CHICAGO — In its 28th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Taylor Lamb of Calhoun High School as its 2012-13 Gatorade Georgia Football Player of the Year. Lamb is the first Gatorade Georgia Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Calhoun High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Lamb as Georgia’s best high school football player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award announced in December, Lamb joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.), Wes Welker (1999-00, Heritage Hall HS, Okla.), Terrell Suggs (1999-00, Hamilton HS, Ariz.), Anquan Boldin (1998-99, Pahokee HS, Fla.) and Jerome Bettis (1989-90, Mackenzie HS, Mich.).

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound senior quarterback has led the Yellow Jackets to a 13-0 record entering the Class 2A state quarterfinals, scheduled for November 30. The returning Class 2A Offensive Player of the Year, Lamb has completed 224-of-328 attempts (68 percent) for 2,801 yards and 30 touchdowns against just five interceptions. He has also rushed for 302 yards and nine touchdowns on 56 carries. Lamb led Calhoun to the 2011 Class 2A state title as a junior.

Also a basketball, tennis and golf standout, Lamb has maintained a 3.73 GPA in the classroom. In addition to serving as a member of his school’s student council, he has volunteered on behalf of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and donated his time to the local recreation department.

“He would be a great player for any team in Georgia, regardless of how good his surrounding players are,” said Gordon Powers, head coach of rival Model High. “He is the best I have seen and competed against in years. His stats are only a small part of his athletic ability. I found out first-hand in our game against him just how athletic he is. I have had the opportunity to meet and talk with Taylor during some 7-on-7 competitions. I discovered that in my 32 years of coaching, he is one of the most respectful and honest young man I have met.”

Lamb has verbally committed to play football on an athletic scholarship at the University of Southern Alabama beginning in the fall of 2013.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Lamb joins recent Gatorade Georgia Football Players of the Year Kenyan Drake (2011-12, Hillgrove HS), Brian Randolph (2010-11, Kell High School), Hutson Mason (2009-10, Lassiter), Branden Smith (2008-09, Booker T. Washington High School) and Tavarres King (2007-08, Habersham Central) among the state’s list of former award winners.