Columbus area’s link to past 8 college football champions guaranteed to add 1 more
Regardless of which team wins the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday night, the Columbus area is guaranteed to have a connection to that title.
And it will be the ninth straight year for this remarkable local link to national prominence. Here’s how:
Central-Phenix City’s CFP national championship streak
Thanks to research from Central-Phenix City High School historian Mark Clark, we can tell you the following former Red Devils were on the roster of these CFP national title winners during their championship seasons:
- 2017, LB Markail Benton of Alabama
- 2018, WR Justyn Ross of Clemson
- 2019, QB Peter Parrish of LSU
- 2020, OG Javion Cohen of Alabama
- 2021, WR Jackson Meeks of Georgia
- 2022, WR Jackson Meeks of Georgia
- 2023, WR Karmello English of Michigan.
Central’s streak was snapped in the CFP semifinals last season, when Notre Dame beat Penn State, with Central alum AJ Harris among the cornerbacks for the Nittany Lions. But we can confirm the Columbus area still had a connection to last season’s CFP winner, thanks to Sportsvisions 92.1 FM co-host DJ Jones, a former Carver High School quarterback who was on Georgia’s 1980 national championship team, and won three SEC titles as a player before going to the NFL.
Columbus area connection to CFP champion continues
When the Ohio State Buckeyes captured the title, Carver graduate Tim Walton, a former defensive back at Ohio State, coached that position for OSU.
That team had another link to the Columbus area in All-American safety Caleb Downs. He isn’t from the Chattahoochee Valley, but his father is.
Spencer High School alum Gary Downs was a running back at North Carolina State and played in parts of six seasons (1994-2000) in the NFL for the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons.
All of which brings us to this season’s CFP.
Return of Central Red Devils to CFP national title game
Central has one alum on each of the rosters for the teams competing to win the CFP trophy Monday night. Both are wide receivers.
E.J. Williams Jr., who lists Phenix City as his birthplace, is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound redshirt senior for Indiana. As one of the starters, he has played in 14 of the team’s 15 games this season, totaling 36 receptions for 438 yards and six touchdowns. He wears No. 7.
Daylyn Upshaw, who lists Columbus as his hometown, is a 6-foot, 195-pound freshman. He isn’t listed on the depth chart, but he played in five of Miami’s 15 games this season, totaling seven receptions for 105 yards. He wears No. 13.
