CLASS OF 2021
TONY BARNHART
Tony Barnhart was born in the small town of Union Point just outside of Greensboro and he played football at Greene County High School where he had ambitions of one day becoming a coach himself. But Barnhart shifted gears at the University of Georgia and he began the life of a journalist. After starting his career in South Carolina, Barnhart starting working at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he would become their college sports editor in 1987. When college football starting getting more television coverage, Tony parlayed his knowledge and reporting skills into broadcasting working for both CBS and ESPN. When the SEC launched its own network, Tony was cast as an insider. And he was easily found on the internet writing various columns including one for Sports Illustrated. Over his 40 year career, Tony found time to write five books about the sport most dear to his heart, which helped him claim the moniker often used to describe him, “Mr. College Football.”
TOM GLAVINE
Tom Glavine was a hockey and baseball standout at Billerica High School in Massachusetts. When the Atlanta Braves selected Glavine in the 2nd Round of the 1984 Draft, he decided to stick with baseball. In 1991, Glavine helped the Braves complete their worst-to-first turnaround posting 20 wins with a sizzling 2.55 ERA that earned him the National League Cy Young Award. He posted back-to-back 20-win campaigns in both 1992 and ‘93 but most may remember Glavine for his Game 6 clincher in the 1995 World Series when he shutout Cleveland over 8 innings for the win. Glavine captured another Cy Young Award in 1998 following a 20-6 season. In 2000 he posted 21 wins, but left the Braves 2 years later and signed with the New York Mets. He would get his 300th career victory while in New York but returned to Atlanta to complete his career in 2008. He retired with 305 career wins, a 3.54 ERA. He was a 10-time All-Star and is certainly regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. Tom was a first-ballot selection into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
JOE HAMILTON
Joe Hamilton was a standout football player at Macedonia High School near Alvin, South Carolina. He decided to play college football at Georgia Tech where he was a four year starter for the Jackets. The 1998 team went 10-2 and gained a shared of the ACC Championship. In 1999 Hamilton threw for over 3000 yards with 29 touchdowns. He was the ACC Player of the Year, a consensus first-team All-American and claimed the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top quarterback. He finished runner-up at the Heisman Trophy ceremony behind Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne. Joe set numerous school and ACC records throughout his time at Tech including racking up 10,640 yards of total offense with 65 touchdown passes. Joe was selected in the NFL Draft by Tampa Bay. In three NFL seasons, he played sparingly but while on injured reserve, he did capture a coveted Super Bowl ring following the Bucs victory in Super Bowl 37. In 2014, Hamilton was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
JANET HARRIS
Chicago native Janet Harris was the nation’s top high school prospect in 1981 at Marshall High School. Surprisingly, Harris picked the University of Georgia to play her college ball. As a freshman, Harris averaged 22.4 points and 12.4 rebounds per game and was named National Freshman of the Year. When Teresa Edwards and Katrina McClain joined her, Georgia was a force to be reckoned with. In 1983 the Lady Dogs marched to the Final Four losing to eventual champ USC. In 1985 Georgia was again in the Final Four, this time falling to Old Dominion by 5. During her stay in Athens, Georgia posted a 107-24 record. Harris was a four-time All-SEC and 4 time All-American. She was the first player in NCAA women’s basketball history to score more than 2,500 points combined with over 1,250 rebounds. Harris was named an SEC Great in 2003, is a member of the University of Georgia’s Circle of Honor, and was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
BRIAN JORDAN
Brian Jordan was a Baltimore native who played college football and baseball at the University of Richmond. He was selected in the first round of the 1988 MLB draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, and while working his way through the team’s minor league system, Jordan made it to the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. Jordan played defensive back for the Falcons from 1989 to 1991 and he led the Falcons in tackles. But the Cardinals valued Jordan as a baseball player and in 1992 offered him a contract to play baseball exclusively. In 1995, Jordan batted .296 with 22 home runs and 81 RBIs. The following year he hit .310 with 104 RBIs. In 1998, Jordan signed with the Atlanta Braves and he would make the 1999 All-Star team helping the Braves reach the World Series. In 2001, Jordan ripped 25 homers with a .295 average as the Braves claimed the Division title. He retired in 2006 ending a 15-year career with a .282 average and 184 home runs.
RAY LAMB
Ray Lamb’s coaching journey began in 1961 at Warren County High School where he had an immediate impact on the football program. In 1965 and ’66 Warren County posted back-to-back 11-1 records winning State Class C titles both seasons. Ray left for Commerce in 1967 and was able to turn that program around. In 1981, Commerce ruled as kings of Class A winning the championship 28-14 over Greene County completing a 13-1-1 season. Lamb remained at Commerce through the 1988 campaign and then it was on to Monroe Area for a four year stint before joining the University of Georgia program as the coordinator of high school relations. Over his 32-year prep head coaching career he compiled a 249-103-11 record with 11 Region Championships and 3 State Titles.
MAYA MOORE
Maya Moore was two-time Naismith Prep Player of the Year and named Miss Georgia Basketball in 2007 at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee. The National recruiting efforts for Maya led her to Connecticut and she was the first UConn Freshman to land All-America honors. During her sophomore campaign, Maya was the consensus National Player of the Year as UConn took the National Championship. Junior year, same story. Undefeated National Title for UConn, first team All-America for Moore. In her senior season, she averaged 22 points a game, won her 2nd Naismith College Player of the Year award and her 3rd straight Wade Trophy as the women’s National Player of the Year. Maya was the 1st overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx. She was Rookie of the Year as the Lynx claimed the WNBA championship. By her third season, Maya won the league’s Most Valuable Player Award. At the height of her career in 2020 she retired from basketball to focus her efforts on ministry and criminal justice reform.
MATT STINCHCOMB
Born in Atlanta, Matt Stinchcomb played high school football at Parkview High School then signed with the University of Georgia in 1995. Stinchcomb soon became one of the nation’s best offensive tackles earning All-America honors in each of his final 2 seasons in Athens. Matt was a two-time Academic All-America First Team. He also received the Wall Street Journal National Student Achievement Award and the William V. Campbell Trophy. Stinchcomb was drafted in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft as the 18th overall pick by the Oakland Raiders. He would ultimately move from his standard tackle position to offensive guard and eventually to center. In 2002 Stinchcomb and the Raiders made it to the Super bowl losing to Tampa Bay. Ironically, Matt would sign with the Bucs and was reunited with his former Oakland Head Coach Jon Gruden. Stinchcomb started every game of the 2004 season as the Buccaneers finished 5-11. But another injury the following season would lead Matt into retirement.