Central Texas Football, A Hidden Gold Mine!

The Central Texas area has been long underrated in prep football recruiting in favor of the more heavily populated Metropolitan areas in the Lone Star state.  On the contrary, although overlooked, CenTex has been a mere gold mine in terms of its athletic talent that has fiercely competed on the gridiron.  For example, Robert Griffin III was not even a highly touted quarterback prospect coming out of high school according to most recruiting experts but earned a Heisman Trophy and was the #2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.  John Randle was not offered a scholarship by any major college football program and earned a spot in the NFL Hall of Fame.  Drew Brees was not considered a big time prospect but won over 30 games as a starting QB in the Big Ten conference and is a Super Bowl MVP.  Lastly, "Mean" Joe Greene has 4 Super Bowl rings and will always be considered a "legend in the fall."  By no means is the Central Texas area short on talent and the names listed below prove it.


High School football All-Americans from Central Texas honored by either Parade Magazine and/or USA Today Newspaper


Parade Magazine

1963 - Warren McVea (San Antonio Brackenridge)
1965 - Lewis H. Ritcherson (Waco AJ Moore)
1968 - Brad Dusek (Temple)
1969 - Cleveland Vann (Seguin)
1970 - John Boecker (Seguin)
1972 - Wilson Whitley (Brenham)
1973 - Alfred Sanders (Temple)
1973 - Jim Green (Waco Richfield)
1974 - Tom Lott (San Antonio John Jay)
1975 - Curtis Dickey (Bryan)
1977 - Lawrence Sampleton (Seguin)
1977 - Maceo Fifer (Kerrville Tivy)
1978 - Carl Robinson (Temple)
1980 - Kenneth Davis (Temple)
1982 - Bret Stafford (Belton)
1982 - Mike Davis (Brownwood)
1982 - Albert Reese (Temple)
1986 - Johnny Walker (San Antonio Holmes)
1989 - Kenneth Alexander (Austin LBJ)
1990 - Louis Fite (Waco)
1992 - Dion Marion (Killeen)
1993 - Jerod Douglas (Converse Judson)
1996 - Leonard Davis (Wortham)
1999 - Sonny Davis (Austin Lanier)
2000 - Tommie Harris (Killeen Ellison)
2000 - Derrick Johnson (Waco)
2002 - Zach Myatt (College Station A&M Consolidated)
2003 - Jordan Shipley (Burnet)
2005 - Jevan Snead (Stephenville)
2007 - Marcus Wright (San Antonio Reagan)
2007 - Aaron Williams (Round Rock McNeil)
2008 - Garrett Gilbert (Austin Lake Travis)
2008 - Alex Okafor (Pflugerville)
2010 - Johnny Manziel (Kerrville Tivy)
2010 - Malcolm Brown (Cibolo Steele)


USA Today Newspaper

1986 - Johnny Walker (San Antonio Holmes)
1989 - Othello Henderson (Killeen Ellison)
1990- John Brown (Honorable Mention) (Killeen Ellison/Leesville, La.)
1996 - Leonard Davis (Wortham)
2000 - Tommie Harris (Killeen Ellison)
2007 - Aaron Williams (2nd Team) (Round Rock McNeil)
2008 - Garrett Gilbert (Austin Lake Travis)
2008 - Paden Kelley (2nd Team) (Austin Lake Travis)
2008 - Alex Okafor (2nd Team) (Pflugerville)
2009 - Lache Seastrunk (Temple)
2010 - Malcolm Brown (Cibolo Steele)
2010 - Jace Amaro (San Antonio MacArthur)
2010 - Aaron Green (2nd Team) (San Antonio Madison)
2011 - Cayleb Jones (2nd Team) (Austin Stephen F. Austin)
2014 - Thomas Hutchings (2nd Team) (Cedar Park)

Miscellaneous
Johnny "Lam" Jones (1976 Olympic Gold Medalist in the 4x100 meter relay and 100-meter finalist as a high school senior)





Division 1 College Football Consensus All-Americans and Award Recipients (since 1970)
(High School and the college attended in parenthesis)

1971 - Happy Feller (Fredricksburg/Texas)
1973 - Roosevelt Leaks (Brenham/Texas)
1974, 75 - Bob Simmons (Temple/Texas)
1976 - Gary Green (San Antonio Houston/Baylor)
1976 - Tommy Kramer (San Antonio Lee/Rice)
1978, 79 - Johnnie Johnson (LaGrange/Texas)
1978, 79 - Johnny "Lam" Jones (Lampasas/Texas)
1980, 81 - Kenneth Sims (Groesbeck/Texas)
1981 - Terry Tausch (New Braunfels/Texas)
1983 - Mark Adickes (Killeen/Baylor)
1983 - Gerald McNeil (Killeen/Baylor)
1984 - Kenneth Davis (Temple/TCU)
1990 - Kerry Cash (San Antonio Holmes/Texas)
1990, 91 -Ty Detmer (San Antonio Southwest/BYU)
1995 - Tony Brackens (Fairfield/Texas)
1998 - Jeff Kelly (LaGrange/Fairfield)
1999 - Kwame Cavil (Waco/Texas)
1999 - Roger Roesler (Round Rock/Texas)
1999 - Troy Walters (College Station A&M Consolidated/Stanford)
2000 - Ladanian Tomlinson (Waco University/TCU)
2000 - Leonard Davis (Wortham/Texas)
2000 - Brian Natkin (San Antonio Churchill/UTEP)
2001 - Seth McKinney (Austin Westlake/Texas A&M)
2002 - Brandon Everage (Granger/Oklahoma)
2002 - Lamarcus McDonald (Waco/TCU)
2002, 03 - Tommie Harris (Killeen Ellison/Oklahoma)
2003 - Derrick Strait (Austin Lanier/Oklahoma)
2003, 04 - Derrick Johnson (Waco/Texas)
2005 - Mason Crosby (Georgetown/Colorado)
2006, 08 - Jarett Dillard (San Antonio Houston/Rice)
2006 - Michael Griffin (Austin Bowie/Texas)
2006 - Aaron Ross (San Antonio Fox Tech, Tyler John Tyler/Texas)
2007 - Marcus Griffin (Austin Bowie/Texas)
2008, 09 - Perrish Cox (Waco University/Oklahoma State)
2009 - Denario Alexander (Marlin/Missouri)
2009 - Jordan Shipley (Burnet/Texas)
2010 - Jeremy Kerley (Hutto/TCU)
2011 - Robert Griffin III (Copperas Cove/Baylor)
2012 - Johnny Manziel (Kerrville Tivy/Texas A&M)
2013 - Jace Amaro (San Antonio MacArthur/Texas Tech)
2014 - Malcolm Brown (Brenham/Texas)
2015 - Andrew Billings (Waco/Baylor)

Heisman Trophy Winners (Most Outstanding Collegiate Football Player)
1990 Ty Detmer (San Antonio Southwest/BYU)
2011 Robert Griffin III (Copperas Cove/Baylor)
2012 Johnny Manziel (Kerrville Tivy/Texas A&M)

Jim Thorpe Trophy Award Winners (Best Defensive Back)
2003 Derrick Strait (Austin Lanier/Oklahoma)
2006 Aaron Ross (San Antonio Fox Tech, Tyler John Tyler/Texas)

Fred Biletnikoff Trophy Award (Best Wide Receiver)
1999 Troy Walters (College Station A&M Consolidated/Stanford)
2016 DeDe Westbrook (Cameron Yoe/Oklahoma)

Paul Warfield Trophy Award Winners (Best Wide Receiver)
2009 Jordan Shipley (Burnet/Texas)

Sammy Baugh Trophy Award Winners (Top Collegiate Passer)
1991 Ty Detmer (San Antonio Southwest/BYU)
2002 Kliff Kingsbury (New Braunfels/Texas Tech)

Chic Harley Award Winners (College Football Player of the Year)
2011 Robert Griffin III

Jack Lambert Trophy Award Winners (Top Collegiate Linebacker)
2004 Derrick Johnson (Waco/Texas)

Bill Willis Trophy Award Winners (Top Collegiate Defensive Lineman)
2003 Tommie Harris (Killeen Ellison/Oklahoma)

Jim Brown Trophy Award Winners (NCAA's Top Running Back)
2000 LaDanian Tomlinson (Waco University/TCU)

Lombardi Award Winners (Nation's Top Defensive Lineman or Linebacker)
1976 Wilson Whitley (Brenham/Houston)
1981 Kenneth Sims (Groesbeck/Texas)
2003 Tommie Harris (Killeen Ellison/Oklahoma)

Davey O'Brien Trophy Award Winners (NCAA's Top Quarterback)
1990, 91 Ty Detmer (San Antonio Southwest/BYU)
2011 Robert Griffin III (Copperas Cove/Baylor)
2012 Johnny Manziel (Kerrville Tivy/Texas A&M)

Doak Walker Trophy Award Winners (Nation's Top Running Back)
2000 LaDanian Tomlinson (Waco University/TCU)

Buktus Trophy Award Winners (Top Collegiate Linebacker)
2004 Derrick Johnson (Waco/Texas)

Bronko Nagurski Trophy Award Winners (Top Collegiate Defensive Player)
2003 Derrick Strait (Austin Lanier/Oklahoma)
2004 Derrick Johnson (Waco/Texas)





1st Rounders in the NFL Draft from Central Texas since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970

Name (High School/College) Year
Don Hardeman (Killeen/Texas A&I) 1975
Wilson Whitley (Brenham/Houston) 1977
Gary Green (San Antonio Houston/Baylor) 1977
Tommy Kramer (San Antonio Lee/Rice) 1977
Russell Erxleben (Seguin/Texas) 1979
Willis Adams (Schulenberg/Houston) 1979
Johnny "Lam" Jones (Lampasas/Texas) 1980
Curtis Dickey (Bryan/Texas A&M) 1980
Earl Cooper (Lexington/Rice) 1980
Johnnie Johnson (LaGrange/Texas) 1980
Kenneth Sims (Groesbeck/Texas) 1982
Walter Abercrombie (Waco University/Baylor) 1982
Ken Harvey (Austin Lanier/California) 1988
Reggie Brown (Austin Reagan/Texas A&M) 1996
Jarmane Mayberry (Floresville/Texas A&M-Kingsville) 1996
Leonard Davis (Wortham/Texas) 2001
LaDanian Tomlinson (Waco University/TCU) 2001
Ty Warren (Bryan/Texas A&M) 2003
Tommie Harris (Killeen Ellison/Oklahoma) 2004
Derrick Johnson (Waco/Texas) 2004
Michael Griffin (Austin Bowie/Texas) 2007
Aaron Ross (San Antonio Fox Tech, Tyler John Tyler/Texas) 2007
Robert Griffin III (Copperas Cove/Baylor) 2012
Kenny Vaccaro (Early/Texas) 2013
Johnny Manziel (Kerrville Tivy/Texas A&M) 2014
Malcolm Brown (Brenham/Texas) 2015


NFL Hall of Famers
(Year Inducted listed)
1963 Sammy Baugh (Temple, Sweetwater/Washington Redskins)
1974 Dick "Night Train" Lane (Austin Anderson/Detroit Lions)
1987 Joe Greene (Temple Dunbar/Pittsburgh Steelers)
2010 John Randle (Hearne/Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks)


Pro Bowlers

Name Year (Hometown/NFL Team)
Sammy Baugh (Temple/Washington Redskins) 1951
Tony Brackens (Fairfield/Jacksonville Jaguars) 1999
Drew Brees (Austin Westlake/San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints) 2004, 2006-13
Leonard Davis (Wortham/Dallas Cowboys) 2007-09
Willie Ellison (Lockhart/LA Rams) 1971
Gary Green (San Antonio Houston/Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams) 1981-83, 1985
Joe Greene (Temple Dunbar/Pittsburgh Steelers) 1969-76, 1978, 1979
Michael Griffin (Austin Bowie/Tennessee Titans) 2010
Robert Griffin III (Copperas Cove/Washington Redskins) 2012
Tommie Harris (Killeen Ellison/Chicago Bears) 2005-07
Ken Harvey (Austin Lanier/Washington Redskins) 1994
Joe Greene (Temple Dunbar/Pittsburg Steelers) 1969-79
Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson (Austin Anderson, Oklahoma City Douglass/Dallas Cowboys) 1978
David Hill (San Antonio Highlands/Detroit Lions) 1978, 1979
Priest Holmes (San Antonio Marshall/Kansas City Chiefs) 2001-03
Derrick Johnson (Waco/Kansas City Chiefs) 2011-13
Tommy Kramer (San Antonio Lee/Minnesota Vikings) 1986
Gerald McNeil (Killeen/Cleveland Browns) 1986
Jarmane Mayberry (Floresville/Philadelphia Eagles) 2002
Tommy Nobis (San Antonio Jefferson/Atlanta Falcons) 1966-68, 1970, 1972
John Randle (Hearne/Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks) 1993-98, 2001
Charles Tillman (Copperas Cove/Chicago Bears) 2011, 2012
LaDanian Tomlinson (Waco University/San Diego Chargers) 2002, 2004-2007
Winfred Tubbs (Fairfield/San Francisco 49'ers) 1998



Super Bowl MVP

SB 44 - Drew Brees (Austin Westlake/New Orleans Saints)


NFL MVP

2006 - LaDanian Tomlinson (Waco University/San Diego Chargers)


NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

2012 - Robert Griffin, III (Copperas Cove/Washington Redskins)

NFL Head Coaches

Name (High School/Team(s) Coached) Years Coached

Sammy Baugh (Temple/New York Titans, Houston Oilers) 1960-61, 1964

Ray Rhodes (Mexia/Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers) 1995-98, 99