Ten former Alabama high school players selected during NFL draft

The recent NFL Draft, which was the most unusual in our lifetimes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saw 10 former Alabama high school players join the NFL ranks.

Those players included Marlon Davidson, Henry Ruggs, Noah Igbinoghene, Anfernee Jennings, La’Mical Perine, Logan Stenberg, Daniel Thomas, Darnell Mooney, Quez Watkins and Prince Tega Wanogo.

Ruggs, who was a fan favorite as a wide receiver at Alabama, played his high school ball at Lee High School in Montgomery. He was drafted 12^th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders. (Yes, you read that right. The former Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders will begin playing their home games at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada later this year, presuming we have a NFL season this fall.)

Igbinoghene, who played defensive back at Auburn, was drafted 30^th overall by the Miami Dolphins. Igbinoghene played his high school ball at Hewitt-Trussville High School in Trussville, right outside of Birmingham. In high school, he was also a top track athlete, capturing a number of state titles in the triple jump and long jump.

Davidson played his high school ball at Greenville High School in nearby Butler County, and he is no stranger to Hillcrest High School football fans. Davidson played defensive tackle at Auburn and was drafted 47^th overall (15^th in the second round) by the Atlanta Falcons. I don’t know this for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Davidson has relatives in Conecuh County.

Jennings played linebacker at Alabama and was drafted 87^th overall (23^rd in the third round) by the New England Patriots. He played his high school ball at Dadeville High School in Tallapoosa County. He was named the Class 4A Lineman of the Year after his senior season.

Perine played running back at Florida and was drafted 120^th overall (13^th in the fourth round) by the New York Jets. He played his high school ball at Theodore High School in Mobile County. Many sports fans will remember that Perine was heavily recruited by Alabama, but he turned down the Crimson Tide to play in Gainesville.

Stenberg played on the offensive line as a guard at Kentucky and was drafted 121^st overall (15^th in the fourth round) by the Detroit Lions. He played his high school ball at James Clemens High School in Madison, which is in right outside of Huntsville. (If you’re wondering, James Clemens was one of the founders of the city of Madison.)

Thomas played safety at Auburn and was drafted 156^th overall (12^th in the fifth round) by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Like Ruggs, he played his high school ball at Lee High School in Montgomery. Thomas was heavily recruited by Clemson coming out of high school, but he decided to go to Auburn instead.

Mooney played wide receiver at Tulane in New Orleans and was drafted 173^rd overall (28^th in the fifth round) by the Chicago Bears. He played his high school ball at Gadsden City High School in Etowah County. Mooney is known for his blazing speed and was one of the fasted wide receivers at this year’s NFL combine.

Watkins played wide receiver at Southern Miss and was drafted 200^th overall (21^st in the sixth round) by the Philadelphia Eagles. He played his high school ball at Athens High School in Limestone County. Athens High School is also the alma mater of current Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.

Wanogo played offensive tackle at Auburn and was drafted 210^th overall (31^st in the sixth round) by the Eagles. He played his high school ball at Edgewood Academy, an AISA school in Elmore County. Wanogo, who was born in Nigeria, signed with Auburn after playing only one year of high school football at Edgewood.

In the end, it’ll be interesting to see how this group pans out in the NFL. Invariably, some will make a name for themselves while others will fade into obscurity. Who knows, maybe one or more of these players will make the Hall of Fame someday, which should make all Alabamians proud, regardless of where they played their high school and college ball.