In the spring of 1942, a young athlete from Cornelia received one of the University of Georgia’s highest athletic honors.
Cliff Kimsey Jr., alternate captain of Georgia’s football team and a standout pitcher on the Bulldogs’ baseball team, was awarded the prestigious H.G. Stegeman Trophy, presented annually to the university’s outstanding senior athlete.
The honor was announced in both the Atlanta Journal and Habersham County’s Tri-County Advertiser, which proudly shared news of the local athlete’s achievement with readers back home.
baseball nine, is shown above receiving the H. G. Stegeman Trophy, annually awarded to the outstanding senior athlete at Georgia. Dejohn Franklin, of Atlanta, vice president of the Biftad Club, is shown making the presentation (Photo by Atlanta Journal)
The award was presented by Dejohn Franklin, vice president of Atlanta’s Biftad Club, and named in honor of the late Herman J. Stegeman, the legendary Georgia coach and athletic director who helped shape Bulldog athletics during the early 20th century.
At Georgia, Kimsey competed during one of the most celebrated eras in Bulldog football history. He played alongside stars such as Frank Sinkwich and Lamar “Racehorse” Davis and helped lead Georgia to its first bowl appearance in school history — the 1942 Orange Bowl.
Kimsey, who earned All-SEC honors as a blocking back in 1941, also made his mark in the Orange Bowl victory over TCU by catching a 60-yard touchdown pass.
Long before his football success in Athens, Kimsey had already established himself as one of Cornelia’s brightest young leaders. He graduated as valedictorian of Cornelia High School’s Class of 1938 before attending the University of Georgia.
But Kimsey’s accomplishments did not end with athletics.
Following graduation, he served in the United States Army during World War II, reaching the rank of Captain while serving in the Pacific Theater. His military service included deployments to Attu, Kwajalein, Leyte in the Philippines, and Seoul, Korea.
After the war, Kimsey entered coaching, working at Cedartown High School, Parker High School in Greenville, South Carolina, and later serving as an assistant football coach at the University of Kansas.
In 1953, Kimsey returned home to Cornelia, where he began a long banking career at Cornelia Bank. Over the next 27 years, he rose to become President and Chairman of the Board while also becoming deeply involved in civic and community leadership throughout Habersham County.
Kimsey also served on the Georgia State Board of Education and remained active at First Baptist Church of Cornelia as a deacon and choir member.
Over the years, his contributions earned him induction into numerous halls of fame and honor societies, including the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, the Northeast Georgia Hall of Fame, and the Habersham County Ring of Honor.
Cliff Kimsey Jr. passed away in 2016 at the age of 94, but his legacy remains firmly woven into the history of both Habersham County and the University of Georgia.
For many in Cornelia, however, one moment still stands out nearly a century later: the day a hometown athlete stepped onto a stage in 1942 and was recognized as the University of Georgia’s outstanding senior athlete.
