Manatee Football History

 

Football teams in the 1950s were coached by Wheeler Leeth, who was elected to the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1992. One of his players, Roger Pettee, center-linebacker, was selected All-American by Parade Magazine in 1960. Current Hurricane coach Joe Kinnan, MHS class of 1963, has coached his teams to five football state football championships. The Hurricanes also were state runner-up in 1993, 2009 and 2012, and reached the state semi-finals in 1987, 1990, 1994, 2005 and 2006. His teams were ranked in the final USA Today Football polls in 1983 (number 16), 1989 (number 10), 1992 (number 22), 2011 (number 8), and 2012 (number 18). State championships in Boys Tennis and Boys Weightlifting have also been won during his tenure as MHS athletic director. Kinnan was elected to the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) Hall of Fame in 1999. The FHSAA also designated him as one of the top 12 Florida High School Football Coaches of the century in 2007. Two of his players were selected to the USA Today HS Football team, First Team: Tommie Frazier, quarterback (1990) andRob Stevenson, punter (1994). Frazier was also selected All-American by Parade Magazine. Two Hurricanes were also selected among the top 100 High School Football players of the Century by the FHSAA: Tommie Frazier, quarterback, and Henry Lawrence, lineman. The Canes were led to the 1993 champsionship game by current USF head coach Willie Taggart. 

 

Hurricanes with Super Bowl Rings

• Bill Anderson, Green Bay Packers, Super Bowl I

• Henry Lawrence, LA/Oakland Raiders, Super Bowl XI, Super Bowl XV, Super Bowl XVIII

• Alvoid Mays, Washington Redskins, Super Bowl XXVI

• Tyrone Williams, Green Bay Packers, Super Bowl XXXI

Hurricanes who were starters on College National Championship teams.

• 1983: Mike Moore, offensive lineman, national champion Miami Hurricanes

• 1993: Patrick McNeil, offensive lineman, national champion Florida State Seminoles

• 1994 & 1995: Tommie Frazier, quarterback, national champion Nebraska Cornhuskers, Tyrone Williams, defensive back, national champion Nebraska Cornhuskers

• 1996: Rob Stevenson, punter, national champion Florida Gators

• 1997: Shevin Wiggins, wingback, national champion Nebraska Cornhuskers

• 1998: Bernard Gooden, offensive lineman, national champion Tennessee Volunteers

According to the Green Bay Packers official website, Tyrone Williams is the only NFL player ever to start on two collegiate national championship teams and a Super Bowl Champion in three consecutive years (Nebraska, 1994, 1995 and Green Bay 1996).