COMMUNITY
a national training camp for the senior United States
women’s national soccer team.
Kendell Williams, a Kell High School graduate, was a
seven-time NCAA champion in track and field for the
University of Georgia and went on to play for the U.S.
in the 2016 Olympics.
Locals can find another home-grown athlete at
the ballpark when the Atlanta Braves play at Truist
Park: shortstop Dansby Swanson is a Marietta High
School alumnus. On the Yankees, pitcher David Hale
played baseball at The Walker School. Boston Red
Sox infielder Michael Chavis is a Marietta native and
Sprayberry graduate.
Walton’s Carter Kieboom plays for the Washington
Nationals, Pope’s Steve Wilkerson is in the Baltimore
Orioles organization, Pope’s Duane Underwood Jr. is
a Chicago Cub and Kell’s Adam Morgan pitches for
the Phillies.
Cobb has recently sent a number of players to
the NFL, including back-to-back first-round draft
picks. Bradley Chubb was selected with the No. 5
overall selection in 2018 by the Denver Broncos.
The year prior, Evan Ingram, went with the No. 23
pick to the New York Giants. Both men played for
and graduated from Hillgrove High School. A third
Hillgrove footballer, Kenyan Drake, plays for the
Arizona Cardinals.
Other Cobb players in the league include South
Cobb’s Justin Jones with the Los Angeles Chargers,
Sprayberry’s Jerick McKinnon and McEachern’s
Kofi Amichia with the San Fransisco 49ers. In 2020,
McEachern graduate Tremaine Anchrum was drafted
to the Los Angeles Rams.
The NBA currently has two former Cobb stars
quickly making a name for themselves. Wheeler’s
Jaylen Brown has been with the Boston Celtics since
2016, and Pebblebrook’s Collin Sexton was the firstround
selection of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018.
Former Harrison High School quarterback Justin
Fields got his college football start at UGA before
joining the Ohio State Buckeyes. Other Cobb athletes
of note include quarterback Eric Zeier, who played for
Marietta High School before going on to play at the
University of Georgia and the NFL.
Cody Runnels turned a successful wrestling career
at Lassiter High School into years of professional
wrestling. He wrestles as Cody Rhodes and serves as an
executive for the new All Elite Wrestling organization.
Rhodes has also had a few stints as an actor, making
appearances on the Netflix superhero show “Arrow” in
its fifth and seventh seasons.
Former Sprayberry wrestler Austin Watson has
achieved great notoriety with World Wrestling
Entertainment under the name of Xavier Woods.
POLITICS
Retired U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson lives in east Cobb.
He announced his retirement in August 2019 due to
health challenges related to Parkinson’s disease after 45
years of public service.
Former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes grew up in
Mableton and lives in Marietta, where his law firm
is based.
Other notable political locals include former U.S.
Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, former U.S.
Rep. Bob Barr and Gen. Lucius D. Clay, a hero of the
Berlin Airlift.
Carolyn Meadows, an east Cobb native, is president
of the National Rifle Association.
FACTBOOK 2021 29
MAC
POWELL
JOHNNY
ISAKSON
TRAVIS
TRITT
KENDELL
WILLIAMS