Duluth man named Georgia's top bachelor

By Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Furman Sanders is 26 years old, has a great job and is the life of the party. He's easy on the eyes, too.

Oh, and he's single.

But probably not for long.

When he got a call telling him he'd been selected to appear in Cosmopolitan magazine, Sanders said he didn't believe it.

"I didn't enter myself into that [contest]," he told the AJC.

Turns out, the magazine's top bachelor from Georgia didn't have to do a thing to get selected. One of his four sisters, Rita, did it for him.

"Rita, you've got to tell me about things like this," Sanders said he told her.

The middle child of five said he did some modeling years ago for Tommy Hilfiger. But that was it until June.

Sanders spent a whirlwind weekend in New York City with 50 other bachelors from across the country. The women's magazine selected one winner from each state.

One day was spent in The Hamptons, where Sanders says his photo was taken thousands of times -- often without his shirt.

The Charleston, S.C., native said he helped lighten up the mood with his humor and came home from the trip with several new friends. But when he got back to Atlanta, it was back to business as usual, Sanders said.

"The first thing I did was get right back to work," said Sanders, who works in corporate sales for a Norcross company.

Last month, Sanders and the other bachelors traveled back to New York just in time for the release of the November issue. Though he says it was a wonderful experience to be included in the magazine, Sanders says he's not looking to make modeling a career.

The longtime surfer says he's happy with a life that includes spending time with family and friends. When Sanders can't get to the coast, the beach-lover says Lake Lanier just has to do.

And he doesn't get too wrapped up in being unattached. He's happy just doing his thing and living with two roommates and his two pit bulls in Duluth.

"I don’t want somebody to like me just because I was in a magazine," Sanders said. “I haven’t met the right person yet. I’m sure when I do, I’ll know.”