WAYNE "TREE" ROLLINS TO BE INDUCTED INTO GEORGIA SPORTS HALL OF FAME

Induction To Take Place February 16th In Atlanta

MACON, GA – Leslie “L.C.” Baker, Earnest Byner, Norman Carter, Jr., Jim Dent, Richard Dent, Ernie Harwell, Wayne “Tree” Rollins, Elmore Smith, and Herb St. John will be the newest members of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

“I’m thrilled with the wealth of talent represented in the upcoming induction class”, said GSHF Executive Director, Jacquelyn Decell.  “Our selection committees have a very difficult task in choosing from the many deserving nominees, but once again I think they’ve made excellent choices.”

Leslie “L.C.” Baker coached at Atlanta’s Washington High School for 37 years.  During that time he compiled a football record of 222-30-9, going undefeated seventeen times.  His basketball teams were 289-45 in a career that also included coaching many of Washington’s other athletic teams.  Among the many talented athletes coached by Baker was 2006 GSHF inductee Don Clendenon.

Earnest Byner was born in Milledgeville, GA where he was a standout football player at Baldwin High School.  He attended college at East Carolina University where he led the team in rushing in 1983.  During his 14 year NFL career, Byner was twice selected to the Pro Bowl, collected 20 100+ yard rushing games, and was a leader of the 1992 Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins.

Norman Carter, Jr. coached girl’s basketball in Taylor County for 12 seasons.  In that short time, Carter compiled a career record of 350-32 for a state record .916 winning percentage.  Carter’s teams won 6 state championships between 1964 and 1972 and won 132 consecutive games between 1967 and 1972, which is also a state record.

Jim Dent is a native of Augusta, GA where he attended Paine College.  A 20 year veteran of the PGA Tour, Dent won the Florida PGA Championship 3 times.  Most recently Dent has been one of the top players on the Senior PGA Tour where he has won 12 tournaments and consistently finished in the top 30 on the money list.

Richard Dent was born in Atlanta and went on to play football at Tennessee State University where the defensive end led the team to three Black College National Championships.  Dent was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1983 and was the Super Bowl MVP for Chicago in Super Bowl XX.  He won another Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers in 1994 and led the NFL in sacks (17) in 1985.  During his professional career, Dent was named to four Pro Bowl teams.

Ernie Harwell is a legend in the broadcasting world.  Born in Washington, GA, Harwell began his career with Atlanta Journal Constitution and WSB TV in Atlanta.  Soon he was the voice of the Atlanta Crackers after which he called games for the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, Baltimore Orioles, and the Detroit Tigers where he was the on-air voice for 42 years.  Harwell has broadcast college football games, the Masters golf tournament, MLB All-Star Games, and numerous MLB playoff and world series games.  He has received a multitude of honors and awards throughout his career, but perhaps his most notable accolade was his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.

Wayne “Tree” Rollins played 18 seasons in the NBA – 11 for the Atlanta Hawks for whom he is the all time blocked shots leader with 2,283.  He ranked among the NBA’s top ten shot blockers in each of his first nine seasons leading the league in 1982.  Rollins attended high school in Cordele, GA and later played at Clemson University.  In his NBA career, he averaged 5.6 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, and 2.2 blocked shots per game. Rollins is currently the Interim Head Coach with the Washington Mystics of the WNBA.

Elmore Smith is a native of Macon, GA where he played basketball at Ballard-Hudson High School.  He went on to lead Kentucky State University to two NAIA championships in 1970 and 1971.  Smith played 562 games in the NBA averaging 14 points per game and 11 rebounds per game and holds the NBA record for most blocked shots in a game with 17.

Herb St. John played football at the University of Georgia and later coached football and track in Perry, GA.  St. John is one of only two football players in UGA history to be named All-SEC four times (Kevin Butler).  He was twice named 1st team All-SEC in 1944 and 1946 and was also named All-American in 1946.  As an offensive guard he was instrumental in UGA’s undefeated 1946 National Championship team.  In 2004 St. John was elected to the UGA Ring of Honor.

The 2008 GSHF Induction Ceremony will take place at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel in Atlanta on February 16, 2008.