Swainsboro native Harold Scott has been named to the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee. The HOF was created to honor the rich history of Georgia high school football. The Hall of Fame had its inaugural class in 2022. The HOF includes a list of notable high school players, many of whom went on to great college and NFL careers.
The Executive Director of the HOF is IJ Rosenberg. Rosenberg is a former Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) sportswriter and a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame Committee in Cooperstown, Ohio. Mr. Rosenberg is also president and Founder of Score Atlanta. Recruiting Analyst Rusty Mansell is a Board Director. The Hall’s board members include current and former coaches, former players, school administrators, and media members.
Players must be out of high school for 9 years to be eligible. Players who made the NFL Hall of Fame are automatically inducted into the Georgia HOF. Those members include Mel Blount (Lyons), Shannon Sharpe (Glennville), Hines Ward (Forest Park), Calvin Johnson (Sandy Creek), Fran Tarkenton (Athens), Champ Bailey (Charlton County), Rayfield Wright (Griffin- Fairmont), Ray Guy (Thomson) and Sterling Sharpe (Glennville)
Additionally, the state has produced 5 Heisman Trophy winners. Herschel Walker (Johnson County), George Rodgers (Duluth), Charlie Ward (Thomasville), Cam Newton (Westlake), and Travis Hunter (Collins Hill)
The HOF is broken down into players from 8 eras: pre-1948, 1948-1959, 1960’s, 1970’s,1980’s,1990’s, 2000, and the GIA (Georgia Intercollegiate Association- Pre-Integration)
Scott said that “it’s an honor to be a part of the selection committee. Sports and history are my passions. When the two are combined, it makes it more rewarding. I have followed Georgia High School football across the state since the 1960’s and know of years before through conversation with older relatives and coaches. Georgia has always produced outstanding players, coaches, and teams. It’s great to be able to uncover and recognize those players and immortalize them in Georgia history. The Hall of Fame not only recognizes the players, but it is a badge of honor for their schools and communities. High school football players are legends in their towns, especially small towns. By recognizing the players' contributions, we are also recognizing the communities and their support, loyalty, and commitment to their heroes.”
The class of 2026 was inducted in Atlanta on October 24th.
The class of 2026 Inductees are:
2000’s (2) RB Daccus Turman, Washington-Wilkes (2000) DL Kedric Golston, Sandy Creek (2001)
1990’s (5) QB Rodney Hudson, LaGrange (1991) DL Travis Stroud, Dunwoody (1993) RB Patrick Pass, Tucker (1995) OL Cosey Coleman, Southwest DeKalb (1995) RB Jasper Sanks, Carver-Columbus (1996)
1980’s (7) OL Stacy Searels, Trion (1982) RB David McCluskey, West Rome (1982) QB Vince Sutton, LaGrange (1983) QB Terance Mathis, Redan (1984) LB/DL Mo Lewis, Murphy (1986) DL Chuck Smith, Clarke Central (1987) DL Eric Curry, Thomasville (1987)
1970’s (8) QB Phil Baker, Pepperell (1970) WR/RB Jimmy Robinson, Ridgeview (1970) RB Runt Moon, Commerce (1973) WR Drew Hill, Newnan (1976) RB Stump Mitchell, Camden County (1976) QB Jim Bob Harris, Clarke Central (1977) LB/TE Joey Browner, Southwest Atlanta (1978) RB Ricky Williams, Griffin (1978)
1960’s (5) L Randall Edmunds, Lincolnton (1963) TE/DE Billy Brice, Avondale (1966) QB/RB Dennis Chadwick, Decatur (1967) RB/DB Brent Cunningham, Putnam County (1967) RB Doyle Orange, Waycross (1969)
GIA (2) B Milton Byard, Risley (1950) QB John Henry Jackson, Spencer (1957)
1948-59 (2) QB/S Wade Mitchell, North Fulton (1952) OL Harold Olson, Southwest DeKalb (1955)
Pre-1948 (2) B Jack “William” Peek, Tech (1944) B Bobby North, Tech (1946)
For more information on the Hall of Fame, you can contact Harold Scott at hlscott01@aol.com or visit the website: https://www.ghsffh.com
