Thompson, Scharnberg inducted into Hall of Honor

Two Atlanta legends were honored this past weekend.

Ted Thompson, Atlanta High School graduate of 1971, and Ben Scharnberg, the winningest football coach in Atlanta school history, were both inducted into the 2020 East Texas Coaches Association (ETCA) Hall of Honor.

Overall seven exceptional individuals — representing the sport of football — were honored during the banquet.

Ted Thompson

Ted Thompson was a football star athlete for the Rabbits in the latter years of the 60’s and early 70’s.

He played both running back and linebacker for the Rabbs which earned him a chance to play college ball after he graduated in 1971.

Thompson attended SMU where he exceled in both football (three-year starter at the linebacker position) and baseball (lettered senior year). He accrued accolades from high school to college which included being named football captain at SMU for the 1974 season.

After graduation Thompson enjoyed a 10-year NFL playing career with the Houston Oilers (1975-84).

Thompson was described by Oilers’ Head Coach Bum Phillips as a player who could “take a lick and dish one out”. With that durability Thompson played in 146 of the 147 games for the Oilers in that 10-year span as a backup linebacker and special teams player.

In a 1980 game against the New York Jets, Thompson successfully converted four extra-point attempts as the emergency kicker.

In 1992, Thompson was hired to be a scout for the Green Bay Packers. Thompson worked for the Packers through the 1999 season when former Packers’ head coach Mike Holmgren recruited Thompson to join the Seattle Seahawks.

During Thompson’s time with the Packers as a scout, the Packers advanced to the playoffs six times, participated in two Super Bowls and won Super Bowl XXXI.

He was promoted in those eight years from a scout to assistant director of pro personnel to director of pro personnel to director of player personnel.

From 2000-2004 Thompson worked for the Seattle Seahawks as Vice President of Football Operations, where he worked alongside former Packers and Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, who was Seattle’s GM at the time.

During Thompson’s tenure in Seattle, the Seahawks advanced to the playoffs twice and eventually made it to the Super Bowl a year after he left due to the foundation Thompson had built while there.

In Jan. of 2005 Thompson was named Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of the Green Bay Packers.

In 2007 Thompson was voted Sporting News NFL Executive of the Year and in 2018 the Packers announced that Thompson would be inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

In 2010 the Packers went on to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31–25 to win Super Bowl XLV.

Thompson retired in 2019 after a successful career in which his draft picks helped change both the Seahawks and Packers organizations.

Ben Scharnberg

Ben Scharnberg made his way to Atlanta High School from Boling, which is southeast of Houston, in the spring of 1988.

In his first year as Athletic Director/Head Football Coach Scharnberg turned around a 1-9 program from the previous season and took the Rabbs to an 8-2 record.

Back then only one team went to the playoffs. In his third season at the helm of the Rabbit Express Scharnberg led Atlanta into the playoffs for the first time since the 1983 season.

The very next year in 1990 the Rabbs went 10-0 and undefeated in district play for the first time since 1978.

In 1994 the Rabbits lost the first two games of the season and then reeled off 13 consecutive wins, which included the “Game of the Century” against Jefferson, en route to the school’s first state football appearance. The Rabbs lost to a tough Sealy team in the 1994, 3A title game but did win it all in the 2003, 3A title game with a 34-0 win over Marlin.

In his Atlanta coaching career Scharnberg was 149-82-2 and overall was 172-90-3.

His honors and accolades are numerous and include being named District Coach of the Year 11 times, securing a State title, a State appearance, three Area championships, 14 District championships, 11 Bi-District championships and 17 years in the playoffs.

As an AD he oversaw a program from one end of the spectrum to the other that sealed state championships (five state track titles and one baseball state championship) and countless district championships (notably 24 consecutive championships in track and close to 20 consecutive in cross country).

Scharnberg’s 1990-1999 decade has been the most successful in school history as he compiled an 82-35-2 record.

He led the Rabbs to undefeated seasons in 1991 and 2001 which are two of the seven in AHS history.

After a long, successful 20 years Coach Scharnberg retired in 2007.

The East Texas Coaches Association supports coaches, parents, and student athletes through the promotion of football in East Texas, professional development for coaches, provision of scholarships and financial aid to coaches in times of personal tragedy.