For the first time, the NBA held its annual draft in the middle of the NFL season, which led us to wonder: Who are the greatest football-basketball dual athletes in high school history?
To give parameters to our list, we tried to only include athletes who earned All-American honors in at least one of the sports or played at the professional level in one of the sports.
The list includes Hall of Fame athletes like Jim Brown from the NFL and Allen Iverson from the NBA along with current all-stars like LeBron James and Patrick Mahomes. The accomplishments listed are from their prep careers along with the year they graduated from high school.
Joe Girard III, Glens Falls
File photo by Jim Redman
Football: On his way to a Hall of Fame NFL career, Brown earned All-American honorable mention and averaged nearly 15 yards a carry.
Basketball: The leading scorer in the nation as a senior, Brown averaged 38 points per game.
2. Randy Moss, DuPont (Wilmington, Del.), 1995
Football: Earned All-American honors while leading DuPont to a state championship.
Basketball: Named state player of the year two years in a row and scored 1,713 career points.
3. Ronald Curry, Hampton (Va.), 1998
Football: A two-time Parade
All-American, Curry led Hampton to back-to-back mythical national
championships with 185 career touchdowns rushing and passing.
Basketball: Earned Parade All-American honors and played basketball at North Carolina. Named Mr. Basketball in Virginia as a senior.
4. Danny Ainge, North Eugene (Eugene, Ore.), 1977
Football: An All-American selection by Scholastic Coach, Ainge was an all-state pick as a defensive back.
Basketball: Led North to an undefeated state championship and made Parade All-American
5. Quinn Buckner, Thornridge (Dolton, Ill.), 1972
Football: Buckner was an
All-American receiver at Thornridge, leading the team in scoring with eight
touchdowns on returns his final two seasons.
Basketball: Led
team to two state titles and the 1972 team is considered one
of the greatest in state history. Earned All-American honors by multiple
media outlets.
6. George McGinnis, Indianapolis Washington (Ind.), 1969
Football: Earned All-American honors as a receiver and defensive end.
Basketball: Led Washington to a 31-0 record while making the All-American team.
7. Terrelle Pryor, Jeannette (Pa.), 2008
Football: One of the few
players in history to earn Parade All-American honors in football and
basketball, Pryor led Jeannette to a state title as a senior and was
named Parade National Player of the Year.
Basketball: Led Jeannette to a state title as a senior and was a Parade fourth team All-American.
8. Tony Gonzalez, Huntington Beach (Calif.), 1994
Football: Gonzalez earned All-American honors in football, catching 62 passes for 945 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Basketball: Averaged 17 points per game as a junior and was named the Orange County player of the year as a senior.
9. Patrick Mahomes, Whitehouse (Texas), 2014
Football: The MaxPreps
National Athlete of the Year, Mahomes earned Parade All-American honors
while throwing for 4,619 yards and 50 touchdowns. He's gone on to win
NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP honors.
Basketball: Averaged 18 points per game and was an All-District choice in basketball.
10. Willie Wilson, Summit (N.J.), 1974
Football: Although he played
professional baseball, Wilson was an outstanding football and basketball
player. He was a Parade All-American in football.
Basketball: Wilson earned all-state honors and averaged 18 points a game.
11. LeBron James, St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio), 2003
Football: Did not play football as a junior or senior, but James earned all-state honors at wide receiver as a sophomore.
Basketball:
Three-time Parade All-American and two-time National Player of the Year. Had 2,646 career points and led team to a mythical national
championship.
12. Stan Rome, Valdosta (Valdosta, Ga.), 1974
Football: Rome had 201 catches for 4,447 yards and 45 touchdowns while earning Parade All-American honors.
Basketball: Averaged 32 points per game while making the All-American team. Played basketball and football at Clemson.
13. Allen Iverson, Bethel (Hampton, Va.), 1993
Football: Led team to state championship and was the state Player of the Year as a junior.
Basketball: Earned All-American honors and was the state Player of the Year while leading team to a state title his junior season.
14. Tim Couch, Leslie County (Hyden, Ky.), 1996
Football: Finished his
career with a national record 12,104 yards and went on to become the No.
1 overall pick in the NFL draft by the Browns.
Basketball: Averaged 36 points per game as a junior and finished his career with 3,023 points.
15. Terry Kirby, Tabb (Yorktown, Va.), 1989
Football: Led Tabb to a state championship and was an All-American while finishing with 7,428 career yards.
Basketball: Scored 2,246 points in his career and was the Class 2A state player of the year and a Converse All-American.
16. Deion Sanders, North Fort Myers (Fla.), 1985
Football: An All-Southwest Florida selection as a quarterback and defensive back en route to a Hall of Fame NFL career.
Basketball: Averaged 24 points per game and made the All-Southwest Florida squad.
17. Greg Paulus, Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse, N.Y.), 2005
Football: Named
the Gatorade National Athlete of the Year after leading Christian
Brothers Academy to a state championship. He threw for a state record
11,760 yards in his career. Played quarterback at Syracuse.
Basketball: Named Mr. Basketball in New York and finished with 2,399 career points. Played point guard at Duke.
18. Julius Peppers, Southern Nash (Bailey, N.C.), 1998
Football: A Parade All-American, Peppers was one of the top defensive linemen in the nation as a senior.
Basketball: Made the all-conference team and played basketball at North Carolina.
19. Bruce Hardy, Bingham (South Jordan, Utah), 1974
Football: Named All-American as a quarterback and was twice named all-state.
Basketball: Earned state player of the year honors two straight seasons and led Bingham to a state championship.
20. Dave Logan, Wheat Ridge (Colo.), 1972
Football: Logan made the All-American team after catching 70 passes for 1,130 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Basketball: An all-state selection, Logan averaged 25 points and 11 rebounds.
21. Cris Carter, Middletown (Ohio), 1983
Football: Made the Parade
All-American team after intercepting 10 passes on defense and catching
35 passes for 757 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Basketball: Averaged 23 points per game and was All-Southwestern Ohio second team as a senior.
22. Dorial Green-Beckham, Hillcrest (Springfield, Mo.), 2012
Football: Set the national record (since broken) for career receiving yardage with 6,358 yards. Named MaxPreps Athlete of the Year as a sophomore.
Basketball: Named Class 5 state Player of the Year as a sophomore and senior.
23. Carl Pickens, Murphy (N.C.), 1989
Football: Earned Parade All-American honors as a senior wide receiver with 24 touchdown receptions.
Basketball: Averaged 27 points per game as a senior and was All-Western North Carolina.
24. Charlie Ward, Thomas County Central (Thomasville, Ga.), 1988
Football: The
Class AAA Player of the Year had 1,007 yards rushing and 1,891 yards
passing. Went on to win the Heisman Trophy while at Florida State.
Basketball: The future member of the New York Knicks was a second team Class AAA all-state selection.
25. Andre Rison, Northwestern (Flint, Mich.), 1985
Football: Played quarterback and defensive back and was named captain of the Detroit Free Press all-state team.
Basketball: Was point guard on a Northwestern team that had a 43-game win streak. He was all-state along with teammate Glen Rice.
26. Donovan McNabb, Mt. Carmel (Ill.), 1994
Football: Helped lead Mt. Carmel to a state championship as a sophomore. Earned second team all-state honors as a senior.
Basketball: An all-area selection, McNabb averaged 17.4 points and 6.6 rebounds as a senior.
27. Joe Montana, Ringgold (Monongahela, Pa.), 1974
Football: Made the Parade All-American football team en route to a Hall of Fame NFL career.
Basketball: Helped lead Ringgold to a state championship as a junior and was all-state second team as a senior.
28. Mark Rypien, Shadle Park (Spokane, Wash.), 1981
Football: Made the all-state team and finished with 6,460 yards passing in his career.
Basketball: A two-time All-City player in basketball, along with fellow Spokane standout John Stockton.
29. John Havlicek, Bridgeport (Ohio), 1958
Football: Was a second team all-state selection as a quarterback as a senior.
Basketball: The NBA Hall of Famer averaged 29.6 points per game while earning all-state first team honors as a senior.
30. Ed McCaffrey, Allentown Central Catholic (Allentown, Pa.), 1986
Football: The future NFL receiver earned all-state second team honors as a senior but he was also a Parade All-American.
Basketball: Led team to two state championships and was a second team all-state center with over 1,000 career points.
31. Terry Baker, Jefferson (Portland, Ore.), 1959
Football: Quarterbacked Jefferson to a 23-0 record over two seasons and went on to win the Heisman Trophy at Oregon State.
Basketball: The leading scorer on the basketball team, Baker went on to play basketball at Oregon State.
32. Wallace Jones, Harlan (Ky.), 1945
Football: Twice earned all-state honors as an end and played football at Kentucky.
Basketball:
Jones was three times all-state in basketball, finishing with 2,398
points in his career. Earned All-American honors at Kentucky.
33. Dwight Eddleman, Centralia (Ill.), 1942
Football: Earned all-state honors in football and went on to be one of the top college punters in the nation.
Basketball: Finished his high school career with 2,702 points to set a national record. A two-time All-Star in the NBA.
34. Jackie Robinson, Muir (Pasadena, Calif.), 1937
Football: Robinson earned All-Southland honors by the Los Angeles Times and played football at UCLA.
Basketball: Earned recognition as one of the top players in Southern California and played basketball at UCLA.
35. Otto Graham, Waukegan (Ill.), 1939
Football: Made the all-state team and went on to an NFL career with the Cleveland Browns.
Basketball: All-state as a junior, Graham graduated early his senior year. Went on to play in the NBL with the Rochester Royals.
36. Billy Kilmer, Azusa (Calif.), 1957
Football: An All-CIF selection as a quarterback, Kilmer went on to play quarterback at UCLA and in the NFL.
Basketball:
The All-CIF Player of the Year, Kilmer scored 900 points as a senior
and 1,901 points in his career. Also played for John Wooden at UCLA.
37. Steve Spurrier, Science Hill (Johnson City, Tenn.), 1963
Football: A future Heisman Trophy winner, Spurrier was an All-American quarterback.
Basketball: An all-state selection, Spurrier received a basketball offer from Tennessee.
38. Joe Burrow, Athens (The Plains, Ohio), 2015
Football: The future Heisman Trophy
winner and No. 1 overall NFL draft pick, Burrow threw for 11,416 yards
in his career with 157 touchdown passes. He was the Gatorade State
Player of the Year.
Basketball: Earned all-state first team honors as a point guard.
39. Nate Robinson, Rainier Beach (Seattle), 2002
Football: An all-state running back, Robinson earned a football scholarship to Washington.
Basketball:
The future 3-time NBA dunk contest champion was the Class 3A state Player of the Year while leading Rainier Beach to a top 10 national
ranking.
40. John Henry Johnson, Pittsburg (Calif.), 1949
Football: A member of the NFL Hall of Fame, Johnson was an All-American as a senior with 870 yards rushing and 90 points scored.
Basketball: Earned All-Northern California honors while averaging 16 points per game.
41. Sage Surratt, Lincolnton (.C.), 2017
Football: Caught 130 passes for 2,104 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior. Finished with 366 catches for 5,926 yards and 80 touchdowns.
Basketball:
Finished his career as the second all-time leading scorer in North
Carolina with 2,951 points. Averaged over 30 points per game as a junior
and senior.
42. Jacoby Brissett, Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.), 2011
Football: Brissett led Dwyer to a state championship as a junior and threw for 2,473 yards as a senior.
Basketball:
The two-time state Player of the Year, Brissett averaged 15 points per
game as a senior while leading Dwyer to a state championship.
43. Joe Girard III, Glens Falls (N.Y.), 2019
Football: Threw for 3,162 yards
and 37 touchdowns as a senior and finished with 6,715 yards in his
career. Helped lead Glens Falls to a state championship as a sophomore.
Basketball:
The all-time leading career scorer in New York history with 4,763
points and a state championship as a senior. Averaged 50 points per game
as a junior and 39 per game in his career.
44. John Paye, Menlo School (Atherton, Calif.), 1983
Football: Threw for 3,465 yards and 41
touchdowns while leading Menlo to a North Coast Section A championship.
Went on to play quarterback at Stanford.
Basketball: Averaged 15 points per game as a junior and led Menlo to a state championship.
45. Ted Hendricks, Hialeah (Fla.), 1965
Football: A unanimous all-state player as a senior defensive end, Hendricks also made the All-Southern Team.
Basketball: Earned third team All-City honors by the Miami Herald.
46. Pat Richter, Madison East (Madison, Wis.), 1959
Football: Made the all-state team as an end and played seven seasons in the NFL.
Basketball: Earned Parade All-American fourth team honors as a 6-foot-5 center.
47. LaVarr Arrington, North Hills (Pittsburgh, Pa.), 1997
Football: The Parade
National Player of the Year and the Gatorade State Player of the Year,
Arrington finished his career with 4,357 yards, but went on to play
linebacker at Penn State and in the NFL.
Basketball: Did not
play basketball as a sophomore or a senior, but he was an all-area
player as a junior while averaging 16 points per game. Named as a
candidate for the McDonald's All-American game as a senior.
48. Chazz Surratt, East Lincoln (Denver, N.C.), 2016
Football:
The Parade National Player of the Year, Surratt threw for 3,540 yards
and 48 touchdowns. He was a two-time all-state player, throwing for
4,338 yards and 50 touchdowns as a junior.
Basketball: Scored 1,743 points in his career and helped lead East Lincoln to a 28-1 record as a senior.
49. Greg Skrepenak, GAR Memorial (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.), 1987
Football: A future NFL lineman, Skrepenak was All-American and all-state in high school.
Basketball: Earned all-state honors while scoring over 1,600 points in his career.
50. Matt Barnes, Del Campo (Fair Oaks, Calif.), 1998
Football: Led the nation in touchdown receptions with 28 and earned all-state honors.
Basketball: Averaged 26 points per game and was the Sacramento Bee Player of the Year. Went on to play at UCLA and in the NBA.
