ATLANTA — University of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and Worth County’s Robert Toomer are among those getting the call for the 2025 Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame.

A Bainbridge native, Smart, who helmed the Georgia Bulldogs to two national championships, was able to get Bainbridge to the Class 4A semifinals in 1993 as a player, then the state’s largest classification. Bainbridge was a member of Region 1 in that era along with Valdosta, Colquitt County, Lowndes, Coffee and Tift County, making it an even bigger achievement.

Over his junior and senior seasons, Smart had eight interceptions for the Bearcats. As a college safety, Smart excelled and was first team All-SEC at Georgia in 1998.

Other area players in the class of 33 include former Valdosta Wildcats players Stan Bounds and Coleman Rudolph and former Lowndes Vikings star Greg Reid. In addition are two others with Valdosta connections. Former Wildcats defensive coordinator Jack Rudolph, who played his high school ball at Atlanta’s Grady is being inducted, as is former Valdosta State quarterback Fabian Walker (Americus).

Induction will take place Oct. 25, 2025 at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Tickets are already available for purchase at www.ghsfhf.com.

The Rudolphs are the first father and son duo to make the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame.

Well-known in this class as well are NBA legend Walt Frazier (who played in the GIA at Atlanta’s Howard High); Wayne County’s Lindsay Scott, on the receiving end of a Buck Belue pass in perhaps Georgia’s most famous play; and Westlake’s Cam Newton, recently retired from the NFL.

Sterling Sharpe (Glennville) gets an automatic induction for being a member of the NFL Hall of Fame.

Other members of the Class of 2025 are, listed in chronological order, Tom Nash (Washington), Stumpy Thomason (Tech), Jack Roberts (Albany), Frank Pitts (Archer), Kim King (Brown), Paul Gilbert (Athens), Danny Buggs (Avondale), Reggie Wilkes (Southwest, Atlanta), Chip Banks (Lucy Laney), Willie Gault (Griffin), Freddie Gilbert (Griffin), Knox Culpepper (Lovett), Harris Barton (Dunwoody), Steve Wallace (Chamblee), Chris Gardocki (Redan), Robert Toomer (Worth County), Robert Edwards (Washington County), Keith Brooking (East Coweta), Curt McGill (Brookwood), Carlos Rogers (Butler), Josh Nesbitt (Greene County) and Isaiah Crowell (Carver, Columbus).

Becky Taylor is a member of the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame committee.