ATHENS——- Three University of Georgia graduates have been chosen for induction into the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in keeping with an announcement by the Macon-based Hall of Fame Tuesday.
Former gymnast Leah Brown, Bulldog kicker John Kasay, and former highschool and school basketball standout Bunny Fuller Harris will likely be formally enshrined throughout annual ceremonies in Macon, Feb. 20 and 21, 2026.
Brown is one of essentially the most embellished college students and student-athletes in UGA historical past. The Atlanta native was a 14-time All-American for the GymDogs from 1994-97 and ranked primary nationally within the All-Around, Vault, and Floor competitors and No. 2 on bars in 1997. She scored a ten.0 16 instances on vault and 3 times on ground throughout her profession. Brown was the primary gymnast in NCAA historical past of rating a ten.0 in her first collegiate meet. She was the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Award for Black Issues in Higher Education in 1995.
After receiving her undergraduate diploma in genetics, she joined the U.S. Navy in 1999 and attended medical faculty at Ohio State. She did her internship on the Naval Medical Center in San Diego earlier than serving as a battalion surgeon on the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
In 2006, she was deployed as a Medical Aid Station Director throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2012, Brown was deployed to Afghanistan to function the Orthopedic Surgery Department Head throughout Operation Enduring Freedom. During her deployment she was awarded the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal and Navy Commendation Medal.
Since 2013, Brown has served as an orthopedic surgeon with the U.S. Navy Reserves, together with operating her personal observe within the Phoenix, Arizona space.
She was inducted into the UGA Circle of Honor in 2016 and in 2023 served because the UGA Spring Commencement speaker.
A four-year letterman at UGA (1987-90), Kasay completed his collegiate profession with 217 whole factors, changing 46-of-65 discipline targets and 79-of-82 further factors.
The left-footed Athens, Georgia, native started his promising collegiate profession early as a real freshman in 1987. He skilled heroics when he kicked a 39-yard discipline purpose as time expired lifting the Bulldogs to a 20-17 victory over Arkansas within the 1987 Liberty Bowl.
Following his senior 12 months, Kasay was named third-team All-America by Football News and second-team All-SEC.
He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks within the fourth spherical of the 1991 NFL draft. Following the ’91 season, he was named to the All-Rookie group by the Professional Football Writers Association. Kasay went on to play for Seattle for 4 years main the Seahawks in scoring all 4 years and left the group with the best discipline purpose proportion in group historical past.
He signed with the Carolina Panthers the place he performed for 15 seasons making the NFL Pro Bowl group in 1996, the identical 12 months he led the NFL in scoring. He completed his profession in 2011 with the New Orleans Saints however in 2013, signed a one-day contract with Carolina so he might retire as a Panther. Kasay kicked 461 discipline targets in his NFL profession and accounted for 1,970 factors scored.
Harris was instrumental in a basketball dynasty for the Lady Vikings of Taylor County High School, scoring over 2,200 factors, and averaging 22 factors per recreation, whereas holding a private profitable streak of 100 straight video games, together with 4 championships.
She performed collegiately at Middle Georgia College (1972-74) the place she led her group to a junior school state championship earlier than transferring to UGA (1974-76), turning into a two-year letter winner, and the main scorer within the Lady Bulldogs’ first-ever profitable season, whereas averaging 18.9 factors a recreation.
She has additionally written a guide titled “There Was Once a Team”, in regards to the Lady Vikings and the state file 132 straight wins and 5 state championships from 1967-72.