Beginning with former Spalding High Class AAA state Player of the Year and East Tennessee State All-America selection Siarre Evans, a host of Griffin athletes have been showing them how it’s done across this land and oversees too.

Evans, who is wowing them in Europe, is the overseas part. On Saturday she scored 55 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, had 5 steals and a blocked shot to lead her team, Racing Luxembourg, past US Heffinger 78-75.

She was 19 of 26 from the floor, 4 of 8 from three-point land, 13 of 17 from the free throw line where she made three free throws with three seconds left to win the game. She scored six points in the last 20 seconds to help her team overcome a 75-72 deficit.

Not bad for a night’s work. Her performance has WNBA written all over it.

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JESSIE TUGGLE: In case you missed it Tuesday night, former Griffin High, Valdosta State and Atlanta Falcons great Jessie Tuggle was interviewed live by Ken Rodriguez during the Channel 5 Fox-TV News. Tuggle was asked questions regarding NFL’s fines issued earlier in the day for dangerous hits.

Tuggle, who played middle linebacker and was nicknamed “The Hammer,” said he wasn’t for changing the spirit of the game, which by its very nature is rough. But he did say efforts to address the concussion issue were a good thing, something he now understands the importance of in his 40s.

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SHERROD MARTIN: Former Griffin High standout Sherrod Martin did not play in his team’s last game two weeks ago against the Chicago Bears because of a concussion. But Martin, the free safety for the Carolina Panthers, is expected to start Sunday when the 49ers come rolling into town.

Martin, who played all 16 games as a rookie last season and started in five of them, has started all four game he has been available for this season. The former standout at Troy totaled 23 tackles and 3 interceptions last year for the Panthers. He has 18 tackles this season without an interception.

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CHRIS CLEMONS: Former Griffin High standout Chris Clemons is closing in on his all-time tackle and sack totals.

The starting defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks had three tackles and a ½ sack (that led to a safety) last week to give him 18 and 4 ½ respectively in five starts this season, close to his career highs of 20 and 8 set in 2007 when he played in 16 games, starting twice, for the Oakland Raiders.

Seattle hosts the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

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TIM BECKHAM: Former Griffin High great Tim Beckham, selected first overall in the 2008 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, is alive and kicking in the minor leagues.

Beckham hit .256 with 5 home runs and 57 RBIs and a .949 fielding percentage this year for Charlotte in the Florida State League. The year before he bit .275 with 5 homer runs and 63 RBIS and a fielding percentage of .919 for Bowling Green in the South Atlantic League.

His rookie season he had stints with Princeton in the Appalachian League and Hudson Valley in the New York-Penn. League.

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IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Former Griffin High standout Bobby Rainey ran for 169 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries to lead Western Kentucky (0-6 overall, 0-2 Sun Belt Conference) in a 35-30 loss Saturday against the University of Louisiana-Monroe. Rainey ran for a 3-yard TD in the first half -- where he amassed 117 of his years -- to put his team up 17-0. But a victory wasn’t meant to be.

Elsewhere, former Griffin High great Denarius “Pooh” Appling had three punt returns for 56 yards, the long being 33 yards, in the University of West Georgia’s 31-24 loss Saturday at Arkansas-Monticello, while former Griffin High great Leon Berry did not have a return or a catch in Mississippi State’s 10-7 upset of then No. 22-ranked Florida.

(Sullivan is the sports editor at the Griffin Daily News).