Kinnebrew selected as part of inaugural class

♦ The East Rome great is among a 45-man class that will be inducted Oct. 22.

The Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame announced its inaugural class Thursday, and former East Rome High great Larry Kinnebrew was among those selected for the honor.

Kinnebrew was picked along with 35 others in the inaugural class as they will be officially inducted during a ceremony Oct. 22 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Nine others who are already members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame were automatically selected to the inaugural class, while the rest of the picks were voted on by the Hall of Fame’s board.

Kinnebrew graduated in 1977 from East Rome, where he was a star in football, track and field and wrestling. Along with being a multi-event state champion in track and field and multi-time state champion in wrestling, he was dominant on the football field as well for the Gladiators, playing on both sides of the ball as a fullback and linebacker.

Kinnebrew helped East Rome to a state championship and multiple region titles during his high school career while also garnering several individual honors, including all-state, Rome News-tribune Player of the Year and a spot on the Parade Magazine High School All-american Team.

Kinnebrew went on to play college football at Tennessee State and is still in the top five on the all-time career rushing yards list at the school. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1983 and went on to play five seasons there, leading the team in rushing yards twice. He finished his career playing two seasons with the Buffalo Bills.

During his NFL career, Kinnebrew totaled 3,133 rushing yards and 44 rushing touchdowns as well as 660 yards receiving and three receiving TDS. He was inducted into the Rome-floyd Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

The Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame was founded earlier this year and is led by executive director IJ Rosenberg and co-chairs Dave Hunter and Rusty Mansell.

Mansell, a Pepperell High alum, Floyd County resident and 247Sports recruiting analyst, is among the 35 voters on the board, which also features another local connection in Lynn Hunnicutt, the former Pepperell and Model head football coach. Hunnicutt is one of seven other current or former head coaches on the board.

For the full list of inductees in the inaugural class and more information on the Georgia High School Sports Hall of Fame, visit www.scoreatl.com.