The National High School Football Hall of Fame announced this week that it would be inducting two Georgians – one a Pro Football Hall of Fame member, the other a 300-game winner as a coach.

The player is Richard Dent, who starred at Atlanta’s Murphy High in the 1970s. Dent went on to play at Tennessee State and most famously with the Chicago Bears, where he was a four-time Pro Bowl defensive end. Dent was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

The coach is Jeff Herron, who retired after the 2023 season with a 334-69 record and five state titles. He is the only coach in GHSA history to win state titles at three schools (Oconee County, Camden County, Grayson).

The induction will be June 14 in Canton, Ohio.

This will be the organization’s third induction class. The only previous Georgian to be honored was Stump Mitchell of Camden County in 2023.

About the Author

Featured

8/26/17 - Atlanta, GA - Georgia leaders, including Gov. Nathan Deal, Sandra Deal, members of the King family, and Rep. Calvin Smyre,  were on hand for unveiling of the first statue of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday at the statehouse grounds, more than three years after Gov. Nathan Deal first announced the project.  During the hour-long ceremony leading to the unveiling of the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. at the state Capitol on Monday, many speakers, including Gov. Nathan Deal, spoke of King's biography. The statue was unveiled on the anniversary of King's famed "I Have Dream" speech. BOB ANDRES  /BANDRES@AJC.COM

Credit: Bob Andres