Troy Thompson was a top prospect coming out of Hillgrove High in Powder Springs, Georgia. He was a standout quarterback for the Hawks, earning All-County and All-League honors after throwing for 1,864 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior.
Thompson was selected to play in the Cobb County All-Star game and performed well, passing for 159 yards and two touchdowns. When the youngster was recruited by the Naval Academy, he had dreams of following in the footsteps of another Georgia native — Douglas County High product Ricky Dobbs.
Arriving in Annapolis along with several other incoming quarterbacks, Thompson quickly realized the path to starting and directing the triple-option offense would not be easy.