As a legendary center in the 1960s for Avondale, Chip Kell was a dominant force for every running back who ran behind him and every quarterback he protected. Kell was not only a renowned blocker, he also held a state record in track and field that stood for 50 years, with the furthest shot put throw in Georgia of 66 feet, seven inches. His accomplishments at the University of Tennessee outweigh even that. As a center in his sophomore season, he was named to the All-SEC team for the first time. In Kell’s junior and senior seasons he was moved to guard where he became the first-ever Georgia high school product to be named a two-time consensus All-American (1969-70). He won two-straight Jacobs Trophies (best blocker in the SEC), two more All-SEC nominations and his second and third SEC shot put championships. Kell was selected 429th in the 1971 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers, but opted to play in the Canadian Football League where he played for two seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos. He later worked as an educator and coach, following the path of his father, Jug Kell, a well-known Atlanta football coach from the 1950s and ‘60s. Kell was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
