WPIAL football has NFL draft streak that’s more than 2 decades long
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Thursday, April 23, 2020 | 8:49 PM
Woodland Hills’ Rob Gronkowski
Clairton’s Tyler Boyd races through the Sto-Rox defense on one of his touchdowns in the Bears 42-6 win in the WPIAL Class A football championship at Heinz Field on Nov. 26, 2011.
Aliquippa receiver Jonathan Baldwin catches a pass during a work-out at the high school in August 2007.
Central Catholic lineman Stefen Wisniewski
Penn Hills linebacker Aaron Donald celebrates a sack against Upper St. Clair during the fourth quarter of their WPIAL Quad-A first round playoff game Friday November 6, 2009 at Upper St. Clair.
North Hills’ LaVar Arrington
Woodland Hills quarterback Shawntae Spencer breaks loose with the ball against Mt. Lebanon in the WPIAL championship at Three Rivers Stadium.
Hopewell’s Paul Posluszny eyes up Thomas Jefferson’s Jon Drager during a WPIAL Class AAA semifinal.
Aliquippa’s Darrelle Revis
Upper St. Clair’s Sean Lee wraps up Mt. Lebanon’s Jimmy Mullen for a loss.
New Castle’s Malik Hooker
Woodland Hills’ Miles Sanders picks up a big gain against Upper St. Clair at the Wolvarena on Aug. 30, 2013.
The WPIAL has had at least one former player picked each year in the NFL draft since 1994, a remarkable streak that could be extended again this week.
New Castle’s Geno Stone (Iowa), Cornell’s Dane Jackson (Pitt), Imani Christian’s Kenny Robinson (West Virginia) and McKeesport’s Khaleke Hudson (Michigan) are the most likely WPIAL alumni to hear their names called at some point in the seven-round draft that started Thursday night.
A recent NFL.com mock draft predicted Stone, Jackson and Robinson all would be chosen in the fourth round. An earlier CBS Sports mock included Hudson as a late-round selection. Round 1 is Thursday, Rounds 2-3 are Friday and Round 4-7 are Saturday.
The last time the WPIAL had no player drafted was 1993.
The highest draft pick from the WPIAL in the past 26 years was North Hills’ LaVar Arrington, who went second overall in 2000 to the Washington Redskins. In all, the WPIAL has had 16 former players selected in the first or second rounds during that span.
Aliquippa alone had three players become first-round picks: Ty Law (No. 23 in 1995), Darrelle Revis (No. 14 in 2007) and Jon Baldwin (No. 26 in 2011). Penn Hills’ Aaron Donald (No. 13 in 2014) and New Castle’s Malik Hooker (No. 15 in 2017) also were first-round talents.
There were 10 second-round picks including three from Woodland Hills: Miles Sanders (2019), Rob Gronkowski (2010) and Shawntae Spencer (2004).
Also picked in the second round were Clairton’s Tyler Boyd (2016), Central Catholic’s Stefen Wisniewski (2011), Hopewell’s Paul Posluszny (2007), Upper St. Clair’s Sean Lee (2010), Aliquippa’s Charles Fisher (1999), Steel Valley’s Charlie Batch (1998) and McKeesport’s Mike Logan (1997).
Here’s a look at the first WPIAL player off the board in each of the past 26 NFL drafts:
2019
Miles Sanders, Woodland Hills
Round 2, Pick: 53, Philadelphia Eagles
2018
Troy Apke, Mt. Lebanon
Round 4, Pick 109, Washington Redskins
2017
Malik Hooker, New Castle
Round 1, Pick 15, Indianapolis Colts
2016
Tyler Boyd, Clairton
Round 2, Pick 55, Cincinnati Bengals
2015
Jesse James, South Allegheny
Round 5, Pick 160, Pittsburgh Steelers
2014
Aaron Donald, Penn Hills
Round 1, Pick 13, St. Louis Rams
2013
Eric Kush, Chartiers Valley
Round 6, Pick 170, Kansas City Chiefs
2012
Gino Gradkowski, Seton LaSalle
Round 4, Pick 98, Baltimore Ravens
2011
Jonathan Baldwin, Aliquippa
Round 1, Pick 26, Kansas City Chiefs
2010
Rob Gronkowski, Woodland Hills
Round 2, Pick 42, New England Patriots
2009
Scott McKillop, Kiski Area
Round 5, Pick 146, San Francisco 49ers
2008
Justin King, Gateway
Round 4, Pick 101, St. Louis Rams
2007
Darrelle Revis, Aliquippa
Round 1, Pick 14, New York Jets
2006
Bruce Gradkowski, Seton LaSalle
Round 6, Pick 194, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2005
Justin Geisinger, Mt. Lebanon
Round 6, Pick 197, Tennessee Titans
2004
Shawntae Spencer, Woodland Hills
Round 2, Pick 58, San Francisco 49ers
2003
Steve Sciullo, Shaler
Round 4, Pick 122, Indianapolis Colts
2002
Jake Schifino, Penn Hills
Round 5, Pick 151, Tennessee Titans
2001
Will Peterson, Laurel Highlands
Round 3, Pick 78, New York Giants
2000
LaVar Arrington, North Hills
Round 1, Pick 2, Washington Redskins
1999
Charles Fisher, Aliquippa
Round 2, Pick 33, Cincinnati Bengals
1998
Charlie Batch, Steel Valley
Round 2, Pick 60, Detroit Lions
1997
Mike Logan, McKeesport
Round 2, Pick 50, Jacksonville Jaguars
1996
Tom Tumulty, Penn Hills
Round 6, Pick 178, Cincinnati Bengals
1995
Ty Law, Aliquippa
Round 1, Pick 23, New England Patriots
1994
Tony Peterson, Ringgold
Round 5, Pick 153, San Francisco 49ers
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.
Tags: Aliquippa, Central Catholic, Chartiers Valley, Clairton, Gateway, Hopewell, Kiski Area, Laurel Highlands, McKeesport, Mt. lebanon, New Castle, North Hills, Penn Hills, Ringgold, Seton La Salle, Shaler, South Allegheny, Upper St. Clair, Woodland Hills
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