MOULTRIE — Former Packer Tom Beard has achieved athletic success in two widely different areas.

In 1963, he was an All-State running back who helped lead the Moultrie High football team to the state championship game.

Thirty-four years later, he became a partner in the MB2 Motorsports team that competed in NASCAR’s top circuit and featured such drivers as Derrike Cope, Ernie Irvan, Ken Schrader, Jerry Nadeau and Johnny Benson.

Next month, he will return to his hometown for induction into the Colquitt County Sports Hall of Fame, where he will join former coaches Knuck McCrary, Bud Willis and Tom “Babe” White and former teammates Tommy Tucker, Wayne Tucker, Buddy McCoy, Bobby Cobb, Bob Montgomery and Dennard Robison.

The banquet will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2, at the high school cafeteria. The inductees will be introduced before the Colquitt County-Valdosta High football game the following night.

Beard was the oldest of three brothers who were all-state football players for the Packers in the 1960s, but the only one who played in a state championship game.

He played youth football in the Moultrie Recreation Department program and before reaching the varsity was coached by Bill Chris-topher and Ed Reaves.

Beard played on Packers varsity teams that went 7-2-1 in 1961, 6-2-2 in 1962 and 9-3-1 in 1963.

The 1963 team won the South Georgia championship for the first time since 1937 and was the first since the Moultrie began playing football in 1913 to reach the state championship game.

And Beard was one of the team’s prime contributors at running back, leading the Packers in rushing and averaging more than 5 yards a carry.

Beard and Joe Linder each scored two touchdowns as the Packers opened 1963 season with 34-18 victory over Jordan High in Columbus.

Two weeks later, ranked No. l in the state, the Packers defeated Cairo 21-13 with Beard rushing for 120 yards.

In one of the biggest games of the season, Beard scored two touchdowns as the Packers defeated Valdosta 32-0 at Cleveland Field, dealing the Wildcats their first home loss since 1958.

Moultrie won the region championship with a 7-6 victory over Columbus at Mack Tharpe Stadium. Then, with Beard scoring a touchdown, the Packers shut out Glynn Academy 20-0 to advance to the state championship game.

But season ended with a 40-0 loss to Avondale on a cold night in Atlanta.