Ridgeland's Daniel Johnson is one of them.
The senior football and baseball standout, student government president, and 4.0 Honors Academy student has been named as the Georgia state male winner of the award, joining Mount de Sales Academy senior Margaret Midkiff, who was named the female state winner.
"It really hasn't sunk in yet," Johnson said before football practice on Wednesday. "I'll probably try and digest it after the season, but right now my focus is on winning a region (football) championship and hopefully a state championship. My mind has been kind of occupied with that.
"But it was great to hear the news and it came as a real surprise. It really just shows how good the football program here is and how the coaches are helping us all of become young men. The honors I get just show what great things the (coaches) are doing."
Johnson and the Panthers will host River Ridge in the Region 7-AAAA title game this Friday night.
The senior standout is also a member of the National Honor Society, the Future Business Leaders of America, and he was selected for the state's Governor's Honors Program. This past January, he added to his impressive resume by being one of just two Georgians selected to participate in the United States Senate Youth Program.
Johnson said the award also was a tribute to the quality of education he is receiving at Ridgeland.
"Academics are paramount," he said. "Sports are great, but you have to have your priorities right, and an education is what is going to help me succeed in life. If you're willing to put the hard work into it, Ridgeland really is one of premier schools in this area for academics."
One senior male and one senior female were selected as winners from each of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia. For being a state winner, Johnson will receive a silver medal, a High School heisman patch, and a $50 gift card to Wendy's.
From the 102 students remaining, a judging panel will select 12 student-athletes, one senior male and one senior female from each of six geographic regions, to be national finalists.
The national finalists will be invited to Wendy's High School Heisman Weekend, including the National Awards Banquet in New York City. The national finalists will also receive a gold medal, a Heisman patch, and $100 gift card to Wendy's, while their high schools will receive a $2,000 award in their student's name.
Of the final 12, one male and one female will be named as National High School Heisman winners. They will receive a trophy, a patch, a $500 gift card, and will be honored and recgonized during the ESPN national telecast of the college Heisman Trophy presentation. In addition, that student's school will receive a $10,000 award.
While Johnson is focused on the remainder of the football season, he said he couldn't help but at least think about the possibility of becoming a national finalist.
"Yeah, I've thought about it," he said with a laugh, "but it sure is nice just to be a state winner. It's a great honor, and if I do get to go to New York later, even better."
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