While the season is still young, two-way standouts like potential MaxPreps All-Americans
Matayo Uiagalelei of
St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.),
Caleb Downs of
Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.) and
Jurrion Dickey of
Menlo-Atherton (Atherton, Calif.) have made their presence felt on both sides of the ball.
Uiagalelei, a tight end on offense, caught a 7-yard touchdown pass for his only catch of the game in a 52-14 win over Allen (Texas). He also had three tackles, one for loss and a caused fumble as a defensive lineman.
Downs, meanwhile, has three rushing touchdowns in two games and has also returned an interception for a score. Dickey has three touchdowns on six catches and has four tackles on defense, including one for loss.
Excelling on both sides of the ball, offense and defense, is becoming a rare occurrence in high school football with players often choosing to focus on one position. What side of the ball Uiagalelei, Downs and Dickey will end up on at the next level is not necessarily predestined. MaxPreps looks at 10 players who excelled on one side of the line of scrimmage in high school, but ended up playing a different side in the NFL.
Caleb Downs, Mill Creek
Photo: Kenny Grimes
Tedd Ginn, Jr., Glenville (Cleveland)
A wide receiver in the NFL and a return specialist who ranks among the league's all-time leaders, Ginn was actually the National Defensive Player of the Year by USA Today as a senior at Glenville. He was considered the top cornerback recruit in the nation in 2003.
Charles Woodson, Ross (Fremont, Ohio)
A member of the Pro Football as a nine-time Pro Bowl defensive back, Woodson earned the Heisman Trophy in college by playing on both sides of the ball as a receiver and defensive back. In high school, Woodson rushed for 2,028 yards and 203 points while earning All-American honors as a senior.
Alonzo Highsmith, Columbus (Miami)
Knee injuries limited Highsmith's NFL career after a promising start as a running back at the University of Miami where he helped the Hurricanes win a national championship. While in high school, Highsmith was considered the best in the country at his position, but that was a defensive end. In fact he didn't even start at running back in college.
Ronnie Lott, Eisenhower (Rialto, Calif.)
Lott was All-Pro at multiple positions in the defensive secondary during his Hall of Fame career. Also an All-American defensive back in high school, Lott excelled on the offensive side of the ball as he played quarterback and threw for 596 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 645 yards and nine touchdowns.
Earl Campbell, Tyler (Texas)
A Hall of Fame running back with the Houston Oilers, Campbell also won the Heisman Trophy while playing running back at Texas. However he got his start in high school as a tackling machine at linebacker. He was the district defensive player of the year as a junior, but he moved to running back as a senior and rushed for 2,039 yards.
Dick Butkus, Chicago Vocational
One of the most feared linebackers in the history of the NFL, Butkus earned Wigwam Wiseman All-America honors as a fullback and kicker in 1959. Moved from tackle to running back at the beginning of his junior year, Butkus led the league in scoring as a junior and senior.
Mike Reid, Altoona (Pa.)
The multi-talented Reid is in the Hall of Fame, but it's the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle retired from the NFL in 1974 after five seasons that included two Pro Bowls and 10 years later he collected a Grammy for writing "Stranger in My House," sung by Ronnie Milsaps. In high school, however, Reid was a Parade All-American running back at Altoona (Pa.), scoring 107 points as a senior.
Marcus Allen, Lincoln (San Diego)
A Hall of Fame running back and Heisman Trophy winner with 12,243 career rushing yards, Allen was also a CIF San Diego Section MVP, but as a defensive back. Allen was the unanimous choice as the section MVP. He twice earned all-section as a defensive back and he returned three interceptions for scores as a senior. Parade Magazine also chose him All-American as a defensive back.
Jeff Hostetler, Conemaugh Township (Davidsville, Pa.)
The winning quarterback for the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV, Hostetler began his career as a highly-coveted linebacker. In fact in 1978, while Dan Marino made the all-state team in Pennsylvania at quarterback, Hostetler was on the same all-state team at linebacker averaging 13 tackles per game. He also played running back and rushed for over 1,000 yards.
Deion Sanders, Fort Myers (Fla.)
With 54 career interceptions and a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Sanders is regarded as, perhaps, the NFL's greatest all-time cornerback. In high school, Sanders played quarterback and Fort Myers and earned All-South Florida Conference first team honors at the position. He was also second team all-state as a utility player.
Champ Bailey, Charlton County (Folkston, Ga.)
A Hall of Fame defensive back in the NFL with 52 interceptions and 12 Pro Bowl appearances, Bailey was a force on offense in high school. Bailey started his senior year at quarterback, but moved to running back midway through the season. He finished the season with 1,858 yards rushing and 180 points with a high game of 417 yards rushing. Earned All-American honors by Parade as a defensive back.
