2010 NFL Draft Picks from Maryland

While other states had more and one high school almost had as many players drafted last month than the state of Maryland, there were five kids who played high school ball here that were selected in the 2010 NFL Draft.

None were from the immediate Baltimore area, but these kids all came from either close by (Columbia) or the southern part of the state. One was pretty well known in these parts (Joe Haden-Cleveland Browns), as his high school team (Friendly) beat the team (River Hill) that beat Reisterstown's Franklin High School in the 2007 state playoffs.

St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Florida) had three players from that one school get drafted this year.

Click on the 'Jump' to see the entire story from the NFL PR Dept, including the five players from Maryland.

FORT LAUDERDALE’S ST. THOMAS AQUINAS LEADS ALL HIGH SCHOOLS WITH THREE PLAYERS SELECTED IN 2010 NFL DRAFT;
248 SCHOOLS REPRESENTED
 
They range from Farrington High School in Honolulu, Hawaii to Queen’s College High School in St. Michael, Barbados.
 
A total of 248 high schools contributed to the 255 players selected in the seven rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft on April 22-24, USA Football announced today.    
 
St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida led all high schools with three players selected in the 2010 NFL Draft, tying them with De La Salle and Long Beach Polytechnic in California (2006) for the most players selected in a single NFL Draft in the past five years.
 
"We’ve never had this many players selected," says St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders head coach GEORGE SMITH.  "We’re very proud of all of them for what they’ve done to get themselves in this position.  They had to do a lot, academically and physically."
 
Five schools had two players each selected.  Two of those schools produced at least one first-round choice – Piscataway High in Piscataway, New Jersey (offensive tackle ANTHONY DAVIS by San Francisco and cornerback KYLE WILSON by the New York Jets) and Putnam City North in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (first overall pick quarterback SAM BRADFORD by St. Louis).
 
"It’s rare to see this kind of thing," adds former St. Thomas Aquinas safety MAJOR WRIGHT, selected by Chicago in the third round.  "This shows what type of program St. Thomas really is and how dedicated we are to what we do."
 
St. Thomas Aquinas has fostered camaraderie among its graduates such that many return to campus when in the Fort Lauderdale area.  Wright and Dallas Cowboys sixth-round draftee tackle SAM YOUNG are among the alums that visited the campus prior to last month’s NFL Draft.
 
"Every one of us appreciates what the school has done for us," says Young.  "What makes St. Thomas special and unique is that it is home.  It’s not a place where you just spent a couple years."
 
"This is what we talked about," adds Cincinnati Bengals fourth-round defensive tackle GENO ATKINS of his St. Thomas brethren.  "Going to a big-name college and then going into the league.  Now it looks like our dream is coming true."

MARYLAND (5)