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Greatest Pros who played HS Football in New Jersey

knightfan7

knightfan7

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Jul 31, 2003
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Manasquan, NJ
RnkAthletePOSRookie YrSchoolOverall Rank
1Jim RingoOL1953Phillipsburg (Phillipsburg)139
2Franco HarrisRB1972Rancocas Valley Regional (Mount Holly)181
3Lou CreekmurOL1950Woodbridge (Woodbridge)182
4Andre TippettLB1982Barringer (Newark)231
5Deron CherryDB1981Palmyra (Palmyra)263
6Joe TheismannQB1974South River (South River)306
7Drew PearsonWR1973South River (South River)324
8Elvin BetheaDL1968Central (Trenton)339
9Floyd LittleRB1967Bordentown Military Institute (Bordentown)347
10Milt PlumQB1957Woodbury (Woodbury)361


Bill Pellington, DMac, and Shawn O'Hara make the top 50.

Thoughts? I know the best I ever saw in person, Willie Wilson, isn't on the list because he chose baseball.
 
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As a former South River Rat, happy to see 6 and 7. Met them both, both were great
 
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You’d think 7&8 being Hall of Famers would be above 5&6 on the list…and same for Sam Mills.
 
2 from my high school: Hillsborough

Proehl and O Hara

Actually 3, Mayer at 618 but i think they could have stopped at 200
 
I once saw Keith Sims #34 and Tony Siragusa #155 go at it at a tri wrestling scrimmage at Watchung Hills. My group was near them. Siragusa was fvcking around, a coach yelled at him and he got pissed. Him and Sims started wrestling pretty hard and going at one another. My group stops and starts watching as this is main event type sh*t. Siragusa slams Sims, the loud thud caused everyone in the gym to stop wrestling.
 
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My "moment" with Tony Siragusa was eating at the counter of the Clark White Diamond around 1 AM while he was sitting behind me waiting for a take out order. That was probably around 1995. Funny the things you remember.
 
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zappaa said:
I didn’t play in the NFL nuts😊
My brother Timmy should have been on the list.
Even if he was the last name.
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Oh I know...was going with the "greatest PROS" part of things...you WERE a "pro" lol!!
 
I think Ocean's Phil Villipiano could compete for that top LB spot.. in his period of NFL. Same pro-bowl and all-Pro numbers too.
 
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Fun fact. @zappaa was all state in football the same year as RU running back legend Glen Kehler.
 
zappaa said:
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At least my bro has a highlight, do all the guys at the bottom of the list have one….lol?
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It's funny- i see some names on there that I am not sure they actually played more than a few downs ahead of our son who started 5 games at LT in 2012- Game MVP ball against the Steelers, pics of him celebrating with Gates/Rivers on their then record TD pass...
 
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yesrutgers01 said:
It's funny- i see some names on there that I am not sure they actually played more than a few downs ahead of our son who started 5 games at LT in 2012- Game MVP ball against the Steelers, pics of him celebrating with Gates/Rivers on their then record TD pass...
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I’m not sure some of them were ever active Yes
 
zappaa said:
I’m not sure some of them were ever active Yes
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Bruce Jankowski, Fair Lawn '67 (QB), Ohio St. '71 (3 year starter at WR) actually played a few games with the Chiefs but isn't listed.
 
koleszar said:
I once saw Keith Sims #34 and Tony Siragusa #155 go at it at a tri wrestling scrimmage at Watchung Hills. My group was near them. Siragusa was fvcking around, a coach yelled at him and he got pissed. Him and Sims started wrestling pretty hard and going at one another. My group stops and starts watching as this is main event type sh*t. Siragusa slams Sims, the loud thud caused everyone in the gym to stop wrestling.
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My HS wrestled Watchung Hills when Sims was there but we didn't have anyone in his weight class so it was a forfeit. Huge dude. Our HS went up against Siragusa in football and the game got ugly in a hurry. The guy used to punt and placekick for them too, He takes off running on a fake punt and straight arms one of our guys right off the field into the sideline equipment. Never seen anything like him at that level.
 
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ron dayne
irving fryar
quintus mcdonald
elvin bethea
lydell mitchell
butch woolfolk
joe flacco
rich glover
 
ashokan said:
Franco #1 - #2 isn't close (especially an OL from 1950).
Franco has great stats but he was a "playmaker" who made things happen.
The Immaculate Reception was Franco's rookie year (eventually NFL ROY) and it set the Steelers (originally an NFC team) on their epic ride.

www.cbssports.com

Franco Harris by the numbers: Steelers legend changed culture of winningest franchise in NFL since his arrival

Harris is still the all-time leader for rushing yards in Super Bowls
www.cbssports.com www.cbssports.com
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You should really check out Ringo's career with the Packers.
 
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RUEd said:
As a former South River Rat, happy to see 6 and 7. Met them both, both were great
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My generation is was Kenny Jackson, Troy Hill, Keith Hudak and Tom C (sorry, no idea on that last name)
 
IDT at any point in their careers, was Donald Brown better than Knownshon Moreno...especially by that much...
 
LSRF said:
My generation is was Kenny Jackson, Troy Hill, Keith Hudak and Tom C (sorry, no idea on that last name)
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Csatari. Went to one of the Ivies and starred there.
Also, Kenny's brother Roger Jackson...who went to Pitt I believe.
Kenny Jackson was about as good an athlete as I've ever seen in NJ high school. Right up there with Willie Wilson and Brian Taylor.
 
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It is hard to rank players from different eras.

Based on achievements, I believe that Charlies Berry should be ranked much higher. He was the best player and leading scorer on the Pottsville Maroons that was the best pro team in 1925. Berry scored the winning points over an All Star team that included the four horsemen giving the NFL credibility. This victory lead to the initial prominence of the NFL. Berry was a star end at Lafayette, named to the 1924 Walter Camp All American team, and a Hall of Fame member..

In an era when it was hard to earn a living, Berry also played professional baseball as a catcher for the Boston Red Sox, the Philadelphia Athletics, and Chicago White Sox. In one game in 1931, he knocked out Babe Ruth at home when Ruth tried to score on a sacrifice fly. The Babe was carried off the field.

After he retired as an active player, Berry became an umpire in the American League from 1942 through 1962. He officiated in five World Series and five All-Star games. At the same time, he was a head linesmen in the NFL for 24 seasons, officiating in 12 championship games, including the renowned "Sudden Death" championship game between the Colts and Giants in 1958. He is the only man to have officiated the World Series, the NFL Championship and the College All-Star game in one year.
 
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KingOfTheEast said:
IDT at any point in their careers, was Donald Brown better than Knownshon Moreno...especially by that much...
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it seems that much of the list is based on how much you played and not so much, how well. And if your career was less then 7 years- you take ranking penalties.
 
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RU-Kidding said:
Opposing defenses in high school thought they saw 3 Chapmans with the ball each play before the mortal one ended up in the end zone.
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The whole list is such a CF...
They really are not going by "greatest" player in any sense. They are going by length of career. Once you go over 7 years- then it is a little bit based on accomplishments.
That is why some guys are listed 3 times and their PR/KR statuses may be higher then what other players did- example if Joe Theisman who may have returned 4 kicks or punts
 
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