Former 'Faces in the Crowd' who went on to the NFL
It's Throwback Thursday, which gives us an excuse to brag about those times we correctly predicted greatness from athletes featured in Faces in the Crowd.
Some went on to win Super Bowls and be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, while others racked up multiple arrests and flamed out of the league. Either way, we'll claim them all as victories.
Below, see if you can guess the athlete based on the original photo that appeared in the magazine.
OSBORNE'S PHOTOGRAPHY
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Ben Roethlisberger
What we said on 12/6/1999: Ben, a senior quarterback at Findlay High, set state season records for yards passing, with 4,041, and touchdown passes, with 54, while leading the Trojans to a 10--2 record. He connected on 66.4% of his throws and directed an offense that averaged 43.8 points.
LESLIE TODD
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Emmitt Smith
Hall of Fame NFL RB
What we said on 1/13/1986: Emmitt, a junior at Escambia High (Pensacola, Fla.), rushed for 262 yards and three TDs in a 55-28 win over Auburndale in the Class AAAA semifinals. In three years he has run for 6,993 yards, making him the leading rusher in Florida high school history.
DOUG ENGLE
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Daunte Culpepper
Former NFL Pro Bowl QB
What we said on 2/6/1995: Daunte, a senior quarterback at Vanguard High (Ocala, Fla.), set a school record for passing yardage in a season (3,070) and in a career (6,107). He also threw for 57 TDs in his three varsity seasons, including 31 in 1994, while leading the Knights to the 5A state finals and earning Florida Player of the Year honors.
BRIAN ADAMCIK/MIDLAND REPORTER-TELEGRAM
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Cedric Benson
Former NFL RB
What we said on 10/30/2000: Cedric, a senior running back at Lee High (Midland, Tex.), carried the ball 22 times for 209 yards in a 44-7 win over Franklin High of El Paso to break the state Class 5A career rushing record of 6,189 yards set in 1993 by Jerod Douglas of Judson High in Converse. He'll play for Texas next year.
JIM LUZZI
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Knowshon Moreno
What we said on 1/30/2006: Knowshon, a senior running back at Middletown South High (N.J.), ended his high school career with 6,264 yards rushing, becoming the second player in New Jersey history to top 6,000 yards. He set state records for touchdowns (128) and points scored (782) and led the Eagles to a 45-3 record during his career.
ANDY GARRIGUE
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Russell Wilson
What we said on 12/18/2006: Russell, a senior quarterback--defensive back at Collegiate School (Richmond, Va.), led the Cougars to a 38--16 win over Fork Union and their fourth straight Virginia Independent Schools Football Association Division I title. He completed 21 of 37 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 30 times for 223 yards and three touchdowns.
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Tony Dungy
Former NFL DB and coach
What we said on 1/26/1970: Tony Dungy, 14, student president of Frost Junior High in Jackson, Mich., threw 23 touchdown passes over the past three seasons, is high scorer in basketball for the third straight year and has never been defeated in high and low hurdles and long jump in track.
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Terry Bradshaw
Hall of Fame NFL QB
What we said on 4/11/1966: Terry Bradshaw, 17, a senior at Woodlawn High in Shreveport, La., set a national schoolboy javelin record with a throw of 243 feet 7 inches at a meet in his home town. A quarterback at Woodlawn, Terry will enroll at LSU this fall on a football scholarship.
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Shaun Alexander
Former Pro Bowl NFL RB
What we said on 1/10/1994: Shaun, a junior at Boone County High (Florence, K.Y.), rushed for 2,396 yards and 42 touchdowns this season, including 334 yards and seven TDs in the Rebels' season finale, a win against Campbell County High. Shaun, who's also class president, led the team to the Class 4A semifinals.
MICHAEL CONROY
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Jeff George
Former NFL QB
What we said on 1/27/1986: Jeff, a senior quarterback at Warren Central High (Indianapolis), completed 252 of 422 passes for 3,094 yards and 45 touchdowns to lead the Warriors to their second straight state championship. In three seasons he threw for 8,126 yards and 94 touchdowns.
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Gary Kubiak
Former NFL QB, coach
What we said on 11/6/1978: A senior at St. Pius High (Houston), Gary broke the Texas schoolboy career passing record during the Panthers' 43-12 win over DeQuincy (La.). So far he has passed for 5,579 yards, 94 more than the mark set by Tommy Kramer in 1972.
MADELYN TROYANEK
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Tim Tebow
NFL QB turned TV analyst
What we said on 12/20/2004: Tim, a junior lefthanded quarterback at Nease High (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.), set state records for total yardage in a season (5,576) and single-season passing yardage (4,304). He scored 70 touchdowns for the 11-2 Panthers and was named Class 3A player of the year.
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Darrell Green
Hall of Fame NFL CB
What we said on 7/5/1982: Green, a junior sprinter at Texas A&I, won three 1982 national collegiate dash titles: the NCAA Division II 100 meters (10.57) and 200 (20.48) and the NAIA 200, in a meet-record 20.84. In football, he was an all-conference cornerback.
COURTESY OF TIMBERLINE HIGH
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Jonathan Stewart
What we said on 1/17/2005: Jonathan, a senior running back at Timberline High (Lacey, Wash.), finished high school with 95 touchdowns, set a state record with 7,757 rushing yards and led the Blazers to a second straight Pac-9 championship. He was a finalist for the Walter Payton Trophy.
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Herschel Walker
Former Pro Bowl NFL RB
What we said on 9/10/1979: Herschel, a Johnson County High senior, won four events to lead the Trojans to the state Class A track title, while his sister Veronica, the first female to get a track scholarship to the University of Georgia, won two events to pace Johnson County to third place in the girls' championships. Herschel won the 100-yard dash (9.8), the 220 (21.8) and the shotput (51' 1/4"). Veronica won the 100 (11.1) and the 220 (24.01) and was second in the long jump, an event in which she holds the state record.
BILL ABOURJILIE
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Percy Harvin
Seattle Seahawks WR
What we said on 8/15/2005: Percy, a senior at Landstown High, became the first Virginia Group AAA athlete since 1936 to win five gold medals at the state track and field championships. He won the long jump, triple jump and 100- and 200-meter dashes and was a member of the victorious 4X100-meter relay team.
MARQUIA SWAIN
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Denard Robinson
What we said on 5/29/2009: Denard, a senior at Deerfield Beach (Fla.) High, won the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the Class 4A regional meet and for the second year in a row anchored the 4x100 relay team to victory at the state meet. The Bucks' time of 40.64 seconds was the second fastest in the nation this year. Denard, who also plays quarterback, signed to play football at Michigan.
