MACON SPORTS HALL OF FAME
CLASS OF 2005
ELTON "BUBBER" ADAMS
Elton “Bubber” Adams played baseball at Lanier High School and Mercer University. Bubber was an outstanding pitcher for legendary Mercer baseball coach Claude Smith during the mid-1960’s. He then launched his coaching career at Stratford Academy in 1969 where he spent 33 years compiling an impressive 543-158 record with nine State Championships and 4 State runner ups. He was GISA coach of the year 7 times. Adams was joined by fellow Hall-of-Famer Bobby Hendley to comprise one of the best coaching staffs in high school baseball. Thirty six of the Stratford players earned college scholarships and six were drafted by major league baseball teams. A member of the Stratford Hall of Fame, The Eagles Baseball complex is named in Coach Adam’s honor.
BOBBY BROWN
Bobby Brown was an outstanding multi-sport athlete at Lanier High School and signed a professional baseball contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization. While his major league dreams never materialized, Bobby embarked on a very successful and influential coaching career. With stops at Lanier, Mark Smith, Stratford and FPD, Brown claimed four football State Championships and one more in baseball. In 1965, his final coaching year at Lanier, his baseball team won the State AAA Title. After a stint at Mark Smith, Brown won three straight State Titles at Stratford after starting the program in 1970. Bobby moved to Stratford’s cross-town rival FPD and won another State Title in 1980. His overall coaching record in football was 131-41-2.
JACKIE CRANFORD
Jackie Cranford was a heavyweight boxer who had a professional record of 41 wins, which included 26 knockouts, 10 losses (5 by knockout) and 2 draws in his 53 matches. He was referred to as the second Gene Tunney. Jackie started boxing in Washington, DC while in high school and later turned professional. He took a brief absence from the ring to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1942-1945, but after his discharge he continued his professional career. At one point he ranked third in the heavyweight division. Cranford retired in 1948, returning to Macon where he worked as a boxing referee and manager. Jackie was inducted in the Boxing Hall of Fame in Washington, DC in 1987.
ROBERT DAVIS
Robert Davis was the first football coach at Macon's Westside High School after spending 24 seasons at Warner Robins. With the Demons, he built a national powerhouse. In 36 seasons on the sidelines he racked up more than 350 wins, two National Championships, (1976 and 1981) and three State Titles (1976, 1981 and 1988). Davis coached such NFL standouts as: James Brooks, Kevin Porter, Eddie Anderson, and Ben Smith among others. Davis took the challenge of beginning a program at Westside in Macon and immediately made an impact. He guided the Seminoles to five 10-win seasons including his 2008 team which was ranked #1 during the season and finished the year 12-1 losing to eventual State Champion Tucker in the State semifinals. NFL standout Kareem Jackson was one of Davis’ prize players at Westside. Davis retired with a career record of 354-74-1 and was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
TOM FONTAINE
Tom Fontaine was a civic leader who was a charter member and president of the Macon Kiwanis Club. He was instrumental in bringing little league baseball to Macon in 1952. He received a meritorious service award for counseling, assisting, and guiding the Macon Little League throughout District 5 in 1960. The Macon Little League field on Anthony Road is named in his honor. In fact, the park was renovated in 2018 thanks to grants from the Scotts Field Refurbishment Program and the Atlanta Braves Foundation. Former Brave David Ross, a Scott’s ambassador, played a key role in selecting the field for a renovation. Out of 350 applications from 315 cities, Scotts chose Macon as one its four destinations for a field refurbishing and dedication.
JOHNNY HENDERSON
Johnny Henderson played the three major sports at Mt. de Sales and was named Macon Telegraph Football Player of the Year in 1973. He boasted a career batting average of .500 in baseball and was drafted in the third round by the Chicago Cubs, but spurned the offer to sign a football scholarship at the University of Georgia. He was a three year starter at Defensive Back for the Bulldogs. Henderson snagged 4 interceptions in 1976 for the famed “Junkyard Dog” defense. He also made a critical fourth down stop that season against Florida with the Gators leading 27-20 and driving. Georgia would rally to win that game. Johnny is the son of fellow Hall-of-Famer Billy Henderson. Following playing career coached for 12 years at U.T. Chattanooga and N.C. State.
GREG MONTGOMERY
Greg Montgomery was a football standout on the second football team to take the field for Southwest High School. Signed a football scholarship to play for the legendary “Bear” Bryant at Alabama and became the first freshman to start for the Crimson Tide after the NCAA ruled they were eligible to play in 1972. Montgomery lettered four years, first as an offensive lineman and then as a linebacker. In 1973, Greg blocked a punt through the end zone for a safety in the Tide’s 43-13 win over the Miami Hurricanes securing a Sugar Bowl berth. Alabama would lose that Sugar Bowl to Notre Dame 24-23 but were still crowned UPI National Champions. In 1975, Montgomery’s senior season, the Tide closed the year with wins over Auburn in Shug Jordan’s final game, and Penn State in the Sugar Bowl.
MYLES PATRICK
Myles Patrick was a member of the first state basketball State Championship team at Southwest for Don Richardson in 1973-1974. As a senior averaged 25 points and 22 rebounds a game. He was a Parade All-American and college coaches from throughout the country came to Macon to recruit Patrick. He landed at Auburn and was a four-year letterman where he averaged 8.3 points and 6.5 rebounds during his career for coach Bob Davis. The Tigers were 18-8 Patrick’s freshman season but a .500 team over the next three years. Patrick was a 50% shooter from the floor and an impressive 75% free-throw shooter. Undrafted, Myles played briefly in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers. He averaged 1.7 points per game. Patrick played internationally for 9 years and briefly back in the states in the Continental and Western Basketball Leagues.
BEN ZAMBIASI
Ben Zambiasi was a three year letterman in football and baseball at Mt. de Sales. He led the Cavaliers to 3 State football championships and was named All-State in 1973. He was a three time All SEC linebacker at University of Georgia in the mid 1970’s and had 465 tackles in his career. In 1978, he was the tenth round choice of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. Midway through the 1978 season, he decided to join the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL as a Linebacker. He was named the Most Outstanding Rookie in the Eastern Division in 1978, and received All-Eastern and All-Canadian honors throughout his playing career. In 1979, he won the Schenley Award for the Most Outstanding Defensive Player in the CFL. In 1988, Zambiasi joined the Toronto Argonauts and played his final season of a 11-year career. Zambiasi has been named to the Tiger-Cats Walk of Fame and Wall of Honor, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and is a member of the University of Georgia’s Team of the Century.