When Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders returned to play in the NFC Wild Card Round against the Buccaneers on Jan. 17, 2022, in Tampa Bay, he represented a unique community.
Sanders is one of four active NFL players from Woodland Hills High School, which is located in Churchill, Pa., which is 10.1 miles east of downtown Pittsburgh. Checking NFL stats shows the high school, which had its first graduating class in 1987, has produced 14 NFL players.
But this isn’t a school district that was created voluntarily. A court order formed an unhappy marriage of five Western Pennsylvania school districts in the 1980s. Due to issues with segregation, a judge in Pennsylvania forced Edgewood, General Braddock, Swissvale and Turtle Creek to join forces following a Civil Rights Act lawsuit.
While not everyone who played for the newly-christened Wolverines were happy to be together, the district has formed a powerful reputation for producing pros.
Taylor Was a Fighter On and Off the Field
Jason Taylor became one of the first homeschooled players to make a difference during his time at Woodland Hills. Taylor, who was homeschooled from 10th to 12th graduate, was a star with the Wolverines and would receive a scholarship offer to Akron.
While the NCAA ruled him ineligible as a freshman, contesting his homeschooled grades didn’t show a good indication of his schooling history, he would eventually get on the field and play well enough to get drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 1997 draft.
Taylor made then-coach Jimmy Johnson look like a genius. Taylor became a three-time all-pro and six-time Pro Bowler. He led the NFL in sacks in 2002 and was a member of the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade Team. Later landing in the Hall of Fame, Taylor finished his career with 139.5 career sacks and eight interceptions.
Breaston Does It All
Steve Breaston helped Woodland Hills get to the state championship game as a senior in 2001, the closest the school has come to being the best team in Pennsylvania. Breston would parlay his success with the Wolverines into a scholarship at Michigan.
While in college, Breaston developed into a dynamic returner who could also be a reliable wide receiver. Being a multi-talented player, the Arizona Cardinals decided to draft Breaston in the fifth round of the 2007 draft. Playing on a Cardinals team that featured Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald at wide receiver in addition to quarterback Kurt Warner, Breaston broke through in 2008. He caught 77 passes for 1,006 yards, which would both be career bests.
Breason would have several more solid seasons with Arizona before settling in Kansas City for his final two seasons. Breaston finished with 3,387 yards and nine touchdowns in his career.
Gronk Ends Career in Churchill
Entering his senior season, tight end Rob Gronkowski’s dad moved him from Buffalo to Pittsburgh, seeking increased competition for his talented son. Gronkowski would head from Woodland Hills to the University of Arizona to play in college.
Gronkowski, who was drafted by New England in 2010, has gone on to have one of the best careers for any tight end in league history. Gronkowski has caught 621 passes for 9,286 yards. Playing with Tom Brady has allowed Gronkowski to win four Super Bowls and earn All-Pro honors four times.
The Active Players
In addition to Gronkowski, Woodland Hills has two other players who are still in the league, Sanders and Las Vegas Raiders’ defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson. Sanders starred at Penn State and was drafted in the second round of the 2019 draft by the Eagles. Sanders has been solid in three years in the league, compiling 2,439 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
Jefferson went to Maryland to play collegiately before being selected in the fifth round of the 2016 draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Jefferson took a few years to find his groove as an NFL player. In his first two seasons, Jefferson only appeared in nine games. However, since then Jefferson has found a spot as a rotational player on the defensive line.
Jefferson recorded a career-best 4.5 sacks during the 2021 season with the Raiders. His previous best came in 2020 with the Buffalo Bills, when he tracked the quarterback down 3.5 times.
