A salute to Buck Godfrey
A football team is nothing without its coaches and support staff. From coaching athletes on the field to mentoring them off the field, coaches wear many hats and are often some of the most influential people in their high school’s community.
DeKalb has seen high school football coaches make names for themselves through winning championships, getting athletes to college, and from accepting jobs in the college and pro ranks; but there have also been coaches who have made impacts with contributions to their communities after retiring from coaching.
One coach who checked all the above boxes was William “Buck” Godfrey. Godfrey won a state title and 13 region championships at Southwest DeKalb, helped hundreds of athletes earn college scholarships while he fostered a sense of community – not just for his high school but for the county as a whole.
This will be the first time since 1982 that Godfrey isn’t somehow involved with DeKalb football, following the legendary coach’s death on Aug. 1.
The staff at The Champion joins the Southwest DeKalb community and the Godfrey family in mourning the loss of such an iconic coaching figure. We urge the whole community, and not just coaches and athletes, to take pride in their communities and to help uplift the youth in the same way Godfrey did. His impact will long be felt in DeKalb and throughout Georgia.
