Texans and the NFL Draft
Every year I make a list of the players drafted by the NFL who played their high school ball in Texas. I do it to see which players realized their potential in college and which players that flew under the radar ended up being given a chance to play pro football. So here’s this year’s list along with their stars ranking from Rivals.com:
1st Round
Aqib Talib, DB, Kansas (Richardson Berkner) **
2nd Round
Donnie Avery, WR, Houston (Alief Hastings) **
Malcolm Kellly, WR, Oklahoma (Longview) ****
Limas Sweed, WR, Texas (Brenham) ****
Martellus Bennett, TE, Texas A&M (Alief Taylor) *****
Terrence Wheatley, DB, Colorado, (Plano East) ***
3rd Round
Charles Godfrey, DB, Iowa, (Baytown Lee) **
Jamaal Charles, RB, Texas (Port Arthur Memorial) ****
Bryan Smith, LB, McNeese St (Newton)
Bruce Davis, LB, UCLA, (Clear Creek) ***
Jermichael Finley, TE, Texas (Diboll) ****
4th Round
Cody Wallace, C, Texas A&M (Cuero) ***
Anthony Collins, OL, Kansas (Beaumont Central) **
Kenny Iwebema, DE, Iowa, (Arlington Bowie) ***
Quintin Demps, DB, UTEP (San Antonio Roosevelt) **
Red Bryant, DT, Texas A&M (Jasper) ***
Tony Hills, OL, Texas (Alief Elsik) *****
5th Round
Frank Okam, DT, Texas (Richardson Lake Highlands) *****
6th Round
Chris Harrington, DE, Texas A&M (Houston St. Pius) ***
7th Round
Matt Flynn, QB, LSU (Tyler Lee) ****
Wilfrey Fontenot, DB, Arizona (Humble) **
Caleb Campbell, DB, Army (Perryton) **
Justin Forsett, RB, California (Arlington Grace Prep) **
Corey Clark, OL, Texas A&M (Smithson Valley) ***
Lionel Dotson, DL, Arizona (Pasadena Dobie) ***
April 30, 2008 at 9:19 am
I grew up in Alief from 3d grade through HS, and am an Elsik grad. Glad to see THREE kids from my old stomping grounds get a chance to keep playing on an even bigger stage. Congrats to them.
April 30, 2008 at 11:01 am
I continue to be distressed with the lack of development of our defensive linemen. JMO, but it seems that other than becoming bigger and stronger, our DLine recruits devolve (good word?) rather than evolve after they get here.
April 30, 2008 at 11:15 am
I certainly agree that they increase their size at the expense of their speed.
April 30, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Dobie. Reprazent.
April 30, 2008 at 3:02 pm
So in the first three rounds (where you have the best odds of making your NFL team), Texas high schools produced 11 draftees, with three of them being 2-star recruits, and one (LB Bryan Smith) with no stars?
Interesting that the first two Texans off the board were 2-star recruits coming out of HS.
April 30, 2008 at 3:19 pm
I blame Geoff Ketchum and Mack Brown.
May 1, 2008 at 4:31 am
Two more LB’s from Texas high schools drafted.
Mack’s had one drafted (DJ) in 10 years. Two others (Wilkins & Lewis) made rosters.
Powerhouse program Purdue has had six drafted since 2002 (7 years). At least three played high school ball in Texas.
May 3, 2008 at 5:41 pm
It’s pretty clear that your star ranking is in large part determined by who recruited you. That’s probably a pretty safe way to do it since in general Texas is going to have better players than Kansas or Iowa or A&M, but it’s also pretty lazy.
May 12, 2008 at 10:19 pm
I went to Dobie High School. I just discovered that I know an NFL player! Not, of course, that he probably has any clue who I am. But still, who wants to touch me?