ATLANTA —The Atlanta Falcons hosted the second annual High School Football Award Show presented by Emory Healthcare on Thursday to honor Georgia high school student-athletes, coaches and staff members who have made an impact both on and off the field this year.
The honors presented at the High School Football Award Show included:
· High School Man of the Year presented by Georgia Power
· Trailblazer Award presented by Georgia Power
· High School Coach of the Year
· High School Assistant Coaches of the Year
· Athletic Trainer of the Year presented by Emory Healthcare
High School Man of the Year presented by Georgia Power
Modeled after the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, the Atlanta Falcons High School Man of the Year honors a high school football student-athlete who embodies excellence on and off the field. Falcons Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year and All-Pro guard Chris Lindstrom presented Jacob Benjamin of Cherokee Bluff High School with the honor. Benjamin, a senior offensive lineman, earned first-team all-state honors and was named the 8-4A Region Lineman of the Year by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Off the field, the team captain earned a weighted GPA of 4.36 and is a member of the National Honor Society, Youth Leadership Hall Program and volunteers with the Next Generation Character, Community and Changes (NG3) Ministries. Benjamin will continue his education and football career at the United States Military Academy West Point.
Trailblazer Award presented by Georgia Power
The Atlanta Falcons Trailblazer Award recognizes a Georgia high school student-athlete who has gone above and beyond to contribute her girls flag football team on the field, while an impact in her community. FOX 5's Kelly Price presented the second-annual Trailblazer Award to Joelle "JoJo" Miller of Blessed Trinity High School in Roswell, Ga. As a senior, Miller led Blessed Trinity with 54 flag pulls in 2022 – the second most in a single season in program history. In the classroom, Miller earned the Jefferson Book Award and the Phi Beta Kappa Award – the most prestigious awards presented to seniors – and was named a National Merit Commended Scholar. In addition to her work at Blessed Trinity, Miller helped establish Smiles for Cancer, an organization that raised more than $23,000 for cancer research. Upon graduation Joelle will be attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., where she will run track and play soccer.
High School Coach of the Year
The Atlanta Falcons High School Coach of the Year recognizes head coach that represents integrity, leadership, perseverance, dedication to the community, commitment to player protection and on-field success. Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith presented Tony Lotti with the 2022 Coach of the Year honor after Lotti recovered from surgery to remove multiple brain tumors and complications which nearly took his life and returned to coach Apalachee High School in 2022. Unable to afford any contact to his head, the former Region 8-AAAAA Coach of the Year wore a hockey helmet on the sidelines this season to show gratitude to everyone who helped him recover and return to coaching. Lotti served as Atlanta's honorary captain in Week 17 against Tampa Bay and attended Super Bowl LVI as the Falcons nominee for the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award.
High School Assistant Coaches of the Year
Josh Carmichael of Hiram High School, Robert Hill of Athens Academy, Tavares Lewis of Treutlen High School and Ryan Manard of Pelham High School were honored as the inaugural High School Assistant Coaches of the Year. In addition to serving as the quarterbacks coach and strength coordinator for Hiram High School's football team, Carmichael coaches multiple sports and goes above and beyond for his student-athletes in need off the field. Hill teaches math, coaches football and track and field at Athens Academy, and can often be found giving back to his community, even dressing as Santa Claus around the holidays. An alumnus of Treutlen High School, Lewis coaches special teams, defensive backs and running backs at his alma mater where he has built a strong rapport with his players both on and off the field. Manard coaches offensive line and special teams at Pelham, while running the equipment room and teaching math. He also serves as the head coach of the golf team and filled in as the wrestling coach this past year, stepping up when called upon and serving as a role model for his student-athletes.
Athletic Trainer of the Year presented by Emory Healthcare
Chris Carruth of West Hall High School in Oakwood, Ga., was honored by the Falcons and Emory Healthcare as the High School Athletic Trainer of the Year for his service and dedication to high school athletes. Carruth serves as the head athletic trainer for all varsity sports at West Hall and sprang into action when a student-athlete collapsed during a volleyball game this year. Due to his expediency to assist and begin necessary protocol, the athlete came to and recovered quickly. Carruth began his career as an athletic training intern for the Falcons in 2015 before going on to become a certified athletic trainer at West Hall.
