Rob Gronkowski graduated from Woodland Hills (Pa.), but he is not the greatest tight end in Pennsylvania history. Likewise, Russ Francis graduated from Pleasant Hill (Ore.), but he isn't the greatest tight end in Oregon history. Yet, both Gronkowski and Francis make the MaxPreps list of the Greatest Tight Ends from Every State.
Gronkowski grew up in New York state and attended Williamsville North until his senior season, when he transferred to Woodland Hills. Francis was a standout in Hawaii at Kailua before transferring to Oregon as a senior. Since both Gronkowski and Francis played the bulk of their high school careers in New York and Hawaii, respectively, MaxPreps has chosen them as the top tight ends in those states.
The greatest tight ends were selected based on career receptions, except for one state — Pennsylvania. In that case, we went with Mike Ditka, a Hall of Famer, ahead of Frank Wycheck, who had more career receptions. Hall of Fame is the ultimate trump card.
Five states did not have a qualifying tight end. They include Alaska, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Every state's greatest tight end
AlabamaOzzie Newsome,
Colbert County (Leighton)Career Receptions: 662
ArizonaTodd Heap,
Mountain View (Mesa)Career Receptions: 499
ArkansasKeith Jackson,
Parkview (Little Rock)Career Receptions: 441
California Tony Gonzalez,
Huntington BeachCareer Receptions: 1,324
ColoradoBo Scaife,
Mullen (Denver)Career Receptions: 251
ConnecticutJordan Reed,
New LondonCareer Receptions: 355
DelawareLovett Purnell,
SeafordCareer Receptions: 19
District of ColumbiaVernon Davis,
DunbarCareer Receptions: 583
FloridaCareer Receptions: 323
GeorgiaShannon Sharpe, Glennville
Career Receptions: 815
HawaiiRuss Francis,
KailuaCareer Receptions: 393
IdahoJosh Hill,
Blackfoot Career Receptions: 116
IllinoisKellen Winslow,
East St. LouisCareer Receptions: 541
IndianaKen Dilger,
Heritage Hills (Lincoln City)Career Receptions: 356
IowaDallas Clark,
Twin River Valley (Bode)Career Receptions: 505
KansasPaul Coffman,
ChaseCareer Receptions: 339
KentuckyJacob Tamm,
Boyle County (Danville)Career Receptions: 259
Louisiana Jackie Smith,
KentwoodCareer Receptions: 480
MaineThurlow Cooper,
Cony (Augusta)Career Receptions: 36
MarylandIan Thomas,
Digital Harbor (Baltimore)Career Receptions: 83
MassachusettsMark Bavaro,
DanversCareer Receptions: 351
MichiganAntonio Gates,
Central (Detroit)Career Receptions: 955
MinnesotaJohn Carlson,
LitchfieldCareer Receptions: 210
MississippiWesley Walls,
PontotocCareer Receptions: 450
MissouriBryan Fletcher,
Hazelwood East (St. Louis)Career Receptions: 54
MontanaCasey Fitzsimmons,
Chester-Joplin-Inverness (Chester)Career Receptions: 88
NebraskaJay Novacek,
GothenburgCareer Receptions: 422
NevadaXavier Grimble,
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)Career Receptions: 23
New HampshireRyan Griffin,
LondonderryCareer Receptions: 189
New JerseyGreg Olsen,
Wayne Hills (Wayne)Career Receptions: 742
New MexicoRichard Angulo,
Sandia (Albuquerque)Career Receptions: 17
New YorkRob Gronkowski,
Williamsville North (Williamsville)Career Receptions: 582
North CarolinaJimmy Graham,
Charis Prep (Goldsboro)Career Receptions: 700
North DakotaJim Kleinsasser,
CarringtonCareer Receptions: 192
OhioTravis Kelce,
Cleveland HeightsCareer Receptions: 661
OklahomaJeremy Shockey,
AdaCareer Receptions: 547
OregonTodd Christensen,
Sheldon (Eugene)Career Receptions: 461
PennsylvaniaMike Ditka,
AliquippaCareer Receptions: 427
South CarolinaBen Watson,
Northwestern (Rock Hill)Career Receptions: 547
South DakotaDallas Goedert,
Britton-Hecla (Britton)Career Receptions: 161
TennesseeJason Witten,
ElizabethtonCareer Receptions: 1,228
TexasRiley Odoms,
West Oso (Corpus Christi)Career Receptions: 396
UtahChris Cooley,
LoganCareer Receptions: 429
VirginiaHeath Miller,
HonakerCareer Receptions: 592
WashingtonErnie Conwell,
Kentwood (Covington)Career Receptions: 203
WisconsinDave Casper,
ChiltonCareer Receptions: 378
