FOR USE AS DESIRED

            NFL-60             10/12/01

 

FLORIDA’S GLADES CENTRAL TOPS NFL HIGH SCHOOL LIST;

CALIFORNIA LEADS ALL STATES;

HOUSTON, MIAMI TIE FOR MOST HOMETOWNS

 

Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Florida, with seven players, tops the list of high schools with the most NFL players, the league announced today. 

 

The school with the second-most NFL players is Thornton Township High School in Harvey, Illinois with six.  Four high schools boast five players each -- Ely in Pompano Beach, Florida; Homestead in Homestead, Florida; Long Beach Poly in Long Beach, California; and Miami Beach in Miami Beach, Florida.

 

The totals are based on the 1,643-man 2001 NFL opening-day rosters.

 

NFL Players from opening-day rosters hail from 1,390 high schools in 47 states, plus the District of Columbia, and 16 high schools in seven foreign countries.

 

All of the players from these schools now in the NFL have fond memories of their high school days.

 

"We had a great coaching staff at Glades Central and they built a winning tradition based on hard work and dedication by the whole team,” says Cleveland Browns rookie running back JAMES JACKSON.  “We grew up in a small town where the nearest mall or movie theatre was almost 40 minutes away.  So in high school, all we did was play football.  We didn't have any distractions.”

 

Defensive tackle WINFIELD GARNETT, playing in his first NFL season with the Minnesota Vikings, plans to stay close to Thornton Township High. 

 

“I still go there,” Garnett says.  “I’m not in Chicago as often as I used to be, but I still have an affiliation with the school. 

 

Vikings safety TYRONE CARTER does the same with his school, Ely.

 

“Every time I go down there, I always talk to the kids,” says Carter.  “I let them know that if you keep working hard, you can get to where I am.” 

 

Cornerback DUANE STARKS of the Baltimore Ravens earned a Super Bowl ring last season, and credits much of his success to the example set by older Miami Beach players when he was a youngster.

 

“We used to play our youth games at the high school,” says Starks.  “So those players at the high school were heroes to us.  We wanted to be like them and I think that's part of the reason the school produces so many good players."

 

It’s the tradition of Homestead High that Denver Broncos rookie cornerback WILLIE MIDDLEBROOKS credits with the school’s success.

 

"There's just such a great tradition at Homestead,” Middlebrooks says.  “The younger kids see the older ones who play football and say they want to be like them some day.  I'm proud to have gone to school there and to be able to be an example to the players who are there now.  They can see there are opportunities for them if they are disciplined and work hard."

 
HIGH SCHOOLS WITH MOST NFL PLAYERS

 

 

High School, Town, State

Number

NFL Players

Glades Central, Belle Glade, FL

7

Reidel Anthony, TB; James Jackson, Clev.; Willie Jones, KC; Robert Newkirk, Chi.; Johnny Rutledge, Ariz.; Jimmy Spencer, Den.; Fred Taylor, Jax

Thornton Township, Harvey, IL

6

Barry Gardner, Phil.; Winfield Garnett, Min.; Jack Golden, NYG; Jermaine Hampton, Ind.; Tai Streets, SF; Sammy Williams, Balt.

Ely, Pompano Beach, FL

5

Tyrone Carter, Min.; Henri Crockett, Atl.; Zack Crockett, Oak.; Al Harris, Phil.; Corey Simon, Phil.

Homestead, Homestead, FL

5

Mike Barrow, NYG; Sean Dawkins, Jax; Herbert Goodman, GB; Charles Lee, GB; Willie Middlebrooks, Den.

Long Beach Poly, Long Beach, CA

5

Willie McGinest, NE; Marquez Pope, Oak.; Ken-Yon Rambo, Dal.; Omar Stoutmire, NYG; Brandon Whiting, Phil.

Miami Beach, Miami Beach, FL

5

Terry Cousin, Mia.; Chad Johnson, Cin.; Samari Rolle, Ten.; Duane Starks, Balt.; Dave Thomas, NYG

 

Ten high schools have sent four players each to the NFL this year.  Twenty-nine high schools boast three NFLers, while 141 schools have two players in the league:

 

 

Dorsey, Los Angeles, CA

4

Morse, San Diego, CA

4

Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA

4

Northwestern, Miami, FL

4

Kathleen, Lakeland, FL

4

Pasadena, Pasadena, CA

4

Lake Highlands, Dallas, TX

4

Raines, Jacksonville, FL

4

Lawton, Lawton, OK

4

West Charlotte, Charlotte, NC

4

Number of high schools with 3 NFL players:  29

Number of high schools with 2 NFL players:  141

Number of high schools with 1 NFL player:  1,204

 

HOME STATES:  California topped the list of states with most NFL players in 2001 (198) followed by Texas (173) and Florida (169).

STATES WITH MOST NFL PLAYERS

 

State

NFL Players

State

NFL Players

1.      California

198

 

 6.   Pennsylvania

65

2.      Texas

173

 

 7.   Louisiana

63

3.      Florida

169

 

 8.   Virginia

56

4.      Georgia

84

 

 9.   North Carolina

53

5.      Ohio

65

 

10.  South Carolina

49

 

HOMETOWNS WITH MOST NFL PLAYERS

 

Hometown

NFL Players

Hometown

NFL Players

Houston

26

Cleveland

14

Miami

26

Los Angeles

14

San Diego

25

Atlanta

12

Dallas

20

San Antonio

12

Detroit

15

Phoenix

11

Jacksonville

15

Pittsburgh

11

New Orleans

15

 

 

 

SEVEN FOREIGN COUNTRIES REPRESENTED

 

Country

Total

NFL Players

Canada

11

Mitch Berger, Minn.;Tshimanga Biakabutuka, Car.; Randy Chevrier, Dal.; J.P. Darche, Sea.; Rob Meier, Jax.;Tom Nutten, St.L.; Jesse Palmer, NYG; Davis Sanchez, SD; O.J. Santiago, Clev.;Mike Vanderjagt, Ind., Pat Woodcock, NYG

South Africa

2

Gary Anderson; Minn.; Jerome Pathon, Ind.

Australia

1

Darren Bennett, SD

Denmark

1

Morten Andersen, NYG

England

1

Lionel Barnes, Ind.

New Zealand

1

David Dixon, Minn.

Norway

1

Leif Larsen, Buff.

 

NOTE:  To obtain a complete list of NFL players’ high schools, hometowns and states, plus rankings both alphabetically and numerically, contact the NFL Communications Department (212/450-2000) or log on to www.nflmedia.com.

 

* * *

 

FINALISTS NAMED FOR 2001 NFL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD

Five finalists have been named for the 2001 NFL High School Football Coach of the Year Award, the NFL has announced.

The 2001 finalists and the NFL players who nominated them are:

Coach

School

City

Nominated By

Jaime Quinones

Lovington HS

Lovington, NM

LB Brian Urlacher, Chicago

William G. Wise

Cathedral HS

Springfield, MA

G Michael Flynn, Baltimore

Willie C. McDonald

Glades Central HS

Belle Glade, FL

CB Jimmy Spencer, Denver

E.B. “Sid” Edwards

Redemptorist HS

Baton Rouge, LA

RB Warrick Dunn, Tampa Bay

Marty L. Hochhalter

Carrington HS

Carrington, ND

FB Jim Kleinsasser, Minnesota

The NFL High School Football Coach of the Year Award was initiated in 1995 by NFL Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE and the NFL clubs to honor coaches who profoundly effected the athletic and personal development of NFL players.

"We have more than 1,600 players on our 31 teams this year," said Commissioner Tagliabue, "and the great ones all have at least one thing in common -- they all received outstanding guidance from high school coaches.  These men have dedicated their lives to teaching young players how to become leaders both on and off the field.  I congratulate our finalists and all high school coaches for the integral roles they play in developing the game of football and guiding the youngsters who play the game."

Each finalist will receive a $2,500 cash award, and a youth/high school football program selected by the coach/nominating player will be presented with $5,000 from the NFL Youth Football Fund, a $100 million fund established by the NFL and NFL Players Association to support youth football initiatives.

The 2001 NFL High School Football Coach of the Yearwill be announced at the end of the NFL regular season.  The winner will be invited to attend Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans, Louisiana as a guest of the NFL and will receive a total of $5,000 in cash awards.  In addition, his designated youth/high school football program will be awarded a $10,000 monetary grant.