Round one in competitive sports usually features mismatches in most tournaments of 32. But in the Best of the Best series, round one is literally a celebrity death match. Each first round matchup in the Best Player of All Time series is literally star-studded. They are all studs at their positions, and their star statuses most times led to collegiate and pro football careers. However, this is the Best of the Best High School Player, so we’ll just highlight what they did here in Northeast Florida as Preps players on the gridiron.
OJ Small
We all know the coach he is now and what he has built at Lee; but before that Small was a standout athlete at Forest. All three Small brothers Eddie (Ole Miss), Tony (Georgia) and OJ (Florida) ended up playing in the SEC and its often debated which one was the greatest, OJ said Tony was but we disagree. Small played quarterback despite being a true wide receiver, yet still managed to throw for 1400 yards and 9 touchdowns his senior year in 1999 and was named first team All First Coast team by the Times Union. In his two years, Small threw for over 2,500 yards and 19 touchdowns for the Rebels of Forrest High School (Now Westside High School). Amazing numbers for quarterback in an era of football that ran the ball for the most part.
Willie McClendon
No matter how many guys opposing defensive coordinators put in the box, nobody could stop tailback Willie McClendon from University Christian. McClendon capped his career with 168 yards and one touchdown to lead the Christians to their first state title since 1973 in a 13-3 win over defending Class 1A state champion Glades Day. His 36 yard touchdown in the final 1:30 was the dagger and also moved him ahead of future college teammate Emmitt Smith for the single season rushing record by 65 yards. McClendon finished his senior year with 2,983 yards and 42 touchdowns, including rushing for over 100 yards in 10 of the 13 games. After three years 1985-1987, McClendon finished with 6,912 yards in his High School career.
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