With the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022 officially enshrined, we thought it would be fun to examine where all 354 HOF’ers attended high school. I use the word “attended” because several Hall of Famers didn’t play varsity high school football, according to our research.
Tim Mara, the founding owner of the New York Giants, is an example of this. The Hall of Fame Class of 1963 inductee dropped-out of school at the age of 13 to get a job to help his family.
Then there’s Tim’s son Wellington, who at the tender age of 14 was given 50-percent ownership in the team, along with his old brother Jack. Wellington attended the Loyola School in Manhattan in the early 30’s. However, the school located near Central Park has never had a football program, which isn’t unusual in the city.
The State of California leads the way with 40 HOF’ers, who played football scholastically in the Golden State. Pennsylvania is second with with 37, followed by Texas 30 and Ohio with 29. Illinois is fifth on the list with 20 Hall of Famers.
George Washington Prep in Los Angeles is one of ten schools with two Hall of Famers. Wide receiver James Lofton was enshrined with the Class of 2003. Halfback Hugh McElhenny played for the Generals in the late 40’s.
Raines High School in Jacksonville Florida has two HOF’ers — wide receiver Harold Carmichael and cornerback Brian Dawkins.
In Illinois, Crane High School boasts two Canton honorees. NFL co-founder George Halas played for the Chicago school. Hugh “Shorty” Ray, who served as the NFL’s Supervisor of Officials from 1938 to 1952, attended Crane when it was known as Crane Manual Training School.
South River High in New Jersey was the scholastic stomping grounds for wide receiver Drew Pearson and Alex Wojciechowicz, who was a two-way NFL star at center and linebacker from 1935 to 1950.
Brooklyn, New York’s Erasmus Hall High School was the starting spot for future Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders owner Al Davis and quarterback Sid Luckman, who won four NFL championships with the Chicago Bears.
There’s some mystery surrounding whether Davis actually played varsity football at the school. He claimed he did, but, in later years, research by some in the media indicate that he did not.
Oregon’s Jefferson High School (Portland) claims modern day player Mel Renfro and Arnie Weinmeister from the 40’s.
With the induction of Art McNally this past weekend, Roman Catholic in Philadelphia has two HOF’ers. Wide receiver Marvin Harrison was enshrined as part of the Class of 2016.
The Haverford School, in suburban Philadelphia, was home to former NFL commissioner Bert Bell, who also served as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers. Before becoming commissioner, Bell was the owner of the Eagles and co-owner of the Steelers.
Steve Sabol, who’s father Ed, founded NFL Films, attended Haverford. Ed Sabol is also enshrined in Canton.
Related: Where Class of 2022 played high school football
Aliquippa High School, in western Pennsylvania, could become the first school to have three Hall of Fame players. Early next year, cornerback Darrelle Revis is expected to become part of the Class of 2023, in his first year eligibility. Revis would join tight end Mike Ditka and cornerback Ty Law, who are already enshrined in Canton.
Worthing High School in Houston got its second inductee this weekend when the late Cliff Branch was enshrined posthumously. Linebacker Mike Singletary was the first Worthing player to be honored in bronze in Canton.
Below is the complete state-by-state list:
Pro Football Hall of Fame Members
Alabama (9)
Robert Brazile – Vigor
Buck Buchanan – Parker (Birmingham)
John Hannah – Albertville
Walter Jones – Aliceville
Ozzie Newsome – Colbert County
Terrell Owens – Russell
Kenny Stabler – Foley
John Stallworth – Tuscaloosa Central
Bart Starr – Sidney Lanier
Arkansas (8)
Willie Davis – Booker T. Washington
Dan Hampton – Jacksonville
Cliff Harris – Des Arc
Don Hutson – Pine Bluff
*Jerry Jones – North Little Rock
Cortez Kennedy – Rivercrest
Bobby Mitchell – Langston
Willie Roaf – Pine Bluff
Arizona (2)
Curley Culp – Yuma
Randall McDaniel – Agua Fria
California (40)
Larry Allen – Centennial (Napa)
Marcus Allen – Lincoln (San Diego)
*Bobby Bethard – El Segundo
Terrell Davis – Lincoln (San Diego)
John Elway – Granada Hills
Tom Fears – Manual Arts
Tom Flores – Sanger Union
Dan Fouts – St. Ignatius
**Joe Gibbs – Santa Fe Springs
Frank Gifford – Bakersfield
Tony Gonzalez – Huntington Beach
Mike Haynes – John Marshall (Los Angeles)
Jimmy Johnson – Kingsburg
John Henry Johnson – Pittsburg
James Lofton – George Washington (Los Angeles)
Ronnie Lott – Eisenhower
John Lynch – Torrey Pines
**John Madden – Jefferson
Gino Marchetti – Antioch
Ollie Matson – George Washington (San Francisco)
Bruce Matthews – Arcadia
Hugh McElhenny – George Washington (Los Angeles)
Ron Mix – Hawthorne
Warren Moon – Hamilton
Anthony Munoz – Chaffey
Ernie Nevers – Santa Rosa
Joe Perry – David Starr Jordan (Los Angeles)
Les Richter – Fresno
*Pete Rozelle – Compton
*Tex Schramm – Alhambra
Junior Seau – Oceanside
O.J. Simpson – Galileo
Bob St. Clair – San Francisco Polytechnic
Dick Stanfel – Commerce (San Francisco)
Lynn Swann – Serra (San Mateo)
Norm Van Brocklin – Acalanes
**Dick Vermeil – Calistoga
**Bill Walsh – Hayward
Bob Waterfield – Van Nuys
Ron Yary – Bellflower
Gary Zimmerman – Walnut
Colorado (3)
Tony Boselli – Fairview
Jack Christiansen – Cañon City High School
Earl (Dutch) Clark – Central (Pueblo)
Connecticut (4)
Floyd Little – Hillhouse
Andy Robustelli – Stamford
Ken Strong – West Haven
Steve Young – Greenwich
Delaware (1)
Randy White – McKean
Florida (19)
Derrick Brooks – Booker T. Washington (Pensacola)
Isaac Bruce – Dillard
LeRoy Butler – Robert E. Lee (Jacksonville)
Harold Carmichael – Raines
Brian Dawkins – Raines
Bob Hayes – Gilbert
Ted Hendricks – Hialeah
Steve Hutchinson – Coral Springs
Michael Irvin – St. Thomas Aquinas
Rickey Jackson – Pahokee
Edgerrin James – Immokalee
David (Deacon) Jones – Hungerford
Ray Lewis – Lakeland
Larry Little – Booker T. Washington (Miami)
Deion Sanders – North Ft. Myers
Warren Sapp – Apopka
Emmitt Smith – Escambia
Derrick Thomas – South Miami
Jack Youngblood – Jefferson County
Georgia (8)
Champ Bailey – Charlton County
Mel Blount – Lyons
Richard Dent – Murphy (Atlanta)
Ray Guy – Thomson
Calvin Johnson – Sandy Creek
Shannon Sharpe – Glennville
Fran Tarkenton – Athens
Rayfield Wright – Griffin Fairmont
Idaho (2)
Jerry Kramer – Sandpoint
Larry Wilson – Rigby
Illinois (20)
Charles Bidwell – St. Ignatius
Dick Butkus – Chicago Vocational
Tony Canadeo – Steinmetz
George Connor – De La Salle
John (Paddy) Driscoll – Evanston Twp.
*Jim Finks – Salem
Otto Graham – Waukegan
Red Grange – Wheaton
Kevin Greene – South (Granite City)
**George Halas – Crane Tech
**Marv Levy – South Shore
George Musso – Collinsville
Ray Nitschke – Proviso East
Leo Nomellini – Crane
Pete Pihos – Chicago Austin
Fritz Pollard – Lane Tech
*Hugh (Shorty) Ray – Crane Manual Training High School
George Trafton – Oak Park
Kellen Winslow – East St. Louis
Bryant Young – Bloom
Indiana (5)
Morten Andersen – Ben Davis
**Weeb Ewbank – Morton
Bob Griese – Rex Mundi
Alex Karras – Emerson (Gary)
*Hank Stram – Lew Wallace
Rod Woodson – Fort Wayne Snider
Iowa (1)
Frederick “Duke” Slater – Clinton
Kurt Warner – Regis
Kansas (4)
William Roy (Link) Lyman – McDonald
Mike McCormack – De La Salle
John Riggins – Centralia
Barry Sanders – Wichita North
Kentucky (2)
Dermontti Dawson – Bryan Station
Paul Hornung – Flaget
Louisiana (12)
Terry Bradshaw – Woodlawn
Fred Dean – Ruston
Marshall Faulk – G.W. Carver
Charlie Joiner – W.O. Boston
Peyton Manning – Isidore Newman
Kevin Mawae – Leesville
Ed Reed – Destrehan
Johnny Robinson – University (Baton Rouge)
Jackie Smith – Kentwood
Jim Taylor – Baton Rouge
Steve Van Buren – Warren Easton
Aeneas Williams – Fortier
Maryland (1)
*George Young – Calvert Hall
Massachusetts (4)
Nick Buoniconti – Cathedral
Ed Healey – Springfield Classical
Howie Long – Milford Academy
Wayne Millner – Salem
Michigan (7)
**George Allen – Lake Shore
Jerome Bettis – MacKenzie
Joe DeLamielleure – St. Clement
**Tony Dungy – Parkside
Bill Hewitt – Bay City Central
Paul Krause – Bendle
*Ralph Wilson, Jr. – Detroit University School – did not play football
Minnesota (4)
*Sid Gillman – North (Minneapolis)
Walt Kiesling – Cretin
Jim Langer – Royalton
Bronislau “Bronko” Nagurski – Bemidji
Mississippi (9)
Lance Alworth – Brookhaven
Lem Barney – 33rd Avenue
Willie Brown – Yazoo Training
Brett Favre – Hancock North Central
Frank (Bruiser) Kinard – Jackson Central
Walter Payton – Columbia
Jerry Rice – Moor
Billy Shaw – Carr Central
Jackie Slater – Wingfield
Missouri (4)
Steve Atwater – Lutheran North
Jimmy Conzelman – McKinley
Robert (Cal) Hubbard – Keytesville
Roger Wehrli – King City
Nebraska (3)
Guy Chamberlain – Blue Springs
Gale Sayres – Omaha Central
Mick Tingelhoff – Lexington
New Jersey (13)
Elvin Bethea – Trenton Central
Lou Creekmur – Woodbridge
Drew Pearson – South River
Franco Harris – Rancocas Valley
Sam Mills – Long Branch
**Bill Parcells – River Dell
*Dan Reeves – Newman School
Jim Ringo – Phillipsburg
Dave Robinson – Moorestown
*Ed Sabol – Blairstown Academy
*Paul Tagliabue – St. Michael’s (Union City) – received basketball scholarship to Georgetown, did not play high school football
Andre Tippett – Barringer
Alex Wojciechowicz – South River
New Mexico (2)
Tommy McDonald – Highland
Brian Urlacher – Lovington
New York (12)
Jim Brown – Manhasset
*Al Davis – Erasmus Hall – didn’t play high school football
Art Donovan – Mount St. Michael
Don Fortmann – Pearl River
**Vince Lombardi – St. Francis Prep
Sid Luckman – Erasmus Hall
John Mackey – Hempstead
*Tim Mara – did not play football; never attended high school
*Wellington Mara – Loyola School – didn’t play high school football
Art Monk – White Plains
*Bill Polian – Mount St. Michael
Ernie Stautner – Vincentian Institute (Albany)
North Carolina (4)
Bobby Bell – Cleveland
Carl Eller – Atkins
Sonny Jurgensen – New Hanover
Charlie Sanders – Dudley
Ohio (29)
Cliff Battles – Kenmore
Bob Brown – East Tech
**Paul Brown – Massillon
*Joe Carr – did not play football
Cris Carter – Middletown
Larry Csonka – Stow
Len Dawson – Alliance
*Edward DeBartolo, Jr. – Cardinal Mooney – didn’t play varsity football
Dan Dierdorf – Glenwood
Benny Friedman – Glenville
Lou Groza – Martins Ferry
Wilbur (Pete) Henry – Mansfield
Clarke Hinkle – Toronto
Jack Lambert – Crestwood
Dante Lavelli – Hudson
Dick LeBeau – London
Tom Mack – Cleveland Heights
George McAfee – Ironton
Mike Michalske – West (Cleveland)
Marion Motley – McKinley
**Chuck Noll – Benedictine
Orlando Pace – Sandusky
Alan Page – Canton Central Catholic
Jim Parker – Scott (Toledo)
**Don Shula – Harvey
Roger Staubach – Purcell
Paul Warfield – Harding
Bill Willis – East (Columbus)
Charles Woodson – Ross
Oklahoma (5)
Troy Aikman – Henryetta
Steve Largent – Putnam City
**Steve Owen – Aline
Lee Roy Selmon – Eufaula
Will Shields – Lewton
Oregon (5)
Bob Lilly – Pendleton
Troy Polamalu – Douglas
Mel Renfroe – Jefferson (Portland)
Arnie Weinmeister – Jefferson (Portland)
Dave Wilcox – Vale
Pennsylvania (37)
Herb Adderley – Northeast
Chuck Bednarik – Bethlehem Liberty
*Bert Bell – Haverford School
Fred Biletnikoff – Erie Tech
George Blanda – Youngwood
Jim “Jimbo” Covert – Freedom (Beaver County)
**Bill Cowher – Carlynton
Mike Ditka – Aliquippa
Chris Doleman – William Penn (York)
Tony Dorsett – Hopewell
Bill George – Waynesburg
Russ Grimm – Southmoreland
Jack Ham – Bishop McCourt
Marvin Harrison – Roman Catholic
*Lamar Hunt – Hill School
Stan Jones – Lemoyne
Jim Kelly – East Brady
Leroy Kelly – Simon Gratz
Ty Law – Aliquippa
Dan Marino – Pittsburgh Central Catholic
Curtis Martin – Allderdice
*Art McNally – Roman Catholic – no determination on whether he played varsity football
Joe Montana – Ringgold
Lenny Moore – Reading
Mike Munchak – Scranton Central
Joe Namath – Beaver Falls
*Bill Nunn – Westinghouse (played high school basketball)
Andre Reed – Dieruff
*Art Rooney – St. Peter’s Catholic
*Dan Rooney – North Catholic
*Steve Sabol – Haverford
Joe Schmidt – Brentwood
Jason Taylor – Woodland Hills
Jim Thorpe – Carlisle Indian Industrial School
Charlie Trippi – Pittston
Emlen Tunnell – Radnor
Johnny Unitas – St. Justin’s
*Ron Wolf – Susquehannock
South Carolina (3)
Harry Carson – McClenaghan
Richard Seymour – Lower Richland
Art Shell – Bonds-Wilson
Donnie Shell – Whitmire
Tennessee (4)
Doug Atkins – Humbolt
Gene Hickerson – Trezevant
Claude Humphrey – Lester
Reggie White – Howard
Texas (30)
Sammy Baugh – Sweetwater
Raymond Berry – Paris
Cliff Branch – Worthing
Tom Brown – Dallas Woodrow Wilson
Earl Campbell – Tyler
Eric Dickerson – Sealy
Bobby Dillon – Temple
Alan Faneca – Lamar Consolidated (Houston)
Darrell Green – Jones (Houston)
Joe Greene – Temple Dunbar
Forrest Gregg – Sulphur Springs
Winston Hill – Gladewater Weldon
Ken Houston – Lufkin Dunbar
**Jimmy Johnson – Thomas Jefferson (Port Arthur)
**Tom Landry – Mission
Richard “Night Train” Layne – Austin Anderson
Yale Lary – Fort Worth North Side
Bobby Layne – Highland Park
Don Maynard – Colorado City
John Randle – Hearne
Mike Singletary – Worthing
Ed Sprinkle – Jim Ned
Michael Strahan – Westbury
Charley Taylor – Dalworth
Emmitt Thomas – Marshall (Angleton)
Thurman Thomas – Willowridge
Y.A. Tittle – Marshall
LaDainian Tomlinson – Waco University
Clyde Turner – Newman (Sweetwater)
Gene Upshaw – Robstown
Doak Walker – Highland Park
Utah (2)
Merlin Olsen – Logan
Mac Speedie – South (Salt Lake City)
Virginia (11)
Roosevelt Brown – Jefferson
Bill Dudley – Graham
Kenny Easley – Oscar Smith
Charles Haley – William Campbell
Chris Hanburger – Hampton
Henry Jordan – Warwick
Willie Lanier – Walker (Richmond)
Clarence (Ace) Parker – Woodrow Wilson (Portsmouth)
Bruce Smith – Booker T. Washington
Dwight Stephenson – Hampton
Lawrence Taylor – Lafayette
Washington (4)
Morris (Red) Badgro – Kent
Albert Glen (Turk) Edwards – Clarkston
Ray Flaherty – Gonzaga Prep
Mel Hein – Burlington
Washington, D.C. (4)
Len Ford – Armstrong
*George Preston Marshall – Friends Select – did not play football
Jonathan Ogden – St. Albans
Willie Wood – Armstrong
West Virginia (5)
Fred Gatski – Farmington
Sam Huff – Farmington
Randy Moss – Dupont
**Alfred Earle (Greasy) Neale – Parkersburg
Joe Stydahar – Shinnston
Wisconsin (10)
*Pat Bolen – Campion Jesuit
*Gil Brandt – North Division
Dave Casper – Chilton
**Bud Grant – Central (Superior)
Joe Guyon – Keewatin Academy
Arnie Herber – Green Bay West
Elroy (Crazylegs) Hirsch – Wausau
Early (Curly) Lambeau – Green Bay East
Alphonse (Tuffy) Leemans – East (Superior)
John (Blood) McNally – New Richmond
Jim Otto – Wausau
Mike Webster – Rhinelander
Canada
Jack Butler – Mount Carmel (Niagara Falls, ON)
Norway
Jan Stenerud
*Contributor
**Coach
