Georgia Sports Hall of Fame gears up for induction weekend

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          The weather is expected to cooperate – after overnight rain - for the 66th annual induction ceremony weekend for the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

          The annual golf tournament at Idle Hour is followed Friday night by the invitation-only jacket ceremony at the Hall.

          Saturday’s FanFest, from 1-2:30 p.m. at the Hall, is free and open to the public.

          The ceremony at the Macon City Auditorium begins at 6:30 p.m. For ticket information, call 752-1585.

          The Class of 2022 covers five sports, from high school to the pros: James Bankston (UGA swimmer), Alan Chadwick (Marist football coach), Stewart Cink (pro golfer, Georgia Tech grad), Warrick Dunn (Atlanta Falcons), Deon Grant (Josey grad, Tennessee, NFL), Steve Holman (Atlanta Hawks broadcaster), Bob Horner (Atlanta Braves), and Eric Zeier (UGA football).

          The Hall added another category a few years ago for those worthy of mention with “Legends” for those who were not inducted during their lifetimes, for whatever reason.

          This year’s group is all about connections to the Braves, in Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta: Bill Bartholomay, Bobby Dews, Roy Hartsfield, and Pete Van Wieren.

          Among those expected to attend the Fan Fest, in addition to the inductees: Tony Barnhart, Keith Brooking, Brian Jordan, Roger Kaiser, Jaime Kaplan, T. McFerrin, Jimmy Robinson, Brenda Cliette Thomas, Mike “Moon Pie” Wilson, and Scott Woerner.

Inductees
(From GSHF, edited)
James Bankston
          One of UGA’s most decorated male swimmers, Bankston started out as a diver but transitioned to freestyle swimming. He won six SEC titles for the Bulldogs. In 1957, he s dominated the Freestyle events, winning the 220-yard, 440-yard, and the 1500-meter freestyle, finishing sixth at the national championships in the 1500.
He was recognized as an all-time letter-winner in Swimming and Diving at UGA in 1957, 1958, and 1959, and still holds three SEC swimming records. He was the Director of Glynn County Recreation in 1961, forming the first swimming and diving team in Glynn County. He then became the Sr. Vice President of Rich Sea Pak and retired after 40 years.

Alan Chadwick
          Chadwick began coaching high school football at Marist as an assistant in 1976, becoming head coach in 1985. In 36 seasons at Marist, Chadwick’s teams have never missed the playoffs, reaching the state finals in 1987, 1989, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2017, and 2020, winning in 1989, 2003, and 2020.
          In 1991, Alan received the Wayman Creel Coaching Award for outstanding contributions to coaching, and in 2004, he received the R.L. “Shorty” Doyle Award for coaching excellence from the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association. He pass the 400-win mark last August, and is second all-time in wins in Georgia with 409.

Stewart Cink
          The Florence, Alabama native played golf at Georgia Tech, turning pro after graduating in 1995. He was the PGA rookie of the year in 1997. Among the more consistent players on the tour, he was third in the Masters in 2008, PGA Championship in 1999, and U.S. Open in 2001. He won the British in 2009, beating Tom Watson in a four-hole playoff.
          He won the RBC Heritage last April, becoming the fourth player to win twice in the same PGA season after turning 47. Each fall, Stewart co-hosts the East Lake Invitational which benefits the East Lake Foundation.

Warrick Dunn
          At Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, Dunn played quarterback, cornerback, and running back. The latter was his forte and future, taking him to Florida State to play for Bobby Bowden. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in three straight seasons and was a three-time first-team All-ACC, helping the Seminoles to a national title his freshman year.
          Drafted by Tampa Bay in 1997, Warrick was named AP offensive rookie of the year. He signed with Atlanta in 2002 and rushed for 5,981 with the Falcons, and was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2004. Outside of football, Warrick established his own charity and started the Homes for the Holidays program, providing homes for single-parent families.

Deon Grant
A USA Today High School All-American at Josey in Augusta, Grant helped lead the Eagles to a state football championship. He was the No. 1 defensive back as a senior, and went to Tennessee to play for Philip Fulmer. His leaping interception in the 1998 BCS national championship game sealed the win for the Volunteers. He was selected as a consensus first-team All-American in 1999, the same year he was SEC defensive player of the year, leading the nation in interceptions. He was drafted by Carolina in 2000 and spent 12 seasons in the NFL, with Carolina, Jacksonville, Seattle and the New York Giants. He helped lead the Giants’ defense in their win in Super Bowl XLVI over New England.

Steve Holman
          A fixture on Atlanta sports radio since 1980, Holman started his career as a broadcast assistant for Boston Celtics’ legendary play-by-play man Johnny Most. Upon arriving in Atlanta, Holman called Falcons games and Atlanta Chiefs soccer matches.He started with the Hawks in 1989 and has yet to miss a broadcast. He has been the Georgia Sportscaster of the Year in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2019 by the National Sports Media Association. He has  received Gabby Awards from the Georgia Association of Broadcasters three years in a row and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2017.

Bob Horner
          The former Arizona State standout and first winner of the Golden Spikes Award was drafted by Atlanta in 1978. He started his nine-year career with the Braves by hitting a home run off Pittsburgh’s Bert Blyleven en route to NL rookie of the year. Horner was captain in 1982 when Atlanta won the NL West. Four years later, In 1986, he became the 11th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a game. In his 10-year career, Horner batted .277 with 218 home runs and 685 RBI. His career fielding percentage was .977. Horner was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Eric Zeier
          The Marietta High standout graduated ahead of his class and went to UGA in 1991, becoming a Heisman Trophy contender and going 26-14-1 record as a starter with three bowl wins. He  set 67 school records and 18 SEC records at UGA, including becoming the SEC’s all-time passing leader in 1994, and only the third quarterback in Division 1 history to throw for more than 11,000 yards in his career.
           Named the American Football Coaches Association first-team All-American quarterback in 1994, Zeier was 877 of 1,461 for for 11,153 yards, 67 touchdowns, and 37 interceptions at Georgia. After several years in the NFL playing for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons, he returned to UGA, and has served as a color analyst on the Georgia Bulldogs Sports Network since 2007.

Legends
Bill Bartholomay
          William “Bill” Bartholomay was a successful business executive from Chicago before leading a consortium to buy the Milwaukee Braves. The Braves were having much success in Milwaukee, including winning a World Series in 1957, but Bill saw the potential to bring the first professional baseball team to the Deep South and set his eyes on the newly built Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Bill worked with local civic leaders and in 1966 brought the Braves to Atlanta. In 1976, Bill sold his controlling interest in the team to Ted Turner, who in turn introduced the Braves to a national audience through his TBS network. Bill passed away in March 2020 at 91.

Bobby Dews
          Born in Iowa but raised in the small town of Edison, Georgia, Bobby Dews went on to play college baseball and basketball at Georgia Tech. He was drafted by the MLB’s St Louis Cardinals where he played and managed the Cardinals farm league before joining the Atlanta Braves in 1974. Bobby helped turn the Braves farm league around in the 1980s. After spending several years on Bobby Cox’s staff, he retired in 2006 as the Braves bullpen coach. He worked on and off for the Braves for years, passing away in 2015 at age 76.

Roy Hartsfield
          Roy Hartsfield was born in Riverside in 1925. He made his MLB debut with the Boston Braves and played three seasons before going into the managerial side. Roy skippered for the Spokane Indians and the Hawaii Islanders, the latter winning the Pacific Coast championship in 1975 and 1976. He briefly coached for the L.A. Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves. Roy was hired as the first manager of the expansion team Toronto Blue Jays in 1977, and spent three seasons in that role before going on to manage in Double-A and Triple-A ball. Roy passed away in 2011 at the age of 85.

Pete Van Wieren
          After serving as a play-by-play announcer for minor league baseball in the 1960s and '70s, the New York native travelled south after being hired by Turner Sports to become the play-by-play announcer for the Atlanta Braves in 1975. He held that position until 2008, calling games alongside Don Sutton and GSHF inductees Ernie Johnson, Sr., and Skip Caray.
          He was given the nickname "The Professor" for his extensive knowledge of the game. He also called for college football, Atlanta Hawks basketball, Atlanta Falcons pre-season football, and NBA on Turner Sports. Pete stepped down from broadcasting duties for the Braves in 2008, and passed away six years later at age 69.