GHSF Daily is expanding its Four Questions feature this season beyond head coaches to other voices in high school football. Today's interviewee is Tommy Palmer, host of the Georgia High School Scoreboard Radio Show, which airs Friday nights on more than 50 stations. Palmer has broadcast more than 900 sporting events in his career and written a memoir called "The Daisy Boys Club."
Tommy Palmer, radio and TV broadcaster
1. What's the most memorable football game that you've watched? "Two games always come to mind. The 1978 Class AA championship in my alma mater's stadium, The Pecan Grove, Claxton and East Rome. East Rome had Larry Brown and the Tutt brothers, and Claxton had the one of the quickest backfields I ever saw [with] Harold Mercer at QB and Tony McNeal and Benny Boggs running the Houston veer. East Rome scored on the first play of the game - 80-plus yards. The game was 6-3 at the half, and Claxton had a couple of fumbles in the second half, which hurt them. East Rome won 25-9. It is still one of the best games I ever saw. The second one would have to be Statesboro's win over Tucker in the semifinals in 2003, 27-24. Tucker and Statesboro had the best talent I had ever seen on a football field. Both teams passed the look test, and both of them played lights out. Statesboro lost to Marist the next week in the finals."
2. What is it about high school football that you enjoy so much as to make it part of your livelihood? "As you know, I've been close to the high school game for many years. I like it because I still think it's the greatest game out there. I sometimes say that high school football is the introduction education to adult life. I've discovered that life is the game of football without the helmet and shoulder pads. You get knocked down a lot, but you always get up and keep trying."
3. What were your own first experiences with high school football? "I played for the Claxton Tigers back when the men were steel and the lockers were wood [laughs]. I was an offensive tackle and defensive end. I played for one of the best football coaches ever - Dexter Poss, who was an all-SEC defensive end at UGA. He taught us discipline and toughness. We were 18-3 my last two years of high school. We had some great players. Johnny Jenkins and Glenn Creech made the all-state team, and Jenkins was back of the year his senior year."
4. What has it been like doing the Scoreboard Show all these years? "The Scoreboard Show is a ball to do. We feed the show live to 52 radio stations, iPhones, iPads and computers through the Listen Live Link from my website or through The Georgia News Network statewide feed. Jeff Davis started the show back in 1998, and the next year I became the South Georgia correspondent. Edgar Treiguts became the anchor in 2000, and I became the anchor/producer of the show in 2005. The station play-by-play teams call in game reports, and sometimes coaches will come on after their game. We update scores every 8-10 minutes and have a ton of calls to our toll free number [855-909-7624]. It is probably the most fun show I've ever done on radio. It's live and spontaneous. I'm honored to be a part of Friday night football in this state with this show."
Produced by Georgia High School Football Daily, a free e-mail newsletter. To join the mailing list, click here.
About the Author
