Who is the best high school football player from the Hudson Valley?
There was no shortage of gridiron trailblazers and headliners to choose from.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states.
Our list includes players who first had a major impact at the high school level. We checked in with longtime football coaches to help narrow the field. College and NFL success was also factored in. These are players whose names still come up decades after they were done playing in the area.
So first up, we’re honoring the heroes of the gridiron. Here are our selections for the football players who set the standard in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam. The poll is presented by White Plains Hospital. There’s also a write-in space for a candidate of your choosing.
Voting ends at 8 p.m. on May 20.
Matt Bernstein, RB/LB, Edgemont
He filled up a trophy case, leading Edgemont to three straight NYSPHSAA Class C titles. Bernstein was twice a NYSSWA state player of the year. He ran for 2,002 yards and 37 touchdowns and made 108 tackles on the other side of the ball as a senior. Bernstein graduated in 2001 with 3,887 yards and 504 career points and headed to Wisconsin where he built a reputation for springing teammates for touchdowns while averaging 10 knockdown blocks per game.
Roger Brown, FB/DT, Nyack
He was fearsome in high school, too. Brown was an unyielding fullback who led the Rockland PSAL in scoring two years running before graduating in 1956. He was a wrestling standout and star discus thrower, as well. He was a headliner at Maryland State then played for 10 years in the NFL. Brown was part of the “Fearsome Foursome” with the Rams, lining up alongside Merlin Olsen, Deacon Jones and Sam Williams. He was All-Pro four times and was named NFL Lineman of the Year in 1962.
Keith Bulluck, LB/RB/WR Clarkstown North
He was everywhere. Clarkstown North utilized the playmaking ability of Bulluck at multiple positions. He even played a little quarterback. The Rams went 8-1 his senior season and Bulluck earned all-county, all-state and All-America honors. He graduated in 1995 and moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore at Syracuse and led the Big East in tackles as a senior. Bulluck was a first-round NFL draft pick by the Tennessee Titans and spent a decade with the organization. He registered more than 1,000 career tackles and made the Pro Bowl in 2003.
Harry Jefferson, RB/LB, White Plains
He was the captain on and off the field. Jefferson was an elusive runner who was a sectional MVP in 1952, earning All-Metropolitan and All-America honors, as well. In the spring, he was a championship hurdler. Jefferson earned a scholarhip to play at the University of Illinois. He was one of only nine African American players when he enrolled. Jefferson was second-team All Big Ten and honorable mention All-America as a junior. He shared time in a backfield that included future hall-of-famers Bobby Mitchell and Ray Nitschke the following year. After serving in the Marines, Jefferson headed to camp with the Giants but an injury landed him back at White Plains as a longtime coach, administrator and mentor.
Seth Joyner, LB/RB, Spring Valley
He was eyeing the NFL from the start and willed his way to a distinguished high school, college and professional career. Joyner was all-county and all-state when he graduated in 1982 and went on to play at the University of Texas-El Paso. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles and was initially cut in training camp but was re-signed later in the season. Joyner made the Pro Bowl three times, played in two Super Bowls and won a ring with the Denver Broncos in 1998.
Jimmy Kennedy, DT/OT, Roosevelt
He was a giant in the hallways at Roosevelt and went 30-3 in his three years as a starter, helping coach Tony DeMatteo’s program win a state championship in 1996. Kennedy earned all-section, all-state and All-American honors before graduating in 1998 and heading to Penn State where he was named 2002 Big Ten defensive lineman of the year. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams and closed out a decade-long NFL career with the Super Bowl winning Giants in 2011.
Derrick Lassic, RB, North Rockland
He was simply a winner at North Rockland where he celebrated three consecutive Section 1 titles and set county records with 1,719 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns, earning all-county and state player-of-the-year recognition before graduating in 1988. Lassic found success at Alabama, too, and was named Sugar Bowl MVP in 1993 after leading the Crimson Tide to a win over Miami to seal a national championship. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys and won a Super Bowl XXVIII ring before injuries slowed his momentum.
Art Monk, RB/TE, White Plains
He reluctantly moved off the line after JV and became the player who is widely considered the best ever at White Plains, which has produced a number of NFL talents. Monk graduated in 1976, played four years at Syracuse University and won three Super Bowl rings with the Washington Redskins. He retired as the NFL’s all-time leading receiver and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
Ray Rice, RB/DB, New Rochelle
He went back-to-back as lohud Player of the Year, leading the Huguenots to a state title in 2003 and getting them back to the Dome the following season while averaging nearly 10 yards per carry. He ran for 4,926 yards and 49 in three seasons at Rutgers and won a Super Bowl ring with the Baltimore Ravens in 2013. Rice’s NFL career was derailed when video caught him striking his wife, Janay, during an argument at an Atlantic City casino.
Sammy Maldonado, RB/DE, Harrison
He was always bigger, faster and stronger than anyone else on the field and quickly became a schoolboy legend at Harrison. Maldonado ran for 7,581 yards and piled up 630 points in high school. He led the Huskies to back-to-back state title games and in 1999 capped a memorable senior season with the NYSPHSAA title. Maldonado ran for 3,235 yards and scored 38 TDs that season. He was at Ohio State for two seasons before transferring and finishing his college career at Maryland.
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Mike Dougherty covers high school football for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Who’s the best all-time lohud football player? Poll presented by White Plains Hospital
Reporting by Mike Dougherty, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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