Football is embedded deep in the culture of America's Dairyland, with countless star athletes either from, or coming into their own, in Wisconsin. But everyone needs to get their start somewhere, and for so many football players, high school is where that journey truly begins.
In celebration of that tradition of high school football, JR Radcliffe and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel put together a poll posing an often-overlooked but historically important question: who is the most impactful high-school football player in Wisconsin history?
10 players were listed in the poll: Alan Ameche, Bud Grant, Elroy Hirsch, J.J. Watt, Jim Leonhard, Joe Thomas, Michael Bennett, Mike Webster, Pat Richter and Rocky Bleier. There were also 150 names submitted in a write-in portion of the poll, which received more than a thousand votes.
Younger generations might be partial to Watt, whose incredible career in Madison and the NFL might cloud the fact that he was only considered a 2-star recruit coming out of Pewaukee. Though Watt was an unrivaled athlete, he was still finding himself as a skilled multi-sport athlete playing multiple positions on the football field.
Others may look to legends of the past, like 4x Super Bowl champion Mike Webster, who once dominated for Rhinelander High. Or Kenosha's own, Alan Ameche — the very first Badger to win the Heisman Award. They each finished in the Top 5, but none of them took home the top spot.
Wisconsin voters name Joe Thomas the state's most impactful high-school football player of all-time.
The Pride of Brookfield Central, Joe Thomas, has been crowned the G.O.A.T. of Wisconsin high school football with 231 votes, according to Radcliffe's poll. Although many of his on-field contributions are not as flashy as some others on this list, Thomas is one of the game's all-time great offensive linemen and made his mark on the sport far before his time in Cleveland.
Thomas' list of high school accolades is almost as long as his consecutive snap record in the NFL, but his most impressive accomplishment isn't listed among them. During the course of his high school career, he played six different positions: defensive end, fullback, right tackle, tight end, kicker and punter.
He won the 2002 WFCA Defensive Player of the Year Award for his 12-sack, 85-tackle senior season, and still ranked No. 18 in the country among offensive linemen. His unmatched versatility and keen football mind made Thomas a force to be reckoned with in ways we couldn't always see in his years as a pro.
Off the field, he continues to support the Badger state's communities through his businesses and philanthropic work, returning all the years of support he received from people throughout the state, well past his days in Southeast Wisconsin.
Maybe Thomas doesn't always get the credit he deserves. Playing on the offensive line can be a thankless job, and while it's easy to notice when an O-lineman gets beat, it's hard to see all the elaborate tactics they deploy to buy their team more time and develop plays.
Wisconsin's high school football fans know greatness when they see it, and they noticed it early in Thomas. That support never wavered.
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