Meet the 10 Biggest Sports Stars From Georgia

The state of Georgia is known for many things, from being home to the 3 P’s — Peaches, Pecans, and Peanuts — to being the headquarters of many major companies, including Coca-Cola to UPS. However, if you love sports, you’ll likely know at least a few amazing sports stars who all once called the state home. In fact, you’d be shocked to learn how many athletes come from the Peach State.

While we could go on forever, today, we’re going to talk about the 10 biggest sports stars from Georgia in various categories. (If you want to go further down the rabbit hole of sports, read about some of the most popular teams in professional sports.)

To narrow down this list of Georgia sports stars, 24/7 Tempo checked out many different sources, ranging from Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report to the NFL and NBA websites, to find out the biggest and brightest from the state.

Herschel Walker

Hershel Walker is one of the greatest running backs in the history of the NFL. He was born and raised in and near Wrightsville, Georgia. He was always interested in football, and he led his high school football team to state championships while also graduating at the top of his class. Then, he went on to play for the Bulldogs at the University of Georgia, where he helped them to win the national championship in 1980. He won many awards and set various records during those times.

Walker has had many amazing accomplishments in his career, including:

• Breaking the world record for the 60-yard dash.
• Earning a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
• Competed in the Olympics as a bobsledder.
• Running for Senate.

In 1985, he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. He also played with the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and the New York Giants during his career. He’s a versatile athlete and certainly one of the first names that people think of when they consider the greatest athletes from Georgia.

Dwight Howard

At 38 years old, Dwight Howard continues to be one of the most exciting sports stars from Georgia. The NBA basketball player was born in Atlanta with the sport in his blood. His mother played college basketball in her youth. While he was young, Howard attended Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (high school) in Atlanta, Georgia, and it was there that he started getting really serious about basketball and even led his team to a state title. He won numerous awards on his way to the NBA.

He played eight seasons in Orlando before deciding to move on, and he has since played on five more NBA teams. He’s a force to be reckoned with. He can score and also protect the ball. He has also been named the Defensive Player of the Year three times. He’s also won awards for Player of the Month in addition to winning an Olympic gold medal for basketball. He continues to be a major star in the NBA to this day.

Jackie Robinson

This man is arguably one of the most famous baseball players to ever play the sport, in addition to being one of the biggest sports stars from Georgia in general. Number 42 was personally responsible for getting African Americans into the sport of baseball and was instrumental in opening the door for freedom for all in our country. Jackie Robinson is so important to the sport of baseball that no player can ever wear his number again. In addition to breaking barriers, he also was very good at the sport. He won numerous awards and helped his team win the World Series in 1955.

Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia, back in 1919. His mom and siblings were sharecroppers, and they started making history from the beginning as they were the only black family on their block. Life was tough for them, but they made it through as a family. Jackie later went to UCLA and he also joined the U.S. Army. He was playing in the Negro Baseball League when the then-president of the Brooklyn Dodgers approached him and asked him to join the team. He did and even became the Rookie of the Year in his second season, and the rest is history.

Hulk Hogan

Yes, wrestling is also a sport, and Hulk Hogan might be the most famous wrestler to ever do the job. He is one of the most notable athletes from Georgia, and he made quite a name for himself during the 1980s and ’90s. Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea, was born in Augusta, Georgia, in 1953 and was the son of a construction foreman and a dance teacher. Although his birthplace will always be Georgia, his family moved to Florida when he was almost two years old, and he’s been synonymous with that state ever since.

Hulk Hogan gained incredible notoriety during his long wrestling career where he won numerous awards and titles. He even joined a Japanese wrestling league and gained notoriety there. Before Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson became the most famous wrestler-turned-movie star, Hulk Hogan was parlaying his own wrestling fame into a film career. He starred in numerous movies as characters or as himself. They include Mr. Nanny, Muppets from Space, and Gremlins 2, among others. He even had a reality show that starred his unique family.

Fran Tarkenton

His professional football career began in 1961 when he played with the Minnesota Vikings. They weren’t doing so great, so he went to the New York Giants. When the grass wasn’t greener on the other side, he returned to the Vikings and made a lot of history. He made most of his records in Minnesota, and he led the team to numerous Central Division titles and a few Super Bowl appearances. Fran’s claim to fame is his amazing records set on the field. He had 3,686 pass completions, over 47,000 passing yards, and 342 touchdowns.

While he wasn’t born in Georgia, he moved there early in his life and lived in Athens, Georgia, where he attended Athens High School. He also attended the University of Georgia and made a name for himself there. He’ll go down in history as one of the greatest Georgia sports stars.

Cam Newton

Although he was only 34 years old at the time of this writing, Cam Newton is still one of the biggest sports stars from Georgia. He’s currently a free agent, but he has made quite an impact on the football world during his relatively short career. As of today, Newton still has the record for the most overall rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. He had 75 of them over an 11-year career. That’s 75 rushing touchdowns in 148 games. He has had some great moments in the NFL so far, including an excellent 2015 season when he led his team to a near-perfect record. During it, he threw 35 touchdowns and had a passer rating of 99.4.

Born in College Park, Georgia, Cameron Newton was born into a football family. His dad played for the Cowboys and the Bills. His younger brother also played the game. As a kid, he was also good at baseball and basketball, but he feared getting hit by a foul ball in one sport and was constantly in foul trouble in the other. He dedicated himself to football, and the rest is history. At this point, he’s just waiting for his next big opportunity.

Sugar Ray Robinson

Next, we have an incredible athlete born in Georgia who is arguably also one of the most famous boxers to ever do it. And that’s not just us saying that either. At one point, Muhammad Ali called Sugar Ray Robinson his “idol” and Sugar Ray Leonard called Robinson the “best ever” to do it. That’s not hyperbole. At the end of his career, Sugar Ray Robinson had a winning record of 173-19-6.

Sugar Ray Robinson was born in Vidalia, Georgia, with the name of Walker Smith Jr. He was the youngest of three children and had loving parents in Walker Smith Sr. and Leila Hurst. Although he will always be one of the greatest sports stars from Georgia, he didn’t live there long. When his father found work in construction, he moved the family to Detroit. Later, Robinson moved to New York and went on from there. He made his boxing debut in 1940, and went until 1965, winning numerous titles along the way. He’ll go down in history as a tough fighter who did what he could to win each match, and he was very successful.

Frank Thomas

This baseball legend is another athlete born in Georgia. He is Frank Thomas, and he played for several different teams over the years, including the Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays. However, his claim to fame is playing for the Chicago White Sox, where he had many accolades and helped the team win many games. Nicknamed “The Big Hurt,” Thomas did a lot of damage in the MLB. He holds the franchise records of career home runs, doubles, and extra-base hits. He helped the White Sox win the World Series in 2005, although he only played 34 games.

Frank Thomas was born in Columbus, Georgia, in 1968. During his youth, he attended Columbus High School, where he played both baseball and football. However, when the chance came to go undrafted in the MLB in 1986, he went for it. He still went to Auburn University to play football, but playing for baseball ultimately won over, and the rest is history. In the years since he’s been on many commercials, he’s been a sports commentator, and he had a stint working for the Fox cable network.

Dexter Fowler

This exciting baseball player has a lot to show for himself over the last few years. In 2016, he was a part of the exciting Chicago Cubs team that won the World Series. He also made history by being the first player ever to start a game 7 by hitting a home run. The team ended up winning that game 8-7. During his career, Fowler shuffled from place to place, playing for the Cardinals and Astros, among others. He recently announced his retirement.

Dexter Fowler was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and went to high school in Milton, Georgia. He received offers from Harvard and the University of Miami to play baseball at their schools but decided instead to join the MLB. He finished his career with a batting average of .259 and 127 home runs.

Bobby Jones

Finally, we have Bobby Jones, who was not only good at golf but also helped to mold the game as it is known today. Easily one of the biggest sports stars from Georgia, he was a natural-born golfer and began winning tournaments in and around Atlanta from the age of six. By the age of 21, he was crowned as a champion of the United States Open. He also won the British Open and the British Amateur.

However, his major fame came from how he changed the game. He created one of the first sets of woods and irons for the Spalding Golf Company. He also founded two of the most important golf courses in the game: the Peachtree Golf Club and Augusta National Golf Club. The guy really loved golf, and his love made him one of the most famous golfers from the state of Georgia. (Click here for the best cities for golfers in America.)