Lep Greats Honored on UIL Top 100 Team

Recently the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, in honor of the 100th year of the University Interscholastic League (the state’s governing body of high school competition) picked the 100 greatest high school football players from the Austin area.

And four players from La Grange made the list, including two in the Top 10.

Here’s the local guys, and where they ranked:

5. Johnnie Johnson, La Grange: A key member of La Grange’s 1975 championship team, the do-it-all athlete went on to become a consensus all-American defensive back at Texas and an all-pro in 10 NFL seasons.

10. J.K. Dobbins, La Grange: A three-time all-state running back despite missing his senior year with an injury, the current Baltimore Raven racked up 5,149 yards and 74 TDs before a stellar college career at Ohio State.

19. John Symank, La Grange: Never the biggest and never the fastest, no one had more fight than the former standout for La Grange and Caldwell. Symank played all over the field in his prep career in the early 1950s and became an all-American two-way player at Florida. The legendary Vince Lombardi selected the 5-foot- 11, 180-pound Symank late in the 1957 draft for the Green Bay Packers, and he emerged as a starting defensive back with a notable mean streak. “There is no actor in Symank,” Lombardi wrote in his book, “Run to Daylight.” “He is serious and intense, and in a game he would just as soon break your leg as not. He has made it in this league because he gets a great deal more out of himself than his ability and size justify.”

52. Jeff Kelly, La Grange: A physical specimen in the early 1990s, the 6-3, 245-pound line backer signed with Kansas State after a fierce recruiting battle with in-state schools and became an all-American.

It should be noted that in the information about Symank, it was not mentioned that Symank moved from La Grange to Caldwell before his high school playing days began.

Additionally, I think La Grange actually should have had at least two more players on this list.

Quarterback Tye Gunn led the Leopards to the 2000 state title and then went on to play all four years at TCU, throwing for 3,131 yards there. Three of Gunn’s years at TCU the Horned Frogs won 10 or more games and finished ranked on the national Top 25.

Also Bobby Johnson should have been included. Bobby was a key sophomore player in the Leps 1975 state title team.

Though not as highly recruited as his older brother Johnnie, he followed his brother to UT and was a star defensive back for the Longhorns and then played three yeas for the Saints and one year for the Cardinals in the NFL.