Five most dominant high school athletes from Alabama

Hank Aaron, Central High School (Mobile), 1952
Schools were still segregated in the South when Aaron was in school in the early 1950s. He played for Central in the Mobile Negro high school leagues and helped Central win the Negro championships two years in a row. He signed a professional contract by the time he was 18 and embarked on a 21-year career with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves. He finished his career as MLB's all-time home run hitter with 755.

Willie Mays, Fairfield Industrial, 1950
Mays was already playing professional baseball by the time he was 15, spending time with the Birmingham Barons. However, he also played basketball and football at Fairfield Industrial, reportedly averaging 17 points per game in basketball and excelling as a punter in football. He spent over 20 years in the Major Leagues, primarily with the Giants, played in 24 All-Star Games and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Bo Jackson, McAdory (McCalla), 1982
A three-sport athlete in high school, Jackson rushed for 1,175 yards as a senior, hit 20 home runs in baseball and set state records for the high jump and triple jump. After winning the Heisman Trophy while at Auburn, Jackson was the No. 1 pick in the 1986 NFL draft. He instead chose to play baseball and was named the All-Star Game MVP in 1989. In 1987, he was traded to the Raiders in the NFL, where he played for four seasons before a hip injury ended his career. He made the Pro Bowl in 1990. He continued his baseball career after his injury and was named Comeback Player of the Year in 1993. He retired the following season.

Charles Barkley, Leeds, 1981
Barkley was reportedly only 5-10 as a junior in high school and thus did not make the varsity at Leeds. He was 6-4 as a senior and averaged 19.1 points, good enough to earn a scholarship at Auburn. He was the SEC Player of the Year in 1983 and was the No. 5 overall pick by the 76ers in 1984. He played 16 seasons in the NBA and was an 11-time All-Star and a five-time first-team All-Pro selection. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Bart Starr, Lanier (Montgomery), 1952
Starr led Lanier to an undefeated season as a junior (9-0-1) and one loss as a senior (9-1) en route to earning WigWam Wiseman All-American honors. He played at Alabama, but was bothered by a back injury and rarely played. He joined the Green Bay Packers and finally blossomed as a passer under Vince Lombardi in 1959. He led the NFL in passing five times, was league MVP in 1966 and led the Packers to five NFL championships. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977.

Also considered: Ozzie Newsome, Leighton Colbert County, football; Julio Jones, Foley, football; Demarcus Cousins, LeFlore, basketball; Jamarcus Russell, Williamson, football; John Hannah, Albertville, football; Buck Buchanan, Parker, football; John Stallworth, Tuscaloosa, basketball; Ken Stabler, Foley, football; Lee Roy Jordan, Excel, football; Maxie Baughan, Bessemer, football; Joe Cribbs, Sulligant, football; Ben Wallace, White Hall, basketball; Walter Jones, Aliceville, football.

Note: Willie McCovey and Satchel Paige not considered because they did not graduate high school.