Georgia's Top 10 All-Time Athletes

SI Staff | Jul 16, 2008

Georgia's Top 10 All-Time Athletes

Hines Ward

Patrick Murphy-Racey/SI

Now a wide receiver with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ward did it all for the Bulldogs, playing and starting at receiver, quarterback, running back and kick returner. He gained 3,870 all-purpose yards at Georgia, the second most in school history behind Herschel Walker. His 144 career receptions are also the second most in the Georgia record books.

Vern Fleming

Courtesy of Georgia

Fleming was a four-year starter at point guard for the Bulldogs. When he graduated, Fleming had set six career school records, including marks for total points and assists. The 6-foot-5 guard was an All-America his senior year at Georgia and also played for the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic basketball team that year. Fleming played 12 seasons in the NBA, mostly for the Indiana Pacers.

Forrest "Spec" Towns

AP

An astounding athlete, Towns got his big break in track and field when a neighbor saw him high-jumping barefoot over a broomstick in his backyard. With coaching, Towns developed into a dominant hurdler, winning the 1936 NCAA title in the 100-meter hurdles in world record time. Later that year, Towns captured the gold medal in the Berlin Olympics besting his record time in the event. Remarkably, Towns improved his world record time again that year, by four-tenths of second in Norway to 13.7 seconds. In 1990, Georgia named its track and field facility the "Spec Towns Track."

Bob McWhorter

Courtesy of Georgia

At 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, McWhorter might not have stood out in a crowd, but he was hard to miss on the field. From 1910-13, McWhorter scored 61 touchdowns for Georgia at tailback. He was the school's first football All-America in 1913 and would later be elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. In addition to leading the football team, McWhorter also captained the baseball team. Years later, the Athens native would serve four terms as the city's mayor.

Dominique Wilkins

Manny Millan/SI

"The Human Highlight Film" posterized opponents for Georgia before making the leap to stardom with the Atlanta Hawks. Wilkins ended his career as Georgia's all-time leading scorer and still holds the mark for most points scored in a single season. A three-time All-SEC selection, Wilkins was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

Fran Tarkenton

Courtesy of Georgia

Born and raised in Athens, Tarkenton was called "the greatest quarterback to ever play the game," when he suited up for Bud Grant's Minnesota Vikings. In 1959, in a play that went down in Georgia history, Tarkenton threw a fourth-down touchdown pass to lead the Bulldogs past Auburn and win the conference title. A College Football Hall of Fame member and a 1960 All-America, Tarkenton played 18 years in the NFL and led the Vikings to three Super Bowl appearances.

Gwen Torrence

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One of the greatest female sprinters in U.S. track and field history, Torrence was a four-time NCAA champion and 12-time All-America at Georgia. In 1992, the Decatur, Ga. native won two gold medals at the Barcelona Olympics in the 200 meters and 400-meter relay. In 1996, when the Summer Olympics were held in her home state, Torrence won gold again the 400-meter relay.

Frank Sinkwich

AP

1942 belonged to Frankie Sinkwich. That year he led Georgia to an 11-1 record, including a Rose Bowl victory over UCLA. He won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first player from the SEC to receive the prestigious award. Sinkwich was also voted the "No. 1 athlete of 1942" by the Associated Press. Sinkwich won in a landslide, ahead of Boston Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams, who hit for the Triple Crown that season.

Teresa Edwards

Courtesy of Georgia

Edwards carried the Bulldogs to two Final Fours and a 116-17 record during her four-year career at Georgia. A two-time consensus All-America, Edwards is also the only U.S. basketball player -- male or female -- to have played on five U.S. Olympic teams. Running the point, she led America to five gold and one bronze medals.

Herschel Walker

Chuck Solomon/Icon SMI

One of the greatest college football players in history, Walker set 11 NCAA and 41 school records during his time in Athens. He rushed for 5,259 yards as a Bulldog, the most ever by an NCAA player in a three-year span. Walker was also the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner. Off the gridiron, Walker was a two-time All-America on Georgia's track team.