Bradley Roby (a Peachtree Ridge football alum), Brian McCann (Duluth baseball), Jennifer Gardner (Norcross basketball), Will Hinton (Dacula rifle), Dexter Wood (Buford football) and television personality Buck Lanford (South Gwinnett) made up the Class of 2025.
Each member of the 12th class to be inducted were present Monday night to receive their hall of fame jackets and address the audience of several hundred family members, fans and community members. Georgia Tech head football coach Brent Key also entertained the crowd as the keynote speaker.
The first inductee, Bradley Roby, was forgiven by the group for deciding to play his college ball at Ohio State following his standout career in Suwanee at Peachtree Ridge.
The dual-sport phenom was the 2009 Region 7-AAAAA 100 meter champion in track and field, while boasting a dominant senior football campaign with 11 total touchdowns for the Lions.
Roby then led the nation in passes defended in 2012 at Ohio State, while tying the program record with 17 pass breakups as a junior. The Denver Broncos’ first-round pick in 2014 went on to be an integral piece of the franchise’s Super Bowl winning season in 2015.
Part of the reason that the Gwinnett County faithful — many of whom are Georgia Bulldogs — will overlook the fact that Roby chose to be a Buckeye, is because of the way the NFL veteran has chosen to remember his roots. Roby holds annual youth camps at Peachtree Ridge in hopes of “inspiring the next generation of young athletes.” And Roby isn’t the only member of his family that has remained an important part of the county.
“My lovely mother, Betty, still works with the Gwinnett County School District,” Roby said. “I’ve been joking with her all day, I’m going into the Hall of Fame, but she’s the one who deserves it. She’s always helped and supported me. I remember early on her telling me that I was going to be in the NFL one day. Kids say a lot of things, but when the parent actually pushes them in that direction, it makes a huge difference. … It’s a true honor to be inducted here amongst a lot of people who have done great things. I’m happy and excited that my friends and family are able to be here, because everyone knows it takes a village.”
No matter the many collegiate allegiances in the audience Monday, nearly everyone was fond of the next inductee — former Duluth Wildcats and Atlanta Braves star McCann.
Although it was noted that McCann also played for the New York Yankees and won a World Series in Houston with the Astros, there’s no doubt that the Georgia kid will always be remembered as a Brave. Introduced with a video by lifelong friend and former teammate Jeff Francoeur, McCann received a warm welcome as one of the “Baby Braves” of years past.
“I want to thank the Gwinnett County Hall of Fame and my fellow inductees. What a year to go in with,” McCann said. “I moved down here in sixth grade from Huntington, West Virginia, and when my parents told me and my brother, we were like, ‘We ain’t going.’ But obviously if that doesn’t happen, I’m not standing here. I love this area. Growing up in Gwinnett County, there’s something in the water here. They produce big-time athletes, but I really think it’s the way of life.”
McCann compiled 1,590 hits and 282 home runs in his 15-year MLB career, but not one of those base knocks compared to seeing his parents at almost every home game he played.
“I really don’t miss playing all that much. But I do miss getting a big hit in a big spot and looking up to Section 220 and seeing my mom and dad go nuts,” McCann said. “My parents missed very few games, especially here at home. Every day I would walk up the steps in my gear, and wait to hear that whistle from my dad. So I need to hear it one more time.”
Howie McCann then answered the call with a crowd-pleasing whistle, resulting in a round of applause from the audience on hand.
The next two inductees followed their athletic careers with something much more important than sport — acts of service. Former Norcross girls basketball and Western Carolina University great Gardner has served as a Gwinnett County Public Schools police officer, while former Dacula trap shooter Hinton is a U.S. Army marksmanship staff sergeant.
Gardner was a four-time letter winner at Norcross, where she was named to the Gwinnett All-County Team each year of her prep career. She only progressed from there, leaving Western Carolina as one of the program’s best — she was also inducted into the Catamounts’ Hall of Fame in 2024.
“Although I’m no longer on the court, I take every lesson I’ve learned with me every single day,” Gardner said Monday. “Respect, hard work, determination and perseverance are just some of the things I try to pour into the students that walk the hallways, because that’s what has paved the way for my success.”
In a county dominated by team sports, Hinton became the first shooter to don the Gwinnett Hall of Fame jacket. After growing up on what he called, “the cow pastures of Dacula,” Hinton went on to become an Olympian and World Cup competitor across his illustrious trap shooting career.
And even after traveling as far as Doha, Qatar to compete, it’s that rural Gwinnett background that opened the door.
“When people think of Gwinnett County, they think of the sports mecca that it is,” Hinton said. “They think of townhomes, new developments. I think cow pastures. I think of the rural communities and the closeness that I had growing up. I also think of hard work and hot summers. But the biggest thing I think of, is how blessed I am with friends and family that hav... Click here to read full article
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