Southwest’s Dupree among Macon Sports Hall of Fame inductees

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The only quarterback to ever start a game for both the University of Georgia and Georgia Southern was among the eight 2015 Macon Sports Hall of Fame inductees Thursday at the Macon Centreplex.

Joe Dupree played high school ball at Southwest High School and now serves as athletics director and head football coach there.

“The guys that I coach and teach at Southwest, I want to be role models for them,” Dupree says. “I want to show them that there is a way out of the community that we’re in. You’ve just got to work hard, be dedicated and have all the support in the world like I had.”

Joining Dupree in the hall are former Stratford football coach Rodney Collins, Mercer baseball coach and River North graduate Craig Gibson, former Southwest basketball player Lewis Linder, former president of the Georgia State Golf Association and Lanier graduate Gene McClure, founder of the track program at FPD and Mount de Sales graduate Chad McDaniel, former Willingham High School football player Ron Wallace and triathlete and Mount de Sales graduate Anne Wright.

The 1975 Central High School football team, which won the AAA state title, was also honored at the banquet, as well as current high school scholar athletes.

The Macon Sports Hall of Fame began inductions in 1976. Its operation was suspended in 1978 and dormant until being revived in 2000.

More than 200 have been inducted.