Former Thomson star Mays stays ‘close to the game’ in unique way

Once a star running back at Thomson High and Georgia Tech, Jerry Mays will be among 30 former players inducted into the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night.

As with the other 29, it’s easy for Mays to recall that thrill of running down the football field with his team’s name written across his jersey.

Unlike the other 29, Mays continues to find himself running up and down the football field on Friday nights – but now he’s wearing the black-and-white striped shirt of a football official.

“Once I got into it, I really, really began to like it,” said Mays, 56. “And that’s the reason why I still do it, because it keeps me close to the game. I still get to see high school kids up close.”

Mays’ officiating career began the same way his football career did – in a recreational league. Mays used to coach his son’s youth teams. Jerry Mays Jr., a former player at Eastside in Covington, is now a senior wide receiver at West Georgia.

“[My son and I] kind of made this agreement that once I stopped coaching him, I would stop coaching literally,” Mays said. “But once he got to high school and went on to college, I just started to feel this void, you know, ‘What do I do with my time now?’”

When COVID-19 hit in 2020, causing a further decline in the number of high school football officials, Mays knew it was his time to step back under the Friday night lights.

Though Mays got a late start, he’s still slightly younger than most high school officials. Their average age nationwide has crept up to 57, a growing concern within the Georgia High School Association.

Despite officiating up to four games a week, Mays has balanced his part-time officiating with his banking career for roughly nine years, three at the high school level.

Mays said he appreciates the hard work those high schoolers put in to be the best players they can be. Mays was underrecruited 40 years ago coming out of Thomson. He was about 5 feet, 8 inches and 170 pounds in high school, but Mays went on to win ACC Rookie of the Year at Georgia Tech.

“If you’re going to be good at your craft, you’ve got to be willing to do things that other people are not willing to do,” Mays said. “And that’s the reason why I respect what they do because I know that they didn’t just show up. They didn’t just show up on a Friday night just to show up. They put in the work.”

Though many of these football fields feel familiar to Mays today, it’s rare that people watching him officiate recognize that they are in the presence of a hall of famer. But when they do, it can be a special experience.

Mays was officiating a ninth-grade game between Newton and Marist last month when he saw another famous Georgia Tech alumnus, former basketball star Matt Harpring, on the sidelines at halftime.

Harpring has a son on Marist’s ninth-grade team. Mays introduced himself, in case Harpring didn’t immediately recognize him, but Harping knew exactly who he was.

“It was great because it still reminded me of the Tech connection and how strong it is,” Mays said. “No matter whether you went there at the same time or not, there’s a brotherhood that’s developed just by you going to Georgia Tech. It’s tremendous.”

Two other Marist parents, Eric Maurer and Charlie Greene, noticed Mays and Harpring talking and heard Mays say his name, confirming it was him, and they got excited.

Maurer and Greene were starters on Marist’s 1984 team that played against Mays and Thomson for the Class 3A championship. They went over to Mays and struck up a nostalgic conversation.

“Jerry recalled that the state championship game we all played in together was one of his most memorable games at any level,” Maurer said. “It was No. 1 versus No. 2, a full house, media everywhere, blood and guts, 27-17 contest, and true-class opponents and fans on both sides. That was an enjoyable flashback to some genuine glory days and a great circle-of-life moment for all of us.”

Maurer and Greene had a photo taken of the three of them, then let Mays finish his job.

“Even in the zebra stripes at 57 years old, Jerry still looked like he was the fastest guy on the field,” Maurer said.

Marist knew it was in for a challenge in 1984. Mays was the AJC’s Class 3A Offensive Player of the Year. He rushed for 2,369 yards, and Thomson finished 15-0.

Mays is proud of his impending hall-of-fame induction, which will take place at the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta.

Mays points out that seven other former Georgia Tech players will be inducted in the same wave. That includes Cartersville’s Robert Lavette, still the only Tech player with more career rushing yards than Mays’ 3,699.

“It’s definitely a privilege,” Mays said. “But along with all of the other Yellow Jackets that have come through, we all know what it’s like to be a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket. We know what it takes. We all have a lot of respect for each other. And for that many others to be going in at the same time, it’s not only a privilege, but I think it’s definitely something that Georgia Tech can be proud of.”

As both a player and an official, Mays has a legacy that will never be forgotten. And those lucky enough to come across him on a Friday night doing what he loves will be able to understand the impact that he has made on the sport and the reason he continues that legacy today.

“It definitely helps me from a mental standpoint of being able to have something to do beyond seeing my son go through his progression in his sports,” Mays said. “I have a newfound appreciation for what [officials] do. I am so happy that I took the time to do it.”

To learn more about all 30 of Saturday’s inductees, click here to read their bios.