It was just six weeks ago that Gary Faulkner passed away at age 66. Georgia Tech fans might remember Faulkner as the defensive MVP of the Liberty Bowl in 1972, when Georgia Tech defeated Johnny Majors' Iowa State team 31-30. Faulkner returned an interception for a touchdown in that game. He won a starting spot in the secondary as a sophomore and set a school record for tackles in a season.

Before that, Faulkner was a star running back at Jones County in the middle Georgia town of Gray. In 1968, Faulkner rushed for 1,117 yards and scored 25 touchdowns in just 10 games. He was one of the state's top recruits. It was Tech assistant Jerry Glanville, later the Falcons and Oilers head coach, who got Faulkner to sign, and the two were lifelong friends. Glanville attended Faulkner's Aug. 25 funeral in Macon. Faulkner had battled renal cancer.

Faulkner is the best player in Jones County football history.

Here are the choices for the current Region 4-AAAAA schools.

*Dutchtown: Donovahn Jones (2012)

*Eagle's Landing: Bradley Dewberry (2013)

*Hampton: J.C. Perry (2017)

*Jones County: Gary Faulkner (1968)

*Locust Grove: Cortez McDowell (2013)

*Ola: Tre McBride (2010)

*Stockbridge: Brenton Cox (2017)

*Union Grove: Derrick Craine (2012)

*Woodland (Stockbridge): Shakur Brown (2016)