Doc Ayers (American football)

Howard Ayers received many honors including Georgia State Class AAA Coach of the year and has been inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. His last accomplishment was the induction into the Piedmont College Hall of Fame in 2008.

In 1964, Ayers would become an assistant coach to Vince Dooley at the University of Georgia where he would coach for seventeen years. “Doc” coached the freshman team and was part of recruiting. While coaching the freshman team, Ayers compiled a record of twenty-eight wins with twelve losses-- the best record in Georgia Football History.

In Ayers' time in Cedartown, he would gather a record of ninety one wins, forty three losses, and five no contests. He would capture two region championships, seven sub region championships, and eventually a state championship in 1963. Ayers still holds the all-time record for most wins as a coach at Cedartown. The high school stadium would later be named “Doc” Ayers Memorial Stadium in commemoration to him.

Ayers would go on to coach at Winder, Georgia before making his way to Cedartown in 1952. Ayers was a big hit in Cedartown, known for his motivational half time speeches and his ability to get his players fired up before games.

Ayers played high school football in his hometown of Toccoa, Georgia and at Darlington high school in Rome, Georgia. He played halfback. Ayers earned All Mid Conference honors and went to the University of Georgia on a scholarship he had received where he also played football. While playing at Georgia, Ayers sustained a knee injury at practice that ended his football career. Ayers helped coach the Georgia B team after his injury and was also a student trainer in 1946 through 1947.

Howard Edmonds Ayers (October 30, 1922 – December 19, 2020), better known as Doc Ayers, was an American high school and college football coach.