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Greatest Houston Area HS Football Player to Play in the NFL?

D

Darporini

Practice Squad
Just curious?

Who do you think is the greatest HS football player from the Houston area to ever play in the NFL, regardless of their NFL production?

For me,

Thurman Thomas, RB, Willowridge High School
(Although, I'm biased . . . I went to the 'Ridge!!!)

But, I also cannot forget:
Eric Dickerson, RB, Sealy
Craig James, RB, Stratford
Hart Lee Dykes, WR, Bay City
Mike Singletary, LB (Did he go to Worthing or Sterling?)
 
Have to be Singletary from Worthing.

Dante Hall was exciting to watch a couple of years ago, but Mike has a ring. Thurman has a couple of appearances. But other than Dexter Manley, and another lineman whos name I can't recall right now. I don't believe any other player from Houston has SuperBowl jewelry.
 
My vote is for the "Thurmanator" mainly I suppose cuz it makes me look pretty good. In 81' I played MLB at Galena Park HS & we played Willowridge one Friday night at Dement (our home stadium then AND when we were actually still 5A). Coach Koch had scouted them pretty good but even Ray Charles could see what a player he already was so it was our job to "eliminate" the threat ASAP so every time he got tackled, he got an extra pinch, punch, bite or in my case a really slimy Copenhagen-filled dollop of spit in the face, deep in the pile of tacklers as we were gettin up. Finally his can got full & he came up swingin & got ejected. I think he still finished with 125+ yds but only played a lil less than 2 quarters. Mission accomplished. Thurman, if yer readin this, no hard feelings right?idonno:
 
The top of the list:

Eric Dickerson, Sealy
Thurman Thomas, Willowridge
Mike Singletary, Worthing

Other notables in no particular order:

Sam Adams, Cy Creek
Cliff Branch, Worthing
Lester Hayes, Wheatley
Andre Ware, Dickinson
James Francis, LaMarque
David Boston, Humble
Norm Bulaich, LaMarque
Darrell Green, Jones
Mike Strahan, Westbury
Keenan McCardell, Waltrip
Dave Elmendorf, Westbury
Dan Neil, Cy Creek
Doug Dawson, Memorial
Santana Dotson, Yates
Otis Taylor, Worthing
Alan Faneca, Lamar Consolidated
Jacob Green, Kashmere
Rodney Hampton, Kashmere
King Hill, Brazosport
Pierce Holt, Lamar Consolidated
Larry Izzo, The Woodlands
Steve Jackson, Klein Forest
Gary Kubiak, St Pius
Lamar Lathon, Wharton
Dexter Manley, Yates
Mark Moseley, Livingston
Greg Pruitt, Elmore
Cody Risien, Cy Fair
Bert Emanuel, Langham Creek
Diron Talbert, Texas City
Henry Thomas, Eisenhower
Alfred Williams, Jones
Delvin Williams, Kashmere
Harvey Williams, Hempstead
Howard Twilley, Galena Park
Aaron Schobel, Columbus
Casey Hampton, Galveston Ball
Robert Ferguson, Spring Woods
Shaun Rogers, LaPorte
Moran Norris, Madison
David Givens, Humble
Ty Warren, Bryan
Aaron Glenn, Nimitz
Dante Hall, Nimitz
Andre Gurode, North Shore
Cory Redding, North Shore
Donald Driver, Milby
Shane Lechler, East Bernard
Grant Irons, The Woodlands
Michael Lewis, Lamar Consolidated
Sammy Davis, Humble
Quentin Jammer, Angleton
Bertrand Berry, Humble
Terrence Kiel, Lufkin
Rocky Bernard, Baytown Sterling
 
You forgot the Tackle tht played for the Texans from La Marque.:brickwall

I would have to go with Singletary. He is considered the best player to ever play his position.
 
Coach C. said:
You forgot Washington from Yates in the 70s
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What I listed above is about 1/10 of a list I compiled a few years ago for an article I wrote. I quickly scanned my list and threw up a few names. If you'd like to add someone, list his name and HS.

Which Washington are you talking about? I remember Gene Washington (the Vikes Gene, not the 49ers Gene) from Baytown, and Joe Washington the RB from PA Lincoln, and I know of Mickey Washington from Beaumont Westbrook...
 
cap1 said:
You forgot the Tackle tht played for the Texans from La Marque.:brickwall
.
Click to expand...

I didn't intend to list every HS player that ever played in the NFL. I'd be here for a year. I did a quick scan of my 'notable' list and Greg Randall's name didn't catch my eye this morning for some reason, as didn't O.J. Brigance from Willowridge, Kimble Anders from Ball, Elmo Wright from Sweeney and about 100 others I didn't list.

In fact, one of the best players to fit the criteria of the question: Who do you think is the greatest HS football player from the Houston area to ever play in the NFL, regardless of their NFL production? is probably Ken Hall from Sugar Land who was one of the best local high school players ever, but didn't do much in the NFL at all.

If you know someone you'd like to list, list his name and HS.
 
aj. said:
I didn't intend to list every HS player that ever played in the NFL. I'd be here for a year. I did a quick scan of my 'notable' list and Greg Randall's name didn't catch my eye this morning for some reason, as didn't O.J. Brigance from Willowridge, Kimble Anders from Ball, Elmo Wright from Sweeney and about 100 others I didn't list.

In fact, one of the best players to fit the criteria of the question: Who do you think is the greatest HS football player from the Houston area to ever play in the NFL, regardless of their NFL production? is probably Ken Hall from Sugar Land who was one of the best local high school players ever, but didn't do much in the NFL at all.

If you know someone you'd like to list, list his name and HS.
Click to expand...

Aj,
You know I was joking right? I just put that up there because I remember playing Randell when I was at Friendswood HS.

Cap1
 
ncap said:
I see your a coach now. Is that how your train your players to play now. Just wondering.
Click to expand...

Hardly my friend. I coach little 7 - 12 year olds. Been doin it for the better part of 13 years. If I did teach that brand of football, I'd a been gone a long time ago. Besides, that was a whole different era as far as the game goes. We're talkin HS vs little league. If you coached LL football would YOU teach those kind of tactics? I didn't think so. I DO on the other hand, teach hardcore agressiveness ala someones sig on here by Thomas Davis - "Arrive at the ball with bad intentions". I've been known to manufacture a few head-hunters in my time with the Pasadena Bears. I truly hope your question was only a sarcastic poke at me & not a genuine query. Surely you wouldn't think someone would actually teach or coach a CHILD to cheat like that.
 
pv1999 said:
Have to be Singletary from Worthing.

Dante Hall was exciting to watch a couple of years ago, but Mike has a ring. Thurman has a couple of appearances. But other than Dexter Manley, and another lineman whos name I can't recall right now. I don't believe any other player from Houston has SuperBowl jewelry.
Click to expand...
Larry Izzo on the Patriots went to High School in the Woodlands and he has THREE rings.

There are a LOT of players on a football team. A lot more people than you think from Houston have won Superbowl rings.
 
ncap said:
I see your a coach now. Is that how your train your players to play now. Just wondering.
Click to expand...
If you don't think that kind of stuff doesn't go on in the pros your crazy. Everything is fair game in a pile up, people have had their eyes gauged at and raked across the face, players have been punched, pinched (texas titty twister, OUCH!), and players have testified to even had their "cough em" family jewels grabbed and twisted-the ultimate sin. Most of this stuff hapens in a fumble recovery where two teams are fighting for the ball, god awful stuff can happen under those piles sometimes.
 
Are you looking for Houston area players that had great NFL careers or players that had great HS careers that just happened to make it to the NFL?

Curvin Richards falls into that last category. I went to school with him at La Porte. He had a great HS career, was great in college (Pitt), however flopped in the NFL. I remember him fumbling on MNF and Jimmy Johnson cutting him.
 
Fighting Blue Hen said:
Are you looking for Houston area players that had great NFL careers or players that had great HS careers that just happened to make it to the NFL?

Curvin Richards falls into that last category. I went to school with him at La Porte. He had a great HS career, was great in college (Pitt), however flopped in the NFL. I remember him fumbling on MNF and Jimmy Johnson cutting him.
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Hey I also went to La Porte!, go bulldogs!

there has been a couple of players come out of La Porte to make it to the big dance, although I don't think any made a big splash.

I also would like to add Casey Hampton to that list who used to play for Galveston Ball, I know its not in the immediate Houston area, but Hampton was a monster.
 
Carr Bomb said:
Hey I also went to La Porte!, go bulldogs!

there has been a couple of players come out of La Porte to make it to the big dance, although I don't think any made a big splash.

I also would like to add Casey Hampton to that list who used to play for Galveston Ball, I know its not in the immediate Houston area, but Hampton was a monster.
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What year did you graduate?
 
Fighting Blue Hen said:
What year did you graduate?
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2001, yes Miss Kicklighter (or how ever you spell that old hags name, science teacher, still works there) I swear when she teaches about evolution she's speaking of first hand experiences, she was there to witness it all
 
Vinny said:
good list by aj...coachjim has been around awhile guys...check out all the pics of his kids and his homepage and get to know him - some advice to the noobs.
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Awww shucks Vin, yer makin me blush. Thanks for the kind words. Besides coachin the kids, teachin'em the game & hopefully a few other useful life lessons along the way, the biggest blast is bein able to suit up once a year & play in the TIFI coaches game. A bunch of old, overweight & very out of shape guys reliving their "Glory Days". A link to some pix of this seasons game as well as 2004s is below ... PS. Sorry for the off-topic everyone.

http://www.burnhamenterprises.net/photogallery.html
 
Gotta be Ken Hall...Bear Bryant ruined him and I think he tore his knee up with the Oilers (correct me if I'm wrong)

Not a great NFL career, but the best Texas H.S. football player ever.

Hall, a 1953 graduate of Sugar Land High School - prior to the formation of the Fort Bend Independent School District in 1959 - holds more rushing records than any other high school running back in the history of Texas high school football.

Known as the "Sugar Land Express," Hall set more than 15 state and/or national records during his Sugar Land career. Hall entered the Gators' Class B football program as a 5-11, 170-pound running back and left a 6-foot-1, 205-pounder with the kind of speed and power that caught the eye of legendary coach Bear Bryant, who signed Hall to a scholarship at Texas A&M.

Hall finished his career with a record 11,232 yards rushing. It was the most ever by a high school running back in Texas and nationally. Hall's career rushing mark, which breaks down to 2,808 yards per season and 234 yards per game, in a 12-game season, stands as a state record and is No. 2 in the nation.

During his senior season, Hall averaged 337.1 rushing yards per game and set a single season record with 4,045 yards rushing. He rushed for 100 yards or more in 38 consecutive games. He's fourth in Texas history for single-game rushing yards, with 520 yards on just 11 carries against Houston Lutheran in 1953. Hall was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.
 
aj. said:
In fact, one of the best players to fit the criteria of the question: Who do you think is the greatest HS football player from the Houston area to ever play in the NFL, regardless of their NFL production? is probably Ken Hall from Sugar Land who was one of the best local high school players ever, but didn't do much in the NFL at all.
Click to expand...


the Sugarland Express was the first one that came to my mind ...
 
swisher said:
Gotta be Ken Hall...Bear Bryant ruined him and I think he tore his knee up with the Oilers (correct me if I'm wrong)
Click to expand...

if memory serves, Bryant did in fact admit that if he had it to do again he would've handled Hall differently than he did
 
aj. said:
The top of the list:

Eric Dickerson, Sealy
Thurman Thomas, Willowridge
Mike Singletary, Worthing

Other notables in no particular order:

Sam Adams, Cy Creek
Cliff Branch, Worthing
Lester Hayes, Wheatley
Andre Ware, Dickinson
James Francis, LaMarque
David Boston, Humble
Norm Bulaich, LaMarque
Darrell Green, Jones
Mike Strahan, Westbury
Keenan McCardell, Waltrip
Dave Elmendorf, Westbury
Dan Neil, Cy Creek
Doug Dawson, Memorial
Santana Dotson, Yates
Otis Taylor, Worthing
Alan Faneca, Lamar Consolidated
Jacob Green, Kashmere
Rodney Hampton, Kashmere
King Hill, Brazosport
Pierce Holt, Lamar Consolidated
Larry Izzo, The Woodlands
Steve Jackson, Klein Forest
Gary Kubiak, St Pius
Lamar Lathon, Wharton
Dexter Manley, Yates
Mark Moseley, Livingston
Greg Pruitt, Elmore
Cody Risien, Cy Fair
Bert Emanuel, Langham Creek
Diron Talbert, Texas City
Henry Thomas, Eisenhower
Alfred Williams, Jones
Delvin Williams, Kashmere
Harvey Williams, Hempstead
Howard Twilley, Galena Park
Aaron Schobel, Columbus
Casey Hampton, Galveston Ball
Robert Ferguson, Spring Woods
Shaun Rogers, LaPorte
Moran Norris, Madison
David Givens, Humble
Ty Warren, Bryan
Aaron Glenn, Nimitz
Dante Hall, Nimitz
Andre Gurode, North Shore
Cory Redding, North Shore
Donald Driver, Milby
Shane Lechler, East Bernard
Grant Irons, The Woodlands
Michael Lewis, Lamar Consolidated
Sammy Davis, Humble
Quentin Jammer, Angleton
Bertrand Berry, Humble
Terrence Kiel, Lufkin
Rocky Bernard, Baytown Sterling
Click to expand...

I went looking for Larry Izzo in a thread and found this. I went to high school with Larry at McCullough and just saw his face all over sports sections. He is apparently a customer of Balco and linked to Bonds.

Yeah Larry!
 
aj. said:
The top of the list:

Eric Dickerson, Sealy
Thurman Thomas, Willowridge
Mike Singletary, Worthing

Other notables in no particular order:

Sam Adams, Cy Creek
Cliff Branch, Worthing
Lester Hayes, Wheatley
Andre Ware, Dickinson
James Francis, LaMarque
David Boston, Humble
Norm Bulaich, LaMarque
Darrell Green, Jones
Mike Strahan, Westbury
Keenan McCardell, Waltrip
Dave Elmendorf, Westbury
Dan Neil, Cy Creek
Doug Dawson, Memorial
Santana Dotson, Yates
Otis Taylor, Worthing
Alan Faneca, Lamar Consolidated
Jacob Green, Kashmere
Rodney Hampton, Kashmere
King Hill, Brazosport
Pierce Holt, Lamar Consolidated
Larry Izzo, The Woodlands
Steve Jackson, Klein Forest
Gary Kubiak, St Pius
Lamar Lathon, Wharton
Dexter Manley, Yates
Mark Moseley, Livingston
Greg Pruitt, Elmore
Cody Risien, Cy Fair
Bert Emanuel, Langham Creek
Diron Talbert, Texas City
Henry Thomas, Eisenhower
Alfred Williams, Jones
Delvin Williams, Kashmere
Harvey Williams, Hempstead
Howard Twilley, Galena Park
Aaron Schobel, Columbus
Casey Hampton, Galveston Ball
Robert Ferguson, Spring Woods
Shaun Rogers, LaPorte
Moran Norris, Madison
David Givens, Humble
Ty Warren, Bryan
Aaron Glenn, Nimitz
Dante Hall, Nimitz
Andre Gurode, North Shore
Cory Redding, North Shore
Donald Driver, Milby
Shane Lechler, East Bernard
Grant Irons, The Woodlands
Michael Lewis, Lamar Consolidated
Sammy Davis, Humble
Quentin Jammer, Angleton
Bertrand Berry, Humble
Terrence Kiel, Lufkin
Rocky Bernard, Baytown Sterling
Click to expand...

What no VY...yup true Texans fan
 
spurstexanstros said:
What no VY...yup true Texans fan
Click to expand...

You misspelled VM. Van Malone..lol. (sorry, Waltrip grad here)

EDIT: My vote goes to Singletary. Once went to Waco and saw him and the Bears play against Houston, I left thinking about what I had just seen from him.
 
Last edited:
spurstexanstros said:
What no VY...yup true Texans fan
Click to expand...

The title of the thread said... Greatest Houston Area HS Football Player to Play in the NFL?

If you had paid any attention, this thread was started in February of 06!

Vince "suicidal if not a winner" Young hadn't even been drafted, much less played a down yet.
 
With 8 Pro Bowls, named to the 1990's All Decade Team, and the honor of being bestowed the "dirtiest player in the NFL," I recommend Steve Wisniewski of the Oakland Raiders, who went to Westfield High School here in Spring.
 
bah007 said:
Went to high school with Mike Goodson. He will be on that list in a few months.
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Speaking of which, I just remembered the day Jamaal Charles signed with UT...a lot of my friends were really happy that day because they realized he wouldn't burn us anymore.

Also, Sergio Kindle is from the Houston area, right? I bet he'll be bigger than Orakpo.
 
mexican_texan said:
Speaking of which, I just remembered the day Jamaal Charles signed with UT...a lot of my friends were really happy that day because they realized he wouldn't burn us anymore.

Also, Sergio Kindle is from the Houston area, right? I bet he'll be bigger than Orakpo.
Click to expand...

I believe Kindle went to high school in Dallas.

Orakpo went to Lamar High School in Houston though.
 
pv1999 said:
Have to be Singletary from Worthing.

Dante Hall was exciting to watch a couple of years ago, but Mike has a ring. Thurman has a couple of appearances. But other than Dexter Manley, and another lineman whos name I can't recall right now. I don't believe any other player from Houston has SuperBowl jewelry.
Click to expand...


If not mistaken, Thurman had four appearances. O. J. Brigance has a Super Bowl ring from the year he played on the Baltimore Super Bowl team. Also keep him in your well wishes as he now battles ALS.
 
TheRealJoker said:
Rock Cartwright played for the Redskins a few years (2001-2007 I think) and went to Conroe High School.
Click to expand...

I grew up two houses down from Rock. You could tell he was going to play a pro sport but I thought it would've been baseball. He was hitting homers out of Conroe High's baseball park at the age of 13.
 
Darporini said:
Just curious?

Who do you think is the greatest HS football player from the Houston area to ever play in the NFL, regardless of their NFL production?

For me,

Thurman Thomas, RB, Willowridge High School
(Although, I'm biased . . . I went to the 'Ridge!!!)

But, I also cannot forget:
Eric Dickerson, RB, Sealy
Craig James, RB, Stratford
Hart Lee Dykes, WR, Bay City
Mike Singletary, LB (Did he go to Worthing or Sterling?)
Click to expand...



...but...you forgot Dexter Manley.
:lol:
I'm gonna say Singletary...and I think he went to Worthing.
 
pv1999 said:
Have to be Singletary from Worthing.

Dante Hall was exciting to watch a couple of years ago, but Mike has a ring. Thurman has a couple of appearances. But other than Dexter Manley, and another lineman whos name I can't recall right now. I don't believe any other player from Houston has SuperBowl jewelry.
Click to expand...

Rodney Hampton does with the NY Giants..He got his in '91 when the Giants defeated the Bills.
 
pv1999 said:
Have to be Singletary from Worthing.

Dante Hall was exciting to watch a couple of years ago, but Mike has a ring. Thurman has a couple of appearances. But other than Dexter Manley, and another lineman whos name I can't recall right now. I don't believe any other player from Houston has SuperBowl jewelry.
Click to expand...

hobie said:
Rodney Hampton does with the NY Giants..He got his in '91 when the Giants defeated the Bills.
Click to expand...

*ahem* Michael Strahan?? Also with the Giants.


Did I mention Westbury Rebels?:splits:
 
I didn't grow up here but I have friends who said Hart Lee Dykes was one of the best all around athletes they had ever seen.

If I'm voting I would say Dickerson is pretty huge.

I also used to hear incredible stuff about Emmanuel at Langham
 
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