When the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes take control of their teams in the Divisional playoffs this weekend there will be millions of high schoolers around the world following their every move and hoping to one day be in that same position.
Figure 1 All high school football players want to make it to the Super Bowl
NFL betting markets cover every move these top football players make, but their dreams of winning the Super Bowl will have seriously begun when they were still in school. Read on to find out about the early careers of some of the biggest names in football.
The Humble High School Careers of 4 of the Biggest NFL Stars
Patrick Mahomes
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback has been one of the most explosive young players to emerge in the NFL over the last few years and already has one Super Bowl ring on his finger. There is little doubt that he has an excellent chance to challenge for more – and his talent was very evident from an early age.
His father was a pitcher in Major League Baseball and Patrick also excelled in the sport at Whitehouse High School in Whitehouse, Texas. He actually credits his pitching practice with improving his quarterback skills. He threw for 50 touchdowns in his senior year, as well as rushing for 15 of his own. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 2014 MLB Draft but didn’t sign a contract as he was already committed to Texas Tech in football.
Aaron Rodgers
The Green Bay Packers quarterback, a bit older than Mahomes, shares a multifaceted sports background, having participated in basketball and baseball during his school years. However, it was upon his family’s return to Chico, California in 1997 that Rodgers truly started turning heads with his athletic achievements at Pleasant Valley High School. His journey to NFL stardom is nothing short of remarkable, it’s no surprise that he is one of the most desirable NFL trading cards, with graded ones from an NFL Mystery Box potentially selling for hundreds of dollars!
Rodgers started for two years at Pleasant Valley managing 4,421 passing yards in that time. He set single game and season school records for touchdowns and total yards before graduating in 2001. He was also an all-round student, as he graduated scoring 1310 in the SAT, with an A- average.
Figure 2 Ryan Tannehill has earned homefield advantage for the Titans throughout the postseason
Ryan Tannehill
The Tennessee Titans go into the postseason as the number one team in the league after winning the AFC South with a 12-5 record. Ryan Tannehill has led the Titans to victory this season but competed in track and field events in high school, while also playing as a defensive back until the end of his sophomore year.
It was junior year that Tannehill showed his skill on the other side of the ball – and passed for 1,258 yards and rushed for another 617 in his final year at Big Spring High School in Big Spring. Texas. He was also adept at punting and left high school as a three-star recruit. Now he will be hoping that his Titans team can win the Super Bowl just three years after going to the Pro Bowl and claiming the NFL Comeback of the Year award.
Tom Brady
Tom Brady is regarded by many football fans as the best that the sport has ever seen. He has won seven Super Bowls in a glorious career, taking the MVP award at five of those Super Bowls. He won most of his honors as part of an all-conquering New England Patriots organization – but then went straight ahead and won the big game with his new team after leaving for Tampa Bay ahead of last season.
Brady was not initially considered to be a top prospect at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, California. But he took his chance when the starting quarterback was injured. He was actually drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 1995 MLB Draft and apparently had the potential to be one of the best ever catchers. But after finishing his high school career with 3,702 passing yards and 31 touchdowns the football scouts came calling – and the rest is history.
