Paul Johnson, Brian McCann and Thomas Davis lead the 2024 class of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame announced Friday.
Other inductees will be Georgia associate athletic director Claude Felton, basketball player Sharif Abdur-Rahim, football player Eric Berry, multi-sport athlete Cris Carpenter and tennis player Wendy White Prausa.
Johnson was Georgia Tech’s head coach from 2008-18. He won 82 games and an ACC title in 2009 and was ACC Coach of the Year three times. Johnson also was head coach at Georgia Southern (1997-01), where he won five consecutive Southern Conference titles and two NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) national championships. Johnson, also known for his time as Navy’s head coach, will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December.
Davis, who starred in football at Randolph-Clay High and at the University of Georgia, was a 16-year NFL player, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. A linebacker and safety, Davis retired after the 2020 season.
McCann, a Duluth High graduate, played 15 major league seasons, 10 with the Braves, and made seven All-Star teams. He retired after the 2019 season.
Felton, a Savannah native, has worked at Georgia since 1979, first as a sports information director. His current title is associate athletic director for sports communications. Felton has been media director for 17 NCAA championship events.
Abdur-Rahim led Wheeler High of Marietta to a 1994 state title and played 13 NBA seasons, three with the Hawks. He was the Pac-10 Player of the Year in his lone season at California. Abdur-Rahim is now director of the NBA G League.
Berry, a defensive back, played at Creekside High, then at Tennessee, and for nine seasons in the NFL. He made five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams. Berry will be inducted with Johnson into the College Football Hall of Fame in December.
Carpenter was a three-sport star at Gainesville High as the point guard on two basketball state champions, the quarterback on a football runner-up and a top pitcher who would go on to lead Georgia to a College World Series appearance. Carpenter played eight major league seasons, mostly with the St. Louis Cardinals.
White Prausa, an Atlanta native and Westminster graduate, won the NCAA singles title as a Rollins College sophomore, turned pro and finished in the top 50 on the WTA tour seven times before retiring in 1992. She is the most successful women’s professional player in state history.
The 68th induction ceremony will be held Feb. 24 at the Macon City Auditorium.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
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