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Pro Players that you actually got to see when they were in High School...


futbolking
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I can say that I got to see Ahmad Bradshaw (Graham....numerous times), Shane Graham (Pulaski couple of times, my cousins played at PC).... Heath Miller (Honaker, against Floyd County in a state semifinal game, James Farrior (Matoaca, against Petersburg when I lived in Richmond and worked in Petersburg), Jason Witten (Dallas, played at Elizabethton TN, they came up to play Graham and he had a whale of a game ..), David Terrell (Huguenot, when I lived in Richmond....)....he was a receiver that went on to play for the Bears.  Akeem Jordan (Harrisonburg against Graham in State Finals....went on to play LB for Philadelphia Eagles), Mike Compton (Richlands, played for the Patriots, Lions)......  

 

There may be a couple more, but these are the ones that I can remember.  If I think of any others, I'll post them.

 

Never got to see the Jones brothers from Powell Valley or the Barber Twins from Cave Spring....

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Obviously Bradshaw since I got to play against him. David Wilson didn't have a long career in the NFL but got to see him in person and watching him at the high school level was

...wow!!! Barely can remember Julius Jones from my much younger days. My old man has had the pleasure of seeing all you mentioned plus the Barber bros, both Jones', Sensabough (sp?)...Kilgore (DB-TN)..

 

Hopefully next fall, we can all say we got to watch another pro in high school as in Devon Johnson, great kid, hope he gets drafted or at least picked up after the fact.

 

In baseball, I can't remember the guys name, but in 2005 we played against Dan River and their ace pitcher went on to play with the ATL Braves for two season s and he was seventy freaking feet tall with five foot long arms.

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Football

Brady James - West Monroe LA

Brock Berlin - Evangel Christian LA

Josh Booty - Evangel Christian LA

Tiki Barber

Ronde Barber

Shane Graham

Jake Grove

 

Baseball

Jason Anderson

Jimmy Gobble

Mike Funk

Billy Wagner

 

Basketball

Pick any random Oak Hill player between 1992 and today.

JJ Reddick

I actually played a pick-up game with Chris Duhon when I was stationed at Fort Polk, LA. He was an 8th grader at the time and completely dominant.

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Did anyone get to see Curt Warner play for Pineville?

 

You going old school on that one with an older running back that many may not remember.  Never saw him at Pineville, but, I watched many a Seahawks/Raiders games when he played years ago.  That was when the Seahawks were in the AFC West.

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Did anyone get to see Curt Warner play for Pineville?

I never saw Curt Warner, a little before my time.  My dad used to take me to Ferrum and watch Chris Warren.  Not high school as this thread recommended but thought I would throw it out.  How he ended up playing at Ferrum is beyond me.  I think I heard one time that he played at UVA for a season and transferred.  Easily the best player Ferrum has ever seen.

 

I also saw Curt Schilling pitch on a rehab assignment in El Paso, TX in the mid 90's when he was with the Phillies.  The team from Midland that night had some guys named Darrin Erstad and Jim Edmunds. 

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NFL.. Tiki and Rhonde Barber, Lee Suggs, Jamie Price (World Class Sprinter).

I had the opportunity to compete against these athletes in track and Football.

I do remember in track the fast heap was Rhonde, Tiki, Suggs, J Higginbotham, Jamie Price, and myself. Of course Jamie Price won with a time of 10.4. That record still stands today in Roanoke. I happened to run a 10.9.

 

Absolutely no one beat Rhonde in the Hurdles he won the nationals every year, and no one beat Tiki in the long jump. These guys were the best in track I ever seen and also were smart in the classroom . They finished 1st and 2nd in thier HS class with 4.0 higher GPA.

 

Other NFL.. Nathan Poole (GW Danville), Shayne Graham (Pulaski), Shannon Taylor (PH), Chris Warren (Ferrum)

 

NBA..

 

Played AAU basketball game against Alonzo Mourning, Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Corey Alexander, Curtis Staples.

 

Other NBA.. JJ Redick, Derek Hines (NBDL) Everett Fox (Overseas), George Lynch, Curtis Blair

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NFL.. Tiki and Rhonde Barber, Lee Suggs, Jamie Price (World Class Sprinter).

I had the opportunity to compete against these athletes in track and Football.

I do remember in track the fast heap was Rhonde, Tiki, Suggs, J Higginbotham, Jamie Price, and myself. Of course Jamie Price won with a time of 10.4. That record still stands today in Roanoke. I happened to run a 10.9.

 

Absolutely no one beat Rhonde in the Hurdles he won the nationals every year, and no one beat Tiki in the long jump. These guys were the best in track I ever seen and also were smart in the classroom . They finished 1st and 2nd in thier HS class with 4.0 higher GPA.

 

Other NFL.. Nathan Poole (GW Danville), Shayne Graham (Pulaski), Shannon Taylor (PH), Chris Warren (Ferrum)

 

NBA..

 

Played AAU basketball game against Alonzo Mourning, Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Corey Alexander, Curtis Staples.

 

Other NBA.. JJ Redick, Derek Hines (NBDL) Everett Fox (Overseas), George Lynch, Curtis Blair

I forgot about Lee Suggs and George Lynch.  Suggs was playing at Fleming when I first moved to Roanoke.  James Higginbotham was one hell of an athlete.  I believe he played at Arkansas St. 

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How about pros you actually played/practiced with?

 

Darryl Wilson (VHS-UT-Patriots)...he is a few year older than me but we practiced together in HS in summer.  Derrick Hord (Tenn High-UK-Cavaliers)...played b-ball with/against him many times at the YMCA summer games.  Thornton "Bean" Stringfellow (VHS-VT-Atlanta Braves).  Atlee Hammaker (ETSU-SF Giants)...summer league one year.  Dana Alison (Warren County High-JMU-Oakland As)...played in the Valley League one season with him.

 

I just realized how old I am getting!

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How about pros you actually played/practiced with?

 

Darryl Wilson (VHS-UT-Patriots)...he is a few year older than me but we practiced together in HS in summer.  Derrick Hord (Tenn High-UK-Cavaliers)...played b-ball with/against him many times at the YMCA summer games.  He had graduated HS by the time I was on the Varsity.  Thornton "Bean" Stringfellow (VHS-VT-Atlanta Braves)...couple of years on me but was on the same state championship team in 1981.  Atlee Hammaker (ETSU-SF Giants)...summer league one year.  Dana Alison (JMU-Oakland As)...played in the Valley League one season with him.

 

I just realized who old I am getting!

I am not sure if this counts for your scenario but Calvin Talford dunked all over me in a game many years ago, but I'm not bitter or anything.  

 

I faced Jason Anderson many years ago and it wasn't a fair fight.  I managed to hit a weak dribbler to second base.  It was the only contact anyone on our team made.

 

When I was in high school, Cory Alexander and Junior Burrough would come to Grayson and play pick-up games with us.  Two of the nicest and most humble "superstars" I have ever met.  I still chat with Cory occasionally.  Great guy.

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You going old school on that one with an older running back that many may not remember. Never saw him at Pineville, but, I watched many a Seahawks/Raiders games when he played years ago. That was when the Seahawks were in the AFC West.

I know most on here are too young to have seen Curt in high school and although Pineville isn't too far from Bluefield distance wise it's a tough drive to make. From what I've heard about him though he went to penn state and was the first freshman that Joe Paterno ever started. Made all American there and was a top 5 pick in the draft, I was just hoping someone might've gotten to watch him play because I would imagine he was dominate in southern West Virginia

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How about pros you actually played/practiced with?

 

Darryl Wilson (VHS-UT-Patriots)...he is a few year older than me but we practiced together in HS in summer.  Derrick Hord (Tenn High-UK-Cavaliers)...played b-ball with/against him many times at the YMCA summer games.  Thornton "Bean" Stringfellow (VHS-VT-Atlanta Braves).  Atlee Hammaker (ETSU-SF Giants)...summer league one year.  Dana Alison (Warren County High-JMU-Oakland As)...played in the Valley League one season with him.

 

I just realized how old I am getting!

Played with Ahmad coming up through the ranks. He would've made a solid baseball player, too, had he stuck with it.

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Played with Ahmad coming up through the ranks. He would've made a solid baseball player, too, had he stuck with it.

He was a heck of a basketball player as well.... Remember watching him in little league, that's the first time I saw him play anything, was at a little league basketball game... you could tell back then that he was going to be special....

 

First time in football action he took a handoff in a scrimmage against Bassett as a freshman, took the handoff off tackle, faked the defender and took it 95 yards to the house.... He made a fan out of me from the first time he touched the ball in High School...

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How about pros you actually played/practiced with?

 

Darryl Wilson (VHS-UT-Patriots)...he is a few year older than me but we practiced together in HS in summer.  Derrick Hord (Tenn High-UK-Cavaliers)...played b-ball with/against him many times at the YMCA summer games.  Thornton "Bean" Stringfellow (VHS-VT-Atlanta Braves).  Atlee Hammaker (ETSU-SF Giants)...summer league one year.  Dana Alison (Warren County High-JMU-Oakland As)...played in the Valley League one season with him.

 

I just realized how old I am getting!

 

Played against Ahmad in high school. Man among boys then. 

 

 

I gunned down Russell Wilson in a Summer League game back in 2009 when he was with the Gastonia Grizzlies. 

 

 

I advise you to not try to steal on me either, my throwing arm is still lethal. 

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I played with 1,  he was Irvan Pankey.  He played at Aberdeen High in maryland with me in 74 & 75 he then played for Penn State and was drafted by the LA Rams and played Left tackle for over 13 years.

 

I've seen,    M.Compton, A Bradshaw, J. Jones & T.Jones, H.Miller, J, Whitten, J.Hamilton.

 

I was good friends with and played little league and high school baseball with Cal Ripkin when I lived in Aberdeen and also played a little sandlot with  Billy Ripken,  he was younger than Cal and I were,  but their sister Ellen was the best athlete in that family !  Also played a little softball with Billy Wagner years ago............man what a arm !!!!!

 

I played Basketball against a guy named Dudley Bradley.  He played for Egdewood High when I played for Aberdeen and went on to play for North Carolina and later drafted and played for the Indiana Pacers. 

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Seen:

 

Thomas Jones - PV

Julius Jones - PV

Heath Miller - Honaker

Justin Hamilton - Clintwood

Ahmad Bradshaw - Graham

Mike Compton - Richlands

Terry Kirby - Tabb

 

Leonard Williams - Daytona Beach Mainland

Ricardo Allen - Daytona Beach Mainland

Jason Witten - Betsy

Randall Cobb - Alcoa

Pop Saunders - Deland, FL

Eric Weems - Daytona Beach Seabreeze

Andrew Kilgore - Kingsport D-B

Gerald Sensabaugh -Kingsport  D-B

Coty Sensabaugh -Kingsport  D-B

Aubrayo Franklin - Science Hill

James "Little Man" Stewart - Mo-town West

 

 

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Didn't Herman Moore play for Martinsville against Graham in the state semis back in 81, if so.... add him to the list.... I believe he had a decent career in the NFL.  He may have played at GW Danville and I saw him in a scrimmage..... 

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Didn't Herman Moore play for Martinsville against Graham in the state semis back in 81, if so.... add him to the list.... I believe he had a decent career in the NFL. He may have played at GW Danville and I saw him in a scrimmage.....

Considering he graduated from UVA in 1991, and indeed played HS football for GW-Danville, I'm going to say that he wasn't on that 1981 Martinsville team. :)

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Considering he graduated from UVA in 1991, and indeed played HS football for GW-Danville, I'm going to say that he wasn't on that 1981 Martinsville team. ;)

OK. . . don't know who I am thinking of ...from Martinsville. . anybody from down that way known of anyone in that time period or is my mind just playing tricks on me?

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OK. . . don't know who I am thinking of ...from Martinsville. . anybody from down that way known of anyone in that time period or is my mind just playing tricks on me?

Shawn Moore played QB for Martinsville in the mid-80s, I would venture a guess that's it. Martinsville has been kind to UVA through the years. Nikki Fisher also comes to mind.

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Shawn Moore played QB for Martinsville in the mid-80s, I would venture a guess that's it. Martinsville has been kind to UVA through the years. Nikki Fisher also comes to mind.

Yeah Shawn Moore was the QB  and Nikki Fisher the RB on the Martinsville team that played Blacksburg in 1984 I believe....could have been 85....Blacksburg beat them in a flat out downpour all day long.....Blacksburg went to state title game in 84 and 85....One hell of a defense those Indians teams had

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Bigrhsfan...I'm jealous. Cal is my all-time favorite baseball hero.

Billy Wagner, 100mph, enough said right?

Thomas and Julius Jones - Worked with their dad until Thomas was drafted.

Justin Hamilton - Played pick up bball with him on Lick Creek when he was around 12 yrs old. You could tell he was a very gifted athlete then.

Heath Miller, Virginia's version of Jason Witten.

Calvin Talford. In my opinion, one of the best all around athletes to come out of SWVA. He could reach coins from the top of a back board. Throw or slap a baseball good enough to be selected in the amateur draft by the Phillies. Won the 1992 NCAA slam dunk championship, (worth googling). Still holds a couple vhsl single A records in track (high jump at 7' & triple jump at 49'8.25").

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