APS Honors Student Athletes, Artists, Coaches, Administrators at 2017 Monk Jones Lecture Series & Coca-Cola Scholar Athlete Awards

The 2017 Calvin “Monk” Jones Lecture Series and Coca-Cola Scholar Athlete Golden Helmet Award winners (l-r) Frank C. Bailey Jr. (South Atlanta High School), Myronme T. Bell Jr. (Washington High School), Bardenie A. Phillips Jr. (Benjamin E. Mays High School), Corey R. Clems Jr. (B.E.S.T. Academy), Trevion J. Baker (George Washington Carver High School), Maurice D. Jones Jr. (Maynard Jackson High School), Chancey D. Payne (D.M. Therrell High School) and Johnathan X. Ford (Douglass High School).

In what has become a signature sign of spring in Atlanta Public Schools (APS), the district hosted its ninth annual Calvin “Monk” Jones Lecture Series and Coca-Cola Scholar Athlete Awards on Tuesday, May 16, on the campus of George Washington Carver High School.

Event named in honor of APS legend Calvin “Monk” Jones
The event honors the student athletes and artists, as well as athletic coaches and administrators, who had noteworthy accomplishments throughout the school year. It is named in honor of legendary APS basketball player and coach Calvin “Monk” Jones, who was an all-city and all-state player at Booker T. Washington High School and went on to become an all-conference and Black College All-American player at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), where he graduated in 1948.

Jones became a teacher and coach in APS in 1958. In 1967, he played a significant role in the desegregation of schools in Atlanta and throughout Georgia when he led all-black Carver High School to the Class AA state basketball championship in the first season in which black schools and white schools were allowed to compete against each other.

Keynote provided by two-time Super Bowl champ and Georgia native Tyrone Poole

Atlanta sports reporter/commentator Sam Crenshaw (left) moderated a Q&A session with keynote speaker Tyrone Poole (right).

Prior to receiving their awards, the students, coaches and administrators listened to two-time Super Bowl champion Tyrone Poole give his thoughts on the keys to success. The LaGrange, Ga., native was a two-sport (football and track) All-American at Fort Valley State College (now Fort Valley State University) and became the first defensive back selected in the 1995 National Football League (NFL) Draft.

Poole went on to play 14 seasons in the NFL with six different teams, including the New England Patriots, where he won two Super Bowl titles in 2004 and 2005. He told the audience the keys to success are passion, preparedness and partnerships.

“Find what you are passionate about and then do it. Go all out,” he said. “Prepare yourself as best as you can for doing whatever it is that you are passionate about. You must be prepared so that when your opportunity comes, you can take advantage of it.

“And you have to have good partners, good partnerships,” Poole said. “No one has ever accomplished anything all by themselves. You have to have good people, good partners in your life to help you reach your goals.”

After his remarks, Atlanta sports commentator and reporter Sam Crenshaw moderated a brief question-and-answer session where Poole interacted with students.

Here are the 2017 Calvin “Monk” Jones Lecture Series and Coca-Cola Scholar Athlete Award winners:

Fine Arts Award 

Golden Helmet Award

Scholar Athlete Award

Athletic Achievement Award

Superintendent Scholar Athlete

Coach of the Year Nominees

Coaches of the Year

Athletic Directors of the Year

Athletic Trainer of the Year

Community Service/Partnership Award