Andy Johnson funeral set for Sunday
Andy Johnson will be laid to rest after a weekend service at Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens. The graveside service is set for 3:30 Sunday afternoon. Johnson died earlier this week at the age of 65. He was a star quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs in the early 1970s. He went on to play as a running back for the NFL’s New England Patriots. From UGA… Born Oct. 18, 1952, in Athens Johnson was an All-American quarterback on an Athens High team that was state-champions in class AAA. He also was All-Region in basketball, baseball, and a sprinter on the track team. Johnson was drafted by the Atlanta Braves as a shortstop but decided to continue his education at the University of Georgia on a football scholarship. Johnson was the starting quarterback on the Bulldog freshman squad in 1970, setting the total offense record of 1,078 yards in five games. In 1971, his sophomore season, Johnson became the varsity's starting signal caller and led the Bulldogs to an 11-1 campaign which included a 7-3 victory over North Carolina in the Gator Bowl. During that season, Johnson set the SEC sophomore rushing record and was second in the conference in rushing. He set the SEC record for touchdowns scored rushing by a sophomore with 13. Football News named him the nation's most outstanding sophomore player and the Jacksonville Journal awarded him the SEC's outstanding sophomore player trophy. Johnson was plagued by injuries throughout his junior season but still managed to be the Bulldogs third leading rusher and second leading passer in the 7-4 season. In his senior season, Johnson was second on the team in rushing, led the team in passing, and commanded the Bulldogs to a 7-4-1 record with a 17-16 victory over Maryland in the Peach Bowl. After his three year tenure was complete, Johnson captured the SEC record for the most yards rushing by a quarterback with 1,799. While at Georgia, Johnson also competed on the Bulldogs baseball team for three years, compiling a .281 career average. Johnson was drafted in the fifth round by the New England Patriots of the NFL. Johnson played for the Patriots for nine seasons before signing with the Boston Breakers of the USFL in 1983. He was inducted into the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.He is survived by his wife Charlotte (Chot) and children, Kristy, Brent and Brooke. Visitation is scheduled for Saturday, May 19, from 3-5 p.m. at Bernstein Funeral Home in Athens. A graveside service will be held Sunday, May 20, at 3:30 p.m. at the Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens.
Early voting ends, Election Day is Tuesday
Today is the last day for early voting in Athens and around the state, the last day for voters to cast ballots in advance of next Tuesday’s Election Day. Candidates for mayor of Athens and for seats on the Athens-Clarke County Commission and Clarke County School Board are spending their final weekend on the campaign trail. There are also legislative and congressional seats up for grabs in Tuesday balloting. 2016 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is endorsing Stacey Abrams in next week’s Democratic gubernatorial primary. Stacey Abrams faces Stacey Evans in the election that is now just four days away.
School year ends in Athens, Oconee Co
Today is the last day of the school year in the Clarke and Oconee county school districts. It’s also graduation day: commencement exercises for the Cedar Shoals High School class of 2018 are set for 4 o’clock this afternoon at UGA’s Stegeman Coliseum. Clarke Central High School graduates graduate at 7 o’clock tonight, also in Stegeman. Stegeman Coliseum is the scene for Saturday graduation ceremonies, as well: 3 o’clock tomorrow afternoon for seniors at North Oconee High School, 6 o’clock for their counterparts at Oconee County High School. Saturday is law school graduation day at UGA: Judge Robert Benham, the longest serving justice on the Georgia Supreme Court, is the speaker for commencement exercises set for 10 o’clock tomorrow morning at Stegeman Coliseum.
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