Meet the Sports Legends of Glynn

Meet the Sports Legends of Glynn
by Cal Duke
W
hen Woody Woodside requested that we run an article
on the “sports legends of Glynn County” for the relocation
guide, I was admittedly intrigued and excited. Like many
of you readers, I grew up playing sports in high school and
college, with dreams of one day becoming a major league
baseball player. Throughout high school, college and until I
was about 35 years old, I served as a part-time sports writer
for The Albany Herald. Upon graduating from college in
Americus, for a couple of years I even coached and taught
at the junior high level before eventually starting my own
publishing company.
The point being: First-hand experiences in sports, plus
coaching and sports-writing, can teach one a lot about the
value of teamwork, and the ability to roll with the ups and
downs of life. Quite often, it can be a lesson in humility.––
Kind of like the game of golf…With documented witnesses,
I may be the only local golfer to have ever killed an
armadillo while playing golf at Sea Palms! This was God’s
way of telling me that my left-handed hook should best be
reserved and tested on rare occasions.
So, for all of us weekend warriors, ‘wanna be’s, or ‘couldabeen’s, this article’s for you!
p JUBILATION! Adam Wainwright
celebrates with the St. Louis Cardinal fans
following his closing performance in the 2006
World Series championship game. Wainwright
is a Glynn Academy alumni who was drafted
directly out of high school by the Atlanta Braves.
68
Contacting the Sources:
With Woody’s assignment and pen in hand, I started contacting
local athletic directors, sports writers, and searched the net for
tidbits of information, old photos, and memorabilia. I even made
a trip to Macon and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, where I
was delighted to find representation from four Glynn County
athletes while clicking a few images with my camera. Let me start
out by thanking my local sources for their valuable input and
cooperation.––Most especially Kevin Price and Murray Poole
who had a list of the “Glynn County’s Top 25 Athletes of the
20th Century”.
As it turns out, this project was a massive undertaking and an eyeopener. Appreciation is also extended to Steve Waters and Chuck
Fehr of Glynn Academy, Bonita Tanner and Christopher Dodson
of Brunswick High, and John Pope of Frederica Academy for
their valuable input.
We have tried to capture a glimpse of the past and future with
this article so apologies up-front if there are errors or omissions.
We have primarily covered athletes who graduated from high
school here and attended Division One schools, or who advanced
to pro-status, but we would be remiss not to also mention a few
others who have spent their early childhood years here, or perhaps
moved to the Golden Isles following their professional careers.
t The 1964 Glynn Academy Red Terrors won
a state championship by defeating Columbus and
Avondale in the final two games led by quarterback
Tash Van Dora and back Johnny Tullos. This trophy
case resides at Glynn Academy’s gymnasium.
View this publication online: www.BrunswickGoldenIslesChamber.com or www.BuyGeorgia.com
The McGladrey Classic, mid-October
One legend for sure is Jim Brown, the famous
athlete turned actor who spent his early childhood
years being raised by his grandmother on
St. Simons before moving up north. He was
outstanding at Syracuse University, and in a truly
remarkable nine-year pro career for the Cleveland,
Brown made 126 touchdowns for the Browns and
accumulated 15,549 yards. In 2002, the Sporting News hailed
him the “greatest professional football player of all time.” Later
in life, Brown credited St. Simons for teaching him a lesson in
“self-reliance.” He has gone on to be a major motion picture star
and businessman.
Show Golf Some Love!
Let’s begin with the world of local
pro golfers… Quite an impressive
list, indeed! Everyone salutes Davis
Love III as a hometown hero on the
PGA circuit and a model citizen.
Recently, the Sea Island touring
professional received the ultimate
honor by being named 2012
Captain of the USA team for the
upcoming Ryder Cup at Medinah
Country Club in Chicago. And
p An original oil painting by Brunswick native
and 1950 Glynn Academy graduate Mal Flanders
depicts the 1949 State Champion Glynn Academy
football team, of which Flanders was a member.
The team featured many notable local sports
legends, including First Team All-State players
Eddie Dykes, Sonny George, Bob Sherman and
Dan Spell.
as you might expect, he is a member of the Georgia Sports Hall
of Fame. The Glynn Academy alumni attended the University
of North Carolina where he was a three-time All-American
before turning pro in 1985. He is credited with 34 professional
wins, including 20 PGA triumphs, including the 1997 PGA
championship and the prestigious Players Championship in both
1992 and 2003. He has been a member of the Ryder Cup team
on six past occasions.
In an inaugural 2010 PGA tour event last fall, the McGladrey
Classic, host Davis Love III played with many of his PGA tour
friends on the beautiful seaside course at Sea Island Golf Club on
St. Simons. Tournament proceeds benefited the Special Olympics
and the Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Georgia. The midOctober spectacle is destined to continue to lure spectators as
one of Georgia’s premier attractions. The 2011 event is set for
October 10-16.
Zach Johnson skyrocketed to fame when he became the 2007
Masters Champion at Augusta. A native of Iowa,
the Sea Island PGA pro resides on St. Simons
Island, and is a graduate of Drake University.
He turned pro in 1998 and is an active teamplayer with the Davis Love Foundation and the
McGladrey Classic.
Photo by
Sam Greenwood
t Davis Love III presents the McGladrey Classic
inaugural championship trophy to Heath Slocum.
The second annual tournament at the Seaside
course on Sea Island Golf and Country Club will
take place on October 10-16, 2011.
p Several Glynn Countians are represented at
the highly recommended Georgia Hall of Fame in
Macon, pictured above.
69
Coming on strong
is another local
PGA resident, Matt
Kuchar who topped
Photo by Mike Ehrmann
the PGA tour money
list in 2010 and finished second in the
FedEx cup standings. The Georgia Tech
graduate posted 11 top 10 finishes and
had a 69.61 scoring average, the best of
all PGA golfers last year. He turned pro
in 2000 and is married to the former Sybi
Parker, who was a star tennis player at
Frederica Academy on St. Simons Island
in 1995. She met Kuchar at Georgia Tech
where she played on the women’s tennis
team.
As a unprecedented
four-time, first-team
All-American golfer at
Clemson University,
Photo by
Jonathan Byrd was
Michael Cohen
the 2002 Rookie
of the Year and has won five times on
the PGA tour. In October of 2010, at a
sudden-death playoff on the fourth extra
hole, Byrd recorded a 204-yard holein-one to clinch the Justin Timberlake
Shriners Hospital for Children Open.
Byrd also won another dramatic playoff
event at the Hyundai Tournament of
Champions in January of 2011. He resides
on Sea Island.
Chris Kirk also calls
the Golden Isles home.
A native of Knoxville,
Tennessee, and later
Photo by
Woodstock, Georgia,
Stuart Franklin
he played golf at the
University of Georgia on the NCAA
Division 1 golf championship team, and
turned professional in 2007. From 2008
to 2010 he competed on the Nationwide
Tour as the second top producer to earn
his PGA tour card. His best finish at
a PGA event was an impressive tie for
second place at the 2011 Shell Houston
Open behind Phil Mickelson.
All of these current golfing residents
reinforce the strong local golfing talent
tradition. Back in 1969, Steve Melynk,
Glynn Academy alumnus, won both the
U.S. Amateur Championship and the
British Amateur Championship. An AllAmerican at the University of Florida,
Melynk later played 10 years on the PGA
circuit before becoming aleading golf
analyst for ABC television.
Johnny Paulk is a beloved new member
of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame for
his contributions as a mentor to many
outstanding golfers. The Georgia-Florida
golf tournament held annually on Jekyll
has been a rousing success for many years,
thanks to his devotion.
Adam Wainwright:
A True Hometown Hero
One of the finest all-around athletes to
ever come out of Glynn County would
have to be Adam Wainwright. A stellar
high school athlete at Glynn County,
he opted to turn down a scholarship to
Georgia Tech upon being drafted by the
Atlanta Braves and to receive a $1.25
million signing bonus. After being traded
to the St. Louis Cardinals following a
short stint with the Braves organization, in
his first appearance as
a relief pitcher at the
pro level, he knocked
the ball out of the
park. Wainwright is
one of only 22 major
leaguers to accomplish
this task in baseball
history.
Perhaps that was an omen as to what was
to come. The 6 foot, 7 inch Wainwright
has a remarkable 66-35 pitching record
with an earned-run average of 2.97 with
724 strikeouts. In 2006 he became the
main closer for the Cardinals in their
successful pennant and World Series
drive. He has been a runner-up contender
for the Cy Young award the past two
years, and in 2009 was named “Most
Outstanding National League Pitcher”
(Players Choice Award). After his first
20 game season in 2010, and making his
first All-Star team, he was primed and
ready for 2011. Unfortunately, his 2011
season ended at spring training when I
was determined that he needed Tommy
John surgery to repair damage to his right
elbow. The normal healing time is 10 to
12 months, but a positive recovery in
expected.
Dr. Bob Natzke, a local “speed training”
and martial arts expert, works with
Wainwright and other athletes on strength
and conditioning for their specific sports.
Natzke’s other famous local clients include
Karl Self, the southeast heavyweight
champion in full-contact martial arts,
and Julie Northrup, a former Canadian
Olympian who lives here now. Northrup
is a world champion power lifter who
has recently taken up martial arts under
Natzke’s tutorage.
Kwame Brown Made
Basketball History
Kwame Brown holds
the distinction as the
first basketball player
in the country to be
drafted right out of
high school by the
Washington Wizards
as a number one
pick in the country.
Currently playing for
the Charlotte Bobcats, Brown is Glynn
Academy’s all time leading rebounder
(1,235), shot-blocker (605), and ranks
second in scoring. He was perhaps best
known for his patented slam-dunks for
the Red Terrors (as pictured in his Red
Terror uniform). The 6 feet, ll inch Brown
is a truly a giant of a man, weighing 270
pounds. In the 2010-’11 season he has
averaged 7.9 points per game and 6.9
rebounds per game, slightly higher than
his average with three other teams over his
nine-year career.
Having Brown and Wainwright as “backto-back” selections as first-round draft
choices right out of high school (in two
different sports within the same year),
garnered regional and national coverage.
Idea of Glynn County Hall
of Fame Introduced By Local
Sports Writers
Kevin Price, a local native, 1995 UGA
graduate, and free-lance sports writer
believes that a Glynn County Sports Hall
of Fame is something way overdue in the
county. According to Price, “Our sports
history is impressive at all levels, and is
certainly worthy of being preserved.”
Price added, “This sports hall of fame
idea is something I was approached about
several years ago by former Glynn County
Schools athletic director Charlie Jordan. I
thought it was a great idea, but never took
the time to act on it. Finally, late last year,
I was approached about this subject again,
and after thinking about it for a couple
of days, I made up my mind to take the
initiative and see if I couldn’t spearhead
a movement to get the project going this
year.”
“With the help of former legendary
Brunswick News sports editor Murray
Poole (who today edits for Bulldawg
Illustrated), former Brunswick High
baseball coach Jimmy Brown, and Coach
Jordan, we were able to put together a
pretty impressive organizing committee
in almost no time. Our group is made of
several business and community leaders
and people whose jobs here are related
to athletics in some way such as coaches,
athletic directors and supporters. All of
these people are very knowledgeable about
athletics in general, including the athletic
history right here in our own community.”
“We’ve only had a few meetings at this
point, but we’re off to a great start.
Everyone appears to be excited and
enthusiastic about moving this project
forward. It’s going to take a lot of hard
work and dedication to make this a reality,
but if we can do our part, hopefully
the community will rally behind us to
help us with this effort and support
something that could really be great for
our community. There are numerous ways
the hall of fame could make a positive
impact on our community as it develops
over time.”
Stay tuned for details on the “who,
what, when, where and how”, still to be
determined. In the meanwhile, enjoy
the following excerpts of information
regarding Glynn County’s Top 25
Athletes, which was compiled courtesy
of Price and Murray in preparation for a
Brunswick News article several years ago…
GLYNN COUNTY”S TOP
25 ATHLETES OF THE
PAST CENTURY:
1. Fred Missildine:
This Glynn Countian
won 30 national and
international skeetshooting contests and
was named to the AllAmerican team 25 of his
26 years of competition. Missildine (now
72
deceased) is a member of three Halls of
Fame –the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame,
The National Skeet and Trap Shooters
Hall and the Georgia Skeet Shooters Hall
of Fame. Also given the honor of No.
1 teacher in the country, the long-time
Sea Island skeet instructor has turned
out many world champion shooters.
Rated No. 50 in the Atlanta JournalConstitution’s list of “Georgia’s Top 100
Athletes of the 1900’s.
2. Davis Love III:
The former Glynn
Academy and University
of North Carolina
golfing great has won
20 PGA Tour tournaments since turning
pro in 1985, including the 1997 PGA
Championship. A Ryder Cup and
President Cup’s team regular, he is listed
on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s
list of “Georgia’s Top 50 Athletes of the
1900’s”. And Love III’s career is still going
strong today. Most recently, he has been
named Ryder Cup Captain for the 2012
world-class event in Chicago.
3. Charles “Greek” George: An all-
around athlete for Glynn Academy in
his senior year in 1930, Greek George
went on to play five years in the major
leagues with the Cleveland Indians,
Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and the
Philadelphia Athletics. George was the
Cleveland catcher when future Hall-ofFamer Bob Feller pitched his first major
league game in 1936, against the St. Louis
Browns, and then was the catcher for
Feller when the fire-balling right-hander
set a new American League record of 17
strikeouts later that season, against Connie
Mack’s Philadelphia A’s.
4. George Rose: After
leading the Glynn
Academy Red Terrors
to a perfect 10-0 regular
season in 1958 as an allstate running back and
following a somewhat
injury-plagued senior
season in 1959, George
Rose went on to star for the Auburn
Tigers in the early 1960’s being named
to the All-SEC team as a defensive back.
Rose then played for six years in the
National Football League, mostly with
the Minnesota Vikings. One of the fastest
players ever to come out of Glynn County
(9.6 in 100-yd. Dash), he was also a
standout sprinter on the track team.
5. Mel Lattany: Speaking of pure speed,
there was none faster than Melvin Lattany.
In 1976, he won the state AAAA 100yard dash in a state-record tying time of
9.6 seconds and also won the state 220 in
21.5. Also a wide receiver on the Glynn
Academy football team, Lattany then won
the state high point trophy in his senior
year in 1977, again taking both the 100
and 220 dashes. He then went on to an
All-American track career at the University
of Georgia while, all the time, establishing
new individual and team records along the
way. Lattany was named to the 1980 U.S.
Olympic Team, which did not compete
in Moscow due to a boycott as ordered by
President Jimmy Carter due to the Soviet
invasion of Afghanistan.
6. Willie McClendon: After being
a steady high school football player for
Glynn Academy, Willie McClendon
was to go on to All-American honors at
the University of Georgia. In 1978, the
Bulldogs captain ran for over 1,300 yards
to break the school single-season rushing
record, then held by former Heisman
Trophy winner Frank Sinkwich. Two years
later, McClendon’s new record would be
topped by freshman sensation Herschel
Walker. Following his UGA career,
McClendon went on to a professional
career with the Chicago Bears, having to
play behind NFL legendary running back
Walter Payton, McClendon also played
professionally with the Jacksonville Bulls
of the USFL.
7. Jack Peerson: The further you go
back in time, the details and playing
statistics get a little fuzzy but Brunswick
native Jack Peerson certainly deserves
to be at the top of this All-Century list.
Born in Brunswick in 1920, he attended
Glynn Academy and then went on to
make it in the major leagues, as a second
baseman with the Philadelphia Athletics.
And playing just two seasons –for some
unknown reason—Peerson posted a .316
batting average with the A’s in 1935 and
then an even better .324 average in 1936.
8. Tiger Flowers: This premier boxer
prolific rebounders in the Southeastern
Conference and also one of the Tigers’ top
scorers. He then went on to a brief career
in the NBA, with the Phoenix Suns, and
is now one of the leading professional
basketball players in the European League.
That he is the only basketball player on
this Top 25 list of the 20th century says
it all.
no male athlete of today would even
think of trying. Rhodes was a standout
back for Coach C.M. Page’s Red Terror
football teams of the late 1940’s, helping
Glynn to the state championship game
against Brown High of Atlanta in 1949.
Rhodes passed on several years ago and
was inducted posthumously in Georgia’s
Sports Hall of Fame.
9. Steve Melnyk: After an outstanding
golfing career at Glynn Academy, Steve
Melnyk went on to capture All-America
honors at the University of Florida.
And, in 1969 he hit the big amateur
coup, winning both the prestigious U.S.
Amateur Championship and the British
Amateur Championship. Melnyk then
joined the PGA Tour and was doing well
until an elbow injury curtailed his playing
career. Staying close to the game however,
he entered the broadcasting profession and
continues to serve as one of the leading
golf analysts for ABC Television.
12. Lamar ‘Racehorse’ Davis: After
15. Mary Stevenson Melnyk: The
crashes Glynn’s list of best athletes of
the 1900’s. Again, not a great deal of
information is forthcoming on Tiger
Flowers but following an athletic career at
Risley High School, he went on to become
quite a professional boxer in the 1950’s
and early 60’s, in fact capturing the world
middleweight championship.
10. Sam Bowen: When one thinks of
outstanding baseball players to come out
of Brunswick, the conversation always
seems to turn to Sam Bowen. After
outstanding careers with Glynn Academy
and Brunswick Junior College, the hardhitting outfielder went on to capture AllAmerica honors at Valdosta State College.
He then played professional baseball
with the Boston Red Sox organization,
spending most of his time with the Sox’
Class AAA Pawtucket team. With any
other franchise, Bowen, because of his
outstanding minor league numbers, would
likely have become a big-league regular.
But, thing is, the Red Sox had a starting
outfield –at one time or another—of Carl
Yastrzemski, Jim Rice, Fred Lynn and
Dwight Evans. Still, Bowen was called
up to Boston and did get a brief taste of
major league action.
11. Aaron Swinson: Following a
standout basketball career with the
Brunswick High Pirates – where he made
his presence felt from
the 9th grade on –
Aaron Swinson went
on to be a dominating
force on the frontline
for the Auburn
Tigers. The 6-6,
235-pound Swinson
was one of the most
his outstanding athletic career at Glynn
Academy, Lamar Davis went on to
become one of the University of Georgia’s
all-time football players. Playing on
Wally Butts’ powerful teams of the early
1940’s, Davis was in the same backfield
with future Georgia legends Frank
Sinkwich and Charley Trippi. A speedy
wingback who captured All-SEC honors,
“Racehorse” was on the end of many long
Bulldog touchdown passes and set the
school record for most receiving yards in a
game… 198 against Cincinnati in 1942.
Davis also set kick return records at UGA.
He then went on to play professional ball
in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts and
later was elected to the Georgia Sports
Hall of Fame.
13. Randy Fisher: Unquestionably
the top pass receiver ever to come out of
Glynn County high schools, Randy Fisher
enjoyed a record-breaking career at Glynn
Academy… being on the receiving end
of most of Bobby Wilkes’ passes when
Wilkes set a new state of Georgia passing
record in 1983. Originally signing with
the University of Georgia, Fisher instead
wound up at Valdosta State College where
he rewrote the Blazer record books en
route to capturing Division II First Team
All-American honors. Fisher then had
a brief pro fling with the New Orleans
Saints of the NFL.
14. Hilman Rhodes: Although a
college football career at the University of
Florida was curtailed by injury, Hilman
Rhodes is one of the most unique athletes
in local sports history… simply because
of what he accomplished in his high
school playing days at Glynn Academy.
He was the only male athlete in Georgia
history to win 16 letters… from his
freshman year through his senior season.
And Rhodes’ accomplishments came in
the then four major sports of football,
basketball, baseball and track… something
mother of No. 9 selection Steve, Mary
Melnyk had quite an athletic career
herself. She won the State of Georgia’s
Women Amateur Championship in 1944
at the Augusta Country Club after earlier
winning the ladies’ golf championship
at the University of Georgia in 1941-42.
Melnyk captured the Ladies Okefenokee
Invitational championship three
consecutive times, won the championships
of the Dixie Belle and Sarah Shelley
tournaments in Jacksonville and has won
the ladies’ Club Championship at the
Brunswick Country Club an amazing 44
times.
16. Beth Clark: Like Hilman Rhodes,
Beth Clark was unique in Glynn Academy
athletic history. From 1983 to 1986, she
became the first Lady Terror athlete to
capture 16 letters… thus joining Rhodes
in that category. Clark’s accomplishments
came in basketball –where she was a star
forward and All-County player for coach
Theresa Adams’ teams –softball, track
and cross country. Beth not only excelled
in athletics but in the classroom as well.
This straight-A student received the
state of Georgia’s Top Academic Athlete
Award. She then went on to play collegiate
basketball for the Valdosta State Lady
Blazers.
17. Vassa Cate: This talented all-around
athlete excelled in particular at football
and track and following his outstanding
prep career at Glynn Academy, went on
to star in the two sports at the University
of Georgia. Cate was a football and track
standout for the Bulldogs from 1937
through 1939, serving as captain for the
Georgia football team in the fall of ’39.
He would then go on to become a very
successful high school football and track
coach, as well as a leader in the school
administration field. He is a member of
the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
73
18. Bob Sherman: An outstanding
22. Jimmy Bankston: Here, a swimmer
two-way player for the Glynn Academy
football powerhouses of the late 1940’s,
Bob Sherman was regarded to be one of
the fastest tackles ever to strap on the
helmet and shoulder pads. After helping
lead Coach Page’s 1949 team to the South
Georgia championship and into the
state championship game against Brown
University, Sherman signed a football
scholarship to Georgia Tech and went on
to become an All-SEC tackle for Coach
Bobby Dodd’s Yellow Jackets in 1953.
joins the Top 25 ranks of Glynn County’s
finest ever athletes. Although Glynn
Academy didn’t have a swim team in the
1950’s, Jimmy Bankston learned on his
own at the Casino Pool on St. Simons and
then went on to attend the University of
Georgia and became one of the Bulldogs’
best-ever men swimmers. He won
Southeastern Conference championships
in the 100-yard free (1958), 220-yard free
(1957, ’58), 440-yard free (1957), and
1,500 meter free (1957, ’59).
19. Chandos Highsmith: Also regarded
as one of Glynn Academy’s best-ever
football linemen, Chandos Highsmith
graduated from Glynn Academy in 1941
and then, following a stint in the service
of his country, played for the powerhouse
North Carolina Tar Heels from 1946
through 1948. Playing on the UNC team
with All-America running back Charles
“Choo Choo” Justice, Highsmith was
regarded as a terrific two-way starting
linesman for the Tar Heels.
23. Milton Byard: A tremendous
20. Sonny George: Also a stalwart on
the powerful 1949 Glynn Academy Red
Terrors, Sonny George went on to have
a successful collegiate football career at
Wake Forest University. While playing
with the Demon Deacons in the early
1950’s, George did a little of everything.
He was a two-way starter for Wake Forest
at quarterback and linebacker and also
handled the kicking chores. George was/is
also an outstanding golfer.
21. Bill Ploeger: Certainly, a very
familiar name in these parts in recent
years. Following a fine athletic career at
Glynn Academy, Bill Ploeger went on
to be one of the leaders of the Georgia
Tech golf team before then developing
into one of the leading amateur golfers
in the country. Now a Columbus
insurance executive, Ploeger captured
his most prestigious victory ever this fall
when he won the U.S. Senior Amateur
Championship out in Portland, Oregon.
At the age of 59, Ploeger won the
national championship just after capturing
the Georgia Senior Amateur title. Of
course, he is the all-time king of the
Golden Isles Invitational Tournament in
Brunswick, winning 11 titles. Post notes:
In 2010, Ploeger was honored by being
inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of
Fame.
running back who helped lead the
Risley High Tigers to the GISA state
championship back in 1950, Milton
Byard then went on to an outstanding
college football career at Morris Brown
College in Atlanta. Combining speed
with elusiveness and power, Byard earned
All-America honors at Morris Brown in
1954-55.
24. Robert Sapp: Although this isn’t
a “best-coaches” list, Robert Sapp’s
combined success on the baseball playing
field and in the coaching ranks simply
couldn’t be ignored. An outstanding
infielder at Glynn Academy, Sapp went on
to become the starting second baseman
for coach Jim Whatley’s Georgia Bulldogs
in the early 1960’s and then embarked on
an outstanding high school and college
coaching career. Of course, his greatest
success came at Middle Georgia Junior
College where he compiled an amazing
800-plus victories along with four
national championships and numerous
state baseball titles. Sapp then served as
head baseball coach for three years at the
University of Georgia and later served
as a special funds raiser for the athletic
program.
25. Ray Lloyd: Today, he has brought
Glynn County national and international
fame through his role as “The Glacier,”
one of the top performers in the world
of professional wrestling, but Ray Lloyd
initially gained notoriety by becoming
Brunswick High’s very first All-State
football player back in 1981. A center,
Lloyd led John Willis’ first Pirate teams
to consecutive playoff appearances and
then went on to a fine football career as an
offensive lineman at Valdosta State.
Well sports fans, you’ll have to agree…
that’s quite an impressive list. Who will
be the new superstars to be added in the
current century who hail from Glynn
County? Take a look at the up and comers
on the facing page.
At the Georgia
Sports Hall of
Fame in Macon,
I was able to
photograph sideby-side displays of
two sports legends
who spend considerable time enjoying the
Golden Isles.
They are Jimmy Orr, two-time pro wide
receiver for the Baltimore Colts who
tallied 400 career catches and 7,914
yards, and Fran Tarkenton, a former
University of Georgia scrambling
quarterback extraordinaire, who went on
to a stellar career with both the Giants
and predominately the Minnesota
Vikings. The nine-time all pro completed
3,686 passes out of 6,467 attempts, and
compiled a flabbergasting 47,000 yards
both passing and running.
And, of course there are countless other
sports celebrities and coaches we could
mention who have opted to reside here
either part or full-time.
But, all articles must end, so I end this one
with a first-hand encounter. When I first
moved to St. Simons about 14 years ago,
I ran into the former legendary Georgia
Bulldog defensive coach, Irk Russell. As
you probably recall, Coach Russell also
later garnered a national championship
for the Georgia Southern Eagles before
retiring. As we exchanged pleasantries
while he whacked away with hedge
clippers, I asked ,“Coach, how have you
been enjoying your beach house on St.
Simons?” With a twinkle in his eye and in
that classic southern drawl he responded,
“Just another day in paradise…the last
stop before heaven. Who wouldn’t love it
here?”
Well, Coach Russell is no longer with
us…But he gave us all a reason to reflect
on how lucky we are to live in the Golden
Isles. And to all those athletes (past and
present), thank you for contributing your
talents to fulfill our passion for sports.
am-Of-The-Crop”
e
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e
Ath
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e
R
lete
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Mo
The majority of athletes listed below received
(or have recently received) athletic scholarships at
major universities over the past five decades. If they
advanced to professional level they have a star by
their name.
e = Achieved Pro Status
p Katie Burnett,
a former Brunswick
High star, has her
eyes set on the LPGA
circuit.
p Justin Coleman
p These three
Frederica Academy
seniors will be
playing Division
1 soccer next year:
Ansley Morgan,
University of
Georgia, Morgan
Brian, University of
Virginia, and Jessica
Haley, Princeton
University. Morgan
Brian was named
Parade Magazine’s
2010 soccer Player
of the year and is
rated the number one
high school recruit in
America this year.
e Bill Alford, football, Brunswick High
• Antwan Andrews, football, Glynn Academy
• Alvin Atkinson, football, Glynn Academy
• Chad Bailey, baseball, Glynn Academy
• Jeff Baker, baseball, Glynn Academy
• Charles Bankston, swimming, Glynn Academy
• Jimmy Bankston, swimming, Glynn Academy
• Anna Barrow, soccer, Frederica Academy
• Christy Barrow, soccer, Frederica Academy
e Andy Bean, golf, Glynn Academy
(left Glynn Academy sophomore year)
• Bud Bennett, track, Glynn Academy
• David Blackshear, soccer, Glynn Academy
e Same Bowen, baseball, Glynn Academy
• Cindy Smith Boyd, tennis, Frederica Academy
• Jake Bradford, football, Glynn Academy
• Morgan Brian, soccer, Frederica Academy
• Jennifer Brian, soccer, Frederica Academy
• Jay Brown, baseball, Brunswick High
e Kwame Brown, basketball, Glynn Academy
• Katie Burnett, golf, Brunswick High
• Kelsey Bush, soccer, Frederica Academy
• Milton Byard, football, Risley High
• Michael Canter, baseball, Glynn Academy
• Neal Cavallon, tennis, Frederica Academy
• Beth Clark, basketball, Glynn Academy
e Tommy Clark, baseball, Brunswick High
• Justin Coleman, football, Brunswick High
• Frank Dineen, soccer, Federica Academy
e Kevin Drury, baseball, Glynn Academy
• Rebecca Durham, golf, Glynn Academy
e Michael Early, football, Brunswick High
• Dane Fehr, baseball, Glynn Academy
• Crystal Ferrier, golf, Glynn Academy
e Randy Fisher, football, Glynn Academy
• Antonio Frederick, football, Glynn Academy
• Chickie George, football, Glynn Academy
• Sonny George, football, Glynn Academy
• Jessica Haley, soccer, Frederica Academy
• Zack Hartman, golf, Glynn Academy
• Shelby Harris, soccer, Frederica Academy
• Amelia Hill, golf, Frederica Academy
• Archie Howell, basketball, Frederica Academy
• David Hurtado, soccer, Frederica Academy
• Reggie Jackson, football, Glynn Academy
• Cletus Jessup, baseball, Glynn Academy
e Jermaine Johnson, baseball, Glynn Academy
e Brandon (“Baba”) Johnson, baseball, Glynn
Academy
• Chelsea Kaiser, soccer, Frederica Academy_____
p Amelia Hill
• David Kendrick, basketball, Frederica Academy
• Sybi Parker Kuchar, tennis, Frederica Academy
• Melvin Lattany, track, Glynn Academy
e Reshard Lee, football, Brunswick High
e Ray Lloyd, football/wrestling, Brunswick High
e Davis Love III, golf, Glynn Academy
• John Ludwig, swimming, Glynn Academy
• Nick Mavromat, football, Glynn Academy
e Willie McClendon, football, Glynn Academy
• Kevin McGarvey, baseball, Glynn Academy
e Steve Melnyk, golf, Glynn Academy
e Mario Moody, baseball, Glynn Academy
p Reshard Lee
• Ansley Morgan, soccer, Frederica Academy
• Steve Morris, tennis, Frederica Academy
• Galin Mumford, football, Glynn Academy
e Kody Paul, baseball, Glynn Academy
• Elaine Smith Peck, tennis, Frederica Academy
e Garrett Phillips, golf, Glynn Academy
e Alton Pinkney, baseball, Glynn Academy
• Bill Ploeger, golf, Glynn Academy
• Keegan Priest, soccer, Frederica Academy
• Shakir Robinson, football, Brunswick High
e George Rose, football, Glynn Academy
• Chad Sanders, baseball & football, Glynn Academy
p Michael Early
• Rachel Shelnutt, soccer, Frederica Academy
• Bob Sherman, football, Glynn Academy
• Darius Slay, football, Brunswick High
e Dwayne Slay, football, Brunswick High
• Miles Starr, baseball, Glynn Academy
• Blake Strickland, baseball, Glynn Academy,
e Aaron Swinson, basketball, Brunswick High
• Fran Twohig, soccer, Frederica Academy
• Johnny Tullos, football, Glynn Academy
• TashVan Dora, football, Glynn Academy
e Adam Wainwright, baseball, Glynn Academy
e Charlie Warren, baseball, Glynn Academy
e Rich Wasielelewski, baseball, Brunswick High
e Albert White, football, Glynn Academy____
• Bobby Wilkes, baseball, Glynn Academy
• Scott Wolfes, golf, Glynn Academy
• David Yarborough, baseball, Glynn Academy
p Glynn County’s golf
program has a longstanding tradition of
success.
Christmas in the Golden Isles is a glorious time of the year. These twins enjoyed a visit by Saint
Nick in the Village on Saint Simons Island. The jolly old gentleman arrived at the pier by boat, of
course. Some members of the St. Simons/Sea Island Council were on hand to provide refreshments
for young and old alike.
If Your Lawn’s Not Terrific...
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76
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