Rockdale County has sent hundreds of athletes to school, and some have even managed to make it to top tier colleges and/or professional sports. Here are some of the top athletes to have played in Rockdale and an update on where they are now.
Tyler Austin
Hailing from Heritage High School as one of the best baseball players from Rockdale County, Tyler Austin. Austin is currently on the New York Yankees' 40-man roster fighting for a starting spot in right-field. Austin was drafted by New York in 2010 as a 13th round pick. In Single-A he posted an amazing line of .322/.400/.559 in 2011, that got him sent to Double-A the next season. After battling injuries for a couple of years, Austin bounced back with an amazing second half last season posting numbers like .336/.397/.557. Austin will make his Triple-A league debut this year as he looks for the call from the big leagues one day.
Kevin Ware
By now you all know the gruesome injury Kevin Ware suffered at Louisville. Since the video of that horrific injury popped up on our tv screens and media devices, Ware has transferred to Georgia State. Now, much closer to home, Ware is putting up solid numbers as a Panther. He is currently the third-leading scorer (8.7 ppg) on the team, despite having started in just 10 of the 20 games he's played in this season. However it's Ware's defense that makes him such a good player. He can defend both guard positions and he has accumulated 41 steals - the most on the team - so far this season. Ware, formerly of RCHS has one more year of eligibility left to play college ball, after transferring over from Louisville.
Buck Farmer
Buck Former rode his success as a pitcher for Rockdale County High School, to great heights. Farmer will head to Detroit Tigers spring training this season, as he will have the opportunity to earn a spot in the Tigers' bullpen this season. Farmer was called up by the Tigers last year, where he pitched in four games and started in two. Tigers' assistant general manager Al Avilla said that Farmer will have a chance to make an impact in the team's bullpen this year, according www.blessyouboys.com. Farmer is 23, and was drafted by the Tigers in the fifth round of the 2013 draft out of Georgia Tech.
Clint Mathis
Clint Mathis is arguably the best soccer player to come out of Conyers, Georgia. He played for HHS, before going on to play at the University of South Carolina and eventually being drafted sixth overall by the Los Angeles Galaxy. Mathis went on to play for popular teams such as the MetroStars, the New York Red Bulls and Hannover 96. Most notably, Mathis score the game-winning goal against Honduras in a qualifying match for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He is currently an assistant coach with the Chicago Fire.
Breanna Richardson
Rockdale must be really good at finding good basketball players, Breanna Richardson is the second RCHS baller on this list and she might also be the best. Richardson is currently in her second season at the University of Mississippi. She was named to the SEC All-Freshmen team after averaging 9.5 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game. Richardson also earned SEC Academic Honor Roll accolades. So far this year, Richardson hasn't slowed down leading the team in rebounds per game with 5.9, while averaging 8.9 points per contest as the team's third-leading scorer. Breanna is majoring in kinesiology with a concentration in clinical exercise physiology.
