MACON SPORTS HALL OF FAME
CLASS OF 2025
JOHNNY CRAWFORD
At Central High School, Johnny Crawford was a member of the Big Orange State Football Championship team of 1975. After his college days at Georgia College, Johnny returned to the football field this time as a high school official. He joined the Middle Georgia Football Officials Association and held several positions on their Board of Directors. In 1988, Crawford began officiating college football games: first in the Division 2 Gulf South Conference, then moving up to the Southern Conference. For several years, the SoCon Supervisor of Officials ranked Johnny as the League’s Best Head Linesman. In 2001, Crawford began working games for the Southeastern Conference. During his 20 year tenure, Johnny was on the sidelines for over 200 SEC matchups. His assignments included: three SEC Championship games, 12 Bowl Games including 2 National Playoff Semifinal games, plus high profile New Year’s games such as the Rose, Cotton, Orange, and Peach Bowls. Johnny also spent time working in the Arena 2 League from 2002-2006, a stint that included three playoff games. He has been instrumental in training local high school officials throughout his career.
RANDY CRAWFORD
Randy Crawford learned early in life the value of listening to people who can help you forge a career path doing something you love. He drew the attention of legendary coach Alvin Copeland while Copeland was just starting his coaching career and Crawford was a student at Appling Junior High School. Copeland was a father figure to Crawford and started taking him to Coaching Clinics. He eventually joined Copeland on the bench for the Northeast Raiderettes basketball team and was a part of five state title teams starting in 1978 and running up through 2002. He found he enjoyed working with young people and started coaching in the Middle Georgia Youth League at Memorial Park Gym where he won numerous championships during his 15 years coaching Elementary School boys. He also coached Girls Cross Country at Northeast and helped guide the Boys and Girls golf teams to four Region Championships. In addition to his coaching duties and holding down a full time job at Brown and Williamson, Crawford also found time to earn his referee certification and spent 15 years refereeing in the Middle Georgia Basketball Association.
KEVIN DEMICHIEL
Kevin DeMichiel graduated Mt. De Sales High School long before he ever shot skeet for the first time. But in 1997, Kevin went to a local range and began a career that would propel him to the top of his sport. After joining the National Sports Clays Association, DeMichiel starting racking up competitive titles. Kevin captured the Quail Unlimited in Savannah in 2003 and was placed in A Class after his first 300 targets. The following year he took the National Wild Turkey Federation shoot in A Class punching in to AA. In 2005 he won again moving into Master. Kevin is a 15-time National Sporting Clays Association All-American, 13-time Team USA Member (serving as captain of the 2019 team) and a two-time Georgia State Champion. In addition, he was inducted into the Georgia Sporting Clays Association Hall of Fame in 2017. He continues to shoot competitively and is widely regarded as one of the country’s best shooters and instructors.
MARCUS GRANT
Marcus Grant was a smooth sharp-shooting guard for the Central Chargers in the early 1990’s and signed a basketball scholarship to Mississippi State. Marcus started three seasons for the Bulldogs and proved to be a valuable asset in all phases of the game. He scored nearly 1,000 points, grabbed nearly 400 rebounds and dished out almost 300 assists. He was a co-captain his final two seasons with the Bulldogs and earned All-SEC Academic honors three times spotlighting his excellent work both on and off the court. Grant garnered third-team all-SEC honors as a senior after averaging 10.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per outing in helping lead the 22-8 Bulldogs to the 1995 NCAA Sweet 16. He also won the prestigious Babe McCarthy Memorial Award for his all-around contributions to the Mississippi State Bulldog basketball program. After completing his collegiate career Marcus earned USBL All Rookie honors with the Atlanta Trojans and then carved out a career overseas in Finland earning Import Player of the Year honors and a spot on the All-Defensive team while leading two different teams to championships.
MORGAN JOHNSON FAULK
Morgan Johnson Faulk helped lead the FPD Lady Vikings to the 2007 GISA State Softball Championship earning All-Region and All-State honors. Her performance on the high school diamond earned her a scholarship to Valdosta State University where she was Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year. As a junior, she led the Blazers to their first National Championship in 2012 when she batted .427 with 82 hits, 11 home runs, and 51 runs batted in. As a senior, she hit .374 with 12 home runs and 49 RBI’s. She was ranked in the top 10 of the league’s 14 offensive categories. In both her junior and senior year, Morgan was the recipient of the conference’s Commissioner’s Trophy, awarded to the top female athlete. Johnson Faulk was also named an Academic All-American for her work in the classroom where she compiled a 3.69 GPA in nursing. Morgan is a member of the Valdosta State Athletic Hall of Fame as well as the Gulf South Conference Hall of Fame.
ERIC MANUEL
As a sophomore at Southwest High School, Eric Manuel was the 1985 Gatorade basketball player of the year in Georgia. He followed that up with even more accolades his senior season. Manuel was a first team member of the McDonald’s, USA Today, and Parade All-American teams. He was a prized recruit and signed with Kentucky, cracking the Wildcats starting lineup as a freshman on a squad that included 8 other Parade All Americans. Eric averaged 7 points a game that first season, but when Kentucky was put on three years’ probation, Manuel changed schools. He played for Hiwassee Junior College in Tennessee where he averaged 24 points and eight rebounds a game in earning second-team National Junior College Athletic Association All-America honors. Then he played two seasons at Oklahoma City University averaging 21 points and 9 rebounds per game leading the Stars to back-to-back NAIA National Championships in 1991 and 1992. He posted 43 points one night against St. Francis, Ill. Following his college days, Eric was picked up by the NBA’s New Jersey Nets then it was on to Europe where he played professionally for several years.
GENE POLLARD
As a high school sophomore, Gene Pollard helped the Lanier Poets claim the State baseball championship in 1946. He would garner All-State honors his senior season and sign a professional contract with the Macon Peaches when he was just 17 years old. He batted over .340 in the Georgia State League and followed that up with a .312 average the following season in the Florida State League. He played six years ranging from Class C to Class AA and posted a .277 career batting average. During the off season, Gene was able to earn his college degree from Mercer University. Once his playing days ended, Pollard continued his love for athletics by transitioning into the coaching ranks. He helped organize the Shurlington-Cross Keys Little League and coached a team that won nine championships in 11 seasons. In addition to his volunteer coaching duties, Gene served his country as a Senior Executive grade level officer reporting directly to the Secretary of Defense. Another highlight of his career was when then Vice-President Al Gore flew to Macon to honor him with an American Flag when he retired from the federal government.
JEREMY WIGGINS
Jeremy Wiggins was a versatile athlete at Northeast High School earning letters in baseball, basketball, football, and track. In football he was a dual threat scoring 36 touchdowns on offense while piling up over 2500 all-purpose yards. On the defensive side, Jeremy was just as impressive with over 200 tackles and 17 interceptions. He was named All-Region and All-State and took his talents to Appalachian State on a football scholarship in 2003. At safety for the Mountaineers, he racked up 380 tackles and intercepted eight passes for the two-time National Champions earning All-Southern Conference honors three times and All-America honors in 2005 and 2006. Wiggins was selected to the SoCon All-Decade Defensive Football Team. His love of the sport led Wiggins into coaching where he developed under Carror Wright and others. Jeremy would return to Northeast as head football coach and he helped elevate the Raiders program to one of the top teams in the state. Under Wiggins, Northeast won numerous playoff games and advanced all the way to the state finals in 2024.
2025 LEGENDS
MARTY ALLMAN
Marty Allman was a three-sport athlete at Lanier High School. But basketball would be the sport that carried Marty to the college level. He signed a scholarship with LSU and as a freshman in 1969 he had a front row seat watching legendary Pete Maravich score over 44 points per game. Allman played three seasons for the Tigers then returned home to embark on a coaching career that included his Barnesville girls’ softball team claiming the GISA Class A State Title in 1982 and the girls basketball team taking State the following year. Overall Allman earned nine Region titles and was named Coach of the Year 6 times during his 25-year coaching career.
JIMMY SEWARD
Jimmy Seward earned All-State and All-South honors in football at Lanier High School in 1961. Although he lettered in basketball and track, Jimmy signed to play football at Georgia Tech. He was a three-year starter as an offensive lineman and played under legendary head coach Bobby Dodd and alongside future Georgia Tech head coach Bill Curry. The Jackets won at least seven games all three seasons Seward started including his senior season when the Yellow Jackets went 7-3. Seward also enjoyed playing golf and was known for his ability to hit the ball a long way off the tee. In 1983 he won the longest drive at a golf tournament in Alabama reportedly outdriving PGA Major Champion John Daly.
BOBBY POPE SERVICE AWARD
HEZEKIAH JACKSON
Hezekiah Jackson played football at Ballard-Hudson Senior High and Central High School then spent three years at Savannah State playing football for the Tigers. He started working for the Bibb County School System in 1982 and proudly served as the school system’s Athletic Facilities Supervisor helping make sure young people have nice places to practice and play. He has also served as a personal trainer for clients and headed the Well Ministry at Greater Bellevue Baptist Church. He’s also the proud father of Kareem Jackson who recently retired after spending 15 star-studded seasons as a defensive back in the National Football League.
