Philadelphia High School Football
35-Year All-Star Teams

(Selected by Ted Silary)

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By Ted Silary
          After waiting not so patiently since June, football is now receiving its day in the 35-year sun.
          Here's what we mean by that . . .
          After the 2011-12 basketball and 2012 baseball seasons, all-star teams for 35-year periods that honored players in the Public, Catholic and Inter-Ac leagues were announced.
          That time frame was picked because I'd spent each and every one of those seasons covering city high school sports for the good 'ol People Paper.
          Why, you're wondering, weren't the football guys honored last winter? Because I was working for the long-gone Bulletin in the fall of 1977 and this just-completed grid season was No. 35 for the DN (I started here Dec. 18, 1977).
          Anyway . . .
          Along the way All-Decade teams for the '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s were selected and the last overall squad was published after the '05 season; that one -- a 30-year job -- DID include players from the '76 and '77 campaigns. Those guys have been dropped and outstanding performers from the '06 through '12 seasons have been mixed in.
          As always when doing such projects, and while acknowledging that such discipline is difficult to achieve, I have tried to make decisions strictly based on what players accomplished in high school. Also, the order on previous lists was maintained while new guys were slotted in.
          More than basketball and baseball, however, football is replete with late bloomers, who get bigger and stronger and find their niche and even go on to long NFL careers.
          Speaking of long NFL careers . . .
          As a bonus, I have named an all-NFL team of Philly guys. The starting date for that one is also the '78 season. (Guys must have graduated in '79 or later.)
          Some of the NFL players won't be found on the regular lists and the classic example of a late bloomer is guard Jahri Evans, of the New Orleans Saints.
          Evans graduated from Frankford in 2001 and an injury forced him to miss his entire senior season. He attended Bloomsburg via an academic scholarship and then-Frankford coach Tom Mullineaux told the members of Bloomsburg's staff, in effect, "Hey, you might want to check out his football skills, too."
          Now, many call Evans the best guard in the NFL and in May 2010 he received a contract worth $56.7 million.
          Meanwhile, thanks again for paying attention to coverage of Philly high school sports, whether you've been around forever or are just getting started.

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