Lakewood has a penchant for producing NFL talent. In the past two decades, the Spartans had nine players who were drafted, the most of any area team and the fifth-most in the state according to a list produced by MaxPreps.
Five of those players are still playing in the NFL, tops among local programs. Lakewood was the only school not from Broward or Dade County in the top five. Nationally, the Spartans are tied with two other schools for ninth overall during that span.
The Lakewood legacy
A list of Spartans selected in the NFL Draft the past 20 years (2001-20)
2002
WR Tim Carter
College: Auburn
Drafted: 2nd round (46th overall) by the New York Giants
2009
WR Louis Murphy
College: Florida
Drafted: 4th round (124th overall) by the Oakland Raiders
2012
DB Jonte Green
College: New Mexico State
Drafted: 6th round (196th overall) by the Detroit Lions
2015
DL Dante Fowler
College: Florida
Drafted: 1st round (3rd overall) by the Jacksonville Jaguars
2017
CB Shaquill Griffin
College: UCF
Drafted: 3rd round (90th overall) by the Seattle Seahawks
WR Rodney Adams
College: USF
Drafted: 5th round (170th overall) by the Minnesota Vikings
RELATED: Looking back at the locals from the 2017 draft
2018
OL Isaiah Wynn
College: Georgia
Drafted: 1st round (23rd overall) by the New England Patriots
LB Shaquem Griffin
College: UCF
Drafted: 5th round (141st overall) by the Seattle Seahawks
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
College: USF
Drafted: 5th round (174th overall) by the Green Bay Packers
RELATED: Looking back at the NFL locals from the 2018 draft
There were several area programs included in the list. Armwood had five players selected in the NFL Draft the past 20 years, the second-highest total among local teams and tying for 16th overall in the state along with 11 others.
Here are the five Hawks taken during that span.
2002
OL Mike Pearson
College: Florida
Drafted: 2nd round (40th overall) by the Jacksonville Jaguars
2015
RB Matt Jones
College: Florida
Drafted: 3rd round (95th overall) by the Washington Redskins
2017
DB Leon McQuay III
College: USC
Drafted: 6th round (218th overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs
2019
DL Byron Cowart
College: Auburn/Maryland
Drafted: 5th round (159th overall) by the New England Patriots
RELATED: Looking back at the NFL locals taken in the 2019 draft
2020
P Sterling Hofrichter
College: Syracuse
Drafted: 7th round (228th overall) by the Atlanta Falcons
RELATED: Former Armwood star Sterling Hofrichter picked by Falcons
Gaither, Hillsborough and Jefferson each had four players drafted the past 20 years and are tied with 13 other state teams for 17th overall.
Gaither
2005
WR J.R. Russell
College: Louisville
Drafted: 7th round (253rd overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2010
WR Carlton Mitchell
College: USF
Drafted: 6th round (177th overall) by the Cleveland Browns
2018
QB Alex McGough
College: FIU
Drafted: 7th round (220th overall), by the Seattle Seahawks
2019
CB Amani Oruwariye
College: Penn State
Drafted: 5th round (146th overall) by the Detroit Lions
Hillsborough
2003
DE Andrew Williams
College: Miami
Drafted: 3rd round (89th overall) by the San Francisco 49ers
RB Chris Davis
College: Syracuse
Drafted: 5th round (165th overall) by the Seattle Seahawks
2004
DB J.R. Reed
College: USF
Drafted: 4th round (129th overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles
2016
DB Anthony Brown
College: Purdue
Drafted: 6th round (189th overall) by the Dallas Cowboys
Jefferson
2002
WR Reche Caldwell
College: Florida
Drafted: 2nd round (48th overall) by the San Diego Chargers
2008
WR Andre Caldwell
College: Florida
Drafted: 3rd round (97th overall) by the Cincinnati Bengals
2015
LB Ramik Wilson
College: Georgia
Drafted: 4th round (118th overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs
2016
WR Chris Moore
College: Cincinnati
Drafted: 4th round (107th overall) by the Baltimore Ravens
East Lake, Plant and St. Petersburg Catholic each had three selected in the past 20 years and are tied with 24 other programs for 44th overall in the state during that span.
East Lake
2016
TE Tyler Higbee
College: Western Kentucky
Drafted: 3rd round (110th overall) by the Los Angeles Rams
RELATED: The list of East Lake NFL draft picks could grow
2018
OL Mason Cole
College: Michigan
Drafted: 3rd round (97th overall) by the Arizona Cardinals
2020
LB Justin Strnad
College: Wake Forest
Drafted: (178th overall) by the Denver Broncos
RELATED: Justin Strnad’s difficult path to the draft
Plant
2005
WR Mike Williams
College: USC
Drafted: 1st round (10th overall) by the Detroit Lions
RELATED: Area coaches and players react to protests and police matters
2012
TE Orson Charles
College: Georgia
Drafted: 4th round (116th overall) by the Cincinnati Bengals
2014
QB Aaron Murray
College: Georgia
Drafted: 5th round (163rd overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs
St. Petersburg Catholic
2003
FB Casey Moore
College: Stanford
Drafted: 7th round (247th overall) by the Carolina Panthers
2007
WR Chris Davis
College: FSU
Drafted: 4th round (128th overall) by the Tennessee Titans
2014
OL Jon Halapio
College: Florida
Drafted: 6th round (179th overall) by the New England Patriots
