Warrick Dunn, Eric Zeier and 10 other Georgia sports legends to be inducted into HOF

The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is hosting its 66th Induction Ceremony on Feb. 19 as eight new members and four legends are inducted, including former Falcon Warrick Dunn and Georgia quarterback Eric Zeier.

Saturday’s event starts with the annual Stifel FanFest, a chance for folks to meet the class of 2022. It will be held at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (301 Cherry St. in downtown Macon) from 1-2:30 p.m. on Feb. 19 and is free and open to the public.

Afterward, there will be a cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m. at the Macon City Auditorium before the ceremony and dinner banquet begins at 6:30 p.m. in the main room at the auditorium. In order to attend, guests must have a ticket which can be purchased by calling 478-752-1585.

Here is a look at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2022:

Eric Zeier: He was a quarterback at the University of Georgia from 1991-1994. Zeier set 67 school records for the Bulldogs as well as 18 SEC records: he graduated as the all-time conference leader in yards with 11,153 yards. Zeier became the third quarterback in NCAA Division 1 history to throw for more than 11,000 yards in his career. Zeier would go on to play in the NFL for several teams before returning to Georgia as a color analyst in 2007.

Warrick Dunn: The former Florida State standout got his start in the NFL in Tampa Bay before signing with the Atlanta Falcons in 2002. Dunn racked up nearly 6,000 yards as a member of the Falcons and was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2004.

Stewart Cink: The former PGA tour rookie of the year, played college golf at Georgia Tech in the early ‘90s before going pro in 1997. He has placed third or better in each of golf’s four majors. Cink broke through in 2009 when he knocked off Tom Watson in a playoff at The Open Championship for his first major. He recently became just the fourth player to win two PGA tournaments in a season after the age of 47.

Deon Grant: Grant was the No. 1 ranked defensive back coming out of high school. The Augusta native starred at the University of Tennessee and clinched the 1998 national championship with an interception. He played 12 seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants against the New England Patriots.

James Bankston: Bankston iss one of the most decorated swimmers in UGA history. He won six SEC titles with the Bulldogs and finished sixth in the National Championship. Bankston still holds three SEC swimming records.

Alan Chadwick: The head football coach at Marist High School recently crossed the 400 wins threshold and in 36 seasons has never missed the playoffs. He has won three state titles, including one in 2020, and has reached the finals on seven other occasions.

Steve Holman: Holman is an Atlanta radio legend and is best known as the “Voice of the Hawks.” He started calling Hawks games in 1989 and has never missed a broadcast. He was awarded Georgia Sportscaster of the Year in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2019 by the National Sports Media Association.

Bob Horner: He was the first-ever winner of the Golden Spikes Award, the Heisman Trophy for College Baseball. Horner spent nine years with the Atlanta Braves, where he won the National League Rookie of the Year in 1978 over Ozzie Smith. He was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Legends

Bill Bartholomay: Bartholomay helped bring the Braves from Milwaukee to Atlanta. In 1976, he sold his controlling interest in the team to Ted Turner, who introduced the Atlanta Braves to a national audience through TBS. He passed away in March 2020 at the age of 91.

Bobby Dews: He is a former Georgia Tech standout, where he played both baseball and basketball. In 1974, he joined the Atlanta Braves farm system before spending time on Bobby Cox’s Major League staff. Dews passed away in December 2015 at the age 76.

Roy Hartsfield: The Riverside played three seasons with the Boston Braves before becoming a manager. He was the first manager for the Toronto Blue Jays. Hartsfield passed away in January 2011 at the age of 85.

Pete Van Wieren: He was hired by Turner Sports to be the play-by-play announcer for the Atlanta Braves in 1975. He held that position until 2008 calling games alongside Don Sutton and GSHF inductees Ernie Johnson, Sr., and Skip Caray. Van Wieren passed away in 2014 at the age of 69.