Meet the Sports Legends of Glynn - Buy Georgia

and after thinking about it for a coupleof days, I made up my mind to take theinitiative and see if I couldn’t spearheada movement to get the project going thisyear.”“With the help of former legendaryBrunswick News sports editor MurrayPoole (who today edits for BulldawgIllustrated), former Brunswick Highbaseball coach Jimmy Brown, and CoachJordan, we were able to put together apretty impressive organizing committeein almost no time. Our group is made ofseveral business and community leadersand people whose jobs here are relatedto athletics in some way such as coaches,athletic directors and supporters. All ofthese people are very knowledgeable aboutathletics in general, including the athletichistory right here in our own community.”“We’ve only had a few meetings at thispoint, but we’re off to a great start.Everyone appears to be excited andenthusiastic about moving this projectforward. It’s going to take a lot of hardwork and dedication to make this a reality,but if we can do our part, hopefullythe community will rally behind us tohelp us with this effort and supportsomething that could really be great forour community. There are numerous waysthe hall of fame could make a positiveimpact on our community as it developsover time.”Stay tuned for details on the “who,what, when, where and how”, still to bedetermined. In the meanwhile, enjoythe following excerpts of informationregarding Glynn County’s Top 25Athletes, which was compiled courtesyof Price and Murray in preparation for aBrunswick News article several years ago…GLYNN COUNTY”S TOP25 ATHLETES OF THEPAST CENTURY:1. Fred Missildine:This Glynn Countianwon 30 national andinternational skeetshootingcontests andwas named to the All-American team 25 of his26 years of competition. Missildine (now72deceased) is a member of three Halls ofFame –the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame,The National Skeet and Trap ShootersHall and the Georgia Skeet Shooters Hallof Fame. Also given the honor of No.1 teacher in the country, the long-timeSea Island skeet instructor has turnedout many world champion shooters.Rated No. 50 in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s list of “Georgia’s Top 100Athletes of the 1900’s.2. Davis Love III:The former GlynnAcademy and Universityof North Carolinagolfing great has won20 PGA Tour tournaments since turningpro in 1985, including the 1997 PGAChampionship. A Ryder Cup andPresident Cup’s team regular, he is listedon the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’slist of “Georgia’s Top 50 Athletes of the1900’s”. And Love III’s career is still goingstrong today. Most recently, he has beennamed Ryder Cup Captain for the 2012world-class event in Chicago.3. Charles “Greek” George: An allaroundathlete for Glynn Academy inhis senior year in 1930, Greek Georgewent on to play five years in the majorleagues with the Cleveland Indians,Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and thePhiladelphia Athletics. George was theCleveland catcher when future Hall-of-Famer Bob Feller pitched his first majorleague game in 1936, against the St. LouisBrowns, and then was the catcher forFeller when the fire-balling right-handerset a new American League record of 17strikeouts later that season, against ConnieMack’s Philadelphia A’s.4. George Rose: Afterleading the GlynnAcademy Red Terrorsto a perfect 10-0 regularseason in 1958 as an allstaterunning back andfollowing a somewhatinjury-plagued seniorseason in 1959, GeorgeRose went on to star for the AuburnTigers in the early 1960’s being namedto the All-SEC team as a defensive back.Rose then played for six years in theNational Football League, mostly withthe Minnesota Vikings. One of the fastestplayers ever to come out of Glynn County(9.6 in 100-yd. Dash), he was also astandout sprinter on the track team.5. Mel Lattany: Speaking of pure speed,there was none faster than Melvin Lattany.In 1976, he won the state AAAA 100-yard dash in a state-record tying time of9.6 seconds and also won the state 220 in21.5. Also a wide receiver on the GlynnAcademy football team, Lattany then wonthe state high point trophy in his senioryear in 1977, again taking both the 100and 220 dashes. He then went on to anAll-American track career at the Universityof Georgia while, all the time, establishingnew individual and team records along theway. Lattany was named to the 1980 U.S.Olympic Team, which did not competein Moscow due to a boycott as ordered byPresident Jimmy Carter due to the Sovietinvasion of Afghanistan.6. Willie McClendon: After beinga steady high school football player forGlynn Academy, Willie McClendonwas to go on to All-American honors atthe University of Georgia. In 1978, theBulldogs captain ran for over 1,300 yardsto break the school single-season rushingrecord, then held by former HeismanTrophy winner Frank Sinkwich. Two yearslater, McClendon’s new record would betopped by freshman sensation HerschelWalker. Following his UGA career,McClendon went on to a professionalcareer with the Chicago Bears, having toplay behind NFL legendary running backWalter Payton, McClendon also playedprofessionally with the Jacksonville Bullsof the USFL.7. Jack Peerson: The further you goback in time, the details and playingstatistics get a little fuzzy but Brunswicknative Jack Peerson certainly deservesto be at the top of this All-Century list.Born in Brunswick in 1920, he attendedGlynn Academy and then went on tomake it in the major leagues, as a secondbaseman with the Philadelphia Athletics.And playing just two seasons –for someunknown reason—Peerson posted a .316batting average with the A’s in 1935 andthen an even better .324 average in 1936.