Johnathan Gray, a standout running back for Aledo and now Texas, may one day join the list of all-time great Dallas football players.
Photo by Kyle Dantzler
Texas is home to some of the greatest football players in NFL history and a number of them called the Dallas Metroplex their home.
Among the greatest players to ever play high school football in the Dallas-Fort Worth area include a trio of receivers: Tim Brown, Raymond Berry and Charley Taylor, who rank among the greatest to ever play in the NFL. There is also a pair of teammates, Bobby Layne and Doak Walker, who played together in high school, the NFL and are both in the Hall of Fame.
Here's a look at MaxPreps' choice for the top 10 football players in Dallas Metroplex history. Players are chosen based on their overall career, not just high school accomplishments.
Greatest Dallas High School Football Players
Tim Brown, Wilson (Dallas)
Although Brown's Wilson team did not have much of a winning tradition while he was there (the team only won four games during his tenure), he was heavily recruited to play at Notre Dame, where he went on to win the Heisman Trophy in 1987. He played 17 years in the NFL, the majority with the Raiders. He earned nine Pro Bowl selections and was named to the 1990s All-Decade Team.
Raymond Berry, Paris
Berry is the epitome of the term "late bloomer," as he did not truly come into his own until he reached the professional level. He played for his father at Paris, graduating in 1951, and he only caught 33 passes in his time at SMU. However, when he finished his NFL career in 1967 he held the record for receptions (631) and also gained 9,275 yards and scored 68 touchdowns. He was named to the NFL Hall of Fame in 1973.
Bobby Layne, Highland Park (Dallas)
A graduate of Highland Park during World War II, Layne went on to earn all-conference honors four straight seasons at Texas. He played 15 years in the NFL with four different teams, mainly with the Detroit Lions from 1950-58. He made the Pro Bowl six times and played on three NFL championship teams with the Lions. He was named to the NFL Hall of Fame in 1967.
Doak Walker, Highland Park (Dallas)
Walker was a teammate of Layne at Highland Park and had a Heisman Trophy-winning career at Southern Methodist. He played only six seasons in the NFL, but he earned five Pro Bowl selections and five All-Pro selections. Despite his short stay at the professional level, Walker was selected to the NFL Hall of Fame.
Forrest Gregg, Sulphur Springs
Before he was a nine-time All-Pro with the Green Bay Packers, Gregg was a star player at Southern Methodist and at Sulpher Springs in the early 1950s. Gregg is recognized as one of the greatest high school offensive lineman ever, as chosen by Doug Huff in his National High School Football Record Book. He was named to the NFL Hall of Fame in 1977.
Leonard Davis, Wortham
Davis racked up numerous awards in high school and college, although he has managed to earn one Pro Bowl nod in the NFL. He was a Parade Magazine and USA Today All-American in 1996 and he was a first team All-American while at University of Texas. He was the second overall pick in the 2001 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals, and has also played for the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers.
Charlie Taylor, Dalworth, Grand Prairie
Taylor earned all-state honors in both football and track in the late 1950s before heading to Arizona State, where he was a two-time All-American. In the NFL with the Washington Redskins, he played in eight Pro Bowls and concluded his career as the record holder for career receptions with 649. He was named to the NFL Hall of Fame in 1984.
Jesse Armstead, Carter (Dallas)
Armstead was considered the top player in the country as a senior after leading Carter to the state championship. He was a standout at University of Miami in the early 1990s and enjoyed a solid career in the NFL with the New York Giants, playing in five Pro Bowls.
Yale Lary, North Side (Fort Worth)
Named to the NFL Hall of Fame in 1979, Lary is considered one of the game's all-time great defensive backs and punters. He intercepted 50 passes in his career spent with the Detroit Lions and he made the Pro Bowl nine times. He was a standout at Northside in the 1940s and played collegiately at Texas A&M.
Richmond Webb, Roosevelt (Dallas)
Webb ranks as one of the best linemen to ever come out of Texas. During his 13-year career he made the Pro Bowl seven times and was an All-Pro selection four times. He was named the Rookie of the Year in 1990.
