'Willie's Gift' now available for free streaming
Jul. 26—"Willie's Gift," the Prep Legends documentary film about Athens High School's 1975 state championship football team, is now available for free streaming.
The 39-minute film, directed and produced by Athens native Keith Dunnavant, can be viewed at https://www.preplegends.com/prep-legends-athens.
"Willie's Gift" premiered to an enthusiastic crowd April 20 at the Athens Performing Arts Center, with ticket sales benefiting the Feed the Eagle organization.
Featuring interviews with long-time Athens head coach Larry McCoy and players including Freddie Smith, Thomas Woodroof, Bill Ming, Steve Parker and John Marshall, the film uses the '75 season to tell a larger story about the program and the town.
That year, the powerful Golden Eagles overcame a shaky 0-1-1 start to win 12 straight games, culminating with a decisive 35-15 victory over Andalusia before a packed house at the then-new Athens Stadium.
The 1975 State Championship team was the first team to play at the new Athens High School Stadium. Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant came to dedicate the new stadium which symbolized the importance of high school football in the Athens community.
In addition to the documentary, the Prep Legends platform includes exclusive written content about the team.
Presenting sponsors include Athens State University, City of Athens, First Metro Bank, Jimmy Bryan Homes, Jimmy Smith Buick GMC, Martin & Cobey, Mauldin & Jenkins, Ming Commercial Real Estate Group, and TOC.
Dunnavant, an award-winning writer and editor for newspapers and magazines in New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, began his journalism career when he was a teenager in Athens. He is often a featured historian on television including ESPN's "The American Game' and SEC Networks' Saturdays in the South. He has also written books on many sports legends including Bear Bryant, Joe Montana and Bart Starr.
