Top 10 St. Edward High School Football Players of All Time

St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio, is the home of a high school football dynasty and some of the greatest players in state history.

There is something special about playing football at St. Edward High School — a powerhouse program located in Lakewood, Ohio, that’s won all five of its state championships in the last 12 years. That championship glory was hard-won for St. Edward, with the school finishing as state runner-up three times in 1975, 1986 and 2003 before finally taking the crown for the first time in 2010.

Over the history of the school, which opened its doors in 1949, legendary players have been a consistent presence on the field, including high school and college All-Americans, NFL players and a No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Here’s a look at the greatest St. Edward High players of all time.

Honorable Mention: Haruki Nakamura

AP Photo

Position: Defensive Back/Wide Receiver/Return Specialist

Graduation year: 2004

College: Cincinnati

Bottom line: Haruki Nakamura came from a family of international judo champions but chose a different sport, turning into a football star at St. Edward as a do-it-all wide receiver/defensive back/return specialist who helped lead his school to the state finals as a senior.

After being an All-Ohio pick as a senior, Nakamura signed with Cincinnati and was an All-Big East pick before playing six seasons in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers.

10. Wyatt Gedeon

OhioD1R1HSFB / Twitter

Position: Linebacker

Graduation year: 2023

College: Coastal Carolina (committed)

Bottom line: It’s OK to recognize greatness when it’s right in front of you — current St. Edward linebacker Wyatt Gedeon is among the very best to ever do it at his school.

Gedeon, 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, was one of the leaders as a junior for St. Edward to a 15-1 record and Division I state championship in 2015 while earning All-Ohio honors. Gedeon is also as fast of a linebacker as you’ll come across on the high school level — he’s been clocked running a 4.52-second, 40-yard dash.

Gedeon committed to Coastal Carolina before his senior season in 2022 and led his team in tackles and sacks through the first five games.

9. DeJuan Groce

Dave Weaver / AP Photo

Position: Defensive Back/Return Specialist

Graduation year: 1998

College: Nebraska

Bottom line: DeJuan Groce was a blur on the football field for St. Edward over three seasons, earning All-Ohio and Parade All-American honors as a safety, cornerback and return specialist, where he averaged almost 27 yards per return and returned seven kicks for touchdowns over three seasons.

Groce also starred in track for St. Edward, where he ran the 100-meter dash in 10.7 seconds and the 200 in 21.9 seconds. At the University of Nebraska, Groce was a three-year starter at cornerback and became one of the all-time great punt and kick returners in college football history — he was an AP All-American as a return specialist in 2001 and finished his career as the second player in Nebraska history to pass over 1,000 career punt return yards following 1972 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers.

Groce was a fourth-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2003 and played five seasons in the NFL.

8. Raishaun Stover

AP Photo

Position: Running Back

Graduation year: 2002

College: Bowling Green

Bottom line: Raishaun Stover was named Cleveland Plain Dealer Player of the Year as a senior in 2001 after he rushed for 2,300 yards and 36 touchdowns along with 19 receptions for 340 yards. Stover finished his prep career with 10 school records, including 3,700 rushing yards and 52 touchdowns.

Stover signed with head coach Urban Meyer at Bowling Green and played in back-to-back bowl games for the Falcons, with his best season coming in 2003 when he had just over 200 yards of total offense and scored four touchdowns.

7. Cole Gest

Paul Vernon / AP Photo

Position: Running Back

Graduation year: 2016

Colleges: Akron/Indiana

Bottom line: Cole Gest bounced back from an injury that cost him his entire sophomore season at St. Edward to help lead his team to back-to-back Division I state championships in 2014 and 2015. Gest, 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, finished his career as St. Edward’s career-leading rusher with nearly 4,000 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns and was a two-time All-Ohio selection.

Gest signed with Indiana and battled injuries during his time there but still finished second on the team in rushing as a redshirt freshman in 2017 and played his final season at Akron as a graduate transfer.

6. Kyle Kalis

AP Photo

Position: Offensive Line

Graduation Year: 2012

College: Michigan

Bottom line: Kyle Kalis was a dominant force for St. Edward — the 6-foot-5, 305-pound offensive lineman helped lead his team to the first state championship in school history as a junior in 2010 and was a U.S. Army All-American and Parade Magazine All-American as a senior.

Originally committed to playing for Ohio State, Kalis transferred to Michigan after a scandal that led to the firing of OSU head coach Jim Tressel. Kalis went on to become a two-time All-Big Ten pick for the Wolverines. He followed his father Todd’s footsteps and became a second-generation NFL offensive lineman, playing four seasons from 2017 to 2020.

5. Rodney Bailey

AP Photo

Position: Defensive End

Graduation year: 1997

College: Ohio State

Bottom line: Rodney Bailey was named The Cleveland Plain Dealer Division I Player of the Year and The Touchdown Club of Cleveland Player of the Year as a senior at St. Edward. Like many of his fellow St. Edward alums, Bailey took his talents to Ohio State.

With the Buckeyes, Bailey started as a true freshman and eventually became a team captain and All-Big Ten pick as a senior. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft and played seven seasons in the NFL for four different teams, winning a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in 2004.

4. Shaun Crawford

Paul Vernon / AP Photo

Position: Wide Receiver/Defensive Back/Return Specialist

Graduation year: 2015

College: Notre Dame

Bottom line: Shaun Crawford was a four-year starter at St. Edward who excelled on offense, defense and special teams, and he capped his career by leading the Eagles to a Division I state championship in 2014.

Crawford was an All-Ohio selection and Under Armour All-American after he racked up 91 tackles, seven interceptions and three forced fumbles along with 54 receptions for 824 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior.

Crawford signed with Notre Dame, where he only played two games in his first two seasons thanks to a torn ACL in 2015 and a torn Achilles tendon in 2016. Crawford eventually returned to finish his career as a team captain and All-ACC selection in 2020.

3. Kevin Burke

Tony Dejak / AP Photo

Position: Quarterback

Graduation year: 2011

College: Mount Union

Bottom line: Kevin Burke became a St. Edward legend as a senior in 2010, leading his team to a 15-0 record and the first state championship in school history — in the state championship game, it was Burke who outplayed Wayne High quarterback and future Ohio State star Braxton Miller.

Burke wasn’t done making football history once he graduated from St. Edward. At NCAA Division III powerhouse Mount Union, he led the school to three consecutive national championship games from 2012 to 2014, winning the 2012 championship and becoming the only two-time winner of the Gagliardi Trophy as NCAA Division III’s top player in 2013 and 2014.

2. Tom Cousineau

St. Edward Athletics

Position: Linebacker

Graduation year: 1975

College: Ohio State

Bottom line: Tom Cousineau stood out in both football and wrestling at St. Edward. He was a 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker who would eventually become one of the most-recruited prep football players in state history. Cousineau chose Ohio State and played for legendary coach Woody Hayes, where he was a three-time All-Big Ten pick, two-time All-American, three-time Big Ten champion and named MVP of the 1977 Orange Bowl.

Cousineau, who was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016, also represents a unique piece of football history. He was the No. 1 overall pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 1979 NFL Draft but never played a game for the franchise. Instead, Cousineau signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL for double the money offered by the Bills. Cousineau played three seasons in the CFL and was named Grey Cup MVP before he played in the NFL for six seasons, earning NFL All-Pro honors with the Cleveland Browns in 1984.

1. Alex Boone

Courtesy Photo

Position: Offensive Tackle

Graduation year: 2005

College: Ohio State

Bottom line: Alex Boone remains the only St. Edward football player to earn Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year honors and to be named a USA Today High School Football All-American.

Boone, 6-foot-8 and 330 pounds, helped lead St. Edward to a state runner-up finish as a junior in 2003 and became one of the most highly recruited offensive linemen in the nation. Boone started four years at Ohio State, was a two-time All-Big Ten selection and won four Big Ten titles as well as played in four BCS bowl games.

Boone went undrafted in 2009 over concerns about his alcohol abuse but turned his life around and played 12 seasons in the NFL.