The National Football Foundation and the College Hall of Fame has announced the Class of 2024 for the College Football Hall of Fame. Nineteen 1st Team All-Americans and three coaches will be inducted during the NFF’s 66th Annual Awards Dinner in December.
Below is where each inductee played their high school football:
College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 – Players
Justin Blackmon – Plainview High School (Oklahoma)
Blackmon lettered in four-sports at Plainview — football, basketball, baseball and track. During his senior season, he caught 61 passes for 1,547 yards and 14 touchdowns. On defense, he has four Pick-6’s. He attended Oklahoma State where he was a two-time All-American and twice won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver.
The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Blackmon with the fifth overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Paul Cameron – Burbank High School (California)
Cameron played at Burbank High School in Southern California. He was elected to the school’s Hall of Fame in 2008. He was a high school All-American, who led the school to a CIF B Championship.
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Cameron in the eighth round of the 1954 NFL Draft.
Tim Couch – Leslie County High School (Kentucky)
The 1995 Kentucky Mr. Football Award winner set many national records during his time at Leslie County. Couch graduated as the nation’s all-time leader in passing yards with 12,104. He also held the record for completions (872) and passing touchdowns (132). He led the school to back-to-back berths in the state semifinals during his junior and senior seasons.
Couch was inducted into the National Federation of State High School Associations Hall of Fame in 2021.
The Cleveland Browns drafted Couch No. 1 overall during the 1999 NFL Draft.
Warrick Dunn – Catholic High School (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
As a sophomore, Dunn was part of the Catholic team that advanced to its first-ever state championship game in 1990. After playing running back for two seasons, he switched to quarterback for his senior season. He holds Catholic’s all-time record for yards per carry for a career (9.04). As a senior he set the single season yards mark by averaging 10.52 yards per carry, leading to being named Honorable Mention on USA TODAY’s All-America Team.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Dunn 12th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft.
Armanti Edwards – Greenwood High School (South Carolina)
Edwards started as a wide receiver at Greenwood High School, but switched to quarterback during his senior season. The Carolina Panthers selected Edwards in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Deon Figures – Serra High School (Gardena, California)
As a senior at Serra High, Figures was named 1st Team in the CIF-Southern Section’s Northwestern Conference. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Figures in the first round of the 1993 NFL Draft.
Larry Fitzgerald – Academy of Holy Angels (Minnesota)
During his high school career at Academy of Holy Angels, Fitzgerald was named 1st Team All-State twice.
The Arizona Cardinals selected Fitzgerald with the third overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft.
Toby Gerhart – Norco High School (California)
Gerhart left Norco High School in Southern California with a state record 9,662 yards rushing, which puts him eighth on the all-time list. He led his school to a CIF-Southern Section Division 5 in 2005 and was named Gatorade’s California Player of the Year.
The Minnesota Vikings drafted Gerhart in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
Dan Hampton – Jacksonville High School (Arkansas)
After injuries suffered as a 12-year kept him of the gridiron through 10th grade, Hampton played for Jacksonville as a junior and senior. Hampton gives head coach Bill Reed the credit for getting him to play the sport.
Hampton was selected in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He was part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2002.
Steve Hutchinson – Coral Springs High School (Florida)
Hutchinson was a three-sport (football, baseball, basketball) at Coral Springs. The school retired the future Pro Football Hall of Famer’s number in 20024. In 2007, the Florida High School Athletic Association All-Century Team.
The Seattle Seahawks drafted Hutchinson 17th overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He was part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020.
Antonio Langham – Hazlewood High School (Alabama)
Langham helped lead Hazlewood to back-to-back Alabama high school football championships in 1988 and 1989. He was named All-State as a junior and senior.
The Cleveland Browns selected Langham in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft.
Randy Moss – DuPont High School (West Virginia)
Moss excelled in football, basketball, baseball and track at DuPont, which later merged with another school to become Riverside High. With Moss as the star, DuPont won back-to-back West Virginia state championships in 1992 and 1993. After his senior season, Parade magazine named him to its All-America Team.
The Minnesota Vikings chose Moss in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He was part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018.
Julius Peppers – Southern Nash High School (North Carolina)
In addition to being a standout defensive lineman at Southern Nash, Peppers ran for 3,501 yards and 46 touchdowns. After his senior season, Parade magazine named Peppers to its All-America Team.
Peppers, who was selected 2nd overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2002 NFL Draft, was also a standout in basketball and track.
Paul Posluszny – Hopewell High School (Pennsylvania)
As a senior, Posluszny led Hopewell to a AAA state championship as the team’s star running back and linebacker. He ran for over 1,500 yards with 15 touchdowns during the school’s championship season.
The Buffalo Bills chose Posluszny in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft.
Dewey Selmon – Eufaula High School (Oklahoma)
The Selmon brothers made Eufaula, Oklahoma famous during their playing days at the University of Oklahoma. Dewey is in the middle of Lucious II (oldest) and Lee Roy (youngest). Dewey and Lee Roy were in the same graduating class even though they were born 11 months apart. Eufaula was the smallest school in Oklahoma’s Class 2-A with Lee Roy playing tailback and Dewey fullback on offense. Both played linebacker on defense for the school that lost only five games in three years.
The expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Dewey in the second round of the 1976 NFL Draft.
Alex Smith – Helix High School (California)
Smith was 25-1 during his final two years at Helix, winning back-to-back CIF San Diego section championship. The Helix team also featured future Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush.
The San Francisco 49ers selected Smith No. 1 overall in the 2005 NFL Draft.
Kevin Smith – West Orange-Stark High School (Texas)
Smith led West Orange-Stark to back-to-back Texas Class 4A state championships in 1987 and 1988. As a senior, he was named All-State on both sides of the ball after intercepting twelve passes and catching nine touchdowns as a receiver.
The Dallas Cowboys drafted Smith in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft. During his time with the Cowboys, Smith won three Super Bowls.
Chris Ward – Patterson High School (Ohio)
There’s not a lot written about Ward’s playing days at Patterson High School. But, once he headed to Ohio State where he started 36 consecutive games while opening holes for two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin.
The New York Jets picked Ward fourth overall in the 1978 NFL Draft.
Danny Woodhead – North Platte (Nebraska)
Woodhead played four sports at North Platte. In addition to football, he played basketball, once scoring 47 points in a game, soccer and he was a member of the track team. He left high school as Nebraska’s all-time leading rusher with 4,891.
The New York Jets signed Woodhead as an undrafted free agent in 2008.
College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 – Coaches
Mark Dantonio – Zanesville High School (Ohio)
Dantonio was an all-state safety at Zanesville.
Danny Hale
Frank Solich – Holy Name High School (Ohio)
Solich’s coaching career began in the high school ranks at Omaha Holy Name High School. His 1967 team finished state runner-up. He then moved to Lincoln Southeast for eleven years where he won Class A titles in 1976 and 1977.
On the field, in high school, Solich was undersized, but earned all-state honors.
