Georgia High School Football HOF adds Walt Frazier, Cam Newton, Kirby Smart to ballot

Frazier went to Southern Illinois and became a seven-time All-Star, with NBA titles in 1970 and 1973 with the New York Knicks. Frazier, who turned 80 this year, remains a color commentator on Knicks telecasts.

Smart was the best player on a Bainbridge High football team that reached the state semifinals in the highest class in 1993. Smart was a first-team all-state defensive back credited with eight interceptions in his junior and senior seasons. He became an All-SEC safety at Georgia.

Newton was a five-star quarterback recruit who led Westlake to playoff victories in 2005 and 2006. He took Auburn to the 2010 national title and the Carolina Panthers to Super Bowl 50 in 2016.

To be eligible for the Georgia Hall of Fame, players must no longer be playing. Though inactive since 2021, Newton only recently indicated he would not play football again.

The 30 additions refreshed the ballot to 100 players after 30 were inducted last year.

Other notable ballot additions are former Georgia Tech stars Joshua Nesbitt (Greene County) and Keith Brooking (East Coweta) and former Georgia stars Lindsay Scott (Wayne County) and Freddie Gilbert (Griffin).

Below are the 30 additions, the 70 returning members of the ballot and the 115 who have been inducted in the hall’s three years.

The Hall of Fame also announced Thursday that Sterling Sharpe, a member of the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class, will be an automatic inductee into the Georgia HOF in October. Sharpe, the older brother of Shannon Sharpe, played in Glenville High in Tattnall County in the early 1980s.

New on the ballot (senior season in parentheses):

L Ray Beck, Cedartown (1947)

E Jack Rudolph, Grady (1954)

RB Jimmy Barefield, Waynesboro (1955)

WR/DB Willie Williams, Archer (1960)

QB Walt Frazier, Howard (1963)

QB Walt Sumner, Irwin County (1964)

QB Paul Gilbert, Athens (1965)

LB/RB Keith Harris, Woodward Academy (1970)

WR Danny Buggs, Avondale (1970)

RB Ed Guthrie, Wheeler (1975)

OL Ben Utt, Vidalia (1976)

WR Lindsay Scott, Wayne County (1977)

WR Willie Gault, Griffin (1978)

DL Freddie Gilbert, Griffin (1979)

RB Ben Logue, North Springs (1981)

OL Steve Wallace, Chamblee (1981)

OL Harris Barton, Dunwoody (1981)

DL Henry Harris, Columbia (1982)

P Chris Gardocki, Redan (1987)

RB Robert Edwards, Washington County (1992)

DB Kirby Smart, Bainbridge (1993)

LB Keith Brooking, East Coweta (1993)

DB Carlos Rogers, Butler (1999)

LB Daryl Smith, Dougherty (1999)

QB Chansi Stuckey, Northside-Warner Robins (2001)

LB Wesley Woodyard, LaGrange (2003)

QB Cam Newton, Westlake (2006)

QB Joshua Nesbitt, Greene County (2006)

DB/RB Greg Reid, Lowndes (2008)

QB Blake Sims, Gainesville (2009)

Returning to ballot:

E Tom Nash, Washington-Wilkes (1922)

FB Johnny “Stumpy” Thomason, Tech (Atlanta) (1924)

RB Jack “The Ripper” Roberts, Albany (1927)

HB Bill Paschal, Tech (Atlanta) (1939)

B Jack Peek, Tech (Atlanta) (1945)

B Bobby North, Tech (Atlanta) (1946)

E John Carson, Roosevelt (1948)

B Max Mason, Rockmart (1950)

B Milton Byard, Risley (Brunswick) (1950)

HB Johnny Menger, Richmond Academy (1952)

L Ken Rice, Bainbridge (1956)

L Phil Ashe, Stone Mountain (1956)

L Pete Case, Decatur (1957)

QB John Henry Jackson, Spencer (1957)

RB Jimmy Burson, LaGrange (1958)

WR/DB Frank Pitts, Archer (1960)

RB Marvin Hurst, Waycross (1961)

QB Kim King, Brown (1962)

RB Giles Smith, Valdosta (1962)

G/LB Wallace Davis, Spencer (1962)

DB Ken Ellis, Bunche (Camden County) (1965)

WR Billy Brice, Avondale (1966)

QB Bobby Scott, Rossville (1966)

RB Brent Cunningham, Putnam County (1967)

QB/RB Dennis Chadwick, Decatur (1967)

RB Doyle Orange, Waycross (1969)

RB Isaac Jackson, Lanier-Macon (1969)

L Henry Childs, Douglass-Thomasville (1969)

QB Stan Bounds, Valdosta (1971)

DE Reggie Wilkes, Southwest Atlanta (1973)

RB Runt Moon, Commerce (1973)

L Mack Guest, Central (Macon) (1974)

OL Robert Shaw, Wheeler (1974)

LB Chip Banks, Laney (1977)

QB Jim Bob Harris, Clarke Central (1977)

L Lee North, Shamrock (1977)

QB Gordon Beckham Jr., Westminster (1978)

DB Joey Browner, Southwest Atlanta (1978)

RB Ricky Williams, Griffin (1978)

RB Cedric Jones, Lowndes (1980)

LB/RB Knox Culpepper, Lovett (1980)

RB David McCluskey, West Rome (1982)

QB James Jackson, Mitchell-Baker (1983)

QB Vince Sutton, LaGrange (1983)

RB Terry Allen, Banks County (1985)

DL John Johnson, LaGrange (1986)

LB Curt Douglas, Lincoln County (1987)

LB/DL Coleman Rudolph, Valdosta (1988)

OL Clay Shiver, Tift County (1990)

LB Dexter Daniels, Valdosta (1991)

RB Robert Toomer, Worth County (1991)

QB Rodney Hudson, LaGrange (1992)

DL Travis Stroud, Dunwoody (1993)

OL Cosey Coleman, Southwest DeKalb (1995)

RB Patrick Pass, Tucker (1995)

L Curt McGill, Brookwood (1996)

RB Jasper Sanks, Carver-Columbus (1996)

QB Fabian Walker, Americus (1998)

RB Daccus Turman, Washington-Wilkes (2000)

DL Kedric Golston, Sandy Creek (2001)

LB Sam Olajubutu, LaGrange (2001)

OL Chris Scott, Lovejoy (2004)

OL Duke Robinson, Washington (2004)

DL Jermaine Cunningham, Stephenson (2005)

DB Reshad Jones, Washington (2005)

WR Tavarres King, Habersham Central (2007)

DL Abry Jones, Northside-Warner Robins (2008)

RB/LB Jonathan Davis, Tucker (2008)

RB Isaiah Crowell, Carver-Columbus (2010)

OL Mitch Hyatt, North Gwinnett (2014)

Inducted:

HB Bob McWhorter, Gordon Institute (1909)

B Everett Strupper, Riverside Military (1913)

E Vernon “Catfish” Smith, Lanier-Macon (1927)

B Bill Hartman, Georgia Military Prep (1933)

HB Clint Castleberry, Boys (1941)

B Frank Broyles, Decatur (1941)

B Billy Henderson, Lanier-Macon (1945)

E George Maloof, Marist (1947)

B Lauren Hargrove, Fitzgerald (1948)

QB Pepper Rodgers, Brown (1949)

B Larry Morris, Decatur (1950)

OL Jim Parker, Ballard-Hudson (1952)

G/LB Pat Dye, Richmond Academy (1956)

QB Fran Tarkenton, Athens (1956)

QB Stan Gann, Northside-Atlanta (1957)

B Ernie Green, Spencer (1957)

L Bill Curry, College Park (1959)

QB Billy Lothridge, Gainesville (1959)

RB/LB Len Hauss, Wayne County (1959)

QB Silas Jamison, Washington (1959)

QB Dan Reeves, Americus (1960)

QB Bruce Bennett, Valdosta (1961)

B Emerson Boozer, Laney (1961)

OL Rayfield Wright, Fairmont (1962)

L Edgar Chandler, Cedartown (1963)

ATH George Atkinson, Johnson (Savannah) (1963)

L Tommy Hart, Ballad-Hudson (1963)

L Bill Stanfill, Cairo (1964)

L Otis Sistrunk, Spencer (1964)

DL Julius Adams, Ballard-Hudson (1965)

QB Jack Pitts, Trinity (1965)

DB Mel Blount, Lyons Industrial (1965)

L/FB Chip Kell, Avondale (1966)

WR/CB Clarence Scott, Trinity (1966)

QB Charlie Dudish, Avondale (1967)

QB/P Ray Guy, Thomson (1968)

QB/DB Buzy Rosenberg, Northside-Atlanta (1968)

QB Alfred Jenkins, Hogansville (1968)

RB Andy Johnson, Athens (1969)

QB Jeff Bower, Roswell (1970)

QB Ray Goff, Moultrie (1972)

LB Andy Spiva, Chamblee (1972)

WR/TE Stan Rome, Valdosta (1973)

QB Anthony Flanagan, Southwest Atlanta (1973)

LB Lucius Sanford, West Fulton (1973)

RB/LB Ben Zambiasi, Mount de Sales (1973)

RB William Andrews, Thomasville (1974)

RB Eddie Lee Ivery, Thomson (1974)

L Kent Hill, Americus (1974)

LB Mackel Harris, Americus (1975)

OL/LB Ray Donaldson, East Rome (1975)

RB George Rogers, Duluth (1976)

RB James Brooks, Warner Robins (1976)

DL Ron Simmons, Warner Robins (1976)

QB/DB Scott Woerner, Jonesboro (1976)

QB Buck Belue, Valdosta (1977)

DL/FB Larry Kinnebrew, East Rome (1977)

TE/L Guy McIntyre, Thomasville (1978)

QB Homer Jordan, Cedar Shoals (1978)

DL Richard Dent, Murphy (1978)

RB Herschel Walker, Johnson County (1979)

L Bill Mayo, Dalton (1980)

QB Robert Lavette, Cartersville (1980)

LB/DB Pat Swilling, Stephens County (1981)

OL John Davis, Gilmer (1982)

LB Jessie Tuggle, Griffin (1982)

DL Tracy Rocker, Fulton (1983)

RB Keith Henderson, Cartersville (1984)

RB Jerry Mays, Thomson (1984)

TE Shannon Sharpe, Glennville (1985)

DL David Rocker, Fulton (1986)

QB Charlie Ward, Central-Thomasville (1987)

LB/DB Ken Swilling, Stephens County (1987)

WR Andre Hastings, Morrow (1989)

RB Garrison Hearst, Lincoln County (1989)

QB Eric Zeier, Marietta (1990)

QB Al Pinkins, Mitchell-Baker (1990)

QB Terry Harvey, Dacula (1990)

TE/OL Adam Meadows, McEachern (1991)

LB Randall Godfrey, Lowndes (1991)

OL Jeff Saturday, Shamrock (1992)

QB Mike Bobo, Thomasville (1992)

QB Hines Ward, Forest Park (1993)

OL Matt Stinchcomb, Parkview (1994)

LB/TE Takeo Spikes, Washington County (1994)

DL Marcus Stroud, Brooks County (1994)

DB Deon Grant, Josey (1995)

OL Jeff Backus, Norcross (1995)

QB Quincy Carter, Southwest DeKalb (1995)

DB Champ Bailey, Charlton County (1995)

RB Jamal Lewis, Douglass (1996)

QB Terrence Edwards, Washington County (1997)

RB/DL Charles Grant, Miller County (1997)

OL Jon Stinchcomb, Parkview (1997)

RB Joe Burns, Thomas County Central (1997)

WR Reggie Brown, Carrollton (1998)

RB Ronnie Brown, Cartersville (1999)

QB David Greene, South Gwinnett (1999)

DL David Pollack, Shiloh (2000)

RB Monte Williams, Commerce (2000)

QB D.J. Shockley, North Clayton (2000)

RB/DB Thomas Davis, Randolph-Clay (2000)

DB/WR Jeff Francoeur, Parkview (2001)

TE Leonard Pope, Americus (2001)

RB Darius Walker, Buford (2003)

DL Charles Johnson, Hawkinsville (2003)

WR Calvin Johnson, Sandy Creek (2003)

LB Tray Blackmon, LaGrange (2004)

WR Demaryius Thomas, West Laurens (2005)

QB/DB Eric Berry, Creekside (2006)

LB Rennie Curran, Brookwood (2006)

RB Jonathan Dwyer, Kell (2006)

LB Jarvis Jones, Carver-Columbus (2008)

DB/TE Alec Ogletree, Newnan (2009)

QB Hutson Mason, Lassiter (2009)