GA High School Football Hall of Fame’s inaugural class includes former Spencer star

Mark Rice
Joe Maher/Ledger-Enquirer file photo

Columbus native Otis Sistrunk, a Spencer High School standout in the 1960s who starred in the NFL, has been voted into the inaugural class of the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame.

He is among 36 former players who will be inducted during a ceremony in Atlanta on Oct. 22.

The Hall of Fame announced the news Thursday — a day earlier than when the Ledger-Enquirer was told.

Sistrunk was a starting lineman as a sophomore and junior with a reputation as dominant player, but he was ineligible as a senior because of the age limit.

After serving with the U.S. Marines, Sistrunk started playing semipro football at age 21. He played in the Continental Football League before signing with the Oakland Raiders in 1972. He played in seven NFL seasons, starting all 98 games.

Sistrunk was selected to the Pro Bowl team and second-team All Pro in 1974. He started at right defensive end for the Super Bowl champion Raiders during the 1976 season.

The L-E reported last month that Sistrunk was on the initial list of 32 nominees. The L-E then reported earlier this month that three more former local players were on the full list of 100 nominees. Two of them are also Spencer alumni: John Henry Jackson and Ernie Green. The other Columbus native was Jarvis Jones from Carver High School.

Hall of Fame board members began submitting nominations in early spring and held committee votes and appeals before the final ballot was narrowed down to 100 names in mid-June. The board also included the nine Georgia high school players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the inaugural class.

After the ballot was set, each board member was required to vote for a minimum of two players from each of the eight eras: pre-1950s, 1950s, 1960s, Georgia Interscholastic Association (the segregated league for Black schools), 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s). So 36 players were selected from the 100-person ballot.

“The board held a series of meetings discussing the vision for the Hall of Fame ahead of the final vote and agreed that high school accomplishments would be prioritized above other accolades,” the news release says. “Additionally, players would have to exemplify strong character and be able to meet the standards to represent Georgia high school football.”

Here is the complete list of inductees in alphabetical order by their last name, with their high school and senior season in parentheses:

Automatic induction due to being in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

  • Champ Bailey (Charlton County, 1995)

  • Mel Blount (Lyons Industrial, 1965)

  • Richard Dent (Murphy, 1978)

  • Ray Guy (Thomson, 1968)

  • Calvin Johnson (Sandy Creek, 2003)

  • Jim Parker (Ballard Hudson, 1953)

  • Shannon Sharpe (Glennville, 1985)

  • Fran Tarkenton (Athens, 1957)

  • Rayfield Wright (Fairmont, 1963)

Voted in by board members

  • Buck Belue (Valdosta, 1977)

  • Eric Berry (Creekside, 2006)

  • Emerson Boozer (Laney, 1961)

  • James Brooks (Warner Robins, 1976)

  • Clint Castleberry (Boys, 1941)

  • Bill Curry (College Park, 1959)

  • Charlie Dudish (Avondale, 1967)

  • Pat Dye (Richmond Academy, 1956)

  • Terrence Edwards (Washington County, 1997)

  • Jeff Francoeur (Parkview, 2001)

  • Stan Gann (Northside-Atlanta, 1957)

  • Andre Hastings (Morrow, 1989)

  • Garrison Hearst (Lincoln County 1989)

  • Andy Johnson (Athens, 1969)

  • Chip Kell (Avondale 1966)

  • Larry Kinnebrew (East Rome, 1977)

  • George Maloof (Marist, 1947)

  • Bob McWhorter (Gordon Military, 1909)

  • Larry Morris (Decatur, 1950)

  • David Pollack (Shiloh, 2000)

  • Tracy Rocker (Fulton, 1983)

  • George Rogers (Duluth, 1976)

  • Stan Rome (Valdosta, 1973)

  • Clarence Scott (Trinity, 1966)

  • Ron Simmons (Warner Robins, 1976)

  • Otis Sistrunk (Spencer, 1964)

  • Takeo Spikes (Washington County, 1994)

  • Bill Stanfill (Cairo, 1964)

  • Matt Stinchcomb (Parkview, 1994)

  • Darius Walker (Buford, 2004)

  • Herschel Walker (Johnson County, 1979)

  • Hines Ward (Forest Park, 1993)

  • Charlie Ward (Central-Thomasville, 1987)

  • Monte Williams (Commerce, 2000)

  • Eric Zeier (Marietta, 1990)

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