Billy Joe Royal, country music and pop artist; born in Valdosta Sonny Shroyer, actor best known for role as Enos Strate on The Dukes of Hazzard; born in Valdosta Domonique Simone, adult film star Demond Wilson, minister and TV actor best known for playing Lamont on Sanford and Son William Workman, opera singer Sports Briny Baird, professional golfer on PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour Buck Belue, former Valdosta High School standout and quarterback of the University of Georgia's 1980 national championship team, now a radio talk show host Dusty Bonner, VSU quarterback, later played for Kentucky, NFL's Atlanta Falcons and arena football league Dana Brinson, former NFL player Vincent Burns, NFL defensive tackle (Indianapolis Colts) Lorenzo Cain, MLB center fielder Ellis Clary, former Major League Baseball (MLB) player, coach, and scout Buck Coats, former MLB player Pepper Daniels, baseball player in the Negro leagues William "Red" Dawson, only surviving coach of the 1970 Marshall tragedy, chronicled in the movie We Are Marshall Harris English, professional golfer on the PGA Tour Dot Fulghum, played in MLB for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1921 Willie Gary, NFL, St. Louis Rams, played in Super Bowl XXXVI Randall Godfrey, NFL linebacker, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks and San Diego Chargers DL Hall, MLB prospect and former first-round pick Brice Hunter, NFL wide receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sean Kazmar Jr., former MLB player Malcolm Mitchell, NFL wide receiver, New England Patriots Kenny Moore, NFL player Todd Peterson, former NFL player Jay Ratliff, NFL nose tackle, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears Greg Reid, former Florida State and Valdosta State football player, now plays for Arena Football League team, Tampa Bay Storm Desmond (Desi) Relaford, MLB infielder Stan Rome, NFL player, Kansas City Chiefs (1979–1982) Coleman Rudolph, football player, Georgia Tech and NFL's New York Giants and Jets Glenn Schumann, football coach who is currently the co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach for the Georgia Bulldogs Telvin Smith, NFL linebacker, played for Florida State Football, before being drafted to the Jacksonville Jaguars Politics Allen Boyd, served as a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida from 1997 to 2011 Charlie Norwood, served as a Republican congressman from Georgia from 1995 to 2007 Melvin E. Thompson, the 71st governor of Georgia, retired and died in Valdosta Valdosta in fiction Parts of Fannie Flagg's novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and the 1991 film based upon the