GMC's Williams, West Laurens' Thomas among Georgia Sports Hall of Fame "Legends" group

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          The four “Legends” whose stories will be told next month during the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Macon City Auditorium have resumes that certainly live up to the label.

          Two have Central Georgia ties: Longtime NFL standout and West Laurens grad Demaryius Thomas and former Georgia Military College head football coach and athletics director Bert Williams.

          They are joined by legendary Georgia Southern head baseball coach Jack Stallings and Steve Webber, the winningest baseball coach in UGA history.

          They’ll be honored during the Hall’s induction ceremony on Feb. 25 at the Macon City Auditorium (see related story).

(Info from the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, edited)

Jack Stallings

          A prolific college baseball coach with a career that spanned 39 years, Jack Stallings began as an assistant alma mater of Wake Forest, taking over in 1960. Nine years later, he moved to Florida State and led the Seminoles to a second-place finish at the 1980 College World Series. Stallings became the head coach at Georgia Southern in 1976, and commenced guiding the Eagles to three SoCon championships, five NCAA postseason appearances, and one College World Series appearance in 1990. He also coached with the U.S. national baseball team in the '70s and '80s. Coach Stallings passed away on June 19, 2018.

Demaryius Thomas

          A West Laurens High School legend, Demaryius Thomas was a three-sport athlete. His standout ability at wide receiver earned him plenty of attention, and eventually a full ride at Georgia Tech. In his three seasons, he amassed 2,339 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the 2010 draft and became a mainstay, helping the Broncos to a 2015 Super Bowl win.  He finished his pro career after playing with Houston and the New York Jets. He was selected to four Pro Bowls and set multiple Broncos franchise records. Thomas passed away December 9, 2021.

Steve Webber

          The winningest baseball coach in Georgia Bulldog history was born in Iowa and played at Southern Illinois, which went to the 1969 College World Series. He served as a pitching coach for Georgia Southern and then Florida, becoming Georgia’s head coach in 1981. His teams averaged 32 wins per season in his 16 seasons in Athens. He led the Bulldogs to a 1990 national championship. Webber  was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1987 and national Coach of the Year in 1990. After his college coaching, he became a pitching coach for minor league affiliates of the Yankees, Padres, and Astros. He passed away November 12, 2022.

Bert Williams

          Joining Georgia Military College in 1997 as offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, Williams was named head coach in 2000 and went on to rack up a 156-58 record. He was named national Coach of the Year three times, and led the Bulldogs to nine National Junior College Athletic Association bowl games and three national championship games. As GMC’s athletics director, Williams oversaw expansion from one to nine successful programs. Under his leadership, more than 430 student-athletes moved on to four-year schools, with 298 earning NCAA Division I scholarships and 37 making it to the NFL. He was named GMC’s athletics director emeritus in 2020 after serving the college for 23 years. Williams passed away on August 2, 2021.