Thomasville multi-sport stars Francis, Tucker to be inducted to Hall - Times-Enterprise

THOMASVILLE — The Thomasville-Thomas County Sports Hall of Fame is ready to admit six new inductees, with two of them being just a sample of some of the most gifted athletes ever seen from the area.

In a ceremony taking place tonight, former multi-sport athletes Jimmy Francis and Erni Griffin Tucker will have their names placed in the company of many other sports legends.

Francis was well known for his time at Thomasville High School, where he played baseball, football and basketball. On the gridiron, he was a star defensive back for the Bulldogs, totaling 29 interceptions during his time on the team from 1979-1981. He was a two-time all-region player and was voted the region defensive player of the year in 1981.

In basketball and baseball, he was a starter for two and four seasons, respectively, earning all-state honors on the baseball diamond for three of those seasons.

He later attended Valdosta State, where he helped anchor the Blazer defense, earning all-conference honors from 1982-1985. He totaled 14 picks during his time there and led the team in tackles during his senior year. After his college days, he became a coach at Colquitt County and Ware County.

“He was not a big guy, but played big,” Thomasville-Thomas County Sports Hall of Fame chairman Bill Raney said. “When he showed up, he showed up with an attitude and you knew that he was there. He was tenacious and dependable, and he was a make-it-happen guy. On defense, you could could count on him to be in the right place at the right time to make the tackle. In basketball, he was the guy you would choose to guard the best player on the other team. In baseball, he could run the ball down and make it happen.”

Tucker had a hand in two different sports. As a student at Thomasville, she was a standout tennis player, where she lettered in the sport three times.

She was also an avid distance runner. She was a part of the women’s track team during her college days at Georgia, and lettered in cross country as a senior. She took her dedication to running to the local level as well, as she has run two marathons and was the winner of Thomasville’s Rose City Run in 1979 and 1982.

“In tennis, if the match was on the line, you could just about count that done,” Raney said. “She always stepped up. Whatever it took to get it done, she would do that. She is a person that loves to be around athletes, and she’s coached a lot of kids at The Y.”

The banquet to honor Francis, Tucker and this year’s four other inductees will take place in Thomasville High School’s cafeteria tonight at 7 p.m.

“We’ve been blessed over the years to be able to come up with people who love Thomasville,” Raney said. “Thomas County has a tremendous number of special people who are athletes. Being an athlete gets you eligible, but it’s how you live your life that gets you in. These are all deserving people and I hope the community will come out on Thursday night.”