GA Sports Hall of Fame Induction

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Ernie Harwell among inductees to Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
2/15/2008, 10:44 p.m. EST

The Associated Press
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MACON, Ga. (AP) — Two former NFL players, Earnest Byner and Richard Dent, along with former NBA players Wayne "Tree" Rollins and Elmore Smith, were among nine inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame on Friday night.
Others inducted were high school coach L.C. Baker, former Georgia football player and high school coach Herb St. John, golfer Jim Dent, Ernie Harwell, a longtime major league broadcaster with the Detroit Tigers and the voice of the old Atlanta Crackers and high school basketball coach Norman Carter Jr., who had about 125 former Taylor County High players cheering his induction.
Jim Dent dropped out of The ACE Group Classic in Naples, Fla., to attend the ceremonies.
Harwell, 90, was honored in his hometown of Washington, near Augusta, with an "Ernie Harwell Day" earlier.

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Yeah, there were a bunch of us there from TC.
Some old-timers might remember when Taylor County dominated HS basketball, especially girls BB, in the mid-state.

Here is Coach Carter with three of his best players ever:


My wife, Bunny, on Coach Carter's right, was MVP in State tournaments three years in a row, played two years at Middle GA College, and two years at UGA. She was "Female Scholar Athlete of the Year" at UGA in 1976. Her name is on the big granite monument outside Stegeman Coliseum in Athens.

The ladies on Coach's left are Judy and Sissy Riley. Judy never played in a losing game as a starter and won All-State honors two years. Sissy was MVP in the State Tournament her Jr. and Sr. years.

Taylor County girls' teams won five consecutive State Championships, 1968-69-70-71-72, and racked up a 132 game winning streak during that time. That still stands as a state record for consecutive wins in girls basketball, and fourth nationally. Coach Carter's Butler High School girls team (before Reynolds and Butler schools consolidated) won a State Championship in 1964. His TC High boys team won State in 1967. He coached only twelve years, but won seven State Championships, six girls and one boys.

It was a thrill for me to meet those great athletes. I spoke briefly with Ernie Harwell and Jim Dent. I shook hands with Tree Rollins. Let me tell you, he is BIG.


I shook hands with a Super Bowl MVP (Richard Dent), and had a laugh with a three-time 1000 yard NFL running back (Earnest Byner) about Tree Rollins' HOF jacket being too small.

It was a great night for Coach Carter. I know he was thrilled to be inducted with such a great class.

I think my wife and I are the only married couple to have both played on one of Coach's Championship teams. I always tell folks we have five championships and three MVPs between us; she has four of the championships and all the MVPs.



Here are all this year's inductees:


Left to right: Ernie Harwell; Herb St. John, UGA star football player in the '40s; Richard Dent, Super Bowl XX MVP; Norman Carter; Tree Rollins; Earnest Bynum; Jim Dent, PGA tour and Sr. Tour golfer; Elmore Smith, NBA star; and representative of L. C. Baker, high school coaching great.

We are going to a banquet tonight,honoring the inductees. They will all have an opportunity to make a short talk. It will be at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta. I hope to get a few more pictures there.