DEON GRANT

As a junior, defensive backfield star Deon Grant helped lead Josey to the program’s only state championship and perfect 15-0 season in 1995 when the Eagles defeated Cedar Shoals 13-6 in the Class 3A championship under head coach John Starr. As a safety, he was named the Class 3A Defensive Player of the Year in 1995 and was listed an All-American by Parade and USA Today in 1996. He was a 1996 AJC Super 11 selection and a two-time First-Team AJC All-State selection. During the state championship season, Grant had over 100 tackles with eight interceptions and 14 touchdown receptions. He took his talents to the University of Tennessee where he was selected First-Team All-American in 1999 and tied the NCAA lead with nine interceptions, having two games where he made two interceptions. Against Florida in 1998, he made a crucial interception to secure the 20-17 overtime victory, helping the Volunteers maintain a perfect record. Grant was selected in the second round (57th pick) in the 2000 NFL Draft by Carolina and served stints with the Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants before retiring in 2013. Throughout his career, he won a State Title (1995), College National Title (1997) and Super Bowl with the Giants (2011). He was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.