Flowery Branch High School has proudly used the falcon as its mascot since its establishment in 2002.
To the student body, the mascot represents overcoming obstacles and showing the best versions of themselves to the world, but many may recognize the Flowery Branch logo shares some similarities with that of the Atlanta Falcon's former logo.
Flowery Branch Athletic Director Jimmy Lawler recently spoke to AccessWDUN to reminisce over the history of how the school came to share the iconic symbol.
When the school system began planning for Flowery Branch High School over 20 years ago, school leaders came to a crossroads of what the mascot for the up-and-coming school should be, Lawler said.
“Mark Coleman, who was the first principal of Flowery Branch High School, when they were discussing what the school name and colors would be, he had kind of an open meeting at Davis Middle School during the planning of Flowery Branch High School, and put two mascot names out there,” Lawler said. “They could be the Falcons and be red and black, or they could be the Tigers because at the time Davis Middle School's mascot was the Tigers.”
However, with the Atlanta Falcons Training Camp just across the street, making the high school the home of the Flowery Branch Falcons seemed like the obvious choice.
“The overwhelming support for the mascot was the Atlanta Falcons, or, the Falcons,” Lawler said. “So, Hall County Schools and Mark Coleman, the principal, reached out to the Atlanta Falcons and received permission to use the Atlanta Falcons bird logo."
The football team officially gave the school written permission to use the Falcon logo on May 31, 2002.
However, beyond Flowery Branch’s use of the logo, the school’s relationship with the Atlanta Falcons continued into the school’s first few years.
“Shortly after we opened, the Atlanta Falcons changed their logo from the old drop wing Falcon, which we use, to the more I guess, modern Falcon that they currently use on their helmets,” Lawler said. “When they changed logos, they sent over all kinds of things that had the drop-wing Falcon. From goal post, pads to shorts, cold weather gear, all kinds of things, they donated it to the school.”
Aside from the mascot being the face of the school, Lawler highlighted that at Flowery Branch High, the falcon symbol reminds students to “Fly High”, meaning, to hold their heads up and show pride in themselves and their school.
Lawler believes the mascot brings the student body and the community closer together.
“We have always from day one had outstanding community support from the people in this area,” he said. “Both families and businesses and just people in the community show up for games, they support us financially, and that has been strong since day one. And it's continued to get better and better through the years. And I think that the culture of the school is outstanding. It's a great place to go to school. It's a safe environment. We have wonderful fine arts programs, we have wonderful academic teachers, and the athletic programs have been solid throughout the 21 years."
