)

*Max Mason, Rockmart (1950)

*Johnny Menger, Richmond Academy (1952)

*Phil Ashe, Stone Mountain (1956)

Johnny Carson, Roosevelt (1948)

1960s (11)

**Edgar Chandler, Cedartown (1963)

**Isaac Jackson, Lanier-Macon (1969)

**Doyle Orange, Waycross (1969)

*Marvin Hurst, Waycross (1961)

*Dennis Chadwick, Decatur (1967)

Kim King, Brown (1962)

Billy Brice, Avondale (1966)

Bobby Scott, Ringgold (1966)

Brent Cunningham, Putnam County (1967)

Alfred Jenkins, Hoganville (1968)

Giles Smith, Valdosta (1962)

GIA (10)

**Milton Byard, Risley (1950)

**John Kenry Jackson, Spencer (1957)

**Jack Pitts, Trinity (1965)

**Henry Childs, Douglass-Thomasville (1969)

*Silas Jamison, Washington (1959)

*Tommy Hart, Ballad-Hudson (1963)

*Ken Ellis, Ralph Bunche (1965)

Frank Pitts, Archer (1960)

George Atkinson, Johnson-Savannah (1963)

Wallace Davis, Spencer (1961)

1970s (16)

**Andy Spiva, Chamblee (1972)

**Runt Moon, Commerce (1973)

**Ben Zambiasi, Mount de Sales (1973)

**Reggie Wilkes, Southwest Atlanta (1973)

**Kent Hill, Americus (1974)

**Chip Banks, Laney (1977)

*Jeff Bower, Roswell (1970)

*Stan Bounds, Valdosta (1971)

*Jim Bob Harris, Clarke Central (1977)

*Lee North, Shamrock (1977)

*Joey Browner, Southwest Atlanta (1978)

Homer Jordan, Cedar Shoals (1978)

Robert Shaw, Wheeler (1974)

Mack Guest, Central-Macon (1974)

Gordon Beckham Jr., Westminster (1978)

Ricky Williams, Griffin (1978)

1980s (14)

**Robert Lavette, Cartersville (1980)

**Bill Mayo, Dalton (1980)

**Jerry Mays, Thomson (1984)

**John Johnson, LaGrange (1986)

**Coleman Rudolph, Valdosta (1988)

*Vince Sutton, LaGrange (1983)

David McCluskey, West Rome (1982)

Jessie Tuggle, Griffin (1982)

Terry Allen, Banks County (1985)

Curt Douglas, Lincoln County (1987)

Knox Culpepper, Lovett (1980)

Cedric Jones, Lowndes (1980)

James Jackson, Mitchell-Baker (1983)

David Rocker, Fulton (1986)

1990s (13)

**Clay Shiver, Tift County (1990)

**Cosey Coleman, Southwest DeKalb (1995)

**Joe Burns, Thomas County Central (1997)

**Fabian Walker, Americus (1998)

*Terry Harvey, Dacula (1990)

*Robert Toomer, Worth County (1991)

*Rodney Hudson, LaGrange (1991)

*Patrick Pass, Tucker (1995)

*Jasper Sanks, Carver-Columbus (1996)

Curt McGill, Brookwood (1996)

Travis Stroud, Dunwoody (1993)

Dexter Daniels, Valdosta (1991)

David Greene, South Gwinnett (1999)

2000s (19)

**Daccus Turman, Washington-Wilkes (2000)

**Tray Blackmon, LaGrange (2004)

**Chris Scott, Lovejoy (2004)

**Duke Robinson, Washington (2004)

**Jonathan Dwyer, Kell (2006)

**Hutson Mason, Lassiter (2009)

*Leonard Pope, Americus (2001)

*Kedric Golston, Sandy Creek (2001)

*Jermaine Cunningham, Stephenson (2005)

*Tavarres King, Habersham Central (2007)

*Jonathan Davis, Tucker (2008

Thomas Davis, Randolph-Clay (2000)

Sam Olajubutu, LaGrange (2001)

Isaiah Crowell, Carver-Columbus (2010)

Alec Ogletree, Newnan (2009)

Mitch Hyatt, North Gwinnett (2014)

Abry Jones, Northside-Warner Robins (2008)

Demaryius Thomas, West Laurens (2005)

Reshad Jones, Washington (2005)

GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASSES

CLASS OF 2023

Julius Adams (Ballard-Hudson, 1965)

Jeff Backus (Norcross, 1995)

Bruce Bennett (Valdosta, 1961)

Mike Bobo (Thomasville, 1992)

Reggie Brown (Carrollton, 1998)

Ronnie Brown (Cartersville, 1999)

Quincy Carter (Southwest DeKalb, 1995)

Rennie Curran (Brookwood, 2006)

John Davis (Gilmer, 1982)

Ray Donaldson (East Rome, 1975)

Anthony Flanagan (Southwest Atlanta, 1973)

Randall Godfrey (Lowndes, 1991)

Ray Goff (Moultrie, 1972)

Charles Grant (Miller County, 1997)

Deon Grant (Josey, 1995)

Ernie Green (Spencer, 1957)

Mackel Harris (Americus, 1975)

Bill Hartman (Georgia Military Prep, 1933)

Billy Henderson (Lanier-Macon, 1945)

Keith Henderson (Cartersville, 1984)

Charles Johnson (Hawkinsville, 2003)

Jarvis Jones (Carver-Columbus, 2008)

Eddie Lee Ivery (Thomson, 1974)

Jamal Lewis (Douglass, 1996)

Billy Lothridge (Gainesville, 1959)

Guy McIntyre (Thomasville, 1978)

Adam Meadows (McEachern, 1991)

Al Pinkins (Mitchell-Baker, 1990)

Dan Reeves (Americus, 1960)

Pepper Rodgers (Brown, 1949)

Buzy Rosenberg (Northside-Atlanta, 1968)

Lucius Sanford (West Fulton, 1973)

Jeff Saturday (Shamrock, 1992)

D.J. Shockley (North Clayton, 2000)

Vernon “Catfish” Smith (Lanier-Macon, 1927)

Jon Stinchcomb (Parkview, 1997)

Marcus Stroud (Brooks County, 1994)

Ken Swilling (Stephens County, 1987)

Pat Swilling (Stephens County, 1981)

Scott Woerner (Jonesboro, 1976)

CLASS OF 2022

William Andrews (Thomasville, 1974 senior season)

Buck Belue (Valdosta, 1977)

Eric Berry (Creekside, 2006)

Emerson Boozer (Laney, 1961)

James Brooks (Warner Robins, 1976)

Clint Castleberry (Boys, 1941)

Bill Curry (College Park, 1959)

Charlie Dudish (Avondale, 1967)

Pat Dye (Richmond Academy, 1956)

Terrence Edwards (Washington County, 1997)

Jeff Francoeur (Parkview, 2001)

Stan Gann (Northside, 1957)

Andre Hastings (Morrow, 1989)

Garrison Hearst (Lincoln County 1989)

Andy Johnson (Athens, 1969)

Chip Kell (Avondale 1966)

Larry Kinnebrew (East Rome, 1977)

George Maloof (Marist, 1947)

Bob McWhorter (Gordon Military, 1909)

Larry Morris (Decatur, 1950)

David Pollack (Shiloh, 2000)

Tracy Rocker (Fulton, 1983)

George Rogers (Duluth, 1976)

Stan Rome (Valdosta, 1973)

Clarence Scott (Trinity, 1966)

Ron Simmons (Warner Robins, 1976)

Otis Sistrunk (Spencer, 1964)

Takeo Spikes (Washington County, 1994)

Bill Stanfill (Cairo, 1964)

Matt Stinchcomb (Parkview, 1994)

Darius Walker (Buford, 2004)

Herschel Walker (Johnson County, 1979)

Hines Ward (Forest Park, 1993)

Charlie Ward (Thomasville, 1987)

Monte Williams (Commerce, 2000)

Eric Zeier (Marietta, 1990)

NFL HALL OF FAMERS (AUTOMATIC INDUCTION)

Champ Bailey (Charlton County, 1995 senior season)

Mel Blount (Lyons Industrial, 1965)

Richard Dent (Murphy, 1978)

Ray Guy (Thomson, 1968)

Calvin Johnson (Sandy Creek, 2003)

Jim Parker (Ballard Hudson, 1953) – Canton, Ohio

Shannon Sharpe (Glennville, 1985)

Fran Tarkenton (Athens, 1957)

Rayfield Wright (Fairmont, 1963)