WPIAL football has NFL draft streak that’s more than 2 decades long

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Thursday, April 23, 2020 | 8:49 PM


The WPIAL has had at least one former player picked each year in the NFL draft since 1994, a remarkable streak that could be extended again this week.

New Castle’s Geno Stone (Iowa), Cornell’s Dane Jackson (Pitt), Imani Christian’s Kenny Robinson (West Virginia) and McKeesport’s Khaleke Hudson (Michigan) are the most likely WPIAL alumni to hear their names called at some point in the seven-round draft that started Thursday night.

A recent NFL.com mock draft predicted Stone, Jackson and Robinson all would be chosen in the fourth round. An earlier CBS Sports mock included Hudson as a late-round selection. Round 1 is Thursday, Rounds 2-3 are Friday and Round 4-7 are Saturday.

The last time the WPIAL had no player drafted was 1993.

The highest draft pick from the WPIAL in the past 26 years was North Hills’ LaVar Arrington, who went second overall in 2000 to the Washington Redskins. In all, the WPIAL has had 16 former players selected in the first or second rounds during that span.

Aliquippa alone had three players become first-round picks: Ty Law (No. 23 in 1995), Darrelle Revis (No. 14 in 2007) and Jon Baldwin (No. 26 in 2011). Penn Hills’ Aaron Donald (No. 13 in 2014) and New Castle’s Malik Hooker (No. 15 in 2017) also were first-round talents.

There were 10 second-round picks including three from Woodland Hills: Miles Sanders (2019), Rob Gronkowski (2010) and Shawntae Spencer (2004).

Also picked in the second round were Clairton’s Tyler Boyd (2016), Central Catholic’s Stefen Wisniewski (2011), Hopewell’s Paul Posluszny (2007), Upper St. Clair’s Sean Lee (2010), Aliquippa’s Charles Fisher (1999), Steel Valley’s Charlie Batch (1998) and McKeesport’s Mike Logan (1997).

Here’s a look at the first WPIAL player off the board in each of the past 26 NFL drafts:

2019

Miles Sanders, Woodland Hills

Round 2, Pick: 53, Philadelphia Eagles

2018

Troy Apke, Mt. Lebanon

Round 4, Pick 109, Washington Redskins

2017

Malik Hooker, New Castle

Round 1, Pick 15, Indianapolis Colts

2016

Tyler Boyd, Clairton

Round 2, Pick 55, Cincinnati Bengals

2015

Jesse James, South Allegheny

Round 5, Pick 160, Pittsburgh Steelers

2014

Aaron Donald, Penn Hills

Round 1, Pick 13, St. Louis Rams

2013

Eric Kush, Chartiers Valley

Round 6, Pick 170, Kansas City Chiefs

2012

Gino Gradkowski, Seton LaSalle

Round 4, Pick 98, Baltimore Ravens

2011

Jonathan Baldwin, Aliquippa

Round 1, Pick 26, Kansas City Chiefs

2010

Rob Gronkowski, Woodland Hills

Round 2, Pick 42, New England Patriots

2009

Scott McKillop, Kiski Area

Round 5, Pick 146, San Francisco 49ers

2008

Justin King, Gateway

Round 4, Pick 101, St. Louis Rams

2007

Darrelle Revis, Aliquippa

Round 1, Pick 14, New York Jets

2006

Bruce Gradkowski, Seton LaSalle

Round 6, Pick 194, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2005

Justin Geisinger, Mt. Lebanon

Round 6, Pick 197, Tennessee Titans

2004

Shawntae Spencer, Woodland Hills

Round 2, Pick 58, San Francisco 49ers

2003

Steve Sciullo, Shaler

Round 4, Pick 122, Indianapolis Colts

2002

Jake Schifino, Penn Hills

Round 5, Pick 151, Tennessee Titans

2001

Will Peterson, Laurel Highlands

Round 3, Pick 78, New York Giants

2000

LaVar Arrington, North Hills

Round 1, Pick 2, Washington Redskins

1999

Charles Fisher, Aliquippa

Round 2, Pick 33, Cincinnati Bengals

1998

Charlie Batch, Steel Valley

Round 2, Pick 60, Detroit Lions

1997

Mike Logan, McKeesport

Round 2, Pick 50, Jacksonville Jaguars

1996

Tom Tumulty, Penn Hills

Round 6, Pick 178, Cincinnati Bengals

1995

Ty Law, Aliquippa

Round 1, Pick 23, New England Patriots

1994

Tony Peterson, Ringgold

Round 5, Pick 153, San Francisco 49ers

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

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