Matt Harpring and Jerry Mays

[GTRambler]

Former Georgia Tech standout stays ‘close to the game’ in a unique way

Once a star running back at Thomson High and Georgia Tech, Jerry Mays will be among 30 former players inducted into the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.

www.ajc.com

 

[DeepSnap]

He's a class act..... about 20 years ago when the GT FB Letterwinners still had a spring golf outing, I was fortunate to be placed in the foursome with Jerry.... BTW, he's a pretty good golfer, too, and he carried us old guys (we were the age he is now!) in the shotgun start, best ball play.

 

[4shotB]

To me, he is NOT just Jerry Mays...he is Jerry "Scooter" Mays dotting the i as the Jackets break the huddle with big John Davis and Dewberry under center. His name just sounds better when big Al said it.

 

[5277hike]

I lived in Thomson Ga for the first 10 years after I got out of Tech and went to all of the THS games. Jerry was a really great high school back, and lead a good Thomson team to a state championship. I was pleased that he chose Tech (iirc he had few offers) but thought he was just too small for major college ball. He proved me and a lot of others wrong. I have always been a big fan.

 

[GSOJacket]

It was amazing seeing this 160 pound back slither through tiny cracks most of us didn't know were there. A unique player and a throwback to a generation of pony backs from an earlier era. Happy to see Jerry is doing well today.

 

[Techster]

Matt Harpring has another son that's a QB?! I'm sure Key is keeping tabs.

 

[takethepoints]

It was amazing seeing this 160 pound back slither through tiny cracks most of us didn't know were there. A unique player and a throwback to a generation of pony backs from an earlier era. Happy to see Jerry is doing well today.

I alway felt the same way. How did he do it? And once he was past the LOS, how did he get so ciute all of a sudden? I always called him what my dad's comrades called the Dauntless SBD dive bomber: "Slow, But Deadly."

Update: I see Robert Lavette is in the same class as Jerry. Good. Lavette had the same kind of talent; I always wondered how he found room to run, but he always did.

 

[forensicbuzz]

Matt Harpring has another son that's a QB?! I'm sure Key is keeping tabs.

Matt has a brother that was a QB at Akron.