Long before Joshua Cribbs was shredding opposing special teams units for the Cleveland Browns, or San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis was shredding the sanity of head coach Mike Singletary, the two were hooking up on a 55-yard touchdown pass for Dunbar High School in the 2000 Turkey Bowl.
And before bailing out the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Washington Redskins a month ago, Byron Leftwich was racking up touchdowns in the 1997 Turkey Bowl. He led H.D. Woodson High School to a 26-22 victory over Anacostia High School, which featured current Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Cato June in its lineup.
For these players, and many others, the Turkey Bowl and D.C. football have served as stepping stones to collegiate and professional football.
“Josh was a kid who always tried to make plays like he does now,” Dunbar head coach Craig Jeffries said. “He was a kid that was fearless. He was a kid that played with a lot of confidence, [and] he was a kid that really worked hard at whatever he did. That carried on through college and into the NFL.”
Cribbs, who played quarterback for Dunbar, and Davis have not forgotten their roots. Cribbs paid for Dunbar’s bus when the team took a road trip to North Canton, Ohio, this year, and Davis contributes to the program through his Under Armour sponsorship, Jeffries said.
“I think it sends a powerful message about the quality of our programs in the District of Columbia,” D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray — a Dunbar graduate — said of successful Turkey Bowl alumni.
“Those guys come back, they want to carry on tradition. It’s very much a family, so they’re aware of what’s going on,” Jeffries said.
The University of Illinois especially is reaping the benefits of the two schools’ football programs. A combined seven players from Dunbar and Woodson play for the Illini, including junior defensive back Vontae Davis, who was named first team all-Big Ten in 2008.
