Herschel Walker was the lone unanimous selectee for the inaugural class of the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame, selected on 35-of-35 ballots. He was voted the No. 1 Georgia high school football player of all time in 2007 by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after rushing for a state-record 3,167 yards and 45 touchdowns as a senior at Johnson County, and set Georgia’s career rushing record of 6,137 yards. In 1979, he was the AJC Class A Back of the Year, a Parade All-American, a Coach & Athlete All-American and was the first undisputed No. 1 national recruit from Georgia in state history. Walker went on to have a historic college career at the University of Georgia, breaking the NCAA freshman rushing record en route to a national championship in 1980. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1982, becoming the second Georgia-native to ever win the award after rushing for 1,752 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999 for his accomplishments. After college, Walker went to the USFL where he totaled 7,046 all-purpose yards and 61 touchdowns in three years. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1985 and finished his NFL career with two Pro Bowl selections, more than 18,000 all-purpose yards and 84 touchdowns.
