They played the game: 12 area prep football coaches with NFL, college pasts
The Twin Cities are dotted with high school football coaches who played the game themselves, some at the highest level it's played. Here's a look at a dozen:
Steve Walsh, Cretin-Derham Hall: Helped the Raiders back to prominence in the early 1980s and was a high school All-America in 1984. Went on to quarterback Miami to a college national championship in 1987 and played for six teams and threw for 7,875 career yards in a 10-year NFL career.
Marcus Harris, Breck: A graduate of Brooklyn Center, he became an award-winning collegiate receiver at Wyoming. He had three years with more than 1,400 yards receiving and won the 1996 Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver.
Willie Howard, Cooper: An All-Pac-10 defensive lineman at Stanford, he was a second-round selection of the Vikings in 2001 and and played for two seasons before his career was cut short by a knee injury. He recently added the title of activities director at Cooper.
Bo Wasurick, Anoka: A native of the Green Bay, Wis., area, Wasurick was a tight end for the Gophers from 1995 through 1998. He caught one pass in his career, a 5-yarder in 1997. He has coached for 23 years since, with stops in Wisconsin, Texas and Minnesota.
James Manuel, Irondale: A graduate of Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, Manuel played for the Gophers from 2010 through 2013. He was recruited as a safety, a position he played for two years before moving to linebacker for his junior and senior seasons. Had 40 tackles as a safety, 103 tackles and a pick-six as a linebacker.
Sean McMenomy, Benilde-St. Margaret's: The Rosemount native was a hard-hitting cornerback for the Gophers from 1992 though 1996. Since graduation, he's been a head coach at Minneapolis Southwest and DeLaSalle and at schools in North Carolina and Oregon.
Justin McDonald, North St. Paul: The Polars' first-year coach and a native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., he is making his maiden voyage through Minnesota's weather. He was a linebacker at Central Florida, graduating in 2016.
Five others who played football in college
Mike Grant, Eden Prairie: tight end, St. John's
Beau LaBore, Stillwater: linebacker, St. John's
Ray Betton, Shakopee: running back, Bemidji State
Jared Essler, St. Michael-Albertville: free safety, North Dakota State
Ryan Weinandt, Dassel-Cokato: defensive end, St. John's
