Super Bowl LVII: State prep roster grows to 102 players

Super Bowl LVII: State prep roster grows to 102 players

Five players from Alabama high schools are on the active rosters of the Super LVII teams, boosting the number of former prep stars who have reached the NFL’s biggest game to 102.

Wide receiver Kadarius Toney (Blount) and offensive tackle Prince Tega Wanogho (Edgewood Academy) play for the Kansas City Chiefs, and safety Reed Blankenship (West Limestone), cornerback James Bradberry (Pleasant Grove) and wide receiver Quez Watkins (Athens) play for the Philadelphia Eagles.

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All except Toney are the first from their schools to reach the Super Bowl. That puts 79 Alabama high schools on the Super Bowl map. Former Blount star Sherman Williams preceded Toney. Williams was with the Dallas Cowboys when they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17 in Super Bowl XXX on Jan. 28, 1996.

The Chiefs and Eagles will square off in Super Bowl LVII at 5:30 p.m. CST Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

In the Los Angeles Rams’ 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in last year’s Super Bowl, only one former Alabama prep player was involved – Cincinnati kicker Evan McPherson (Fort Payne).

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. This season’s championship game will be the 16th consecutive Super Bowl with at least one former Alabama high school player eligible to play.

Seven former Alabama prep stars reached the Super Bowls for the 2015 and 2019 seasons to set the high mark.

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.

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.

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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

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 (two appearances): Kadarius Toney, Sherman Williams.

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

Central-Phenix City (two appearances): Jeremiah Castille, Rakeem Nunez-Roches.

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.

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): Caesar 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): Emmanuel King.

Madison Academy (one appearance): Jordan Matthews.

Maplesville (one appearance): Tommie Agee.

Mount Olive (one appearance): Oliver Davis.

Murphy (two appearances): Jerrel Wilson.

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.

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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.

St. Paul’s Episcopal (one appearance): Mark Barron.

Tarrant (one appearance): Mario Addison.

Theodore (one appearance): Etric Pruitt.

Thomasville (two appearances): Anthony Madison.

Thompson (three appearances): Brandon King.

Ullman (one appearance): Woody Peoples.

Vigor (one appearance): Paul Crane.

West Limestone (one appearance): Reed Blankenship.

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Williamson (one appearance): Rich Caster.

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