In honor of the Rose Bowl's 100th year, the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation has completed the selection of the 113 inaugural members of the
California High School Football Hall of Fame. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the building is set for Nov. 21 in conjunction with the Southern Section playoffs.
The 113 members includes 100 players and 13 coaches, nominated by the public and media and voted on by a panel, whose selection was based on their contributions to high school football in the Golden State. According to a press release by the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, another induction ceremony will be held in the spring of 2023 and more players and coaches will be honored in the future.
So that begs the question: Who's Next?
To answer, you need to look at the makeup of the inaugural Top 100. While the inductees are honored for their contributions toward high school football in California, the players named had varying levels of success at the high school, college and professional level.
For instance, players like Russell White and John McKay Jr. had incredible high school careers, but had much less success at the highest level. Others include the high school and college standouts like Gino Toretta and John Huarte, who did not excel at the pro level. Then there are those like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Dan Fouts, who received very few accolades at the high school level but are Hall of Fame-caliber players at the professional level.
Then there are the no-brainers, like Anthony Munoz, John Elway and Ronnie Lott, who excelled at all three levels.
MaxPreps takes a look at who's next with 10 players we try to fit into the latter category — those that excelled all three levels.
Future California High School Football Hall of Fame inductees?Terrell Davis, Lincoln (San Diego)Not sure why he didn't make the inaugural list, considering he's in the NFL Hall of Fame. He was unheralded coming out of high school, much like Aaron Rodgers, and he was a sixth-round pick out of college, like Tom Brady, but he became an NFL MVP, a three-time all-pro and a two-time Super Bowl champion during an injury-shortened pro career.
LaRoi Glover, Point Loma (San Diego)Dominated at the high school level, twice earning San Diego Section co-player of the year honors as a defensive tackle. At the pro level, Glover made the Pro Bowl six times and was named to the 2000s All-Decade Team by the NFL.
Lorenzo Neal, LemooreThe prototypical fullback in the NFL, Neal made All-Pro first team twice and the Pro Bowl four times. He was all-conference in football while in college, but also an All-American in wrestling. He also excelled in both sports in high school, making all-state in football and winning a state title in wrestling.
Daryl Lamonica, ClovisConsidered one of the greatest football players ever to come out of Clovis in 1959, earning a spot in the annual Shrine All-Star Game. The "Mad Bomber" played mostly in the American Football League in the 1960s, winning three league championships with the Buffalo Bills and Oakland Raiders. He was a two-time AFL player of the year.
Mel Gray, Montgomery (Santa Rosa)A track and football standout in high school, Gray earned All-Northern California honors as a wide receiver and won the CIF Meet in the 100 meters, setting a national record at the time. In the NFL, Gray made the Pro Bowl four times.
Lance Briggs, Elk GroveThe centerpiece on one of the greatest Sacramento-area teams of all-time, Briggs was the top recruit out of Sacramento in 1998 and ended up at Arizona. A third-round pick of the Chicago Bears, Briggs made the Pro Bowl seven times in a 12-year career.
Clay Matthews III, AgouraThere's already a member of the Matthews family on the Hall of Fame 100 with Bruce Matthews of Arcadia making the team. His nephew Clay Matthews III should also make the list. He played at USC and won the Rose Bowl three times. In the NFL, Matthews made six Pro Bowls and finished his career with 91.5 sacks.
Mort Kaer, Red BluffThe NFL wasn't as big a deal back when Kaer played in the 1920s, so we'll have to forgive that he only played one year with the Frankford Yellowjackets. He's in the College Football Hall of Fame after becoming the first consensus All-American at USC in 1926. Also competed in the 1924 Olympics in the Pentathlon and nearly won the 1923 CIF state meet all by himself, finishing third while setting a state record in the long jump. Also has a long career as a high school coach in Weed with a record of 187-47-7.
Isaac Curtis, Santa AnaAll-Orange County first team as a running back during his senior year 1967 while leading Santa Ana to the section championship game, Curtis moved to wide receiver in college while playing for Don Coryell. With the Cincinnati Bengals, Curtis made the Pro Bowl four times.
Bobby Wagner, Colony (Ontario)There are several current players on the Hall of Fame 100 so there's no reason to not add Wagner, who is still playing with the Los Angeles Rams after a long career with the Seahawks. An all-state player in high school and a conference defensive MVP in college, Wagner has made All-Pro first team six times, which is the most of any California high school grad who is not already a member of the California High School Football Hall of Fame.