Here at D1 Highlights, we have been covering high school football news in the state of Tennessee for 7 years now. Over those years it has been exciting to cover players playing on Friday Nights and then cover some of those same players on Saturday afternoons. With that being said we have also had the chance to see many of the players we have covered get the opportunity to play in the NFL as well. Derek Barnett, Jalen Ramsey, Mike Jasper, Rashaan Gaulden and Dont’a Hightower are some of the recent names that may ring a bell who have Tennessee High School Football roots. So with the 2019 NFL Draft being held in Nashville this year, we are especially excited to see some of our local high school football heroes names called in the draft. In no particular order see if you remember some of these young men that we’ve covered over the years:

  • Joejuan Williams – Played high school football for the Father Ryan Fighting Irish. Joejuan went on the sign with the Vanderbilt Commodores.
  • Kyle Phillips – Played high school football for the Hillsboro Burros. Kyle played his collegiate football for the University of Tennessee
  • Ugo Amadi – Played high school football for the Overton Bobcats. Ugo played his collegiate football at the University of Oregon.
  • Paul Adams – Played high school football for the CPA Lions. Paul was recruited and played college football for the Missouri Tigers.
  • Emanuel Hall – Played high school football for the Centennial Cougars and played college ball for the Missouri Tigers.
  • Tyrel Dodson – Played high school football for the Centennial Cougars and played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies. Also, one of the hardest hitting high school players we have ever seen…and we’ve seen a lot!!!
  • Dawson Knox – Played high school football for 14 time state champions Brentwood Academy and went on the play college football at Ole Miss.
  • Darrell Henderson – By way of South Panola High School in Mississippi, which is close enough to Tennessee that they play several TSSAA teams throughout their season, is where Darrell played his high school football. Darrell went on to play college ball for the Memphis Tigers.
  • Jalen Hurd – Played high school football for the Beech Buccaneers and went on to play for the UT Vols before transferring to Baylor to finish his college career.