Wednesday, the Courier introduced you to two of the 2009 Liberty County Sports Hall of Fame Inductees, J. Don Martin and Delano Little. Today, we introduce the final three inductees, two from Bradwell Institute and one from Liberty County High School.
Gary Guyton
Entering his second season in the NFL, New England Patriots linebacker Gary Guyton, a Bradwell Institute alum, started in two games in his first year as a pro and has started in every game this season so far.
In 2008, Guyton had 25 tackles, nine assists and defended three passes. This season, he has accumulated 37 total and 13 assisted tackles to date.His football career began as a BI Tigers where he lettered in football for three years and was named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s list of the top 50 high school players in Georgia. Guyton made 56 tackles, three sacks, three fumble recoveries, defended five passes and blocked a kick during his senior year. He tallied a career-high 59 tackles as a junior.
Guyton played four seasons at Georgia Tech where, as a senior, he finished second on the team with 78 tackles. He started all 13 games. Guyton had a career-high five sacks and averaged more than one tackle-for-loss per game. As a junior, he had 29 tackles and made 12 starts at outside linebacker. As a sophomore, he had 19 tackles, one sack and one pass defended.
This season, he started at outside linebacker in the Patriots’ 25-24 comeback victory over the Bills. He made his second straight start at inside linebacker against the Jets, leading the team in tackles and contributing a single-game career-high 13 tackles. Against Atlanta, Guyton had a team-high six tackles in the Patriots’ 26-10 victory over the Falcons.
His biggest game came against the Ravens. He teamed up with Vince Wilfork and Brandon McGowan to stuff Willis McGahee for no gain on a crucial fourth-and-one try in the fourth quarter, forcing a turnover on downs. Guyton also batted down a Joe Flacco pass in the first quarter, resulting in an 8-yard loss as Ravens tackle Michael Oher came down with the ball. Guyton broke up a Flacco pass intended for Todd Heap in the third quarter and tallied a single-game career-high three quarterback hits.
In 2008, Guyton played in 14 games with two starts and recorded 26 tackles.
Cedric Dickerson
The Canadian league professional football player is a native of Hinesville and a graduate of Liberty County High School.
Dickerson is in his second season as the Lassiter High School defensive backs and corners coach. Before going to Lassiter, he coached the secondary squad at Texas A&M-Commerce in 2007, where he had two players named all conference and one named to the Daktronics All Southwest Team.
Dickerson graduated from Valdosta State University, earning a degree in business administration management in 2002 and a marketing degree in 2004. At Valdosta, he was a four-year starter and three-time team captain. He was a member of the Blazer Football Team that won three conference titles (2000, 2001 and 2002) and was a part of the first team to advance to the National Championship. Dickerson was all conference three times, Daktronics All South twice and Daktronics All South All American in 2002. After Valdosta, he played professionally in the Canadian Football League for three years with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
As an LCHS Panther, he was named team captain for the football, basketball and track teams. He was named to the All Coastal Empire football team in 1998. He was an All Coastal Empire basketball team honorable mention in 1998 and also made the all region team the same year.
In 1998, Dickerson set a school record for the triple jump, which stood for four years. He was a member of the 4x400 relay team that set the school record still in existence and was part of the Panthers’ first championship winning track teams in 1998. That same year, Dickerson was named Liberty County High School athlete of the year.
He started the Cedric Dickerson Football Camp for Kids in 2006, which is held at the Liberty County Recreation Department. The camp reaches out to underprivileged and at risk youth.
Ronnie Brett
Brett was a BI Tiger football player from the class of 1960 and was the first in the school’s history to receive a football scholarship to the University of Tampa.
Brett lettered three years in football and baseball and lettered a year in track and basketball. On the Tiger football team, he was a three-year starter at guard, tackle and linebacker and was the team’s co-captain during his senior year. He was selected outstanding lineman of the year in his senior season and won the Frazier Rambo Sportsmanship Trophy. Brett made the all state first team as a tackle and was named outstanding lineman in the Southeast area of Georgia.
As a Tiger baseball player, he started three years as a first baseman and had a 400 plus hitting average in his junior and senior seasons. He was a shot-put thrower for the Tiger track team.
At the University of Tampa, Brett was a three year starter at the guard and linebacker position and played baseball for one year on the same team as Lou Piniella.
Brett majored in math and worked for 32 years as a computer system analyst with the Department of Defense before retiring. He was the president of his local chapter of the Retired Federal Employees.
The Hall of Fame banquet is set for 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 10, at Club Stewart on Fort Stewart. Buy tickets in advance from Gerald DeLoach. Call him at 876-2878 or e-mail deloachg@centurytel.com. Tickets are $15.