Sports · Ranked by Ainsworth Sports' all-time ratings

The 50 Greatest NFL Players from Georgia High Schools, Ranked by Ainsworth Sports

By: Bob and Kyle
List: 50 NFL players
Video: 5:57
Updated: October 31, 2026

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Herschel Walker, Champ Bailey, Cam Newton and two Sharpes from Glennville High all played high school football in Georgia. Here's where they land among the 50 greatest NFL players from Georgia high schools, by Ainsworth Sports' all-time ratings of 5,000 pro players.

Ainsworth Sports rates 5,000 pro football players, and these are the top 50 who played high school football in Georgia. The range is wide. Herschel Walker and Cam Newton both won the Heisman Trophy, but the Carolina Panthers took Newton first overall and the Dallas Cowboys waited until the fifth round for Walker. Jeff Saturday and Jessie Tuggle weren't drafted at all. And one Hall of Famer couldn't even make his high school football team.

The map marks the hometowns of the 50 greatest NFL players from Georgia high schools. Atlanta sent six, more than any other town, and the 50 come from 41 towns in all. Glennville, Griffin, Thomasville and Fort Valley sent two each, and Glennville's two are Shannon and Sterling Sharpe, both from Glennville High. Fourteen of the 50 played college ball at Georgia, and eight are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Map of Georgia marking the hometowns of the 50 greatest NFL players from Georgia high schools — Atlanta sent six of the 50, more than any other town. The other 44 came from 40 towns across Georgia.

Greatest NFL Players from Georgia #50 to #41, Starting With Terance Mathis

#50 Terance Mathis, the Atlanta Falcons receiver, opens the countdown. At New Mexico he became the school's first consensus All-American in 1989, after setting a Division I record for receiving yards. His 111 catches in 1994 set what was then a Falcons record, and he was the eighth NFL player to top 100 catches in a season. #49 Garrison Hearst, the San Francisco 49ers running back, finished third in the 1992 Heisman voting at Georgia. NFL Films later featured his 96-yard overtime touchdown run against the New York Jets as one of the two best runs in NFL history.

Greatest NFL Players from Georgia High Schools, #50 to #41
Rank	Player	High school	College	NFL years	Pro Bowls	First-team All-Pro	Hall of Fame
50	Terance Mathis Wide receiver · Atlanta Falcons	Redan HS, Redan, GA	New Mexico	1990–2002	1	0	No
49	Garrison Hearst Running back · San Francisco 49ers	Lincoln County HS, Lincolnton, GA	Georgia	1993–2004	2	0	No
48	Pete Johnson Fullback · Cincinnati Bengals	Peach County HS, Fort Valley, GA	Ohio State	1977–1984	1	0	No
47	Kyle Hamilton Safety · Baltimore Ravens	Marist School, Brookhaven, GA	Notre Dame	2022–now	3	2	No
46	Darius Slay Cornerback · Detroit Lions	Brunswick HS, Brunswick, GA	Itawamba / Mississippi State	2013–2025	6	1	No
45	Deshaun Watson Quarterback · Houston Texans	Gainesville HS, Gainesville, GA	Clemson	2017–now	3	0	No
44	Marcus Stroud Defensive tackle · Jacksonville Jaguars	Brooks County HS, Quitman, GA	Georgia	2001–2010	3	0	No
43	Thomas Davis Linebacker · Carolina Panthers	Randolph-Clay HS, Cuthbert, GA	Georgia	2005–2020	3	1	No
42	Jeremiah Ratliff Nose tackle · Dallas Cowboys	Lowndes HS, Valdosta, GA	Auburn	2005–2015	4	2	No
41	Takeo Spikes Linebacker · Cincinnati Bengals	Washington County HS, Sandersville, GA	Auburn	1998–2012	2	1	No

#48 Pete Johnson, the Cincinnati Bengals fullback, has 76 rushing touchdowns, more than anyone else on the list, and got his nickname from chasing a Peter Pan ice-cream truck. Remember him when you get to #21. #45 Deshaun Watson, the Houston Texans quarterback, started as a freshman at Gainesville High and set what were then state records for total yards (17,134) and touchdowns (218). #44 Marcus Stroud, the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle, made the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1996 while still in high school, then switched from Florida to Georgia on Signing Day. And #41 Takeo Spikes, the Cincinnati Bengals linebacker, is named after Takeo Miki, Japan's 66th prime minister.

Greatest NFL Players from Georgia #40 to #31, Where Cam Newton Lands

#36 Cam Newton, the Carolina Panthers quarterback, won the 2010 Heisman Trophy and went first overall in 2011. At Westlake High in Atlanta he won a state title as a 16-year-old junior. In his NFL debut he threw for 422 yards, breaking Peyton Manning's rookie record for opening day. Newton won the 2015 MVP and holds the NFL record for career rushing attempts by a quarterback, 1,118. An MVP at #36 feels low, and Panthers fans will say so.

Greatest NFL Players from Georgia High Schools, #40 to #31
Rank	Player	High school	College	NFL years	Pro Bowls	First-team All-Pro	Hall of Fame
40	Eric Green Tight end · Pittsburgh Steelers	Alfred E. Beach HS, Savannah, GA	Liberty	1990–1999	2	0	No
39	Guy McIntyre Guard · San Francisco 49ers	Thomasville HS, Thomasville, GA	Georgia	1984–1996	5	0	No
38	Robert Mathis Defensive end · Indianapolis Colts	McNair HS, Atlanta, GA	Alabama A&M	2003–2016	5	1	No
37	Jamal Lewis Running back · Baltimore Ravens	Douglass HS, Atlanta, GA	Tennessee	2000–2009	1	1	No
36	Cam Newton Quarterback · Carolina Panthers	Westlake HS, Atlanta, GA	Florida / Blinn / Auburn	2011–2020	3	1	No
35	Justin Houston Linebacker · Kansas City Chiefs	Statesboro HS, Statesboro, GA	Georgia	2011–2023	4	1	No
34	Dale Carter Cornerback · Kansas City Chiefs	Newton HS, Covington, GA	Tennessee	1992–2005	4	0	No
33	Jessie Tuggle Linebacker · Atlanta Falcons	Griffin HS, Griffin, GA	Valdosta State	1987–2000	5	0	No
32	Len Hauss Center · Washington Redskins	Wayne County HS, Jesup, GA	Georgia	1964–1977	5	0	No
31	Hines Ward Wide receiver · Pittsburgh Steelers	Forest Park HS, Forest Park, GA	Georgia	1998–2011	4	0	No

#31 Hines Ward, the Pittsburgh Steelers receiver, has the most catches (1,000), receiving yards (12,083) and receiving touchdowns (85) of anyone on the list. He was the Super Bowl XL MVP, the first Korean American to win it. At Georgia he threw for 413 yards in the 1995 Peach Bowl, and he still holds Georgia's bowl records for attempts, completions and passing yards. #31 feels low for the list's leader in all three receiving numbers.

#39 Guy McIntyre, the San Francisco 49ers guard, blocked for Herschel Walker at Georgia from 1980 to 1982. Walker shows up much later in the countdown, at #8. #38 Robert Mathis, the Indianapolis Colts defensive end, was a fifth-round pick out of Alabama A&M and is the NFL's all-time leader in forced fumbles (52) and strip sacks. #37 Jamal Lewis, the Baltimore Ravens running back, ran for 2,066 yards in 2003, including 295 in one game, the NFL record until Adrian Peterson's 296 in 2007. And #33 Jessie Tuggle, the Atlanta Falcons linebacker, wasn't recruited by a single Division I school and went undrafted, then played 14 seasons for the Falcons.

Greatest NFL Players from Georgia #30 to #21, the Bengals' Best Trade

#21 James Brooks, the Cincinnati Bengals running back, came to Cincinnati in a 1984 trade for #48 Pete Johnson. It's still widely called the best trade in Bengals history. Johnson played one more season, and Brooks made four Pro Bowls. Back in 1976, Brooks led Warner Robins High to state and national championships.

Greatest NFL Players from Georgia High Schools, #30 to #21
Rank	Player	High school	College	NFL years	Pro Bowls	First-team All-Pro	Hall of Fame
30	Eric Berry Safety · Kansas City Chiefs	Creekside HS, Fairburn, GA	Tennessee	2010–2018	5	3	No
29	Terry Allen Running back · Minnesota Vikings	Banks County HS, Homer, GA	Clemson	1990–2001	1	0	No
28	Mo Lewis Linebacker · New York Jets	Alonzo A. Crim Open Campus HS, Atlanta, GA	Georgia	1991–2003	3	1	No
27	Bill Stanfill Defensive end · Miami Dolphins	Cairo HS, Cairo, GA	Georgia	1969–1976	5	1	No
26	Keith Brooking Linebacker · Atlanta Falcons	East Coweta HS, Sharpsburg, GA	Georgia Tech	1998–2012	5	0	No
25	Nick Chubb Running back · Cleveland Browns	Cedartown HS, Cedartown, GA	Georgia	2018–2025	4	0	No
24	Chip Banks Linebacker · Cleveland Browns	Lucy Craft Laney HS, Augusta, GA	USC	1982–1993	4	1	No
23	Jeff Saturday Center · Indianapolis Colts	Shamrock HS, Decatur, GA	North Carolina	1999–2012	6	2	No
22	Demaryius Thomas Wide receiver · Denver Broncos	West Laurens HS, Dexter, GA	Georgia Tech	2010–2019	5	0	No
21	James Brooks Running back · Cincinnati Bengals	Warner Robins HS, Warner Robins, GA	Auburn	1981–1992	4	0	No

#29 Terry Allen, the Minnesota Vikings running back, spent his rookie season as Herschel Walker's backup. The next year the Vikings made Allen the starter, and he ran for 1,201 yards and 13 touchdowns. #28 Mo Lewis, the New York Jets linebacker, injured Drew Bledsoe with a hit in 2001, and Tom Brady took over the New England Patriots.

#23 Jeff Saturday, the Indianapolis Colts center, was too short for the SEC by Georgia's and Tennessee's count. He went undrafted, and after the Ravens waived him in 1998 he managed an electrical supply store. He made six Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl XLI. #25 Nick Chubb, the Cleveland Browns running back, ran for 6,983 yards and 102 touchdowns at Cedartown High, and his family descends from one of the eight brothers who founded Chubbtown, Georgia.

Greatest NFL Players from Georgia #20 to #11, Where the Hall of Famers Start

#12 Rayfield Wright, the Dallas Cowboys tackle, lettered in basketball at Fairmont High in Griffin but couldn't make the football team. He made the Hall of Fame anyway. Wright is the lowest-ranked of the eight Hall of Famers here, and all eight are in the top 12. #11 Mel Blount, the Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback, won four Super Bowls and harassed receivers so well that the NFL changed its pass-coverage rules midway through his career. The change is known as the Mel Blount Rule.

Greatest NFL Players from Georgia High Schools, #20 to #11
Rank	Player	High school	College	NFL years	Pro Bowls	First-team All-Pro	Hall of Fame
20	Drew Hill Wide receiver · Houston Oilers	Newnan HS, Newnan, GA	Georgia Tech	1979–1993	2	0	No
19	Greg Lloyd Linebacker · Pittsburgh Steelers	Peach County HS, Fort Valley, GA	Fort Valley State	1987–1998	5	3	No
18	William Andrews Running back · Atlanta Falcons	Thomasville HS, Thomasville, GA	Auburn	1979–1986	4	0	No
17	Earnest Byner Running back · Cleveland Browns	Baldwin HS, Milledgeville, GA	East Carolina	1984–1997	2	0	No
16	Kevin Byard Safety · Tennessee Titans	Martin Luther King Jr. HS, Lithonia, GA	Middle Tennessee	2016–now	3	3	No
15	Alvin Kamara Running back · New Orleans Saints	Norcross HS, Norcross, GA	Alabama / Hutchinson CC / Tennessee	2017–now	5	0	No
14	Joey Browner Safety · Minnesota Vikings	Southwest HS, Atlanta, GA	USC	1983–1992	6	4	No
13	Pat Swilling Linebacker · New Orleans Saints	Stephens County HS, Toccoa, GA	Georgia Tech	1986–1998	5	2	No
12	Rayfield Wright Offensive tackle · Dallas Cowboys	Fairmont HS, Griffin, GA	Fort Valley State	1967–1979	6	3	Yes
11	Mel Blount Cornerback · Pittsburgh Steelers	Toombs County HS, Lyons, GA	Southern	1970–1983	5	2	Yes

#13 Pat Swilling, the New Orleans Saints linebacker, set the NCAA record with seven sacks in a game for Georgia Tech, won Defensive Player of the Year in 1991 and later won a seat in the Louisiana House. #18 William Andrews, the Atlanta Falcons running back, played at Auburn alongside #21 James Brooks and was mostly a blocking back there. Andrews ran for 167 yards in his NFL debut. #20 Drew Hill, the Houston Oilers receiver and a 12th-round pick, was the first player to score a touchdown in three different decades.

Greatest NFL Players from Georgia #10 to #2, Herschel Walker and Two Sharpes

#8 Herschel Walker, the Dallas Cowboys running back, ran for 3,167 yards as a senior to lead Johnson County, in Wrightsville, to its first state championship. At Georgia he won the 1980 national title and the 1982 Heisman Trophy, and the Bulldogs retired his No. 34. The Cowboys drafted him in the fifth round in 1985, the year he was the USFL's MVP, and he reached the NFL in 1986. In 1989 Dallas traded him to the Minnesota Vikings, a deal regarded as one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history and credited with building the Cowboys' 1990s dynasty. Walker made two Pro Bowls, the fewest in the top 10, and he's the only top-10 player without a first-team All-Pro. The case for him is 8,225 rushing yards plus 4,859 receiving, 13,084 from scrimmage.

Greatest NFL Players from Georgia High Schools, #10 to #2
Rank	Player	High school	College	NFL years	Pro Bowls	First-team All-Pro	Hall of Fame
10	Richard Dent Defensive end · Chicago Bears	Alonzo A. Crim Open Campus HS, Atlanta, GA	Tennessee State	1983–1997	4	1	Yes
9	Roquan Smith Linebacker · Chicago Bears	Macon County HS, Montezuma, GA	Georgia	2018–now	4	3	No
8	Herschel Walker Running back · Dallas Cowboys	Johnson County School District, Wrightsville, GA	Georgia	1986–1995	2	0	No
7	Sterling Sharpe Wide receiver · Green Bay Packers	Glennville HS, Glennville, GA	South Carolina	1988–1994	5	3	Yes
6	Tyreek Hill Wide receiver · Kansas City Chiefs	Coffee HS, Douglas, GA	Garden City / Oklahoma State / West Alabama	2016–2025	8	5	No
5	Shannon Sharpe Tight end · Denver Broncos	Glennville HS, Glennville, GA	Savannah State	1990–2003	8	4	Yes
4	Cameron Heyward Defensive tackle · Pittsburgh Steelers	Peachtree Ridge HS, Suwanee, GA	Ohio State	2011–now	7	4	No
3	Champ Bailey Cornerback · Denver Broncos	Charlton County HS, Folkston, GA	Georgia	1999–2013	12	3	Yes
2	Calvin Johnson Wide receiver · Detroit Lions	Sandy Creek HS, Tyrone, GA	Georgia Tech	2007–2015	6	3	Yes

Glennville High School put two players in the top seven. #5 Shannon Sharpe, the Denver Broncos tight end, was a seventh-round pick out of Savannah State and won three Super Bowls. In the 2000 AFC title game he took a short third-and-18 pass 96 yards for the Baltimore Ravens' only touchdown in a 16–3 win. #7 Sterling Sharpe, the Green Bay Packers receiver, played seven seasons and made the Hall of Fame. In 1993 he caught 112 passes and became the first player with back-to-back 100-catch seasons.

#3 Champ Bailey, the Denver Broncos cornerback, holds the NFL record for passes defended (203) and made 12 Pro Bowls, the most on the list. #6 Tyreek Hill, the Kansas City Chiefs receiver, is the only NFL player to score receiving, rushing, kickoff return, punt return and fumble recovery touchdowns. And #10 Richard Dent, the Chicago Bears defensive end, was an eighth-round pick who won the Super Bowl XX MVP on a $90,000 base salary.

The #1 NFL Player from a Georgia High School, Fran Tarkenton

1. Fran Tarkenton

Quarterback · Minnesota Vikings

High school: Clarke Central HS, Athens, GA
College: Georgia
NFL years: 1961–1971
Pro Bowls: 9
First-team All-Pro: 1
Hall of Fame: Yes

Fran Tarkenton is #42 of 5,000 in Ainsworth Sports' all-time ratings, the highest of any player from a Georgia high school. He played at Clarke Central High in Athens, then quarterbacked Georgia to the 1959 SEC title. With the Minnesota Vikings he threw four touchdown passes in his first NFL game, and nobody did it again until Marcus Mariota in 2015. He won the 1975 MVP, made nine Pro Bowls and threw for 47,003 yards and 342 touchdowns. That's 14,621 more passing yards than anyone else on the list.

The case against him is #2 Calvin Johnson. Johnson, the Detroit Lions receiver, made three first-team All-Pro teams to Tarkenton's one and set the NFL record for receiving yards in a 16-game season, 1,964 in 2012. He played only nine seasons. At Sandy Creek High in Tyrone he finished second for Georgia 4A Player of the Year, behind a Marist quarterback named Sean McVay. Ainsworth puts Johnson #93 of 5,000. Lions fans, the comments are open.

The top 10 NFL players: 1. Fran Tarkenton, 2. Calvin Johnson, 3. Champ Bailey, 4. Cameron Heyward, 5. Shannon Sharpe, 6. Tyreek Hill, 7. Sterling Sharpe, 8. Herschel Walker, 9. Roquan Smith, 10. Richard Dent

How the Greatest NFL Players from Georgia High Schools Are Ranked

The order comes from Ainsworth Sports' all-time pro football player rankings, a formula built from career stats and honors that rates 5,000 pro players and is updated through the 2025 season. We kept every player who played high school football in Georgia, in Ainsworth's order. That puts Fran Tarkenton (#42 overall) at #1 here and Terance Mathis (#1,121 overall) at #50.

We made one addition. Kyle Hamilton, the Baltimore Ravens safety, made three Pro Bowls and two first-team All-Pro teams in his first four seasons, and Ainsworth's career-length weighting hasn't caught up with him yet, so we placed him by his honors at #47, right after Darius Slay. Where a player was born doesn't matter, only where he played high school football. Hamilton was born in Heraklion, on the Greek island of Crete, and counts for Georgia because he played at Marist School. High schools, colleges, stats and honors come from Wikipedia and Pro Football Reference. Six of the 50 are still active, so their spots can change when Ainsworth updates.

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Questions About the Greatest NFL Players from Georgia High Schools

Who is the greatest NFL player from a Georgia high school?

Fran Tarkenton is the greatest NFL player from a Georgia high school by Ainsworth Sports' all-time ratings, #42 of 5,000 pro players. Tarkenton played at Clarke Central High School in Athens, quarterbacked Georgia to the 1959 SEC title and won the 1975 NFL MVP.

Which Georgia city has produced the most great NFL players?

Among the 50 greatest NFL players from Georgia high schools, Atlanta has the most, six. Richard Dent and Mo Lewis went to Crim, Joey Browner to Southwest, Cam Newton to Westlake, Jamal Lewis to Douglass and Robert Mathis to McNair.

Where did Shannon Sharpe go to high school?

Shannon Sharpe played at Glennville High School in Glennville, Georgia, which also produced Sterling Sharpe. Shannon Sharpe is #5 among the greatest NFL players from Georgia high schools, and Sterling Sharpe is #7.

How many Hall of Famers are among the greatest NFL players from Georgia high schools?

Eight of the 50 are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and all eight rank in the top 12. The lowest-ranked Hall of Famer is #12 Rayfield Wright, the Dallas Cowboys tackle, who couldn't make his high school football team.

Sources

Photos from Wikimedia Commons: Fran Tarkenton by Steve Burns (CC BY 2.0); Calvin Johnson by Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 3.0); Champ Bailey by Jeffrey Beall (CC BY-SA 3.0); Cameron Heyward by Erik Drost (CC BY 2.0); Shannon Sharpe by Staff Sgt. Teddy Wade (Public domain); Tyreek Hill by All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA (CC BY-SA 2.0); Sterling Sharpe by Unknown authorUnknown author (Public domain); Herschel Walker by United States Department of State (Public domain); Roquan Smith by Senior Airman Sebastian Romawac (Public domain); Richard Dent by Lance Cpl. Taylor Von Sanders-Frazer (Public domain); Mel Blount by Cramerwiki (CC0); Rayfield Wright by J. Glover (CC BY-SA 2.5); Joey Browner by Dlz28 (talk) (Uploads) (Public domain); Alvin Kamara by TaurusEmerald (CC BY-SA 4.0); Kevin Byard by Tennessee Titans (CC BY 3.0); Earnest Byner by Unknown authorUnknown author (Public domain); James Brooks by Kiwanis (Public domain); Demaryius Thomas by All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA (CC BY-SA 2.0); Jeff Saturday by All-Pro Reels (CC BY-SA 2.0); Chip Banks by Mr. Hero (Public domain); Nick Chubb by Erik Drost (CC BY 2.0); Keith Brooking by Jeffrey Beall (CC BY-SA 3.0); Eric Berry by Jeffrey Beall (CC BY-SA 3.0); Hines Ward by FOX SPORTS (CC BY 3.0); Jessie Tuggle by Atlanta Falcons (CC BY 3.0); Justin Houston by Mike Morbeck (CC BY-SA 2.0); Cam Newton by All-Pro Reels (CC BY-SA 2.0); Jamal Lewis by Jamal_Lewis,_Steve_McNair,_and_Todd_Heap.jpg: Keith Allison derivative work: Lpdrew (talk) (CC BY-SA 2.0); Robert Mathis by Jeffrey Beall (CC BY 4.0); Takeo Spikes by Jeffrey Beall (CC BY-SA 3.0); Jeremiah Ratliff by original: U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Michel Sauret on behalf of 416th Theater Engineer Command Army Reservederivative: Diddykong1130 (Public domain); Thomas Davis by All-Pro Reels (CC BY-SA 2.0); Marcus Stroud by Alan Kotok (CC BY 2.0); Deshaun Watson by Erik Drost (CC BY 2.0); Darius Slay by Kevind810 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Kyle Hamilton by Maryland GovPics (CC BY 2.0); Pete Johnson by Jeno's (Public domain); Garrison Hearst by Rod Hayes (CC0).