December 13, 1997 - Texas high school legends Earl Campbell and Joe Greene headline the Texas Football/Pepsi All-Time High School Team. The 23-member squad, as voted by fans statewide and sponsored by the Pepsi-Cola Company, will be unveiled today on Fox Sports Southwest and the Texas State Network, between their respective broadcasts of the Division I Class 5A and 4A Texas Bowls at the Astrodome in Houston.

Six of the 23 All-Time Team members captured state championships, including Campbell, who played in the first-ever state championship at the Astrodome, in 1973.

This legendary group would later account for four national championships, two Heisman Trophies and 29 consensus All-America honors in college, as well as 56 all-Pro honors and seven Super Bowl titles while in the NFL, where all 23 took their playing careers.

Both Plano and Fort Worth Arlington Heights placed two players each on the first-team All-Time Team. DL Billy Ray Smith and DB Pat Thomas starred at Plano, while WR Mike Renfro and OL Blake Brockermeyer starred for the Yellowjackets.

Houston produced four players: LB Mike Singletary (Worthing), DB Dave Elmendorf (Westbury) and OL Doug Dawson (Memorial) and Dan Neil (Cypress Creek).

“I couldn’t wait for people to ask me where I played high school football,” Singletary said. “Texas high school football is as good as it gets anywhere. The people are unbelievable and how they take it to heart ... towns close down to see a game.”

OL Mike Baab (Euless Trinity) played eight of his 11 seasons in the NFL in a football haven, Ohio, but agrees Texas is where high school football nationwide is really king. “I was extremely proud of being a Texas high school football player. At every banquet I’d say that the best high school football is played in Texas, not Ohio, Pennsylvania, California or Florida. They say that now, but over the long haul, it’s Texas,” Baab said.

Of the 23 starters on the All-Time Team, the trio of DB Kevin Smith (West Orange-Stark), DL Ray Childress (Richardson Pearce) and Renfro played their entire careers in Texas. Renfro, who also played safety in high school, closed his Yellowjackets career in the playoffs, with a 31-14 loss to Campbell and Tyler John Tyler.

“My last defensive play in high school, I hit Earl (Campbell) at the line of scrimmage. The force I got pushed to the ground -- I’ve never felt that before. When I looked up to see where he was and to clean some of the grass off my face mask, he was 50 yards downfield giving the ball to the referee in the end zone. It was Earl everything,” Renfro said. “Prior to the game, our coach wouldn’t show us film on John Tyler. I know he didn’t want to show us film on Earl. If he had, we might not have shown up for the game.”

The 23 honorees and the second- and third-team All-Time High School Teams (which date back to the inception of Texas Football in 1960), will be honored in Dallas at a banquet in June of 1998, sponsored by the Pepsi-Cola Company.

Thanks to the thousands of fans of Texas Football who voted for the All-Time Team. Congratulations to our grand-prize winner, Wesley Nelson of Cleburne, who had his ballot drawn to win a DirecTV satellite dish, one year of free programming and tickets to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Several second-place winners are receiving one year free of the Texas Football newsletter.

Quarterback

Tommy Kramer, San Antonio Lee

Earl Campbell, Tyler John Tyler Eric Dickerson, Sealy

Tim Brown, Dallas Wilson Mike Renfro, Fort Worth Arlington Heights

Keith Cash, San Antonio Holmes

Jerry Sisemore, Plainview Doug Dawson, Houston Memorial Blake Brockermeyer, Fort Worth Arlington Heights Mike Baab, Euless Trinity Dan Neil, Houston Cypress Creek

Ray Childress, Richardson Pearce Joe Greene, Temple Dunbar Billy Ray Smith, Plano Bubba Smith, Beaumont Pollard

Mike Singletary, Houston Worthing Tommy Nobis, San Antonio Jefferson Jessie Armstead, Dallas Carter

Jerry Gray, Lubbock Estacado Dave Elmendorf, Houston Westbury Pat Thomas, Plano Kevin Smith, West Orange-Stark

Russell Erxleben, Seguin

Quarterback

Bill Bradley, Palestine

Billy Sims, Hooks Rodney Thomas, Groveton

Lawrence Elkins, Brownwood Lloyd Hill, Odessa Permian

Richard Osborne, San Antonio Lee

David Richards, Highland Park Matt McCall, Lufkin Calvin Collins, Beaumont West Brook Dennis Smelser, Odessa Permian Bobby Wuensch, Houston Jones

Sam Adams, Houston Cypress Creek Steve McMichael, Freer Doug English, Dallas Adams Wilson Whitley, Brenham

Britt Hager, Odessa Permian Brian Bosworth, Irving MacArthur Bill Hobbs, Amarillo

Ken Houston, Lufkin Dunbar Johnnie Johnson, La Grange James Lott, Refugio Stanley Richard, Hawkins

Tony Franklin, Fort Worth Arlington Heights

Texas Football/Pepsi
All-Time High School Team -- Third Team
(selected among 250 candidates, dating back to the inception of Texas Football in 1960)

Quarterback

Edd Hargett, Linden-Kildare
Running Backs
Warren McVea, San Antonio Breckenridge Steve Worster, Bridge City
Wide Receivers
Hart Lee Dykes, Bay City Johnny Jones, Lampases
Tight End
Mike Barber, White Oak
Offensive Linemen
Tommy Robison, Gregory-Portland Bob McKay, Crane Jake Young, Midland Lee K.C. Jones, Midland Lee Bill Wyman, Houston Spring Branch
Defensive Linemen
David Warren, Tyler John Tyler Chris Akins, Paris Santana Dotson, Houston Yates Brad Shearer, Austin Westlake
Linebackers
James Francis, La Marque Glen Halsell, Odessa Permian Mike Mock, Longview
Defensive Backs
Bobby Taylor, Longview Kyle Rote Jr., Highland Park Brad Dusek, Temple Joe Bob Bizzell, Odessa Permian
Kicker
Maury Buford, Mount Pleasant

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