The area’s top 20 high school football players of the past 20 years, as selected by the Times Free Press sports staff:
- Eric Westmoreland, running back/linebacker, Marion County, Tennessee, NFL: No other area player can match the accomplishments combining his prep, college and pro careers. Marion County went 56-1 during his four years as a Warrior, winning three state championships. The only loss was by one point in the state quarterfinals his sophomore season. He rushed for more than 2,000 yards in each of his last two years with Marion, was twice named the most valuable player of state finals and was Tennessee’s Mr. Football Back of the Year as well as the Lawrenceburg Quarterback Club’s player of the year as a senior.
He returned a fumble for a touchdown in his first collegiate game with the Volunteers and earned two SEC championship rings and one national title as a starting outside linebacker. He was selected by Jacksonville in the third round and had a five-year NFL career with the Jaguars and Cleveland Browns.
- Gerald Riggs Jr., running back, Red Bank, Tennessee, NFL, CFL: Arguably the most talented running back ever to play in the area, he was selected national back of the year by the Atlanta Touchdown Club and was named an All-American by four recruiting services after his senior season. He a state Mr. Football Back of the Year twice and led the Lions to a 15-0 record and the Class 5A state title as a junior, earning MVP honors in the title game. He rushed for 6,046 yards and 90 touchdowns at Red Bank.
At UT, he ran for more than 1,000 yards as a junior and was a preseason All-America selection as a senior, before being injured midway through that season. He had short NFL stints with Miami, Chicago and Detroit and played one year with Toronto in the CFL.
Josh Bullocks, defensive back, Hixson, Nebraska, NFL: As a running back at Hixson, he took the handoff from his twin Daniel, rushed for more than 1,000 yards twice and helped the Wildcats to four playoff appearances. At Nebraska, he was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back after leading the nation with 10 interceptions as a junior. He also had 49 tackles that season and left school early to enter the NFL draft, where he was taken in the second round by New Orleans. He started 49 games for the Saints before playing one year with the Chicago Bears.
Daniel Bullocks, defensive back, Hixson, Nebraska, NFL: Although he and his twin made the transition to the defensive side of the ball in college, Daniel earned prep honors as quarterback for the Wildcats. He was named Mr. Football after rushing for more than 1,400 yards as a senior. He also returned two of his four interceptions for touchdowns that season and ran for more than 3,000 yards in his prep career. He started 22 games in Nebraska’s secondary, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors twice, and went in the second round of the NFL draft to Detroit, where he played for nearly five seasons.