‘It’s always love and support’: NFL’s Gibbs greets community, has his jersey retired by Dalton High

Published 9:00 am Tuesday, May 21, 2024

As groups of kids lined up to meet Jahmyr Gibbs Friday night — some wearing Dalton High Catamount red, others Detroit Lion blue — Gibbs couldn’t help but see himself.

“There was always kids running around on the other field,” Gibbs, a Dalton graduate and current Detroit Lion running back, remembered at a meet and greet event at Dalton High Friday night. Scores of kids and families stood in line for their chance to meet the former Catamount, grab a photo with him and take home an autographed picture. The event was held just before the football program retired his jersey at a ceremony in the school gymnasium.

“Everybody over here was one of those kids,” Gibbs said, gesturing to a group of former Dalton teammates. “We all grew up together.”

After growing up as “one of those kids,” Gibbs said he was grateful to be honored by his high school and its surrounding community.

“It means a lot to me,” he said. “Every time I come back here it’s always love and support. Shout out to them for being with me throughout those days.”

Gibbs starred at running back for Dalton High School before his 2020 graduation. Gibbs was a two-time Dalton Daily Citizen All-Area Player of the Year for the Catamounts, rushing for 2,554 yards and 40 touchdowns as a senior for Dalton.

A four-star recruit coming out of high school, Gibbs originally signed with Georgia Tech. He spent two seasons in Atlanta before transferring to Alabama to play for a year. In 2022 with the Crimson Tide, Gibbs recorded 926 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, 444 receiving yards and three receiving scores, enough to lure the Lions into taking him in the first round the draft last spring.

During his rookie regular season for the Lions, Gibbs rushed for 945 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 316 receiving yards and one receiving score. Gibbs helped lead the Lions to the NFC Championship Game, where they lost to the San Francisco 49ers. Gibbs was selected to the NFL’s Pro Bowl and was named a member of the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team.

His former high school football program had seen enough to want to retire Gibbs’ jersey before he ever stepped on an NFL field. The school announced that Gibbs’ No. 1 jersey would be retired last fall and the ceremony was finally held on Friday.

Gibbs becomes just the fourth Dalton Catamount to have his jersey retired by the football program. Jimmy Weatherford, Ricky Lake and Jim Arnold came before.

Lake and Arnold were on hand Friday night and revealed the framed red Dalton jersey to a cheering crowd.

“It’s something that I always wanted to do,” Gibbs said of having his number retired. “I’m pretty sure every athlete has it on their bucket list.”

Weatherford played defensive back at Tennessee and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1969 draft. Ricky Lake, a running back like Gibbs was named Class 3A back of the year in 1968. Lake played at Georgia, then played in the NFL with the New England Patriots. Jim Arnold, a 1978 Dalton graduate, was a punter at Vanderbilt and played in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs before — just like Gibbs — playing for the Detrioit Lions.

Dalton athletics director Ryan Richards introduced the event, and Dalton head football coach Kit Carpenter — who was the defensive coordinator while Gibbs played for the Catamounts — presented Gibbs with a commemorative plaque before the jersey was unveiled.

“We thought we had a really bad defense,” Carpenter recalled, addressing Gibbs. “When we realized what you were, it made it a little bit easier on us.”

After a successful rookie campaign for the NFL’s Lions, Gibbs sees his role growing this fall.

“I might have a bigger role when I walk into year two,” he said. “I want to get into the playbook some more.”

Gibbs helped lead the Lions to the NFC Championship Game this January, the deepest playoff run for the Lions in more than 30 years.

Gibbs said he wants the team to take the next step in 2024-25.

“Super Bowl,” Gibbs stated when asked about his goals. “With the players that we’ve got and the coaches we’ve got, I think we can do it.”