A tale of two quarterbacks from Hart High School

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William S. Hart High School in Santa Clarita has produced athletes that have enjoyed Olympic success along with World Series titles. The latest champion to have walked the hallways was crowned in February when Matt Moore was part of the Kansas City Chiefs’ team to win Super Bowl LIV against the San Francisco 49ers.

Moore was the backup to Patrick Mahomes as the superstar quarterback engineered a fourth-quarter comeback to guide the Chiefs to the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the first time in 50 years. Moore still played an important role for the Chiefs in relief of Mahomes when he was injured during the regular season and also serving as the scout team quarterback, giving the team’s defense the look and feel of 49ers starter Jimmy Garoppolo.

Moore’s work ethic and professionalism have been hailed throughout his time in the NFL. He will be once again part of Andy Reid’s side that are bidding to win the Super Bowl for the second year on the bounce. The Chiefs are considered the leading contenders by William Hill in the odds to win the crown next February. It would allow the 34-year-old to clinch his second ring – which would have seemed unlikely when he went undrafted in 2007.

If any player out of Hart High School would have been considered a future Super Bowl winner – the name on the lips would have been Kyle Boller. He was a standout in his high school career, winning the California Player of the Year award in 1998. Boller moved up the ranks in his college days with the California Bears and was exemplary during his four-year tenure. He caught the attention of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2003 Draft and was selected in the first round.

However, Boller was never able to live up to expectations, although did enjoy a solid start aided by the rushing power of 2,000 yard back Jamal Lewis. The quarterback led the Ravens to a 5-3 record in the 2003 campaign before he was sidelined due to a thigh injury and struggled to regain his form. He returned as the starter in the 2004 campaign and again was solid without producing the incredible statistics seen elsewhere by Peyton Manning. Boller played in all 16 games and threw 13 touchdowns to 11 interceptions along with 2,553 yards.

It would be the high point of his career as he would lose his starting job in 2005 before the arrival of Steve McNair a year later. A second chance would come his way in 2007, but Boller failed to grasp his second opportunity. However, he did almost topple the undefeated New England Patriots, throwing two touchdowns in the contest. Boller almost etched his place in history, only to see his last-second Hail Mary fall agonisingly short of the line. An injury in 2008 ended his tenure with the Ravens before finishing out his stint in the NFL with backup jobs at the St Louis Rams and the Oakland Raiders.

Boller retired in 2012 without making the most out of his potential whereas Moore continues to grind to this day and could well be Super Bowl-bound with the Chiefs. It proves that the league is a weird and wonderful place where players that have proven caliber entering the NFL can fail to live up to expectations, while others without quite the same level of potential can make the most out of their talent and enjoy lengthy careers at the highest level.

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