By Michelle Quigley
The Milwaukee (later Atlanta) Braves played their first spring training game at the new West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium on March 9, 1963. The Kansas City Athletics, featuring local boys Haywood Sullivan and Dick Howser, defeated the Braves 3-0. Warren Spahn was the losing pitcher.
The stadium was demolished in 1999. (1968 Palm Beach Post file photo)
Tags: sports, This Week in History
By Michelle Quigley
On Feb. 17, 1932, the Palm Beach Kennel Club introduced greyhound racing and parimutuel wagering to Palm Beach County. About 4,000 people attended the opening night races.
Read more about the history of the kennel club in this Post Time column from 2007.
Greyhounds racing at Palm Beach Kennel Club in September 1975. (Palm Beach Post file photo)
Tags: sports, This Week in History
By Michelle Quigley
It’s hard to escape football fever in south Florida — what with the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl at Sun Life Stadium — so let’s take a look at some local football players who have made history.
Indianapolis Colt receiver Pierre Garcon, a 2004 John I. Leonard graduate, and New Orleans Saints fullback Heath Evans, a King’s Academy grad, will be at the Super Bowl on Feb. 7 (Evans won’t be playing though; he’s out with an injury), but they’re not the only local boys to make it big.
Pittsburgh Steeler wide receiver Santonio Holmes of Glades Central was last year’s Super Bowl MVP, after he made an amazing tip-toe catch in the end zone for the winning touchdown.
And 15 area players made the Florida High School Athletic Association’s list of the 100 greatest football players in Florida history, including past stars — Carver’s Barry Hill, Kennedy’s Lemar Parrish and Atlantic’s Bobby Butler — and present ones — Pahokee’s Anquan Boldin, Suncoast’s Devin Hester and Santaluces’ Vince Wilfork.
Other area high school football players who made the list:
Ottis Anderson (Forest Hill, pictured at right with St. Louis Cardinals owner William V. Bidwell as he holds up the jersey that he would wear for the 1979 season)
John Carney (Cardinal Newman)
Anthony Carter (Suncoast)
Eddie Edwards (Fort Pierce Central)
Jessie Hester (Glades Central)
Rickey Jackson (Pahokee)
Don Latimer (Fort Pierce Central)
Fred Taylor (Glades Central)
We know there are a lot more local football players who have made the big time, and we’d like your help in compiling a list of them. You can see the list we have so far here.
Tags: football, schools, sports
This list is a work in progress, and we welcome your input in expanding the list. Please use the form or comments below to let us know about other local football players who have made the big time.
The list is sorted by school, then by player’s last name.
| Athlete’s last name | First name | High school | Year graduated | Pro team(s) and other claims to fame |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler | Bobby | Atlantic | 1977 | Drafted by the Atlanta Falcons Drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1981, played college football at Florida State |
| Clowney | David | Atlantic | 2003 | Wide receiver for the New York Jets, originally drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round in 2007, played college football at Virginia Tech. |
| Flowers | Brandon | Atlantic | 2002 | Cornerback, drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round (35th overall) in 2008. He played college football at Virginia Tech. |
| Rumph | Mike | Atlantic | Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2002, played college football at the University of Miami | |
| Curtin | Brennan | Benjamin | 1999 | Played offensive line at Notre Dame and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2003. He suffered what would be a career ending knee injury in the preseason of 2004 and after a brief stint on the New England Patriots practice roster in 2006 he retired. He is the tallest player in the history of the Green Bay Packers organization. |
| Crudup | Derrick | Boca Raton | Derrick Crudup was an All-American high school quarterback at Boca Raton High, in 1983 recruited to play quarterback at the University of Florida, transferred to Oklahoma and won four Big Eight championships and one National Championship in 1985, drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 1988, after his playing career ended in 1992, Crudup returned to his Florida roots to coach high school football at Deerfield Beach, Boca Raton, Spanish River, and Pompano Beach high schools for more than 12 years as defensive and offensive coordinator. | |
| Piscitelli | Sabby | Boca Raton | 2002 | Safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, drafted by the Buccaneers in the second round (64th overall) in 2007, played college football at Oregon State |
| Carney | John | Cardinal Newman | 1983 | NFL place kicker for the New Orleans Saints, also played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Diego Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants |
| Elam | Abe | Cardinal Newman | 1999 | Defensive back for the Cleveland Browns, first signed as free agent by Miami in 2005, eventually traded by the Jets to the Browns in 2009. |
| Mobley | John | Cardinal Newman | Drafted by the Denver Broncos in 1996, played in (and won) 2 Super Bowls with John Elway, played his high school freshman season at Cardinal Newman | |
| Butler | James | Carver | James “Cannon Ball” Butler drafted by Pittsburgh Steelers in 1965, also played for the Atlanta Falcons, 1-time Pro Bowler, played college football at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, FL | |
| Hill | Barry | Carver | Drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 1975, played college football at Iowa state | |
| Tank | Johnson | Carver | Steelers | |
| Dixon | Randy | Clewiston | Indianapolis Colts tackle from 1987-1995. | |
| Dixon | Titus | Clewiston | Wide receiver drafted by the New York Jets in 1989, played college football at Troy | |
| Anderson | Ottis | Forest Hill | 1975 | Former NFL running back, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979, MVP of Super Bowl XXV in 1991 with the New York Giants. |
| Hanna | Jim | Forest Hill | 1989 | Played one year for the New Orleans Saints, 1994 |
| Stone | Ken | Forest Hill | 1968 | Football Scholarship to Vanderbilt University: 13 Interceptions, First Team All-SEC 1972, East-West Shrine Bowl, San Francisco CA 1972, American Bowl All-Star Game, Tampa, FL 1972; Drafted by Washington, Redskins 1973, played 3 years with the Redskins (minus 8 weeks for Buffalo Bills), 1974 led Redskins in interceptions; picked up in expansion draft by Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1976; 4 Years with St. Louis Cardinals 1977-1980, 1978 Cardinal team leader - 9 interceptions, 1980 Cardinal team leader - 5 interceptions, NFC co-leader in interceptions; 27 Lifetime NFL interceptions for 445 yards; Inducted in Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame 1979 |
| Edwards | Eddie | Fort Pierce Central | ||
| Latimer | Don | Fort Pierce Central | ||
| Anthony | Reidel Clarence | Glades Central | 1994 | Former NFL wide receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins |
| Banks | Brad | Glades Central | 1998 | Canadian Football League quarterback, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 2002 Heisman Trophy first runner-up |
| Blackmon | Roosevelt | Glades Central | Former NFL defensive back, Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals | |
| Florence | Anthony | Glades Central | Defensive back drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1989, but never played in Tampa, played one season for the Cleveland Browns, in 1991, played college football at Bethune-Cookman. | |
| Ford | John Allen Jr. | Glades Central | Drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1989 | |
| Harriot | Claude | Glades Central | Canadian Football League defensive lineman | |
| Haugabook | Omar | Glades Central | Canadian Football League quarterback | |
| Hester | Jessie | Glades Central | Current Head Football Coach at Glades Central. Former NFL wide receiver, St. Louis Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Raiders. | |
| Holmes | Santonio | Glades Central | NFL wide receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers, Super Bowl MVP | |
| Jackson | James | Glades Central | Former NFL running back, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals | |
| Jones | Willie | Glades Central | Offensive tackle, Kansas City Chiefs | |
| McDonald | Ray | Glades Central | Former NFL wide receiver, New England Patriots | |
| McDonald Jr. | Ray | Glades Central | Defensive end, San Francisco 49ers | |
| Messam | Wayne | Glades Central | Former NFL wide receiver, Cincinnati Bengals | |
| Morgan | Wilford | Glades Central | 1980 | USFL Tampa Bay Bandits |
| Newkirk | Robert | Glades Central | Former NFL defensive tackle, Chicago Bears | |
| Oliver | Louis | Glades Central | Former NFL defensive back, Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals | |
| Rudledge | Johnny | Glades Central | Former NFL linebacker, Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos | |
| Seider | JaJuan | Glades Central | Former NFL quarterback, San Diego Chargers | |
| Smith | Steve | Glades Central | AFL quarterback/wide receiver | |
| Snead | Willie | Glades Central | Former NFL wide receiver, New York Jets | |
| Spencer | Jimmy | Glades Central | Former NFL defensive back, New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos | |
| Taylor | Fred | Glades Central | 1994 | Running back, Jacksonville Jaguars, selected to 2008 Pro Bowl |
| Weston | Rhondy | Glades Central | Drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 | |
| Carson | Carlos | John I. Leonard | 1976 | Drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1980 |
| Fagan | Kevin | John I. Leonard | 1981 | San Francisco 49ers defensive end from 1987 to 1993, played in two Super Bowls, played college football at the University of Miami and is a member of the UM Sports Hall of Fame. |
| Garcon | Pierre | John I. Leonard | 2004 | Wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts, drafted by the Colts in the sixth round in 2008, played college football at Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio. |
| Parrish | Lemar | Kennedy | Drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1970, 8-time Pro Bowler | |
| Evans | Heath | King’s Academy | 1997 | A two-time all-state pick as a tailback at The King’s Academy in West Palm Beach where he also lettered in basketball, played college football at Auburn University, fullback for the New Orleans Saints, drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft. |
| Chester | Lawrence | Lake Shore Junior-Senior High School in Belle Glade | 15th draft pick in 1967. Chester is believed to be the first football player from Belle Glade who made it to the NFL. | |
| Coleman | Leonard | Lake Worth | Cornerback dafted by the Indianapolis Colts in 1984, with the Colts until 1987, with the San Diego Chargers from 1988-1989, played college football at Vanderbilt University. | |
| Berry | Kenny | Pahokee | Played college football at the University of Miami in the 1980s and played one year for the San Diego Chargers in the NFL. | |
| Boldin | Anquan | Pahokee | Drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2003, played college football at Florida State, 3-time Pro Bowler | |
| Bouie | Kevin | Pahokee | Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1995, played college football at Mississippi State, also played for the San Diego Chargers and Arizona Cardinals | |
| Burroughs | Jim | Pahokee | Played for the Baltimore Colts | |
| Green | Eric | Pahokee | Drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2005, played college football at Virginia Tech | |
| Jackson | Rickey | Pahokee | Drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 1981, 6-time Pro Bowler, played college football at Pittsburgh | |
| Moore | Eric | Pahokee | Defensive end for the Carolina Panthers, drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round in 2005, played college football at Florida State, also played for the New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Rams. | |
| Mosley | Kendrick | Pahokee | Cleveland Browns | |
| Nathaniel | Hannah | Pahokee | 1980 | Played for the USFL |
| Smith | Antone | Pahokee | Atlanta Falcons running back, was signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2009, played college football at Florida State. | |
| Smith Jr. | Alphonso | Pahokee | Denver Broncos cornerback, drafted in 2009, played college football at Wake Forest. | |
| Waters | Andre | Pahokee | Defensive back for the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals from 1984 to 1995, after retiring as a player, went on to enjoy success as a college coach at Morgan State University, the University of South Florida, Alabama State University, St. Augustine’s College, and Fort Valley State University. | |
| Studstill | Darren | Palm Beach Gardens | Drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1994, played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, played college football at West Virginia | |
| Knowles | Lincoln | Palm Beach High School | 1950 | |
| Sutherland | Vinnie | Palm Beach Lakes | Drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2001, also played for the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears, was a standout receiver and kick returner for Purdue University from 1997-2000. | |
| Banks | Korey | Santaluces | 1998 | Played for the Canadian league in British Columbia |
| Jones | “C. J.” Clinton | Santaluces | 1998 | Cleveland Browns |
| Wilfork | Vince | Santaluces | Drafted by the New England Patriots in 2004, 2-time Pro Bowler, played college football at the University of Miami | |
| Gary | Cleveland | South Fork | Drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 1989 | |
| Beamon | Willie | Suncoast | Played college football at Northern Iowa, played for New York Giants. | |
| Carter | Anthony | Suncoast | 1978 | Former USFL and NFL wide receiver, University of Michigan’s all-time leading receiver, Minnesota Vikings, Pro Bowl 1987 and 1988, later played for Detroit Lions |
| Green | Barrett | Suncoast | Drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2000, also played for the New York Giants, played college football for West Virginia. | |
| Hester | Devin | Suncoast | Drafted by the Chicago Bears in 2006, 2-time Pro Bowler & 2-time First-Team All-Pro, played college football at the University of Miami | |
| Scott | Gari | Suncoast | Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2000, also with the Washington Redskins, played college football at Michigan State | |
| Wilkins | Gary | Twin Lakes | 1981 | Atlanta Falcons tight end from 1988 to 1991, played for the Buffalo Bills 1986-1987, played college football at Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Battle | Julian | Wellington | 2001 | Drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2003, also played in the Canadian Football League, played college football at Tennessee |
Sources: Palm Beach Post archives, Pro-Football-Reference.com. Last updated February 18, 2010.
Tags: football, schools, sports
The Lake Worth Trojans dominated area football in the 1940s. Coach E.R. ‘Buddy’ Goodell, posthumously inducted into the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame in 2006, led the Trojans to the state championship in 1942. The 1944 team (pictured below) defeated every other team in Palm Beach County but then lost the south Florida regional championship to Fort Lauderdale.
In 2007 Palm Beach Post reporter Andrew Abramson interviewed Lake Worth class of 1949 halfbacks Ed Elliott, Clifford Franks and Eugene Bie. Read the interview and view an audio slide show of the three reminiscing about the way high school football was played in the 1940s.
We invite you to share your own stories and memories of high school sports in the Your History section of historicpalmbeach.com
1944 Lake Worth High School Football Team
Front row — John Beane, William Harvey, Wiliam Menges, Bobby Forder, Roger Collar, Lynn Hotchkiss, Cecil Harper, Bob Fulton, Frank Bradswhaw, Gerald Crocker, Jack Adair and Jack White.
Middle row — Coach E.R. Goodell, Bobby Adams, William Humphrey, Herbert Russell, Ralph Warriner, Karl Easton, Alvah Dermott, Tommy Johnson, Jimmy Martin, David Giles, Eric Tuttle, Coach Tom Burns.
Top row — Manager Lloyd Cook, John Remsen, Richard Watson, Donald Sargent, Ted Venos, Wally Johnson, manager Allen Kirkpatrick.
Tags: football, schools, sports
