NFL Players Who Competed in High School Track & Field

Each of the professional football players listed below competed for his high school track team. Their athletic development was enhanced through this competition. Many of them have publicly credited their involvement in track with their later ability to play football in college and the NFL.

Reggie Bush – Heisman Trophy RB at USC, Saints – high school sprint champion Adrian Peterson – RB Oklahoma, Vikings, high school sprint champion Warrick Dunn Ndamukong Suh – Oregon shot put champ in high school Santana Moss – WR NFL – Big East champion in 60m, long jump, & triple jump Terry Bradshaw – Steelers Hall of Fame QB - shot put, discus, javelin in high school Keary Colbert – WR Lions, USC – sprints at Hueneme HS Ronney Jenkins – WR Chargers, sprints at Hueneme HS Lorenzo Booker – RB Dolphins, sprints at St. Bonaventure HS Bo Jackson – Heisman Trophy at Auburn, RB Raiders Allen Rossum – RB Eagles, Notre Dame – high school and college sprinter Scott Fujita – LB Saints, sprints & long jump at Rio Mesa HS Devin Hester – WR Bears, long jumper at University of Miami Deion Sanders – All-Pro DB, 100m sprinter in high school and at Florida State Michael Carter – Nose Tackle 49ers, national high school record shot put Rod Woodson – DB Steelers – All-American hurdler at Purdue University Cliff Branch – WR Raiders Ronnie Lott – 49ers Hall of Fame DB, 7 foot high jumper in high school Tyrone Wheatley – 110m hurdler Jay Novacek – Dallas Cowboys, decathlete at University of Wyoming Rashard Mendenhall – RB Steelers, all-state sprinter in high school Jonathan Ogden – UCLA All-American Lineman, Shot Put & Discus in high school Randall Carroll – UCLA WR, California state 100m champion at Cathedral High School Justin Fargas – RB Raiders, USC – California State 100m champion in high school Dennis Smith – DB Broncos, USC – 7 foot high jumper in high school Tim Dwight – WR Raiders, Falcons, sprint champion in Iowa Randy Moss – WR Patriots, Vikings – high school spring champion Julius Jones – RB Cowboys, state hurdles champion in high school Darrell Green - DB Redskins, 100m in 10.13 in college Don Majkowski – Packers QB, 7 foot high jumper in high school James Jett – Oakland Raiders, track all-American at University of West Virginia Herschel Walker – Heisman Trophy at Georgia, RB for Vikings, Cowboys Bob Hayes – WR Cowboys, Olympic Gold Medalist 100m, 4x100m Sam Cunningham – RB USC and Patriots, 100m sprinter and shot putter in high school Ollie Matson – RB Rams, Cardinals, Lions – Olympic Bronze & Silver Medal 400m Michael Timpson – WR Patriots, Bears – high school sprint, hurdles champion Willie Gault – Chicago Bears WR, high school sprinter, world record 4x100m O.J. Simpson – part of USC’s world record setting 4x100 relay team James Lofton – WR at Stanford and in NFL Art Monk – Hall of Fame WR Redskins Curtis Conway – USC/Bears WR, 100m sprinter in high school and at USC Gerald Tinker Eric Metcalf – Pro Bowl WR Browns – long jumper in high school Isaac Curtis Donte Stallworth Anthony Miller Peerless Price Mel Gray Kareem Kelly – NFL, USC WR – California state 100m champion Fair Hooker Steve Odom Champ Bailey Michael Vick Quadry Ismail James Trapp – DB Raiders, Ravens, Jaguars – world champion 200m Willie McGee Nolan Cromwell – DB Rams, Kansas high school track champion Ray Norton Terrence Newman James McAlister Renaldo Nehemiah – WR 49ers, world record 110m hurdles Johnny Hector Michael Bates – RB Panthers, Olympic Bronze Medal 200m Vance Johnson Jermaine Lewis Sam Graddy – part of U.S. 4x100m world record at L.A. Olympics 1984 Paul Warfield – Hall of Fame NFL WR - long jumper at Ohio State Dokie Williams Cris Collinsworth – WR Bengals, Florida state 100m champion in high school Travis Hannah – WR, California state 400m champion Butch Woolfolk Rocket Ismail – Notre Dame All-American, high school sprint champion Charles Frazier Ken Burrough Wesley Walker DeAngelo Hall JD Hill Bob Boyd Lenny Lyles Earl McCullouch – WR USC/Chicago Bears, NCAA hurdles champion Tommy Smith – world record 200 meters at San Jose State Jimmy Hines – world record 100 meters, WR Dolphins Henry Carr Richmond Flowers Bo Roberson Mel Renfro Terry Metcalf Cecil Turner Johnny Jones – WR Jets, Olympic Gold Medal 4x100m Travis Hannah Terry McDaniel Michael Bennett Robert Smith – RB Ohio State, Vikings Alexander Wright Anthony Miller Michael Haynes D.J. Morgan – USC, 110 & 300 hurdles at Taft High School Robert Woods – USC, sprints and relays at J. Serra High School