While some states are better known for producing great athletes than others, the truth is legendary competitors can come from anywhere. That includes the schools in the east, where more than a few of the greats played their high school football.
As the 2023 high school football season and opening Super 25 nears, we’re looking back at the best players of all time, beginning with the quarterbacks.
To create this list, we selected QBs who played at schools in the following states: Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, Virginia, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Maine. This format follows our breakdown for Super 25 football regions—East, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West.
Joe Namath: Beaver Falls (Pa.) 1960
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A stellar multi-sport athlete, Namath chose football and we’re all the better for it. In his Senior year he led Beaver falls to an undefeated season and a state championship. Next, helped Alabama win a national title in 1964. Then he was picked fist overall in the AFL draft by the New York Jets. Namath went on to win two league MVP awards and make five All-Star teams. Namath went into the Hall of Fame in the class of 1985.
Dan Marino: Central Catholic (Pa.) 1979
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Considered the greatest NFL player to never win a Super Bowl, Marino got his start at Central Catholic high school, earning Parade Magazine All-American honors as a senior. Marino later went 33-3 as a starter at Pitt. During his time with the Miami Dolphins, Marino made nine Pro Bowls, earned three All-Pro nods and won the league MVP award in 1984. He was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the class of 2005.
Ronald Curry: Hampton (Va.) 1997
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In high school Curry threw for 8,212 career passing yards and led Hampton to three state titles and two consecutive national championships (1996 and 1997). Curry later played football and basketball at North Carolina, then was picked by the Raiders in the seventh round of the 2002 draft. He played wide receiver exclusively in the NFL, totaling 193 catches and 12 touchdowns in 75 career games.
Steve Spurrier: Science Hill (Tenn.) 1962
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Mostly known as a successful college coach, Spurrier was an all-state athlete in three different sports back in his day. In college he played at Florida and won the Heisman Trophy in 1966. Spurrier also lasted a decade in the NFL as a backup QB before he moved onto coaching.
Joe Montana: Ringgold (Pa.) 1973
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Before Tom Brady came along, Montana was known as the greatest of all time at the NFL level. In high school, Montana was even better at basketball, leading his team to a state championship. In college, Montana won a National Championship with Notre Dame in 1977; then, he moved on to the pros. Montana won four Super Bowls and two MVP awards with the San Francisco 49ers. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.
