Matt Stover, Detron Smith and Merton Hanks. Photo by Chris Dishman.

To celebrate a century of UIL football championships, SportsDay created an all-time D-FW team, and several Lake Highlands High School alums are mentioned. In making their selections, writers focused on what the players accomplished in college and pro football as much as their feats on the hometown gridiron.

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Matt Stover was named all-time kicker, based on his pro-bowl career lasting from 1991 to 2009. He ranks sixth in NFL history in points scored (2,004) and field goals made (471), and he led the NFL in field goal percentage in 1994 and 2006. He won Super Bowls with the New York Giants and the Baltimore Ravens.

The toughest omission, SportsDay indicated, and the selection by fans as best kicker was another former Wildcat – Phil Dawson. Dawson retired last month ranked as the NFL’s 11th all-time leader in points scored with 1,847. He played in 305 regular season game during his 21 year career.

At defensive back, Berkner alums Everson Walls and Aqib Talib were among those selected, but Wildcat Merton Hanks was deemed the toughest omission. The four-time pro bowler and 2018 inductee into Texas’ Black Sports Hall of Fame had 33 career interceptions and 6 touchdowns. He was a member of the San Francisco 49ers team which won Super Bowl XXIX in 1994 and was known to celebrate with his “pigeon dance” when he made great plays.

You can read about the day Stover, Hanks and Detron Smith returned to an LHHS pep rally to discuss their experiences playing in the Super Bowl here.