In 2010 Gary Hess and Sports Radio 910

(WRNL-AM-910 in Richmond) went about the task of naming the top 25 Richmond area

high school players of all time! Hess, along with a group of media types, 

former coaches, AD"s and officials voted from lists of the top players from each

decade.  The end result produced a ranking the best HS football players

ever in the Richmond area.  Below are the results!

1) Barty Smith:  Douglas Freeman,  unanimous all-metro at RB&LB, POY, 2-time all-state, played for UR & Packers

2) Willie Lanier: Maggie Walker 2-time all-state, star LB for KC Chiefs,

in NFL hall of fame

3) Ken Willard: Varina star RB, 2-time all-state, 4393 career rushing yds,

AA at UNC, played for 49ers

4) Ricky Hundley: Petersburg all-metro LB, all-state, led Wave to 79

state title, AA at Arizona, played In NFL

5) Michael Robinson: Varina 4-year str, 2-time all-st, 2000 all-metro POY, 5818

ttl crr yds, Penn St & NFL

6) Greg Taylor: Highland Springs star RB, 2-time all-metro POY, 17 TD in 76,

all-state, played at UVa

7) Victor Harris: Highland Springs 5320 career rushing yds, 04 all-metro POY,

Parade AA, played at VT & in NFL

8) Jake Adams: Highland Springs 59 co-all-metro POY, all-state at DE, all-american,

starred at VT

9) John Hilton: Hermitage standout end on 58 state title team, all-state, played

for Steelers

10) Russell Wilson: Collegiate prolific passer, 2-time all-metro POY, star at NC

State

11) James Farrior: Matoaca 92 co-all-metro POY, went on to UVa & Steelers

12) Brian Washington: Highland Springs standout DB, all-metro, all-state,

starred at Nebraska & in NFL

13) Ronnie Erb: Petersburg 2-time all-metro, all-state, 4102 career rushing

yards, 50 TD

14) Darren Sharper: Hermitage two-way standout, all-region, played at W&M, long

career in NFL

15) Mel Roach: John Marshall 2-time all-metro POY (49 & 50)

16) James Bunch: Lee-Davis all-metro at OL & DL, 74 co-all-metro POY, AA at

Alabama

17) Damien Woody: Patrick Henry 2-way star at OL and DL for 94 state title team,

all-region, played at BC & in NFL

18) Jamie Sharper: Hermitage star LB, all-region, played at UVA and in NFL

19) Eric Tipton: Petersburg star runner for Crimson Wave, standout at Duke

20) William Henderson: Thomas Dale standout RB, played at UNC and with Packers

21) Cannonball Cooper: Maggie Walker standout runner, later starred for Richmond

Rebels

22) Ben Turner: Henrico 2-time all-metro POY, John Brown says best he ever

coached

23) Lyn Chewning: St Chris (1) 2-time all-metro, 4243 career rushing yards for

high scoring Saints

24) Larry Brooks: Prince George star DT, played at Va State and with Rams

25) Lee Bujakowski: Hopewell 2-time all-state, led Blue Devils to 2003 state

title, 6755 total yards 71 TD

Barty

Smith is a native of Richmond, Virginia.  He graduated from Douglas Freeman High

School where he was a four-sport star.  Smith was selected as the Virginia High

School Player of the Year in 1969.  That same year he achieved the highest honor

awarded to high school athletes when he was named to the Sunkist High School

All-American Football Team.  Smith played football for the University of

Richmond where he was recognized as one of the nations best all-around

fullbacks.  He starred in football at the University of Richmond from 1971

through 1973, twice being named to the All Southern Conference Football Team. 

Recognized as one of the all time Spider greats, Smith led the University of

Richmond to the Southern Conference Title and an appearance in the Tangerine

Bowl.  He was the leader of the only Spider grid squad to be ranked in the

Division 1 Top 20.

 

In 1972, Barty Smith was named as the recipient of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy

presented to the Outstanding Blocker in the Southern Conference--an award which

he repeated in 1973.  He became the fourth Richmond Spider to be honored since

the award's inception in 1933.  In his senior year, Smith won the Coffman Award,

representative of the Most Valuable Player in the East-West Shrine Game in San

Francisco.  He ranks 8th on the University of Richmond's rushing list with 1,941

yards and carrier touchdowns with 15. 

 

In 1976, Smith was inducted into the University of Richmond Athletic Hall of

Fame.  In 1990 he was named to the University of Richmond All-Time Football Team

and was inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame in 1998. 

 

After concluding a stellar career for the University of Richmond, Barty Smith

was a first round draft choice of the Green Bay Packers in 1974.  He played with

Green Bay from 1974 until 1980.  Smith ranks 16th on the Packers all-time

rushing list with 1,942 yards, scoring 18 career touchdowns.  He won Packer

Offensive Player of the Year honors in 1977.