Georgia Sports Hall of Fame ceremony five weeks out, adding Richt, Jones X 2, Atlanta pro team builder, more

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Feb. 24
Golf tournament, Barrington Hall
Feb. 25
Fan Fest, at Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, time TBA
Induction Ceremony, Macon City Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets/info: 478-752-1585

           The latest induction weekend of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is five weekends away, the hall ready to welcome a dual-sport pro standout, young tennis whiz, legendary outfielder, heralded high school football and basketball coaches, football stalwarts from Georgia and Georgia Tech, and a high-level front office person.

          The class was announced in October.

          The Hall announced on Thursday its four-person list of Legends (see related story).

Jackie Bradford

          Basketball is life for Valdosta-native Jackie Bradford. He was an honorable mention NAIA basketball All-American for Lipscomb University where he played from 1964-1966. He coached at Lipscomb for one season before moving back to Georgia to coach for Greater Atlanta Christian School. He served as the Spartans head coach from 1968 to 1982 compiling a 253-82 record with three state championships. Jackie has been actively involved with the Atlanta Tipoff Club, joining the Board of Directors in 1971 and serving as the organization's president and executive director from 1975 to 2004. Jackie was inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

Buck Godfrey

          Buck Godfrey is synonymous with high school football in Georgia. Buck is a South Carolina native who captained in football and baseball at Delaware State. He went on to study at Columbia University and NYU before obtaining an Master's in English at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta). He began his coaching career in DeKalb County in 1974 as a baseball coach. He was also a swim coach before being hired to the head coaching position at Southwest DeKalb High School in 1983. In his 30 years there, Godfrey amassed 273 wins, 13 region titles and a GHSA Class AAAA State Championship in 1995. He was inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Georgia Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2014. 

Andruw Jones

          Born in Willemstad on the island of Curaçao, Andruw Jones was a standout baseball player by the age of 16, when he signed with the Atlanta Braves as a free agent in 1993. After a few years in the Braves farm system, Jones was called up to majors in 1996 at 19-years-old. In 12 seasons in Atlanta, he earned five All-Star selections and 10 Gold Gloves. His most proficient year was 2005, when he led the National League in RBIs and home runs, and was awarded the NL Hank Aaron Award as the league's best offensive player. In 2007, Jones was honored with a Fielding Bible Award as the best fielding center in the MLB. He went on to play with four other MLB teams before ending his career in Japan. Andruw was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in 2016.

Shawn Jones

          An exceptional quarterback at Thomasville High School, Jones led the Bulldogs to a 29-8-1 record as a starter, including an 11-1 record as a senior when he threw for 1,369 yards and 11 touchdowns, also rushing for 677 yards and three touchdowns. Jones went on to play at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, setting multiple Georgia Tech and ACC records. During his career in Atlanta, Jones amassed 9,296 total yards of offense, 70 touchdowns, and 35 wins. He led Tech to a co-national championship in 1990 with a dominating 45-21 win over Nebraska in the Citrus Bowl, in which he was also named game MVP. He joined the Tech Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003. 

Stan Kasten

          Farmingdale, New Jersey native Stan Kasten played an integral part in the success of the Atlanta Braves in the 1990s and early 2000s. His tenure in Atlanta sports began in 1979, when he became general manager of the Atlanta Hawks. His success there carried over to baseball when he became president of the Atlanta Braves in 1986. Along with GM John Schuerholz and manager Bobby Cox, the Atlanta Braves flourished under Kasten's leadership. From 1991-2005, they won 14 straight division titles, five National League pennants, and a World Series championship in 1995. Kasten went on to become president of the Washington Nationals in 2006, before joining the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012, where he currently serves as president and CEO. 

Al Parker

          One of the most accomplished junior tennis players in history, Al Parker won a record 25 national junior titles. He won the Grand Slam of junior tennis, the only player to win all national championships in singles and doubles in a single year. Parker went on to play collegiately at the University of Georgia and was named All-SEC and All-American during his four years in Athens. He won two national collegiate singles championships, as well as 10 other singles and doubles titles. Al won every time he reached a final. Al was inducted into the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007. 

Ron Reed

          Ron Reed started his professional playing career on the basketball court. He was drafted in the third round of the 1965 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons and played there for two seasons before pursuing a career in professional baseball. After a spell pitching in the minor leagues, Ron joined the Atlanta Braves organization in 1965, debuting for Atlanta in 1966. As a starter, Reed reached double figures in wins in five seasons with the Braves. He was named an All-Star in 1968. After nine seasons with the Braves, Reed played briefly with the St. Louis Cardinals before settling in Philadelphia with the Phillies. There, he became an important relief pitcher with crucial saves in the run-up to the Phillies' World Series championship in 1980. He is one of 13 players to play both in the NBA and the MLB. 

Mark Richt

          Once a backup to future great quarterbacks at the University of Miami, Mark Richt began his accomplished coaching career under Bobby Bowden at Florida State as a graduate assistant in 1993, before becoming the Seminoles' quarterbacks coach and then offensive coordinator. In 2001, Richt took over the head coaching job at Georgia. His coaching helped propel Bulldog football during the 2000s. During his tenure, Richt took UGA to six SEC East Division titles and two SEC Championships in 2002 and 2005. He amassed a 126-45 record in Athens, and then became head coach at his alma mater Miami from 2016-2018. Richt is active in community service and is currently an analyst for the ACC Network.