The state of Texas earned six more reasons to brag on Monday with news that six former high school stars from the Lone Star State earned spots on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s NFL All-Decade team for the 2010s.
Palestine’s Adrian Peterson, Desoto’s Von Miller and Austin Westlake’s Justin Tucker were unanimous selections on the team while Queen City’s Jason Peters, West Orange Stark’s Earl Thomas and East Bernard’s Shane Lechler were also honored for their outstanding careers.
The all-decade team consists of a total of 52 players and two head coaches.
Peterson has played will be entering his 14th NFL season and has played for Minnesota, Washington, Arizona and New Orleans. He ranks fifth all-time with 14,216 yards to go along with 111 rushing touchdowns.
Peterson has eight 1,000-yard rushing seasons, including a 2012 campaign where he amassed 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns on 348 carries to earn Associate Press Most Valuable Player honors.
In three years at Oklahoma, Peterson rushed for 4,041 yards and 41 touchdowns in three years and helped the Sooners make it to the 2004 Orange Bowl and play for a Bowl Championship Series National Championship.
Peterson had an outstanding prep career at Palestine where he rushed for 5,011 yards and 54 touchdowns as a junior and senior.
Miller helped Denver back to prominence in his nine seasons. The former Texas A&M Aggie was the 2011 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and Super Bowl 50 MVP.
He has amassed 106 sacks, 135 tackles for loss, 490 tackles, 26 forced fumbles, nine fumble recovers and has two interceptions.
At A&M, Miller was a 2009 and 2010 All-American selection and won the Butkus Award in 2010. While at DeSoto, Miller had 113 tackles and 13 sacks as a junior and earned District 8-5A Defensive MVP honors as a senior.
Tucker has played for Baltimore for eight seasons, won a Super Bowl with the Ravens and is a three-time Pro Bowler.
Tucker has made 90.8 percent of his field goal attempts, including converting on 79 of 88 attempts from 40 yards and beyond.
He made 17 of 21 field goals with a long of 52 yards as a senior at Texas and is best known for hitting the game-winning field goal to beat A&M in Kyle Field in the final Lone Star Showdown rivalry game.
While at Westlake, Tucker was a US Army All-American, three-year letterman and earned Texas Sports Writers Association Class 5A All-State Honors as well all-District 25-5A honors as a senior.
Peters has played 16 seasons in the NFL with Buffalo and Philadelphia making 195 starts in 205 are er games.
He won a Super Bowl with Philadelphia and is a nine-time Pro Bowler. Peters has had an unlikely career after playing defensive tackle and tight end for Arkansas and earning playing time in Buffalo as an undrafted free agent.
Peters has anchored the Philadelphia offensive line line since being traded by Buffalo and was an all-district and all-area honoree at Queen City.
Thomas played nine years in Seattle where he won a Super Bowl before joining Baltimore in 2019.
The former Longhorn has 30 interceptions, two touchdowns, 12 forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries in 10 NFL seasons.
While on her 40 Acres, Jonas started in all 27 games he played in three years, was a Thorp Trophy finalist, had 10 interceptions and helped Texas beat Ohio State in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl. In his final season at Texas, Thomas helped the Longhorns make an appearance in the BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl.
Thomas was a three-year starter at WOS where he played defensive back, running back and wide receiver and had 11 interceptions. He earned TSWA Class 3A All-State honors and Associated Press Class 3A All-State honors twice.
Lechler played 13 years in Oakland before coming back to Texas for the last five years of his professional career with Houston.
He averaged 47.6 yards per punt during his career and 51.5 yards per punt in 2009.
During his time at A&M, Lechler earned All-American honors in 1998 and 1999 and all-Big 12 honors from 1997-99. Lechler was a kicker and quarterback at East Bernard.
Pro Football Hall of Fame 2010s All-Decade Team
Offense
WR – Antonio Brown, Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones
TE – Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce
T – Jason Peters, Tyron Smith, Joe Staley, Joe Thomas
G – Jahri Evans, Logan Mankins, Zack Martin, Marshal Yanda
C – Alex Mack, Maurkice Pouncey
QB – Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers
RB – Frank Gore, Marshawn Lynch, LeSean McCoy, Adrian Peterson
Flex – Darren Sproles
Defense
DE – Calais Campbell, Cameron Jordan, Julius Peppers, J.J. Watt
DT – Geno Atkins, Fletcher Cox, Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh
LB – Chandler Jones, Luke Kuechly, Khalil Mack, Von Miller, Bobby Wagner, Patrick Willis
CB – Patrick Peterson, Darrelle Revis, Richard Sherman
S – Eric Berry, Earl Thomas, Eric Weddle
DB – Chris Harris, Tyrann Mathieu
Special Teams
P – Johnny Hekker, Shane Lechler
K – Stephen Gostkowski, Justin Tucker
PR – Tyreek Hill, Darren Sproles
KR – Devin Hester, Cordarrelle Patterson
Coaches
Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll
