Sports have a way of teaching invaluable life lessons — building character, fostering teamwork and strengthening the bonds within a community. In the Atlanta area, these values have shaped some truly remarkable athletes from different eras, whose accomplishments continue to inspire.
Patch is celebrating five standout athletes whose achievements have left a lasting mark on our community. This list is just a snapshot, with countless other athletes helping shape the rich sports culture in our area.
Walt "Clyde" Frazier got his start at Atlanta's David T. Howard High School, where he played football, baseball and basketball. He went on to become a two-time NBA champion and seven-time All-Star with the New York Knicks, along with four All-NBA First Team selections. Frazier was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987 and later became a longtime NBA television analyst.
Growing up in Atlanta, Ron Blomberg starred at Druid Hills High School before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 1967 MLB Draft. He made baseball history in 1973 when he became MLB's first designated hitter, drawing a bases-loaded walk for the New York Yankees. Blomberg played parts of eight major league seasons and finished with a .293 career batting average and 52 home runs.
A.J. Terrell grew up in Atlanta and starred at Westlake High School before becoming a first-round pick of his hometown Atlanta Falcons in 2020. He helped Clemson win the College Football Playoff National Championship and famously returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown against Alabama in the title game. Terrell earned second-team AP All-Pro honors in 2021 and has started more than 90 games for the Falcons. The Falcons also note that he created the annual A.J. Terrell Relays at Westlake, bringing more than 1,000 high school athletes together for the track meet.
Edith McGuire attended Atlanta's Archer High School and became one of the nation's top sprinters during the 1960s. She won six AAU championships and was the only American woman to hold AAU titles in the 100 meters, 200 meters and long jump at different times. McGuire won Olympic gold in the 200 meters and silver in the 100 meters at the 1964 Tokyo Games.
Leah Brown went from Atlanta's Benjamin E. Mays High School to becoming one of the most decorated gymnasts in Georgia history. During her career with the Georgia Bulldogs, she became the first gymnast in NCAA history to score a perfect 10 in her collegiate debut and won NCAA titles on vault and floor exercise. Brown earned 14 All-America honors before moving into a career in medicine. She was also selected for the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame's Class of 2026.
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