General

Pair of 2015 All-State picks playing for Philadelphia in Super Bowl LIX

Posted on by admin

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Bryce Huff is the 106th former Alabama high school player on the active roster of a Super Bowl team.

The Eagles will play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX at 5:30 p.m. CST Sunday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

Huff played for St. Paul’s Episcopal when the Saints won the AHSAA Class 5A football championships in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Huff was an All-State selection by the Alabama Sports Writers Association in 2015 before heading to Memphis and on to the NFL.

Eagles safety Reed Blankenship also was an All-State selection in 2015 and again in 2016, when he was the ASWA Class 4A Back of the Year for West Limestone.

Blankenship does not add to the Alabama high school total because he played for Philadelphia in Super Bowl LVII two years ago, when the Eagles lost to Kansas City 38-35.

Huff does not add another high school to Alabama’s Super Bowl representative because Mark Barron from St. Paul’s made eight tackles and broke up a pass for the Los Angeles Rams in a 13-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII six years ago.

Players from 79 high schools have appeared on the active rosters of Super Bowl teams. But rule changes during the coronavirus pandemic offer another path for players to reach the playing field in the NFL championship game.

NFL teams can elevate two players from the practice squad to active status for each game, including the Super Bowl. The Eagles have two players from Alabama high schools on their practice squad – fullback Khari Blasingame from Buckhorn and linebacker Nicholas Morrow from Huntsville – and the Chiefs have one – wide receiver Justyn Ross from Central-Phenix City.

Ross was with Kansas City last season for the Chiefs’ 25-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. He followed Jeremiah Castille and Rakeem Nunez-Roches as former Red Devils who have been on the active rosters of Super Bowl teams.

Buckhorn and Huntsville have never had a Super Bowl player.

This season’s NFL championship game will be the 18th consecutive Super Bowl with at least one former Alabama high school player eligible to play.

During that streak, seven former Alabama prep stars reached the Super Bowls for the 2015 and 2019 seasons to set the high mark. Four Super Bowls have been played without at least one former Alabama high school standout on the active roster of either team – the NFL title games for the 1977, 1996, 1997 and 2006 seasons.

Sidney Lanier in Montgomery is the Alabama high school that has had the most former players on the active rosters of Super Bowl teams with six. Those players went to eight Super Bowls.

Central-Phenix City, Lanett and Woodlawn in Birmingham are tied for second in producing Super Bowl players at three apiece.

Tuscaloosa with six and Fairfield and Ensley with five apiece rank closest to Sidney Lanier for the number of Super Bowls for their players.

Here are the former players from Alabama high schools who have appeared on the active rosters of Super Bowl teams, including for Sunday’s game (with the list arranged by players from each school, and the cumulative number of Super Bowls for the players in parentheses):

SIX

Sidney Lanier (eight appearances): Reggie Barlow, Johnny Davis, Richmond Flowers, Tarvaris Jackson, Jeno James, Bart Starr.

THREE

Central-Phenix City (three appearances): Jeremiah Castille, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Justyn Ross.

Lanett (four appearances): Josh Evans, Dave Hill, Bobby Hunt.

Woodlawn (four appearances): Karlos Dansby, Tim Harris, Tony Nathan.

TWO

Anniston (two appearances): Eric Davis, Andra Franklin.

Auburn (three appearances): Osi Umenyiora, DeMarcus Ware.

Blount (three appearances): Kadarius Toney, Sherman Williams.

Carroll-Ozark (four appearances): Wilbur Jackson, Steve McLendon.

Central-Coosa (three appearances): Adalius Thomas, Justin Tuck.

Davidson (two appearances): Jaquiski Tartt, Jimmie Ward.

Escambia County (three appearances): Don McNeal, Ron Middleton.

Eufaula (three appearances): Jerrel Jernigan, Courtney Upshaw.

Fairfield (five appearances): Tim Johnson, Keith McKeller.

Foley (two appearances): Julio Jones, Ken Stabler.

Homewood (two appearances): Chris Gray, Evan Mathis.

J.O. Johnson (two appearances): Joey Kent, Rashad Moore.

Murphy (three appearances): Neil Farrell Jr., Jerrel Wilson.

St. Paul’s Episcopal (two appearances): Mark Barron, Bryce Huff.

Theodore (two appearances): La’Mical Perine, Etric Pruitt.

Tuscaloosa (six appearances): Bob Baumhower, John Stallworth.

Wenonah (two appearances): Alonzo Ephraim, Joe Webb.

ONE

Abbeville (three appearances): Dave Edwards.

Albertville (one appearance): John Hannah.

Aliceville (one appearance): Walter Jones.

Athens (one appearance): Quez Watkins.

Banks (three appearances): Jeff Rutledge.

B.B. Comer (one appearance): Marcus Knight.

Benjamin Russell (one appearance): Terrell Owens.

Berry (three appearances): Mike Kolen.

Bob Jones (one appearance): Reggie Ragland.

Booker T. Washington (one appearance): Manny Sistrunk.

Briarwood Christian (one appearance): Tim Castille.

Carver-Birmingham (one appearance): Issiac Holt.

Carver-Montgomery (one appearance): Ceasar Belser.

Center Point (one appearance): Rod Rutledge.

Central-Mobile (one appearance): Clifton McNeil.

Clay County (four appearances): Howard Ballard.

Columbia (three appearances): Trey Flowers.

Daphne (one appearance): Eric Lee.

Decatur (one appearance): Jerraud Powers.

Demopolis (one appearance): Robbie Jones.

Edgewood (one appearance): Prince Tega Wanogho.

Elkmont (one appearance): Michael Boley.

Ensley (five appearances): Cornelius Bennett.

Excel (three appearances): Lee Roy Jordan.

Fairhope (three appearances): Leon Lett.

Fort Payne (one appearance): Evan McPherson.

Glenn (one appearance): Bobby Humphrey.

Hillcrest-Evergreen (one appearance): Wayne Frazier.

Holt (one appearance): Kerry Jenkins.

LaFayette (one appearance): Mike Williams.

Lee-Huntsville (one appearance): Darian Stewart.

Leroy (one appearance): Emanuel King.

Madison Academy (one appearance): Jordan Matthews.

Maplesville (one appearance): Tommie Agee.

Mount Olive (one appearance): Oliver Davis.

Muscle Shoals (one appearance): Dennis Homan.

New Hope (two appearances): Howard Cross.

Northview (two appearances): Larry Roberts.

Opelika (one appearance): Daryl Smith.

O.W. Mitchell (one appearance): Billy Shields.

Oxford (on appearance): Kwon Alexander.

Parker (two appearances): Buck Buchanan.

Phillips (one appearance): Jerricho Cotchery.

Pike County (one appearance): Cornelius Griffin.

Pleasant Grove (one appearance): James Bradberry.

Prattville (two appearances): Roman Harper.

Shaw (one appearance): Mike Fuller.

Spain Park (one appearance): Nick Mullens.

S.R. Butler (one appearance): Adam Schreiber.

Stanhope Elmore (two appearances): Antowain Smith.

St. Clair County (one appearance): Dee Ford.

Tarrant (one appearance): Mario Addison.

Thomasville (two appearances): Anthony Madison.

Thompson (three appearances): Brandon King.

Ullman (one appearance): Woody Peoples.

Vigor (one appearance): Paul Crane.

West Limestone (two appearances): Reed Blankenship.

Williamson (one appearance): Rich Caster.

West Limestone quarterback Reed Blankenship carries the football against Tanner on Aug. 21, 2015, at Rip Swanner Stadium in Tanner.(Bob Gathany/[email protected])

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.