Jerry Mays was named the AJC Class AAA Offensive Player of the Year in 1984, when he rushed for 2,369 yards and led Thomson to a 15-0 finish and a state championship. He would go on to become a star running back at Georgia Tech. As a high school senior, Mays was just 5-foot-8, 168 pounds, but was known as much for his tough inside running as for his quick outside bursts in legendary coach Luther Welsh’s Wing-T offense. Mays rushed for 1,666 yards as a junior on a 10-2 team and finished with what remains a school record of 4,741 career rushing yards, which broke Eddie Lee Ivery’s mark. At Georgia Tech, the only major Division I school to offer him a scholarship, Mays was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 1985 as a key part of a 9-2-1 team that beat Georgia and won the Hall of Fame Bowl. Mays was an All-ACC pick in 1989 and rushed for 3,699 yards in his college career, which remains second in school history to Robert Lavette’s 4,066. Mays played one NFL season with the San Diego Chargers. He was inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.
The Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame honors and celebrates the rich history, achievements, and contributions of high school football players, coaches, and supporters across the state.
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