Finalists for the 2023 Associated Press NFL Awards were announced Thursday morning. The finalists for this year’s awards featured four different representatives that attended Georgia High Schools.
Here are the nominees from Georgia High Schools:
Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver (Coffee High School):
Hill has been nominated for the NFL Offensive Player of the Year as he caught 119 passes, racked in 1799 yards and 13 touchdowns. He led all wide receivers in yards and touchdowns in 2023. Since he entered the league in 2016, the wide receiver has led the league in receiving yards with over 10,100 yards in his career. Hill was named a unanimous first-team All-pro and named to the Pro Bowl in 2023 as well.
The Pearson, Georgia native attended Coffee High School where he ran track and played football. Hill went unnoticed for a majority of his high school career until his senior year where he showcased his unique speed, winning the 100 and 200 meters at States. After high school, Hill committed to play football at Garden City Community College then transferred twice after to Oklahoma State University and then to the University of West Alabama. The Kansas City Chiefs drafted him with the 165th overall pick in the 5th round of the 2016 NFL Draft and won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs in 2020. In 2022, Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins where he has shined in an explosive, big play offense. Hill is widely regarded as one of, if not the best pass catcher in professional football.
Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions Running Back (Dalton High School):
Gibbs has been nominated for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after running for 945 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first season of professional football. After not scoring his first NFL touchdown until five games into the season, Gibbs then took the NFL by storm showcasing his speed and agility. The rookie out of Alabama, and former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket is second among rookies in rushing yards to Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and is tied for most rookie touchdowns with Miami Dolphins running back DeVon Achane.
Gibbs is from Dalton, Georgia and played his high school ball at Dalton High School. During his high school career, Gibbs ran for 4,882 yards and scored 70 touchdowns, earning awards such as 2019 6-A Offensive Player of the Year and Region 6-6A Player of the Year. The running back was a 4-star recruit out of Dalton and held offers from major colleges such as Alabama, Ohio State, Florida State and Texas before committing to Georgia Tech. Gibbs excelled with the Yellow Jackets scoring 13 touchdowns and 1,979 yards in his two years with the program. After his second year in Atlanta, Gibbs transferred to the University of Alabama for his last collegiate season. In Tuscaloosa, Gibbs rose up draft boards as he displayed his speed and his pass catching abilities. He was drafted 12th overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2023 NFL Draft and has played a huge role in the Lions success this season.
Will Anderson, Houston Texans Defensive End (Dutchtown High School):
Anderson, a Hampton-native, has been nominated for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. The former top-3 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft had seven sacks and 45 total tackles in his first professional season. This season, Anderson finished second amongst rookies in sacks to Los Angeles Rams Defensive End, Kobie Turner, and played a major role on an improving Houston Texans defense.
Out of Dutchtown High School, Anderson was ranked a 5-star on 247 Sports and Rivals.com and was ranked as a top 10 player in the state of Georgia. Anderson was named first-team all-state by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for his senior season performance where he racked up 22 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. He led a Dutchtown defense that didn’t let up more than eight points on average per game on the season. After receiving more than 40 offers, Anderson chose to play for the University of Alabama and thrived under former Alabama head coach, Nick Saban. With the Crimson Tide, Anderson terrorized opposing offenses and dominated the SEC, totaling 205 total tackles, 62 tackles for loss, 34.5 sacks, and one interception at Alabama. His dominant college career led the Houston Texans to trade up to the third pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to draft Anderson as a cornerstone of the Texans franchise along with fellow Alabama linebacker and Houston Texans head coach, DeMeco Ryans.
Mike Macdonald, Baltimore Ravens Defensive Coordinator (Centennial High School):
Macdonald has been nominated for 2023 NFL Assistant Coach of the Year for his work that he has done with the Baltimore Ravens defense this season. His defense leads the league in sacks (60), lowest opponent points per game (16.5 ppg) and ranked in the top-eight in tackles for loss (89 tackles for loss). The defensive coordinator has helped Baltimore build a ferocious and aggressive reputation for their defense over the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator in Baltimore. This is his second stint with the Ravens as he served on their coaching staff from 2014-2020.
The Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator was a two-sport athlete at Centennial in Roswell, Georgia, playing both football and basketball for the Knights. Macdonald attended the University of Georgia and earned his masters degree in sports management in 2013. In 2010, MacDonald joined the Georgia football staff as a student assistant and worked his way up within the program. While earning his masters, Macdonald obtained the role of safeties and defensive quality control coach for Georgia. After graduating from UGA, MacDonald was hired in his first stint with the Ravens. Six years later in 2021, he accepted the defensive coordinator position with the Michigan Wolverines before going back to Baltimore in 2022, this time as defensive coordinator.
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