Tampa Bay is a “HOT BED” for college talent. Year in and year out, numerous high school seniors sign letters of intent to play college football for a respective college/university. While hundreds of Tampa Bay high school football players dream of playing college football, the majority of those dreams do not come true. Nationally, only 5.8 percent of high school football players are fortunate enough to play football at the collegiate level.
We could have waited to drop this, but what the heck. With the up coming NFL draft approaching in April, we looked at 1st and 2nd round selections from Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties that had the opportunity to play football at the highest level. Some mock drafts project ex-Plant High star and Georgia TE, Orson Charles, to be selected in the 2nd or 3rd round, ultimately adding to our already prestigious list. Statistics say that 2% of college football players are able to play professional football while .09 % of high school players play professionally. The odds are slim and just a few players from Tampa Bay entered “The League” as high draft selections. See our list below.
1st Rounders
1969 Larry Smith 1st (08) Robinson RB (Florida)
2005 Mike Williams 1st (10) Plant WR (USC)
1972 John Reaves 1st (14) Robinson QB (Florida)
1979 Marty Lyons 1st (14) St.Pete Catholic DL (Alabama)
2006 Brodrick Bunkley 1st (14) Chamberlain DL (FSU)
1968 Forrest Blue 1st (15) Chamberlain OL (Auburn)
1979 Don Smith 1st (17) Tarpon Springs DL (Miami)
1993 Tom Carter 1st (17) Lakewood DB (Notre Dame)
1981 Ted Watts 1st (21) Tarpon Springs DB (Texas Tech)
1991 Ted Washington 1st (25) Tampa Bay Tech DL (Louisville)
1994 William Floyd 1st (28) Lakewood RB (FSU)
2004 Mike Jenkins 1st (29) Leto WR (Ohio State)
2nd Rounders
1955 Rick Casares 2nd (18) Jefferson RB (Florida)
2000 Darren Howard 2nd (33) Boca Ceiga DL (Kansas State)
1986 Ernest Givens 2nd (34) Lakewood WR (Louisville)
1991 Browning Nagle 2nd (34) Pinellas Park QB (Louisville)
2006 D’Qwell Jackson 2nd (34) Seminole LB (Maryland)
2010 Dexter McCluster 2nd (36) Largo RB (Ole Miss)
1982 David Galloway 2nd (38) Brandon DL (Florida)
2002 Mike Pearson 2nd (40) Armwood OL (Florida)
1993 Dan Footman 2nd (42) Hillsborough DL (FSU)
2002 Reche Caldwell 2nd (48) Jefferson WR (Florida)
1990 Pat Terrell 2nd (49) Lakewood DB (Notre Dame)
1999 Shaun King 2nd (50) Gibbs QB (Tulane)
2010 Javier Arenas 2nd (50) Robinson DB (Alabama)
1997 Kevin Abrams 2nd (54) Hillsborough DB (Syracuse)