THE FLATS – Two of the most decorated student-athletes in Georgia Tech history, Calvin Johnson and Mark Teixeira, have been selected for induction to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Authority announced on Monday.
Johnson and Teixeira are part of an eight-member class that will be inducted the weekend of Feb. 22-23, 2019 in Macon.
One of the most successful wide receivers in the history of both college and professional football, Johnson was a three-time all-Atlantic Coast Conference honoree and two-time first-team all-American during his three-year Georgia Tech career (2004-06). He remains the only three-time all-conference performer and one of only six two-time first-team all-Americans in the 125-year history of Tech football. He caught 178 passes for 2,927 yards and 28 touchdowns in three seasons as a Yellow Jacket and still holds six school records – receiving yards in a career and season (1,202 in 2006), touchdown receptions in a career and season (15 in 2006) and 100-yard receiving games in a career (13) and season (seven in 2006).
After winning the Biletnikoff Award and Paul Warfield Trophy (both presented to college football’s top wide receiver) and finishing 10th in balloting for the Heisman Trophy as a junior in 2006, Johnson was selected by the Detroit Lions with the second overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. He went on to be a three-time first-team All-Pro (2011-13), a six-time Pro Bowler (2010-15) and two-time NFL leader in receiving yards (2011-12) in nine seasons with the Lions (2007-15). He holds four NFL records, including most single-season receiving yards (1,964 in 2012), consecutive 100-yard receiving games (eight), consecutive games with 10-plus receptions (four) and 100-yard receiving games in a season (11) and finished his pro career with 731 catches for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns.
He was inducted to the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 and will be inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in December.
Teixeira hit .409 with 44 doubles, 36 home runs and 165 RBI in three seasons at Georgia Tech (1999-2001). He was a two-time all-ACC honoree, the 1999 ACC Rookie of the Year, the 2000 ACC Player of the Year, a two-time all-American (second team as a freshman in 1999, consensus first-team in 2000) and the winner of the 2000 Dick Howser Trophy as college baseball’s national player of the year. Playing third base for the Yellow Jackets, Teixeira hit .387 with 18 doubles, 13 home runs and 65 RBI as a freshman in 1999 and followed that up by hitting .427 with 21 doubles, 18 home runs and 80 RBI as a sophomore in 2000. He was limited to just 16 games as a junior due to an ankle injury but still hit .419 to become only the third player in ACC history to hit .400 or better for his career.
He was selected No. 5 overall by the Texas Rangers in the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft (tied for the third-highest draft pick in Georgia Tech baseball history) and went on to play 14 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Rangers (2003-07), Atlanta Braves (2007-08), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2008) and New York Yankees (2009-16). He was a three-time MLB All-Star (2005, 2009, 2015), three-time Silver Slugger Award winner (2004, 2005, 2009), five-time Gold Glove winner (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012) and led the American League in home runs (39) and RBI (122) in 2009, when he also won the World Series with the Yankees.
In addition to his on-field honors, Teixeira, an economics major, earned first-team Academic All-America recognition in 2000. He was inducted to the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
The 2019 Georgia Sports Hall of Fame induction weekend includes a golf tournament and jacket ceremony on Friday, Feb. 22, followed by a Fan Fest autograph session and the induction ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 23. Joining Johnson and Teixeira in the Class of 2019 are Brenda Cliette (track and field), Ernie Johnson, Jr. (broadcaster), T. McFerrin (football coach), Takeo Spikes (football), Gary Stokan (president/CEO – Peach Bowl), Ben Zambiasi (football). For more information, visit http://www.gshf.org.
Georgia Tech will celebrate Johnson’s induction to the College Football Hall of Fame with a traditional CFB HOF On-Campus Salute in conjunction with the Yellow Jackets’ ACC showdown versus Miami (Fla.) on Nov. 10. Tickets are still available – click HERE for more information and to buy tickets online.
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