Columbus high school football coaching legend to be inducted to state Hall of Fame
He played a large part in building Carver into the high school football powerhouse it is today, sending countless athletes to Division I programs and beyond.
Now, Wallace Davis is receiving a new honor.
Davis will be inducted into the Georgia Athletic Directors Association Hall of Fame on June 5. Davis told the Ledger-Enquirer he learned of the news around one week ago, saying it was a “big surprise.”
“I’ve been out of coaching for 16 years, and I didn’t think about no other honors,” Davis said. “ ... During my years as an athletic director and football coach, I took the cards that I was dealt and did the best I could to make Carver successful.”
Davis served as an assistant coach at Carver from 1967-1971, when the school was in the Georgia Interscholastic Association. During desegregation, he was assigned to Hardaway (1971-1976) before returning to Carver and serving as head football coach and athletic director from 1976-2004. He also coached track and field.
In 297 games at Carver, Davis finished with a 129-166-2 record, including three region championships. Davis is also a Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame member.
“We probably sent more kids to D1 colleges than any school in Columbus,” Davis said.
That list includes D.J. Jones, who played at the University of Georgia, and then in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos. It also includes Brentson Buckner, who played in the NFL for 11 years and is the Arizona Cardinals defensive line coach.
Davis also coached Tim Walton, who played for Ohio State and now coaches cornerbacks for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“If I had to give a kid some advice: Get your school work first,” Davis said. “If you want to be a D1 athlete, first, you’ve got to be an athlete, you’ve got to have something the coaches are looking for. ... You’ve got to get your book work first. Keep your nose clean, stay out of trouble.”
Those nominated must have served a minimum of 10 years as an athletic director in Georgia, according to GADA’s Hall of Fame application form. The school must be a member of GHSA, and if retired, the person must have held the responsibilities of an athletic director.
The application form is a five-page document that asks for career accomplishments, defining moments and other achievements.
Davis and Charlie Jordan, a graduate of Jenkins High School, are the two inductees for 2021.
Representatives from GADA did not return requests for comment.
