Ten high schools across the country had at least two former players drafted into the NFL last month. One school, Colton High School in Colton, California, led the way with three graduates selected in the 2011 NFL Draft. Nine other schools had two players selected, including Maryland's Gwynn Park Senior High in Brandywine, Maryland.
The Cleveland Browns selected Baylor defensive tackle Phil Taylor in the first round of the draft and the Houston Texans took Virginia Tech cornerback Rashad Carmichael in the 4th round. Both players were on Gwynn Park's football team and now will be seeing each other on other sides of the field whenever the 2011 NFL season gets underway. With the AFC North playing the AFC South this season, these two former high school teammates will be able to shake hands once their game is over and reminisce of the long tough yet rewarding journey their lives have taken. Nice job for a Maryland high school, despite sending one of their own to play in Cleveland!
In addition, Baltimore City's Dunbar High School sent one of their former students to the pros, with the New Orleans Saints drafting linebacker Nate Bussey in the 7th round out of the University of Illinois. While Maryland sent three players to the NFL out of last month's draft, it still pales in comparison to California's 42 newest NFL draft picks. However, we will still root for the local kids to succeed and congratulate both them and their happy and proud families.