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 12th
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 30th 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 47th
overall (15th 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 87th
overall (23rd 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 120th
overall (13th 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 121st overall (15th 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 156th
overall (12th 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 173rd overall (28th 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 200th overall (21st 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 210th
overall (31st 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.
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