Who were the best all-around athletes to play in Arkansas high school sports?

[hogfan79]

Arkansas high school athletes that have excelled in more than just one sport. All I can think of is Basil Shabazz, Matt Jones, and Marcus Monk. I know there are probably some that I'm missing.

[daBoar]

Bubba Barrow.......

[IronMountainHog]

Barry Lunney Jr.

[Tejano Jawg]

If you played against Kim Dameron—which I did—you'd say Kim Dameron. Certainly top 10.

[hogfan74]

Don Kessinger

[ar329hog]

Orlando Green

[BenDial]

Shabazz is the best all around athlete I have ever seen come out of Arkansas. Hard to imagine a sport he would not have excelled in playing.

[hoggusamoungus]

If you played against Kim Dameron—which I did—you'd say Kim Dameron. Certainly top 10.

He may have been great in HS but 32 years later, he still ain't covered Lawrence Sampleton in the 28-21 loss to TX in '78.

As for the list, Eckwood and Duckworth rank somewhere in there.

[Hogeration]

Shabazz.  Played every sport well.

[stronguard]

Shabazz, Shabazz, Shabazz.

I'm gonna throw out a homer name cause he went to my high school a few years before me, he was a beast though.

Trafton Trotter.   Big, fast, strong, football, basketball, track, he was always among the best.

[BenDial]

Ah, if we're throwing out homer picks also, then I've seen both Madre Hill and Keith Traylor play in high school. Both were head and shoulders ahead of their competition. Madre was unbelievable, but Traylor was probably the better athlete. Traylor was all-state in football, and I believe all conference in baseball and basketball.

He has a lot of bling for an Arkansan, that's for sure. Three super bowl rings. Two with Denver and one with New England. Really, outside of Shabazz, Traylor is probably the second best all-around athlete I've ever seen. He got big and converted into a defensive tackle, but if he had stayed in the 240-250 range, he could have played outside backer. The guy was freakish fast for a big guy. Unbelievable athlete.

[linuspfs]

I think Steve Sullivan has about 5 or 6 profiles on here.
Shabazz was a beast.

[razorback3072]

Bubba Barrow.......

I would agree.  Unbelievable athlete.  Does he still hold the Decathlon record?

Basil Shabazz, Bubba Barrow and I would also throw in Eric Mitchell.  He was the Shabazz of his era.  Can't wait to his his son as a Hog

[Attila the Hog]

Brooks Robinson.

[GoHogs1091]

Wes Foster at Clarksville probably should receive some consideration.  He can play 3 different positions RB, CB, and WR.  Here are some stats that shows what kind of an athlete is Foster.

339 carries  2,328 yards  25 touchdowns  Avg. 6.87 Yards per Carry

92 receptions  1,368 yards  16 touchdowns  Avg. 14.87 Yards per Reception 

4A State Record in 100 Meters (10.72) and 200 Meters (21.eight)

Foster was the Winner at the Meet of Champions 

Even with the above Stats, Foster didn't receive an Offer from the UofA.       
 

[T-town fan]

Wilson from Rcrest.

[c-townfan]

Cedric Houston was all state in football, basketball, and baseball I believe. And lead his track team to a state championship

[El Guapo]

Orlando Green

+ 1 for this... One of the most underrated H.S football players and track studs in Arkansas history!

[losthawg68]

Pat Bradley.

[dc10x1103]

shabazz

[Fatmanhog]

I would have to say Shabazz as overall. Dude could do anything.

[MHS]

Bruce Fullerton, LR Central, years ago, no one close.

[hawkhawg]

Shabazz.

[kingoftherapids]

shabazz

[Johnny America]

I would have to say Shabazz as overall. Dude could do anything.

Except play in college. 

It really seems to soon to be starting another one of these threads. Every time the same names are mentioned over and over again.

[AR_dustoff]

Cedric Houston was all state in football, basketball, and baseball I believe. And lead his track team to a state championship

I played againt Ced...he was dunking in the 9th grade, and had one heck of a fastball...

[Hogs-n-Roses]

Jerry Eckwood- Brinkley, Steve Burkes(sp)-Beebe

[Root66]

+ 1 for this... One of the most underrated H.S football players and track studs in Arkansas history!

But he just couldn't find the ball in the air as a college CB.

[Root66]

Bruce Fullerton, LR Central, years ago, no one close.

Just couldn't quite live up to his high school rep in college though. I thought he and Alworth were THE answer as a pair back in 1958.

[pigfeet]

Ah, if we're throwing out homer picks also, then I've seen both Madre Hill and Keith Traylor play in high school. Both were head and shoulders ahead of their competition. Madre was unbelievable, but Traylor was probably the better athlete. Traylor was all-state in football, and I believe all conference in baseball and basketball.

He has a lot of bling for an Arkansan, that's for sure. Three super bowl rings. Two with Denver and one with New England. Really, outside of Shabazz, Traylor is probably the second best all-around athlete I've ever seen. He got big and converted into a defensive tackle, but if he had stayed in the 240-250 range, he could have played outside backer. The guy was freakish fast for a big guy. Unbelievable athlete.

I agree 100%, he was a beast at all sports.

[Tejano Jawg]

He may have been great in HS but 32 years later, he still ain't covered Lawrence Sampleton in the 28-21 loss to TX in '78.

As for the list, Eckwood and Duckworth rank somewhere in there.

Wrong guy. Dameron played QB at Rogers in 1978, graduated in 79. He still lived in Bentonville prior to 78.

I'll try to remember the guy you're thinking of. He was the replacement for All-American CB Vaughn Lusby, who was knocked out of that game with a broken jaw.

[c-townfan]

I played againt Ced...he was dunking in the 9th grade, and had one heck of a fastball...

Luckily I played with him. Our playbook consisted of sweep left and sweep right!

[Mark_Freeman]

Wes Foster at Clarksville probably should receive some consideration.  He can play 3 different positions RB, CB, and WR.  Here are some stats that shows what kind of an athlete is Foster.

339 carries  2,328 yards  25 touchdowns  Avg. 6.87 Yards per Carry

92 receptions  1,368 yards  16 touchdowns  Avg. 14.87 Yards per Reception 

4A State Record in 100 Meters (10.72) and 200 Meters (21.eight)

Foster was the Winner at the Meet of Champions 

Even with the above Stats, Foster didn't receive an Offer from the UofA.      
 

Didn't want to mention this guy and sound homerish as a Clarksville alum, but you've got the wrong Panther. Best overall athlete from C-ville was Caleb Hilton, hands down.

[Fort Swine]

Shabazz was the complete package of a high school athlete. 

[Root66]

Wrong guy. Dameron played QB at Rogers in 1978, graduated in 79. He still lived in Bentonville prior to 78.

I'll try to remember the guy you're thinking of. He was the replacement for All-American CB Vaughn Lusby, who was knocked out of that game with a broken jaw.

O.C. Jackson. 5'6" on 6'6" Lawrence Sampleton.

[BoynamedWooPigSooie]

StoneWolf Jackson.....   legend.

[nlrd]

Best i've ever seen was Kevin Payne from Junction City.  When he was at ULM, he once had a 4 punts, 2 punt returns, a kickoff return, 5 carries, a catch, and 7 tackles in the same game.  True story.

[flynhog]

Ravin Caldwell from Northside in Ft Smith.  The best I ever played against.  Never saw Shabazz play.

[V. V. Hawg]

Richard Brothers from Rivercrest.  Didn't play against him but my brother did.  He was a great athlete!!!

[LuckyDavey]

I went to high school in Pine Bluff with Gordon Norwood in 1964.  He is the best all around athlete I have ever seen.  He was All American high school quarterback......All Southern basketball....he came in 2nd in 7 events in the state track meet, breaking 3 state records (which someone else broke at the same meet), set a state decathlon record that stood for years...and about 6 years ago, he came to Charlotte to play in the U.S. Men's Senior Golf tournament, which he qualified for...scratch golfer.  Nothing he couldn't do.

[The real Hogules]

Matt Jones and Cedric Cobbs gets my vote!

[BorderPatrol]

Bo Bigham...

bp

[hogsrolling]

Best High School game I ever watched was Malvern vs Hope.   Madre Hill vs Ronnie Powell.  Both running backs were great.  Then they both ended up playing in the NFL for the Browns returning kicks together.  How about that for Southwest Arkansas

[El Guapo]

But he just couldn't find the ball in the air as a college CB.

Orlando green was another Hootie Nutt disaster...

unbelievable H.S. offensive player that Nutt moved to D-Back because of athleticism(?)... Like you said, couldn't find the ball in the air.

I could go on all day about the former Arkansas high school players that if they had played for a coach like petrino (who can develop talent) would still be playing

Could you imagine De'Arrius Howard toting the rock in Petrino's offense?
Hubert loudermilk as a Petrino WR...
Dedrick Poole as a slot guy...
Cederic Cobbs...
Harold Harris... (just to name a few amazing h.s. players that didn't get developed)

Petrino will keep developing guys like D.J., Childs, Adams, Wright, Wilson, Allen, Winston, Bequette, etc... and when more Arkansas than ever are playing on sundays... well THEN people will take notice that for a state of under 3 million, Arkansas produces some dang good H.S. football players

[El Guapo]

And by the way. i know some will not like this, but Kiehl Frazier is legit.

[turtleman]

Jerry Eckwood - Brinkley
Tyrone Henry and Richard Brothers - Rivercrest
Zac Painter - Jonesboro

[Hog10S]

Who was the QB for Northside (in the early 80's) who went to Okl. State and played QB and basketball for them?  He was an all-around athlete.

[BumpieJohnson]

Basketball Joe Johnson
Baseball A.J. Barnett
Football Sha Bang Sha Boom Shabazz
Track See football

[RazorTexan]

I know of a guy who averaged 22 points a game in basketball, ran 100 yard dash in 9.7 seconds and batted .613 with 17 HR's in HS Baseball.  All in the same year.

[BenDial]

Orlando green was another Hootie Nutt disaster...

unbelievable H.S. offensive player that Nutt moved to D-Back because of athleticism(?)... Like you said, couldn't find the ball in the air.

I could go on all day about the former Arkansas high school players that if they had played for a coach like petrino (who can develop talent) would still be playing

Could you imagine De'Arrius Howard toting the rock in Petrino's offense?
Hubert loudermilk as a Petrino WR...
Dedrick Poole as a slot guy...
Cederic Cobbs...
Harold Harris... (just to name a few amazing h.s. players that didn't get developed)

Petrino will keep developing guys like D.J., Childs, Adams, Wright, Wilson, Allen, Winston, Bequette, etc... and when more Arkansas than ever are playing on sundays... well THEN people will take notice that for a state of under 3 million, Arkansas produces some dang good H.S. football players

I played football since the 5th grade with Harold. We graduated together. Harold was a fantastic athlete. I mean, he personified the term. He could have been great at RB, CB, S, or WR. He could have been an amazing outfielder as well.