One of the NFL’s fast-rising young stars is returning home to headline the annual Times Free Press Best of Preps awards banquet this summer.
Los Angeles Chargers receiver Ladd McConkey, a former North Murray High School and University of Georgia standout who is rated one of pro football’s top 100 players, will be the featured speaker for the June 18 event at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium in downtown Chattanooga.
McConkey, who helped lead Georgia to back-to-back College Football Playoff national championships in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, was a second-round selection in the 2024 NFL draft and was voted by fellow players as one of the top 100 in the league entering the 2025 season.
“We are really excited to host Ladd McConkey as our featured speaker for this year’s Best of Preps awards banquet,” said Mark Jones, vice president of marketing and operations at the Times Free Press. “His amazing journey from playing high school football here in our area, to winning national titles at Georgia and now as a key contributor to the Chargers is a testament to hard work paying off.
“It’s great to bring professional athletes who started right here as a Best of Preps honoree. It shows all of our regional student-athletes that their path to success can start right here.”