The Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame has announced its 40-member Class of 2023, set to be honored in a ceremony at the College Football Hall of Fame on October 21. The selection process started early in spring with board members submitting nominees. After rigorous committee votes and appeals, the final ballot was reduced to 100 names in mid-June.
The process involved each board member casting a vote for at least two players from each era represented, including pre-1948, 1948-59, 1960s, GIA, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. After a seven-way tie for the final two spots, the 40-member roster was finalized.
This year’s inductees feature 29 names from last year’s ballot and 11 first-time nominees. Big names to note include former Thomasville quarterback and UGA standout Mike Bobo and Dan Reeves, an Americus High School quarterback turned NFL player and coach.
Georgia Tech has also seen a bump in inductees this year, with eight former Yellow Jackets joining the Hall of Fame. These include Pepper Rodgers, Billy Lothridge, Lucius Sanford, Eddie Lee Ivery, Mackel Harris, John Davis, and cousins Pat and Ken Swilling.
Former Shamrock offensive lineman and Indianapolis Colts’ legend Jeff Saturday was one of several players from the 1990s making it this year. Others included Douglass 1996 grad, Jamal Lewis, and Southwest DeKalb 1995 grad Quincy Carter.
The Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame‘s 38-member board includes I.J. Rosenberg, President of Score Atlanta and longtime Atlanta Journal-Constitution baseball writer, Dave Hunter, and Rusty Mansell.
Check out the full list of 2023 inductees below, and let’s celebrate the talent that has lit up Georgia’s football fields throughout the years.
Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame 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