Local athletes celebrated, stories exchanged at Macon Sports Hall of Fame’s 2025 induction ceremony

Eric Manuel makes it back to his hometown about once a year, so being around family and some friends is fairly routine.

But this was different.

Standing in front of a microphone — and in front of family and friends he hadn’t seen in a good while, as well as familiar faces he’d known for decades — was an adjustment.

“I’m trying to hold it together,” he said only seconds into his speech. “I’m going to get it.”

Manuel was one of 10 inductees to the Macon Sports Hall of Fame who were celebrated Tuesday night in the Monument Room of the Macon Coliseum. 

The moment got to him quickly, and more than once, including when thanking his parents, who died in 2019 and 2020.

Manuel’s career was a notable one, from going to Kentucky to leaving after a well-publicized academic and testing issue to winning two NAIA national titles at Oklahoma City University. He had to rely on his mother and the Bible, quoting John 16:33.

“‘I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and (tribulations). But take heart, because I have overcome the world.’ I use that, because when I was at Kentucky … I was pretty much ‘the heck with basketball.’ I just thought everything was over. But then, my mom would always have a conversation,” Manuel said.

That led him back to the court, his championships and playing in Europe.

“When things are hard in life,” he said, “you just have to push forward.”

He was joined by another former basketball standout in Macon who played in the SEC, Central grad Marcus Grant. Manuel played for the legendary Don “Duck” Richardson, Grant for the mighty successful Randy Brown.

Grant was prepared for a career in the SEC.

“When you go to college, those college coaches, they chew you up and spit you out,” said Grant, who still looked like he was capable of some baseline-to-baseline ball. “Fortunately for me, I had been chewed out. I was already used to it.”

Both came from afar for the ceremony, Manuel from Oklahoma City and Grant from Starkville, Mississippi, where he has spent a chunk of his life after graduating from Central. He played and then coached at Mississippi State, and now works for an MSU-connected NIL initiative.

The state championship Northeast girls track team of 1979 made its presence known 46 years ago, and several members made their presence known vocally Tuesday night as the team honored by the hall.

Legendary coach Alvin Copeland was all smiles in the middle of so many former athletes, as well as watching longtime protégé and assistant Randy Crawford be inducted.

More than 400 friends, family and fans packed the Monument Room, the festivities starting with the annual honoring of a female and male scholar-athlete from all 14 Bibb County high schools.

Hezekiah Jackson was honored for his decades of work with the Bibb County school system, currently as the athletics facilities supervisor, with the Bobby Pope Service to Sports Award.

Then came the speeches, which ranged from efficient to lengthy, with some emotion, humor, and poignance sprinkled throughout.

Hall of Famer Janet Allman Battcher spoke for her deceased brother Marty, who was her hero growing up as a standout at Lanier.

She was 13 when she had to ride with the family to an out-of-town football game her brother was playing in.

The Lanier team stopped after the game to eat at a steakhouse. But this was the 1960s, and little was simple.

“Marty would not leave the school bus because the restaurant would not let Isaac Jackson, a Black player, in to eat,” she said, referencing the legendary running back. “He stayed on the bus, and our parents came out with food for them.

“It never occurred to me at that time how selfless that was, until several years later.”

Jeremy Wiggins is one of two inductees (along with shooter Kevin DeMichiel) still active. The former Northeast football standout leads the Raiders’ football team. One of his prized pupils was on hand, running back Nick Woodford, on the long list of county scholar-athletes honored.

Wiggins’ ability meant a whole lot of travel for his parents, who after roaming around Middle Georgia and the state while he was competing in multiple sports at Northeast expanded the travel experience when he went to Appalachian State.

“All the practices they took me to, my brothers, taking me down … to play my years of football, all the way up to being at college,” he said. “They traveled everywhere. I don’t think they missed but two games throughout my college career and high school career.”

Johnny Crawford spent nearly two dozen years taking abuse from football coaches in the SEC and other conferences as an official. Always a quick wit, he drew the biggest laugh of the night when introducing his three daughters, two with husbands alongside.

And then…

“Claire, with her boyfriend,” Crawford said, looking to the table. “What’s your name?”

He then claimed to know the boyfriend’s name, only to offer a different name.

Crawford was on the 1975 Central team that won the GHSA Class 3A state football title and eventually became an official. But there was a setback before he embarked on a long SEC career, showing that adversity even hits the refs, part of his advice to the high schoolers on hand.

“Be coachable, listen to people,” he said. “Don’t give up, because people are going to tell you you can’t do it. Doors are going to close.”

He recalled getting a letter in the mid-1990s from the SEC supervisor officials telling him thanks, but no thanks, his services as a ref for that year were not required, and probably wouldn’t be.   

“Four or five years later, that same supervisor hired me, and put me on my first crew,” he said. “Be passionate, be coachable, and keep trucking along, even when you’re told ‘no.’”

Macon SHOF Class of 2025

Marty Allman, Johnny Crawford, Randy Crawford, Kevin DeMichiel, Morgan Johnson Faulk, Marcus Grant, Eric Manuel, Gene Pollard, Jimmy Seward, Jeremy Wiggins, Hezekiah Jackson

Bibb County Scholar-Athletes

ACE: Sara Rhett Farmer and James Patterson
Central: Leah Howard and Jesus Anguiano
Central Fellowship: Avery Queen and Zack Lunceford
Covenant: Caroline Mercer and Ben McGhee
FPD: Emory Thompson and Lawson Andress
Howard: Abigail Hardy and Donald Williams III
Mount de Sales: Carter Sparks and Graham Blackwell
Northeast: Hayley Terry and Nicholas Woodford
Rutland: Leah Gary and Garrett Roberts
Southwest: Faith King and Aidan Young
Stratford: Sophie Leigh and Brooks Garner
Tattnall: Gradie Appling and William Stuart
Westside: Kaila Lucas and Tr’Kivan Pringle
Windsor: Emma Newbern and Jayden Slappey