USA TODAY High School Sports has kicked off its look at some of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, breaking them up into five different regions.
First up was the best of the best from the East region.
For this next batch of all-time high school QBs, we’re shifting our focus to the Southeast, which includes the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Included are some of the most-decorated college football players in history and one of the greatest winners at the pro level of all time. Here are the top five all-time HS QBs from the Southeast.
1
Chris Leak: Independence (NC) 2002
In high school Leak led his Independence team to three Class 4A state championships and ended his career with 15,593 career yards and 185 touchdowns. In college he won a National Championship with Urban Meyer’s Florida team in 2007 and he later went on to play one year in the NFL and five seasons in the CFL.
2
Tim Tebow: Nease (Fla.) 2005
One of the most-popular athletes in modern American history, Tebow started his football life at Ponte Vedra, where he led Nease to a state championship. At the next level, Tebow was also part of Florida’s peak run, winning two National Championships and the Heisman trophy in 2007. After college, Tebow played two seasons for the Denver Broncos in the NFL, going 8-6 in 14 starts.
3
Heath Shuler: Swain County (NC) 1990
Shuler was part of a Swain County team that won two state titles. He also won Parade All-American honors. At Tennessee, Shuler threw for over 4,000 passing yards and was a Heisman runner-up at his best. He was picked third overall by the Washington Redskins in the 1994 NFL draft and appeared in 29 games over the next four seasons.
4
Deshaun Watson: Gainesville (Ga.) 2011
By the time Watson was done playing high school football, he had set state records for passing yards (13,077) and touchdowns (155). In college Watson led Clemson to a National Championship and the won Davey O’Brien Award twice. Since entering the NFL in 2017 with the Houston Texans, Watson has won 31 starts and made three Pro Bowl teams.
5
Bart Starr: Lanier (Ala.) 1952
Long before he was a Green Bay Packers legend, Starr was an All-American at Lanier high school. Later, he played his college ball at Alabama, leading his team to the Cotton Bowl. Starr saved his best work for the highest level of the game, winning five NFL championships and two Super Bowls. Starr made four Pro Bowls, won the league MVP award in 1966 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame 11 years later.
