OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE DECADE
RB Kenny Irons Dacula, 1998-2001 ■ High school career: Had 1,986 yards and 21 TDs as a senior; also played linebacker ■ After Dacula: Transferred from South Carolina to Auburn, where he was an All-SEC running back, then was a second-round choice of the Bengals but a knee injury hurt his NFL career
DARIUS WALKER Buford, 2000-2003 Running back ■ High school career: Broke the state record for TDs in a season with 46 as a senior, helping the Wolves to their third straight state title. He rushed for 2,406 yards that season after rushing for nearly 2,000 as a junior. ■ After Buford: Was a standout player at Notre Dame for three seasons, rushing for 3,249 yards (fourth-best in school history) while setting school marks for season (56) and career (109) catches by a running back. He left Notre Dame early for the NFL Draft but went undrafted and hasn’t made a big impact as a pro level, bouncing around between the practice squads and active rosters of several teams.
RB Micah Andrews GAC, 1999-2002 ■ High school career: Rushed for a county-record 2,871 yards with 25 TDs as a senior; had 6,226 rushing yards his final three seasons ■ After GAC: Injury-plagued at Wake Forest; still had 254-yard rushing game, second-best in school history
QB Mikey Tamburo North Gwinnett, 2005-2008 ■ High school career: Threw for county-record 6,496 yards in three seasons with 57 TD passes ■ After North: Currently a quarterback at Boise State
WR Jared Cook North, 2001-2004 ■ High school career: Twosport standout had 35 catches for 772 yards and 10 TDs as a senior ■ After North: Signed with South Carolina and was a third-round pick of the Titans last year after dazzling at the NFL Combine.
OL Kyle Wallace
TE Christian Robinson
Collins Hill, 1997-2000 ■ High school career: TD Club offensive lineman of the year as a senior ■ After Collins Hill: Threeyear starter at offensive tackle for Georgia Tech, but didn’t catch on in the pros
GAC, 2004-2007 ■ High school career: Two-way player had 38 catches for 611 yards and 11 TDs as a senior ■ After GAC: Moved to linebacker at Georgia, where he’s fighting for a starting job
OL Kolton Houston Buford, 2006-2009 ■ High school career: Twoway starter was dominant on both lines as the Wolves won three straight state titles ■ After Buford: Beginning his college career at Georgia
OL Dallas Lee Buford, 2005-2008 ■ High school career: Physical blocker on back-to-back state title teams; also stood out on the defensive line ■ After Buford: Valuable reserve as he enters his redshirt freshman season at Georgia
OL Mansfield Wrotto Brookwood, 2001-2002, Berkmar 1999-2000 ■ High school career: Powered Broncos to the state finals as a senior in 2002 ■ After Brookwood: Started on the offensive and defensive line at Georgia Tech; currently plays for the Seattle Seahawks, who made him a fourth-round selection in 2007
PAGE 28 • GWINNETT DAILY POST • SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2010
P Michael Hanna
PK Brandon Coutu Collins Hill, 1999-2002 ■ High school career: Was 9-for-9 on FGs and 19-for-19 on PATs as a senior, along with a 40.5 punting average; also made a county-best 11 FGs as a junior ■ After Collins Hill: Walked on at Georgia and earned a scholarship, becoming first UGA kicker to have an accuracy rate over 80 percent; drafted by the Seahawks and is currently an NFL free agent
Collins Hill, 2001-2004 ■ High school career: Two-time all-county pick averaged 43.7 yards per punt as a senior; was 19 of 24 on field goals his final two seasons ■ After Collins Hill: Four-time All-Big South Conference selection at punter for Gardner-Webb
WR P.K. Sam
Peachtree Ridge, 2004-2006 ■ High school career: Twoway star for the Lions’ 2006 costate championship team; also a basketball standout ■ After Peachtree Ridge: One of the Big Ten’s top returning defensive linemen for Ohio State; considered as a high pick in the 2011 NFL Draft
DL Marcus Jackson
OL Zeb McKinzey
Norcross, 1998-2001 ■ High school career: Made 25 1/2 sacks, 47 tackles for losses and 235 tackles his final two seasons ■ After Norcross: A blood clot in his brain cut short a promising career at UGA; currently coaches at Norcross
Parkview, 1999-2002 ■ High school career: Paved way for three state titles and 45 straight wins; also a regular at DT who made 89 tackles as a senior ■ After Parkview: Injuries slowed down his career at Georgia, where he was a career reserve
Dacula, 2003-2006 ■ High school career: As a senior starter at WR and DB, had 33 catches for 911 yards and 10 TDs, 2 rushing TDs and 2 return TDs — also made 3 FGs, 34 PATs and was among the county’s punting leaders ■ After Dacula: After two seasons of junior college ball, signed with Oklahoma, where he’s a senior WR
Buford, 2004-2007 ■ High school career: Playmaking interior lineman made 104 tackles as a senior, helping Wolves to state title ■ After Buford: Entering redshirt sophomore season as a contributor at Florida
DL Cameron Heyward
Buford, 1999-2000, Norcross, 1997-1998 ■ High school career: Had 39 catches for 1,067 yards as a senior, accounting for 13 TDs and also punting for the Wolves. ■ After Buford: Played at Florida State and left early for the NFL Draft (fifth round). Won a Super Bowl ring with New England and has had a seven-year career in the NFL and the CFL.
Athlete Cameron Kenney
DL Omar Hunter
SECOND TEAM QB Dustin Wade, Parkview RB Caleb King, Parkview/GAC RB Ean Pemberton, Grayson WR Josh Warren, Dacula WR Brice Butler, Norcross TE Michael Palmer, Parkview OL Trey Chandler, Buford OL David Overmyer, Parkview
OL Max Garcia, Norcross OL Ju'Wuan James, North Gwinnett OL Austin Shepherd, North Gwinnett Athlete: Chad Hall, Wesleyan PK Cole Chason, GAC DL Aaron Scranton, Buford DL Neil Brown, Buford DL Shawn Green, Grayson
DL Lorenzo Washington, Grayson DL Brooks Cunningham, Norcross LB Jessel Curry, Buford LB Todd Stewart, Parkview DB Derrick Bryant, Peachtree Ridge DB Chris Covington, Brookwood DB Brad Roby, Peachtree Ridge DB Michael Young, Collins Hill P Drew Butler, Peachtree Ridge
DL Davey Pollack Shiloh, 1997-2000 ■ High school career: Led the Generals to their best season as a senior; made 123 tackles (27 for losses, 11 sacks) that season and doubled as a big FB ■ After Shiloh: One of two three-time All-Americans in UGA history; first-round pick of Cincinnati Bengals but a broken neck ended his career early; now a TV/radio analyst
LB Rennie Curran Brookwood, 2003-2006 ■ High school career: Made 493 tackles his final three seasons, including a school-record 198 as a junior for state runner-up team ■ After Brookwood: Starter at UGA for three seasons, leading team in tackles for his final two years before declaring early for the NFL Draft; third-round pick of the Titans in April
LB Kevin Minter Peachtree Ridge, 2007-2008, Berkmar, 2005-2006 ■ High school career: Made 472 career tackles, playing DE at Berkmar and LB at Peachtree Ridge; led the Lions to the state finals as a senior ■ After Peachtree Ridge: Entering redshirt freshman season as a LB at LSU
LB Des Williams Dacula, 1999-2002 ■ High school career: Powerful linebacker was a big-time playmaker, highlighted by a junior season when he had 173 tackles (20 for losses) ■ After Dacula: Played as a reserve linebacker and fullback at UGA, but injuries derailed his career
DB Phillip Davis
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE DECADE
Peachtree Ridge, 2003-2006 ■ High school career: Had team-high seven interceptions as a senior, including two in the state finals as the Lions shared the title ■ After Peachtree Ridge: Entering senior season as a starting CB at Tulane
DB O.C. Collins Dacula, 1998-2001 ■ High school career: Started at both DB and QB for the Falcons, who made the state quarterfinals his senior year; had 202 tackles his final two seasons ■ After Dacula: Four-year starter at defensive back for Memphis
DB David Irons Dacula, 1997-2000 ■ High school career: Played both RB and DB for Dacula ■ After Dacula: Knee injury and junior college route delayed his path, but recovered to be an All-SEC CB at Auburn; rookie contributor for the Atlanta Falcons until another knee injury
DB Joey Sturdivant Parkview, 1999-2002 ■ High school career: Threeyear, two-way starter on three straight state title teams; 17 TDs as a senior ■ After Parkview: Four-year starter/leading tackler for SMU; led all of the nation’s DBs in tackles with 109 as a senior
JEFF FRANCOEUR Parkview, 19982001 Cornerback/wide receiver ■ High school career: Won state titles in football and baseball his final two seasons, becoming a high school legend in both sports. Intercepted a countyrecord 15 passes as a junior, but was just as big of a star on offense with 28 TD catches his final two seasons. He averaged 20.1 yards per catch with a 1,000-yard receiving season as a senior. ■ After Parkview: Turned down a football scholarship to Clemson to sign with the Atlanta Braves, who made him a first-round pick and gave him a record $2.2 million bonus. Was a rookie phenom with the Braves, making the cover of Sports Illustrated, but was traded in 2009 to the rival New York Mets, who he currently plays for.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2010 • GWINNETT DAILY POST • PAGE 29
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE DECADE
RB Kenny Irons Dacula, 1998-2001 ■ High school career: Had 1,986 yards and 21 TDs as a senior; also played linebacker ■ After Dacula: Transferred from South Carolina to Auburn, where he was an All-SEC running back, then was a second-round choice of the Bengals but a knee injury hurt his NFL career
DARIUS WALKER Buford, 2000-2003 Running back ■ High school career: Broke the state record for TDs in a season with 46 as a senior, helping the Wolves to their third straight state title. He rushed for 2,406 yards that season after rushing for nearly 2,000 as a junior. ■ After Buford: Was a standout player at Notre Dame for three seasons, rushing for 3,249 yards (fourth-best in school history) while setting school marks for season (56) and career (109) catches by a running back. He left Notre Dame early for the NFL Draft but went undrafted and hasn’t made a big impact as a pro level, bouncing around between the practice squads and active rosters of several teams.
RB Micah Andrews GAC, 1999-2002 ■ High school career: Rushed for a county-record 2,871 yards with 25 TDs as a senior; had 6,226 rushing yards his final three seasons ■ After GAC: Injury-plagued at Wake Forest; still had 254-yard rushing game, second-best in school history
QB Mikey Tamburo North Gwinnett, 2005-2008 ■ High school career: Threw for county-record 6,496 yards in three seasons with 57 TD passes ■ After North: Currently a quarterback at Boise State
WR Jared Cook North, 2001-2004 ■ High school career: Twosport standout had 35 catches for 772 yards and 10 TDs as a senior ■ After North: Signed with South Carolina and was a third-round pick of the Titans last year after dazzling at the NFL Combine.
OL Kyle Wallace
TE Christian Robinson
Collins Hill, 1997-2000 ■ High school career: TD Club offensive lineman of the year as a senior ■ After Collins Hill: Threeyear starter at offensive tackle for Georgia Tech, but didn’t catch on in the pros
GAC, 2004-2007 ■ High school career: Two-way player had 38 catches for 611 yards and 11 TDs as a senior ■ After GAC: Moved to linebacker at Georgia, where he’s fighting for a starting job
OL Kolton Houston Buford, 2006-2009 ■ High school career: Twoway starter was dominant on both lines as the Wolves won three straight state titles ■ After Buford: Beginning his college career at Georgia
OL Dallas Lee Buford, 2005-2008 ■ High school career: Physical blocker on back-to-back state title teams; also stood out on the defensive line ■ After Buford: Valuable reserve as he enters his redshirt freshman season at Georgia
OL Mansfield Wrotto Brookwood, 2001-2002, Berkmar 1999-2000 ■ High school career: Powered Broncos to the state finals as a senior in 2002 ■ After Brookwood: Started on the offensive and defensive line at Georgia Tech; currently plays for the Seattle Seahawks, who made him a fourth-round selection in 2007
PAGE 28 • GWINNETT DAILY POST • SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2010
P Michael Hanna
PK Brandon Coutu Collins Hill, 1999-2002 ■ High school career: Was 9-for-9 on FGs and 19-for-19 on PATs as a senior, along with a 40.5 punting average; also made a county-best 11 FGs as a junior ■ After Collins Hill: Walked on at Georgia and earned a scholarship, becoming first UGA kicker to have an accuracy rate over 80 percent; drafted by the Seahawks and is currently an NFL free agent
Collins Hill, 2001-2004 ■ High school career: Two-time all-county pick averaged 43.7 yards per punt as a senior; was 19 of 24 on field goals his final two seasons ■ After Collins Hill: Four-time All-Big South Conference selection at punter for Gardner-Webb
WR P.K. Sam
Peachtree Ridge, 2004-2006 ■ High school career: Twoway star for the Lions’ 2006 costate championship team; also a basketball standout ■ After Peachtree Ridge: One of the Big Ten’s top returning defensive linemen for Ohio State; considered as a high pick in the 2011 NFL Draft
DL Marcus Jackson
OL Zeb McKinzey
Norcross, 1998-2001 ■ High school career: Made 25 1/2 sacks, 47 tackles for losses and 235 tackles his final two seasons ■ After Norcross: A blood clot in his brain cut short a promising career at UGA; currently coaches at Norcross
Parkview, 1999-2002 ■ High school career: Paved way for three state titles and 45 straight wins; also a regular at DT who made 89 tackles as a senior ■ After Parkview: Injuries slowed down his career at Georgia, where he was a career reserve
Dacula, 2003-2006 ■ High school career: As a senior starter at WR and DB, had 33 catches for 911 yards and 10 TDs, 2 rushing TDs and 2 return TDs — also made 3 FGs, 34 PATs and was among the county’s punting leaders ■ After Dacula: After two seasons of junior college ball, signed with Oklahoma, where he’s a senior WR
Buford, 2004-2007 ■ High school career: Playmaking interior lineman made 104 tackles as a senior, helping Wolves to state title ■ After Buford: Entering redshirt sophomore season as a contributor at Florida
DL Cameron Heyward
Buford, 1999-2000, Norcross, 1997-1998 ■ High school career: Had 39 catches for 1,067 yards as a senior, accounting for 13 TDs and also punting for the Wolves. ■ After Buford: Played at Florida State and left early for the NFL Draft (fifth round). Won a Super Bowl ring with New England and has had a seven-year career in the NFL and the CFL.
Athlete Cameron Kenney
DL Omar Hunter
SECOND TEAM QB Dustin Wade, Parkview RB Caleb King, Parkview/GAC RB Ean Pemberton, Grayson WR Josh Warren, Dacula WR Brice Butler, Norcross TE Michael Palmer, Parkview OL Trey Chandler, Buford OL David Overmyer, Parkview
OL Max Garcia, Norcross OL Ju'Wuan James, North Gwinnett OL Austin Shepherd, North Gwinnett Athlete: Chad Hall, Wesleyan PK Cole Chason, GAC DL Aaron Scranton, Buford DL Neil Brown, Buford DL Shawn Green, Grayson
DL Lorenzo Washington, Grayson DL Brooks Cunningham, Norcross LB Jessel Curry, Buford LB Todd Stewart, Parkview DB Derrick Bryant, Peachtree Ridge DB Chris Covington, Brookwood DB Brad Roby, Peachtree Ridge DB Michael Young, Collins Hill P Drew Butler, Peachtree Ridge
DL Davey Pollack Shiloh, 1997-2000 ■ High school career: Led the Generals to their best season as a senior; made 123 tackles (27 for losses, 11 sacks) that season and doubled as a big FB ■ After Shiloh: One of two three-time All-Americans in UGA history; first-round pick of Cincinnati Bengals but a broken neck ended his career early; now a TV/radio analyst
LB Rennie Curran Brookwood, 2003-2006 ■ High school career: Made 493 tackles his final three seasons, including a school-record 198 as a junior for state runner-up team ■ After Brookwood: Starter at UGA for three seasons, leading team in tackles for his final two years before declaring early for the NFL Draft; third-round pick of the Titans in April
LB Kevin Minter Peachtree Ridge, 2007-2008, Berkmar, 2005-2006 ■ High school career: Made 472 career tackles, playing DE at Berkmar and LB at Peachtree Ridge; led the Lions to the state finals as a senior ■ After Peachtree Ridge: Entering redshirt freshman season as a LB at LSU
LB Des Williams Dacula, 1999-2002 ■ High school career: Powerful linebacker was a big-time playmaker, highlighted by a junior season when he had 173 tackles (20 for losses) ■ After Dacula: Played as a reserve linebacker and fullback at UGA, but injuries derailed his career
DB Phillip Davis
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE DECADE
Peachtree Ridge, 2003-2006 ■ High school career: Had team-high seven interceptions as a senior, including two in the state finals as the Lions shared the title ■ After Peachtree Ridge: Entering senior season as a starting CB at Tulane
DB O.C. Collins Dacula, 1998-2001 ■ High school career: Started at both DB and QB for the Falcons, who made the state quarterfinals his senior year; had 202 tackles his final two seasons ■ After Dacula: Four-year starter at defensive back for Memphis
DB David Irons Dacula, 1997-2000 ■ High school career: Played both RB and DB for Dacula ■ After Dacula: Knee injury and junior college route delayed his path, but recovered to be an All-SEC CB at Auburn; rookie contributor for the Atlanta Falcons until another knee injury
DB Joey Sturdivant Parkview, 1999-2002 ■ High school career: Threeyear, two-way starter on three straight state title teams; 17 TDs as a senior ■ After Parkview: Four-year starter/leading tackler for SMU; led all of the nation’s DBs in tackles with 109 as a senior
JEFF FRANCOEUR Parkview, 19982001 Cornerback/wide receiver ■ High school career: Won state titles in football and baseball his final two seasons, becoming a high school legend in both sports. Intercepted a countyrecord 15 passes as a junior, but was just as big of a star on offense with 28 TD catches his final two seasons. He averaged 20.1 yards per catch with a 1,000-yard receiving season as a senior. ■ After Parkview: Turned down a football scholarship to Clemson to sign with the Atlanta Braves, who made him a first-round pick and gave him a record $2.2 million bonus. Was a rookie phenom with the Braves, making the cover of Sports Illustrated, but was traded in 2009 to the rival New York Mets, who he currently plays for.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2010 • GWINNETT DAILY POST • PAGE 29