High School Sports Blog

List: GIA players who played in NFL or AFL

February 4, 2017 Houston, TX - Pro Football Hall of Fame Mel Blount and his guests pose for photographers on the red carpet before the annual NFL Honors awards show at Wortham Theater Center in Houston, TX, on Saturday, February 4, 2017. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM
February 4, 2017 Houston, TX - Pro Football Hall of Fame Mel Blount and his guests pose for photographers on the red carpet before the annual NFL Honors awards show at Wortham Theater Center in Houston, TX, on Saturday, February 4, 2017. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM
Aug 31, 2022

The new Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame will induct its first 45 members in October. Six of the 45 played in the Georgia Interscholastic Association, which administered high school sports for the state’s African-American schools from 1948 through 1970. Below are 31 former GIA players who played in the NFL or AFL with their seasons. Asterisks show those who have made the new Hall of Fame.

Julius Adams, Ballard-Hudson (1971-87)

George Atkinson, Johnson-Savannah (1968-79)

*Mel Blount, Lyons Industrial (1970-83)

*Emerson Boozer, Laney (1966-75)

Solomon Brannan, Tompkins (1965-67)

Claude Brownlee, Spencer (1967)

John Cash, Risley (1961-62)

Henry Childs, Douglass-Thomasville (1974-81, 1984)

Willie Cullars, Washington Central (1974)

Jerry Davis, Ballard-Hudson (1975)

Hubie Ginn, Tompkins (1970-78)

Art Green, Howard (1972)

Ernie Green, Spencer (1962-68)

George Harold, Laney (1966-68)

Tommy Hart, Ballard-Hudson (1968-80)

Charlie Johnson, Spencer (1966-68)

Walter Johnson, Bruce Street; Price (1967)

Harold McLinton, Harper (1969-78)

Herb Mul-Key, Harper (1972-74)

*Jim Parker, Ballard-Hudson (1957-67)

Frank Pitts, Archer (1965-74)

Steve Reese, Spencer (1974-76)

*Clarence Scott, Trinity (1971-83)

*Otis Sistrunk, Spencer (1972-78)

Allen Smith, Turner (1966-67)

Morris “Rocket” Stroud, Fairmont (1970-74)

Bob Taylor, Laney (1963-64)

Bob Wells, Laney (1968-70)

Willie Williams, Archer (1965-73)

Freddie Woodson, Tompkins (1967-69)

*Rayfield Wright, Fairmont (1967-79)

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About the Author

Todd Holcomb covers high school sports across the state. He rejoined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2025 and has worked with the AJC in varying capacities since 1985. He is a co-founder and editor of Georgia High School Football Daily.

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