This year’s Dalton High School spring football game will offer spectators a little more than its usual early glimpse at the team the Catamounts will field in the fall.
At the Dalton spring game on May 17, the Catamounts will also honor one of their brightest stars.
The No. 1 jersey of former Dalton standout Jahmyr Gibbs — now an NFL running back for the Detroit Lions — is set to be retired during halftime of Dalton’s contest against Trion, which starts at 7 p.m. at Dalton’s Harmon Field.
Gibbs will also be on hand at his former school for a meet and greet and autograph signing opportunity prior to the game. Gibbs will sign autographs and take photos with guests at a meet and greet, which starts at 5 p.m. Outside memorabilia will not be allowed to be autographed by Gibbs, and items will be available to be autographed on site. Limited tickets are available and can be purchased for $50 per person at gofan.co/event/1507498.
The meet and greet will end at 6:30 p.m., with the Dalton spring game to start at 7. Gibbs will be recognized at halftime as the Catamounts immortalize his No. 1 jersey. A video highlighting all of the running back’s accomplishments at Dalton will be played.
Dalton initially announced that it would be retiring Gibbs’ jersey prior to the 2023 season, but now a date is set.
Gibbs was selected with the 12th overall pick by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft last year. Gibbs became the highest drafted player ever from Whitfield County and the first player drafted into the NFL from the county in 40 years. Dalton High’s Jim Arnold was drafted in the fifth round in 1983.
A 2020 Dalton graduate, Gibbs was a two-time Dalton Daily Citizen All-Area Player of the Year for the Catamounts. Gibbs rushed 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.
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.