Photos by MaxPreps photographers/Graphic by Ryan Escobar
Should Marcus Mariota be chosen No. 1 in the NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, he will have something in common with the majority of former No. 1 draft picks — he was not a high school All-American.
Over the past 50 years of the NFL Draft, the No. 1 pick is often regarded as the top prospect coming out of the college ranks. But very rarely was that same player highly regarded in high school. In fact of the past 50 No. 1 overall picks in the NFL draft, only 18 earned All-American status.
Mariota was his league's offensive player of the year as a senior in high school, but he did not receive national recognition as a high school athlete. That holds true for many former No. 1 picks.
Here's a look at how the last 50 No. 1 picks rank based solely on their achievements as a high school football player. Players are listed with their high school and year they were drafted No. 1.
Top No. 1 NFL Draft Picks as High School Players
1. John Elway, Granada Hills (Calif.), 1983
An All-American in two sports as a senior at Granada Hills, Elway earned Parade All-American honors in football (despite missing five games due to injury) and was named to the Rawlings All-American Team in baseball. He was regarded as the No. 1 football recruit in the country.
2. Jeff George, Warren Central (Indianapolis), 1990
The first Gatorade National Player of the Year, George was also the USA Today Player of the Year and earned a spot on the Parade Magazine All-American Team. He set the Indiana high school career passing record with 8,126 yards.
3. Tim Couch, Leslie County (Hyden, Ky.), 1999
Couch set national records for passing yardage (12,104) and touchdowns (132) while earning Player of the Year honors by both Gatorade and USA Today. Couch was also a Parade All-American and was a standout in basketball, scoring over 3,000 points in his career.
4. Peyton Manning, Newman (New Orleans), 1998
A Parade All-American and the Gatorade National Player of the Year, Manning was edged out for USA Today All-American honors by fellow Louisianan Josh Booty of Evangel Christian.
5. Jadeveon Clowney, South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.), 2014
A devastating force on defense with 29.5 sacks as a senior, Clowney was the USA Today Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-American honors from Parade and MaxPreps.
6. Earl Campbell, Tyler (Texas), 1978
A Parade All-American as a senior, Campbell concentrated on defense early in his high school career, but he switched to running back and led all Class 5A rushers with 2,036 yards rushing.
7. Billy Sims, Hooks (Texas), 1980
During his career at Hooks, Sims set a national record for consecutive 100-yard rushing performances with 38. He was a Parade All-American before heading to Oklahoma.
8. Tom Cousineau, St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), 1979
Cousineau was a Parade All-American and one of the top recruits in the country during his senior season. According to his Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame bio, Cousineau had Joe Paterno of Penn State, Woody Hayes of Ohio State and Gary Moeller of Michigan sitting in his living room on signing day waiting for his signature on a letter of intent.
9. Orlando Pace, Sandusky (Ohio), 1997
Pace ranks as probably the top offensive lineman in Ohio history as he landed a spot on the Parade Magazine and USA Today All-American teams.
10. Courtney Brown, Macedonia (S.C.), 2000
One of the all-time sack leaders in NCAA history while at Penn State, Brown was a Parade and USA Today All-American at Macedonia, which closed in 1995.
11. Jamarcus Russell, Williamson (Mobile, Ala.), 2007
Russell finished his career as the all-time leading passer in Alabama history with over 10,000 yards. He also rushed for over 7,000 yards in his career and earned All-American honors by Parade Magazine.
12. Tucker Frederickson, South Broward (Hollywood, Fla.), 1965
One of the top running backs in Florida history, Frederickson was All-American by Wigwam Wisemen, Scholastic Coach and Teen Magazine.
13. Matthew Stafford, Highland Park (Dallas), 2009
Stafford led Highland Park to a 15-0 record and threw for 4,000 yards while earning All-American honors by Parade Magazine.
14. Ki-Jana Carter, Westerville South (Westerville, Ohio), 1995
Before becoming one of the nation's leading rushers at Penn State, Carter was a Parade All-American and an all-state pick in Ohio.
15. Dan Wilkinson, Dunbar (Dayton, Ohio), 1994
One of the top defensive linemen in Ohio history, Wilkinson was a Parade Magazine All-American.
16. Walt Patulski, Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse, N.Y.), 1972
A standout at running back and defensive lineman, Patulski was a Wigwam Wisemen All-American before embarking on an All-American career at Notre Dame.
17. Tommy Nobis, Jefferson (San Antonio), 1966
Nobis is a member of the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame and earned All-American honors by the Wigwam Wisemen.
18. Cam Newton, Westlake (Atlanta), 2011
Newton was a five-star recruit by Rivals and earned a spot in the All-American Bowl. He was named all-state by the Associated Press.
19. Bruce Smith, Washington (Norfolk, Va.), 1985
Smith was dominant in high school earning all-state honors before an All-American career at Virginia Tech.
20. Lee Roy Selmon, Eufaula (Okla.), 1976
Along with his brother Dewey, Lee Roy was an All-American at Eufaula, making Scholastic Coach Magazine's first team and earning honorable mention from the Wigwam Wisemen.
21. Mario Williams, Richlands (N.C.), 2006
Rivals had Williams ranked as the No. 9 defensive end in the country and he earned all-state honors as a senior.
22. Andrew Luck, Stratford (Houston), 2012
Although he threw for 7,139 yards, and 53 touchdowns and was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals, Luck did not earn All-Greater Houston honors by the Houston Chronicle and was not an all-state pick.
23. Eli Manning, Newman (New Orleans), 2004
Manning didn't have the same national honors as his brother Peyton, but he still threw for nearly as many yards in his career at Isidore Newman, finishing with 7,421 yards in four seasons.
24. Jake Long, Lapeer East (Mich.), 2008
Regarded as one of the top offensive linemen in the country while in high school, Long was a member of the Dream Team selected by Detroit area newspapers.
25. Troy Aikman, Henryetta (Okla.), 1989
Initially a baseball prospect growing up in Southern California, Aikman moved to Oklahoma prior to beginning high school and became a football recruit. He earned small school all-state honors before accepting a scholarship at Oklahoma, and would later transfer to UCLA.
26. Steve Bartkowski, Buchser (Santa Clara, Calif.), 1975
One of the top all-around athletes in the history of the San Jose area, Bartkowski was selected in the Major League Baseball draft. He was also an All-San Jose Mercury News first team quarterback at now defunct Buchser High School and earned honorable mention All-American honors by Scholastic Coach Magazine.
27. George Rogers, Duluth (Ga.), 1981
Rogers played at a 1A school in Georgia, but he still earned Back of the Year honors by the Atlanta Journal Constitution two straight seasons. He gained 2,286 yards rushing his senior season.
28. Carson Palmer, Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), 2003
Palmer led Santa Margarita to a state championship in basketball and he also earned all-state honors from Cal-Hi Sports in football before joining Southern California.
29. Sam Bradford, Putnam City North (Oklahoma City), 2010
Not highly recruited out of high school, Bradford still earned second team all-state honors while throwing for 2,422 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior. He was rated by Rivals as the No. 17 quarterback in the nation.
30. Bo Jackson, McAdory (McCalla, Ala.), 1986
Regarded as the best running back ever produced in Alabama, Jackson was more of a track and baseball standout at McAdory. Jackson won events at the state track meet and was also drafted by Major League Baseball. In football, he rushed for 1,173 yards as a senior.
31. Aundray Bruce, Carver (Birmingham, Ala.), 1988
Bruce was probably a better basketball player as he earned state MVP honors while leading Carver to a state title. He also earned all-state honors in football.
32. Irving Fryar, Rancocas Valley (Mt. Holly, N.J.), 1984
A top baseball prospect, Fryar reportedly was selected in the Major League Baseball Draft as a senior. He was also an all-state selection before heading to Nebraska.
33. Drew Bledsoe, Walla Walla (Wash.), 1993
Bledsoe was a standout in football and track and field, earning all-state honors in both sports. He stayed in-state and earned Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year honors at Washington State.
34. Keyshawn Johnson, Dorsey (Los Angeles), 1996
Johnson came on strong his senior season and earned second team all-state honors by Cal-Hi Sports. However Johnson played at a junior college for two seasons before moving on to Southern California.
35. Ricky Bell, Fremont (Los Angeles), 1977
Bell was a first team All-Los Angeles City Section pick as a senior after earning third team all-city honors as a defensive player during his junior year.
36. Alex Smith, Helix (La Mesa, Calif.), 2005
Playing in the same backfield as future Heisman Trophy winner and two-time all-state selection Reggie Bush, Smith still managed to earn All-San Diego Section honors while passing for 1,704 yards and 30 touchdowns.
37. Jim Plunkett, James Lick (San Jose, Calif.), 1971
A standout wrestler and football player at James Lick, Plunkett was third team All-Northern California by the San Francisco Chronicle, which placed him behind future Green Bay Packers coach Mike Holmgren, who was second team.
38. Terry Bradshaw, Woodlawn (Baton Rouge, La.), 1970
According to his bio published during his induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, Bradshaw was the only Woodlawn quarterback from 1963 to 1970 who did NOT earn all-state honors. Although he did set a state record with 21 touchdown passes, he was passed over for all-state honors. Bradshaw did manage to set national records in the javelin, however. As a quarterback at Louisiana Tech, Bradshaw spent time behind Phil Robertson of "Duck Dynasty" fame.
39. Michael Vick, Warwick (Newport News, Va.), 2001
Playing in the Newport News area during the late 1990s, Vick was greatly overshadowed by two-time All-American Ronald Curry at Hampton. Vick only threw for 1,668 yards and 10 touchdowns to go along with 10 rushing touchdowns as a senior. He excelled two seasons later, however, as a redshirt freshman starter at Virginia Tech.
40. O.J. Simpson, Galileo (San Francisco), 1969
Simpson did not earn All-NorCal honors by the San Francisco Chronicle and was only second team all-city coming out of Galileo. He set state records the next year at San Francisco City College before winning the Heisman
Trophy at USC.
41. Russell Maryland, Whitney Young (Chicago), 1991
Maryland was not highly recruited out of Whitney Young and was considering a scholarship to Indiana State before a Miami recruit reportedly turned down a scholarship with the 'Canes, thus opening the door for Maryland to sign.
42. Steve Emtman, Cheney (Wash.), 1992
An all-state selection at the 2A level in Washington, Emtman was only seriously recruited by a handful of Northwestern Division 1 schools.
43. Ron Yary, Bellflower (Calif.), 1968
Yary is considered one of the great tackles in USC and Minnesota Vikings history, but he did not earn All-Southern Section honors and he spent time at Cerritos Junior College before heading to Southern California.
44. David Carr, Stockdale (Bakersfield, Calif.), 2002
Relatively unknown even in college until late in his career at Fresno, Carr was honorable mention all-area by the Bakersfield Californian after throwing for 1,446 yards as a senior.
45. Bubba Smith, Charlton Pollard (Beaumont, Texas), 1967
Although he can be found on several "all-time" Texas high school all-star teams, Smith is likely being recognized more for his standout play at University of Michigan and in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts and Oakland Raiders. Smith was a not an all-state player at Charlton-Pollard, but he was recruited by the University of Texas before ultimately ending up at Michigan. Charlton Pollard closed as a high school in 1975.
46. John Matuszak, Oak Creek (Wis.), 1973
A two-sport athlete, Matuszak won the state meet in the shot put as a senior. He did not go straight to the University of Tampa, however, as he made a stop at Fort Dodge Junior College. He resurrected his professional career when he joined the Oakland Raiders in 1976.
47. Kenneth Sims, Groesbeck (Texas), 1982
Sims quit the football team as a junior and played linebacker and tight end his senior year. He did not make the all-state team as a senior, but he became a starter at Texas as a junior and became the first Longhorn to win the Lombardi Trophy.
48. Vinny Testaverde, Sewanhaka (Floral Park, N.Y.), 1987
Testaverde attended a fifth year of high school at Fork Union Military Academy to work on his grades before heading off to the University of Miami. As a senior at Sewanhaka, Testaverde led the team to the county championship game, but he completed just 65 of 123 passes for 665 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior.
49. Eric Fisher, Stoney Creek (Rochester Hills, Mich.), 2013
A two-star recruit according to Rivals, Fisher earned honorable mention all-state honors in high school. He was small coming out of high school and eventually bulked up to earn All-American honors in college as a tackle.
50. Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Jackson Central Merry (Tenn.), 1974
Jones was a great athlete at Merry, but he reportedly played only three football games because the school didn't field the sport until his senior season. Jones attended Tennessee State to play basketball, but eventually quit the sport and joined the football team. Had a 15-year career with the Dallas Cowboys.
