As with numerous kickers in college football, Gostkowski was a walk-on. K Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots, 7. Ward suffered a severe knee injury early in his senior season at powerhouse Concord (Calif.) De La Salle, and because he never had been a starter, colleges backed off. Texas natives Andrew Luck (2012), Baker Mayfield (2018) and Kyler Murray (2019) were all selected No. © 2005-2021 CBS Interactive. Matthews wasn’t even recruited out of high school. He was a backup OT in 2009, then started for the final three seasons of his career. Didn’t start more than four games in a season until his sixth pro year. He earned a scholarship during fall camp in 2006 but wasn't a starter until his senior season in 2008. Mike Singletary resigned from his position as the football coach at Trinity Christian Academy in Texas after going 1-21. People call the top quarterback-producing school “Quarterback U.” And the University of Washington, which has sent 15 starting QBs to the NFL draft, earned this title. 1 overall in the NFL Draft within the past 10 years. Particulars: Attended USC. You … At the college level, Staubach starred at Navy, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1963. In 2017, J.T. He was awarded a scholarship in 2010. He redshirted as a true freshman with the Ducks in 2005, then earned a scholarship as a redshirt freshman in 2006. Particulars: Attended Memphis. See below for a complete breakdown, including year and overall selection. The trio joins 18 other quarterbacks that played high school football in the Lone Star State who have heard their names called on draft day since 2010. Please just comment and I can take it down. Here's a look at other NFL players who have become high school coaches. He redshirted as a true freshman in 2004 and was a backup in 2005. Stafford attended the University of Georgia after graduating early from high school. Arrived from Ghana as a track athlete and never played football until 2010 as a Cougars sophomore. He kept on working out during his college years and continued to improve his play. The team lost 2 games. Follow along as the #1 draft pick arrives in his new city. He quickly earned a scholarship as a tailback that season, then moved to corner as a senior in 2003. He was drafted in the fourth round by the Patriots in 2006. He was drafted in the first round by the Packers in 2009. Westlake High School is a public high school in unincorporated territory of Travis County, Texas, west of and adjacent to Austin. There is a caveat to Watt's selection: He originally signed in 2007 with Central Michigan, which gave him a scholarship; he was a defensive end in high school but played extensively at tight end at CMU that fall. Chargers TE Antonio Gates played in high school, but never played in college. Brad Smith, Missouri, fourth round . 1) Roger Staubach, QB, Navy. 247Sports has been tracking football recruiting classes for years. Damon Huard played for five different NFL teams from 1996 until 2009. Every college team has at least a handful of guys that began their careers as walk-ons, and every year, some of them are selected in the NFL draft. Mayfield said it was common for him to play in front of 10,000 fans when he was in high school. Single wing halfbacks received a direct center snap, and then had run, handoff, or pass options. He was a tight end and defensive end in high school and walked on at Wisconsin in 2008. Lang coached at Jones High School in Orlando with Charlie Frye in 2008. In the beginning, NFL Hall of Famer Ron Mix didn't want to play football; he didn't even like it. Well, it paid off for the NBA champ in the long run. Particulars: Attended Oregon. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. 10. We call them diamonds in the rough. Particulars: Attended Kansas State. He earned a scholarship a week before the season opener in 2002, his freshman season. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. Particulars: Attended Central Michigan. Thrower played halfback in the single-wing formation for New Kensington High (present-name: Valley High School) as a freshman just after the end of World War II in 1945. Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers, LB. I don't own this material and there is no need to copyright strike. Former Jets RB Curtis Martin, who had an NFL record 10 straight 1000 yd seasons, only played football his senior year of high school. NFL Network's Rich Eisen continues his annual tradition and runs the 40-yard dash. He had no FBS offers out of high school but was recruited by Division II North Alabama and FCS member The Citadel. Particulars: Attended Wisconsin. One such star decided to call it a career Tuesday. He became an offensive lineman in 2001, earning a scholarship in the process, and also was a four-year starter for the Bulldogs. He skipped his final year of college to become eligible for the NFL Draft, where he went in the first round to the New York Giants. Without even knowing he played football in high school, all you have to do is glance at the 4 x NBA Defensive Player Of The Year to assume Ben Wallace could have been a star in the NFL. Checks in as the No. The school is a part of the Eanes Independent School District.Westlake High School is the only high school in the Eanes ISD and serves West Lake Hills, Rollingwood, parts of Southwest Austin, as well as parts of unincorporated Travis County. A Miami native who played quarterback for a good Norland High program, Brown arrived at CMU after a year at North Carolina Tech prep school. He picked up football while also playing lacrosse at Middlebury. He was drafted in the third round by the Cardinals in 2009. Jets coach Eric Mangini declared Smith a “bona fide quarterback,” practiced him exclusively at WR, then plopped him at QB during a preseason game. News of Taylor's retirement spurred us to take a look at the 10 best active NFL players who started their college careers as walk-ons. He was drafted in the first round by the Texans in 2011. And while the drafted rookies enter the NFL from a variety of different backgrounds, one thing they generally all have in common is an outstanding experience playing high school football. School: University of … He was drafted in the fifth round by the Ravens in 2013. This was put together by Spiral Studios. Mix is one of the earliest players to have stressed that weightlifting could help with athleticism in football. He was drafted in the second round by the Browns in 2010. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. He helped the team win a Super Bowl in his second season. Mahomes recalled a high school crowd for one of his games that was perhaps 15,000 people. His athleticism led the Steelers to take him in the fourth round in 2003. Just two months ago, Josh McCown announced he was retiring from the NFL after 17 seasons and had taken a job as a high school football coach. Videos you might like . Texas natives Andrew Luck (2012), Baker Mayfield (2018) and Kyler Murray (2019) were all selected No. Beyond an NFL QB with experience in 12 different NFL offenses, J.T. A total of 242 high schools contributed to the 254 players selected in the seven rounds of the Draft on April 25-27. NFL Players Who Were Former Wrestlers in High School or College "I would have all my offensive linemen wrestle if I could." He went on to Middlebury (DII), where he was cut from the soccer team. The NFL's top prospects step into the NFL Photo studio for draft portraits. Dr. O’Sullivan has the practical experience and theoretical expertise to better educate and help others understand in-depth football analysis. He played basketball instead Taylor joined Louisiana-Lafayette as a junior walk-on in 2002. Some of the graduates of this elite program put in work with the CFL before catching the NFL’s attention. Lang was the head football coach at Wekiva High School … Watt, a Wisconsin native, always dreamed of playing for the Badgers. Follow your favorite high school teams and players, Explore and purchase photos of your local teams, See top plays & highlights of the best high school sports, St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute (Buffalo), Map: Where every NFL running back drafted in the past 10 years played high school football, Map: Which state has produced the most No.