Quiz - Central Florida's 3 Best RB's Ever

[OldSchoolLion]

Many would probably agree that Travis Henry of Frostproof (see previous post below) was the best high school rb central Fl ever produced.  #2 and #3 are up for debate.  Time will tell if Jacques Patrick of Timber Creek/FSU lives up to the hype in future years.

As of today, the #2 and #3 guys (in my opinion) are ones you may never heard of or forgotten about because their careers were cut short due to injuries.  Both were all-american running backs in high school who played hs ball more than 10 years ago.  They were amongst the most highly recruited running backs of their day and went on to be running backs at Florida universities.  Their high schools are only about 35 miles apart.  

Who are these two running backs and for what schools did they play?

 

 

 

 

[DisabledAccount]

15 minutes ago, OldSchoolLion said:

Many would probably agree that Travis Henry of Frostproof (see previous post below) was the best high school rb central Fl ever produced.  #2 and #3 are up for debate.  Time will tell if Jacques Patrick of Timber Creek/FSU lives up to the hype in future years.

As of today, the #2 and #3 guys (in my opinion) are ones you may never heard of or forgotten about because their careers were cut short due to injuries.  Both were all-american running backs in high school who played hs ball more than 10 years ago.  They were amongst the most highly recruited running backs of their day and went on to be running backs at Florida universities.  Their high schools are only about 35 miles apart.  

Who are these two running backs and for what schools did they play?

 

 

 

 

Marquette Smith of Lake Howell is one of them correct?

[Bocefous70]

31 minutes ago, OldSchoolLion said:

Many would probably agree that Travis Henry of Frostproof (see previous post below) was the best high school rb central Fl ever produced.  #2 and #3 are up for debate.  Time will tell if Jacques Patrick of Timber Creek/FSU lives up to the hype in future years.

As of today, the #2 and #3 guys (in my opinion) are ones you may never heard of or forgotten about because their careers were cut short due to injuries.  Both were all-american running backs in high school who played hs ball more than 10 years ago.  They were amongst the most highly recruited running backs of their day and went on to be running backs at Florida universities.  Their high schools are only about 35 miles apart.  

Who are these two running backs and for what schools did they play?

 

 

 

 

Willie Green of Osceola 

marqutte smith of lake Howell (like Columbia Fan said)

[OldSchoolLion]

Video highlights of Marquette Smith below.   The first 45 seconds are from high school games.

Ironic you got this one Columbia, because in 1989, Smith's Lake Howell team came to Lake City to play 5A #1 ranked Columbia(5A was the biggest class at the time) and upset them 23-14.  Make a note...not a good idea to post signs at the stadium taunting the guy many thought was the one of the best running backs in the country

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1989-11-28/news/8911282870_1_lake-howell-smith-lake-city

He was the 1990 USA Today Offensive Player of the Year.  After playing for FSU,  he transferred to U of Central FL, where he gained over 2500 yards in two seasons.  He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers, but his NFL career was hampered due to knee injuries.

 

[OldSchoolLion]

1 hour ago, Bocefous70 said:

Willie Green of Osceola 

marqutte smith of lake Howell (like Columbia Fan said)

Willie Green it is, Bocefous!  In the late 1990's, he helped Osceola win a state title and make a couple of state semi appearances.  Dan in Daytona still has nightmares about this guy.  Was everyone's All-America...Parade, USA Today, SuperPrep, National Bluechips.  A two-time first-team all-state (5A) selection.  107 career TDs and 7,947 career rushing yards still rank amongst the best ever in FL. 

Here are some other great central FL running backs whose names you may not know, all of whom made it to the NFL.  There are more..sorry, cannot list them all.  :

1984 Sammie Smith/Apopka/FSU...NCAA All-American

1982 Gerald White/Titusville/U of Michigan

1982 Brent Fulwood/St Cloud/Auburn...NCAA All-American 

1964 Larry Smith/Tampa Robinson/U of Florida...NCAA All-American 

 

[badbird]

I was going to say Sammie Smith.  Willie Green might have been the best high school RB but Sammie Smith clearly overall when you factor college and NFL

[OldSchoolLion]

42 minutes ago, badbird said:

I was going to say Sammie Smith.  Willie Green might have been the best high school RB but Sammie Smith clearly overall when you factor college and NFL

Respect your opinion badbird.  Obviously we cannot compare apples to apples because Willie's career got cut short and he played little in college, so I was judging based on hs stats and "potential" afterward.   As you know, Sammie was considered by many (especially the Dolfans) to be a bust in the NFL.  Interestingly, Fulwood's stats at Auburn and in the NFL are as good or better that Sammie's (more career yards and most yards in one season in the NCAA)     

[Pipe Dreams]

Dee Hart, 50 TD’s in 2010

[badbird]

Fullwood and Smith have very similar stats in college and NFL.  Smith just popped to my head first.  Apopka > St Cloud so I went with Smith.  I just can't put Green up there because he did nothing after high school.  High school only he's #1 in my opinion in Central Florida.

[DarterBlue2]

2 hours ago, badbird said:

High school only he's #1 in my opinion in Central Florida.

High school only, give me Kwemaine "Bubba" Brown, whom I know you are intimately familiar with!

Best running back I have seen live in the Central Florida area. Kid was unstoppable when healthy. Pity he sabotaged himself. He would have torn it up in college and beyond in my humble opinion!

[OldSchoolLion]

43 minutes ago, DarterBlue2 said:

High school only, give me Kwemaine "Bubba" Brown, whom I know you are intimately familiar with!

Best running back I have seen live in the Central Florida area. Kid was unstoppable when healthy. Pity he sabotaged himself. He would have torn it up in college and beyond in my humble opinion!

I believe he is one of only a handful of central FL Rb's to run for over 2400 yards and 40 TD's in a season. 

[DarterBlue2]

8 minutes ago, OldSchoolLion said:

I believe he is one of only a handful of central FL Rb's to run for over 2400 yards and 40 TD's in a season. 

He is. I remember seeing him against East Ridge one night when East Ridge was still a very good program. Their defense literally could not tackle him.

The only high school offensive player I have seen that dominant in Central Florida was Jeremy Rudolph, who played QB at Apopka, but was really a running back in the mid 1990s. Full disclosure: I did not see Marquette Smith or Willie Green live in high school. If I had, I may have a different opinion. 

[Dan in Daytona]

10 hours ago, OldSchoolLion said:

Willie Green it is, Bocefous!  In the late 1990's, he helped Osceola win a state title and make a couple of state semi appearances.  Dan in Daytona still has nightmares about this guy.  

 

You got that right 'Lion. My Bucs couldn't stop Willie, as he bulled though them, over them, and around them in Kissimmee. Marquette Smith took a 60 yarder to the house late and edged Mainland at home. Saw Sammy Smith in Daytona Seabreeze's cracker box gym starting on the Apopka basketball team. Bobby Bowden was in the house. He signed Sammy and the Sandcrab's 6'4" powerforward and strong safety John Parks. Sammy had a decent college career, John, on the other hand, went to prison in the panhandle for a long, long time. Talk about wasted talent, oh boy, what an athlete.

[OldSchoolLion]

On 5/20/2018 at 7:03 PM, badbird said:

I was going to say Sammie Smith.  Willie Green might have been the best high school RB but Sammie Smith clearly overall when you factor college and NFL

...for my Apopka homies. 

 

[badbird]

 

[Pipe Dreams]

 

[Pipe Dreams]

The video is Dee’s junior year. His senior year he had 2224 rushing yards, 3394 all purpose yards and 50 TD’s.

 

[DarterBlue2]

Hart was a great running back in high school. Had he gone to Michigan instead of Alabama, I think things may have turned out better for him. But I guess we will never know. 

[KeemD321]

5 hours ago, DarterBlue2 said:

Hart was a great running back in high school. Had he gone to Michigan instead of Alabama, I think things may have turned out better for him. But I guess we will never know. 

Didn't he end up transferring to Colorado State?

[DarterBlue2]

1 hour ago, KeemD321 said:

Didn't he end up transferring to Colorado State?

Yes. For his last year of eligibility. He had a good season there, but it was too late. Alabama was not a good fit. Big, very physical backs do best in the system they ran. Hart got injured early and from there was fighting the depth chart. 

He had initially committed to Michigan before flipping to Alabama. I feel that Michigan with its more open offense would have been ideal for Dee. 

[KeemD321]

1 hour ago, DarterBlue2 said:

Yes. For his last year of eligibility. He had a good season there, but it was too late. Alabama was not a good fit. Big, very physical backs do best in the system they ran. Hart got injured early and from there was fighting the depth chart. 

He had initially committed to Michigan before flipping to Alabama. I feel that Michigan with its more open offense would have been ideal for Dee. 

I completely agree

[OldSchoolLion]

1 hour ago, DarterBlue2 said:

Yes. For his last year of eligibility. He had a good season there, but it was too late. Alabama was not a good fit. Big, very physical backs do best in the system they ran. Hart got injured early and from there was fighting the depth chart. 

He had initially committed to Michigan before flipping to Alabama. I feel that Michigan with its more open offense would have been ideal for Dee. 

My understanding was that he had two years of eligibility at CSU but decided to forego his final year and declare for the draft.  

[badbird]

yup he left early.  McElwain left to go to UF and that made Hart leave for the NFL.  Went undrafted.  Got a tryout with the Dolphins I think.  He had a really good junior year. 1300 yards and like 15 TD's.  On a side note I'm pretty sure he got his degree which is the most important thing.

[DarterBlue2]

8 minutes ago, badbird said:

On a side note I'm pretty sure he got his degree which is the most important thing.

Hope he has a job in his area of study. If so, then the degree was worth the effort!