Dallas County hasn’t produced a player for the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Game in almost 20 years.

According to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society, two former Selma High standouts were the last ones picked.

Former Selma High free safety Reginald Glover was chosen for the 1999 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star contest.

In 2002, former Selma High wide receiver Ben Obamanu played in the prestigious contest. 

We all know what happened with Obamanu. He later played for Auburn and was a key part of the 2004 squad that went unbeaten and was shut out of the BCS national championship game.

That year, Southern Cal hammered Oklahoma to win the national title.

Obamanu later played seven NFL seasons, mostly with the Seattle Seahawks.

I find it hard to believe that Michael Johnson wasn’t chosen for the contest.

Johnson was a standout at Dallas County High School from 2002-2004 and class Valedictorian. He later played at Georgia Tech and recently retired from the NFL, spending most of those 10 years with the Cincinnati Bengals.

I don’t know what the circumstances were at the time, but you find a way to put a player of Johnson’s caliber on the team.

Obamanu and Johnson are both solid people off the field as well.

Johnson’s 93-90 Foundation provides a boost to Selma and Dallas County.

Obamanu is a sports attorney in Seattle and one day plans to return home.

This year, I thought Selma offensive tackle Jeremiah Wright had a chance to make the 40-man roster.

Wright was a preseason selection on The Selma Times-Journal’s All-Dallas County team.

A team can always use a 6-foot-5, 325-pound lineman. It’s the old adage, ‘you can’t teach size.’

I know the state has a lot of talented players and Wright verbally committing to Auburn should count for something.

This year’s game will be  played on Dec. 14 at Southern Miss.

Dallas County produced one other All-Star player over the years.

Southside linebacker Tim Watts made the squad in 1992 and later signed with Alabama.

If Wright did not make the Alabama roster, it may be a long time before anyone does.

It’s amazing that Dallas County only has produced three participants for the Alabama-Mississippi football game in its 33-year history.