Distinguished Alumni: Rick Millians, Class of '70

Rick Millians is a proud alumnus of Baldwin High School, graduating in 1970. During his time at Baldwin, Millians was an athlete, playing football alongside his fellow Braves while also honing his writing skills as the sports editor for the school's student newspaper, "Smoke Signals." "My parents were always big newspaper readers," Millians said, "we would take the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Macon paper and of course, The Union-Recorder here in Milledgeville, and I loved reading the newspaper. Especially the sports section."

After graduation, Millians attended the prestigious Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, where he received his Bachelor's degree. He then went on to have an illustrious 23-year career as Executive Sports Editor for the Cincinnati Post, covering some of the most important national sporting events of his time.

He was at the famous Notre Dame against Georgia Tech on which the film "Rudy" was based. He also attended Herschel Walker's first ever game, the Georgia vs. Tennessee Southeastern Conference Opener in Knoxville, 1980. He was even there when Tiger Woods famously won the Masters to have earned all four major titles consecutively.

Despite his success on the national stage, Millians has never forgotten his roots in Milledgeville, and his love for Baldwin High School remains strong to this day. After retiring, he came back to Milledgeville where he now contributes pieces for the Union Recorder, and has even connected with his old Baldwin alumnus friends. He often speaks with pride about his time as a Brave and the lessons he learned on the football field and in the classroom. He recently reconnected with Vickie Danuser Swinger, organizer of the 1970 Baldwin High School Graduating Class's 50th Anniversary, which was delayed during COVID, but finally became a reality in 2022.

Now in retirement, Millians counts himself fortunate to be living back in Milledgeville, "There's so many good stories here," he said, "just the other day, I wrote a story on Mrs. Chan (Chandler) Tagliabue, a fellow Baldwin graduate who served as the head volunteer and Board member for the nation's leading non-profit for housing the elderly, but was also wife to Paul Tagliabue, who was the NFL Commissioner for two decades. It's fascinating to run into people who are fellow graduates."

Rick Millians, The Man of a Thousand Stories, remains a beloved figure in the world of sports journalism, and his dedication to his craft and his community serves as an inspiration to all who knew him during his time at Baldwin High School.