USA Today All-USA high school football team (1982–89)
USA Today named its first All-USA high school football team in 1982. The newspaper has named a team every year since 1982.
In addition, two members of the team are named the USA Today High School Offensive Player and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively. The newspaper also selects a USA Today High School Football Coach of the Year.
This article contains the teams from 1982 through 1989.
Teams
1982 team
Coach of the Year: Steve Klonne;Offense
| Player | Position | School | Hometown | College |
| John Paye | Quarterback | Menlo School | Menlo Park, California | Stanford |
| Hiawatha Francisco | Running back | Moeller High School | Cincinnati, Ohio | Notre Dame |
| Kirk Jones | Running back | Poly High School | Long Beach, California | UNLV |
| Jeff Atkins | Running back | Eastern Hills High School | Fort Worth, Texas | SMU |
| Jeff Zimmerman | Offensive line | Maynard Evans High School | Orlando, Florida | Florida |
| Terence Mann | Offensive line | Cooley High School | Detroit, Michigan | SMU |
| Glen Mogle | Offensive line | Riverview High School | Sarasota, Florida | Michigan |
| Curt Jarvis | Offensive line | Gardendale High School | Gardendale, Alabama | Alabama |
| Mike McGann | Offensive line | Joliet Catholic Academy | Joliet, Illinois | St. Francis |
| Alvin Miller | Wide receiver | Kirkwood High School | St. Louis, Missouri | Notre Dame |
| Tyrone Vaughans | Wide receiver | John Ehret High School | Marrero, Louisiana | Tulane |
| Scott Webb | Placekicker | Helix High School | La Mesa, California | San Diego State |
;Defense
| Player | Position | School | Hometown | College |
| Henry Harris | Linebacker | Columbia High School | Decatur, Georgia | Georgia |
| John Hazzard | Defensive line | Jesuit High School | New Orleans, Louisiana | LSU |
| Chuck Williams | Defensive line | Freedom High School | Freedom, Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh |
| Tim Manoa | Defensive line | North Allegheny High School | Wexford, Pennsylvania | Penn State |
| Alonzo Highsmith | Defensive line | Columbus High School | Miami, Florida | Miami |
| Stan Woods | Linebacker | Seton Hall Prep School | South Orange, New Jersey | Pittsburgh |
| Keith Davis | Linebacker | Santa Monica High School | Santa Monica, California | USC |
| David Stanley | Linebacker | Angleton High School | Angleton, Texas | SMU |
| Miles Smith | Defensive back | Roswell High School | Roswell, Georgia | Georgia |
| Eric Kumerow | Defensive back | Oak Park and River Forest High School | Oak Park, Illinois | Ohio State |
| Rod Woodson | Defensive back | Snider High School | Fort Wayne, Indiana | Purdue |
| Van Tiffin | Punter | Red Bay High School | Red Bay, Alabama | Alabama |
1983 team
Coach of the Year: George Curry;Offense
| Player | Position | School | Hometown | College |
| Ryan Knight | Running back | Rubidoux High School | Riverside, California | USC |
| Vince Sutton | Quarterback | LaGrange High School | LaGrange, Georgia | Alabama |
| Craig Heyward | Running back | Passaic High School | Passaic, New Jersey | Pittsburgh |
| Thurman Thomas | Running back | Willowridge High School | Houston, Texas | Oklahoma State |
| Sean Stopperich | Offensive line | Canon-McMillan High School | Canonsburg, Pennsylvania | SMU |
| Andy Sinclair | Offensive line | Edison High School | Huntington Beach, California | Stanford |
| Carter Hill | Offensive line | Central High School | Naperville, Illinois | Texas |
| David Richards | Offensive line | Highland Park High School | Dallas, Texas | SMU |
| David Williams | Offensive line | Lakeland High School | Lakeland, Florida | Florida |
| Freddy Weygand | Wide receiver | Emma Sansom High School | Gadsden, Alabama | Auburn |
| Alex Higdon | Wide receiver | Princeton High School | Cincinnati, Ohio | Ohio State |
| Erik Affholter | Placekicker | Oak Park High School | Agoura, California | USC |
;Defense
| Player | Position | School | Hometown | College |
| Ron Stallworth | Defensive line | Woodham High School | Pensacola, Florida | Auburn |
| Pete Curkendall | Defensive line | Southside High School | Elmira, New York | Penn State |
| Richard Pryor | Defensive line | Elizabeth High School | Elizabeth, New Jersey | Iowa |
| Tracy Rocker | Defensive line | Fulton High School | Atlanta, Georgia | Auburn |
| Matt Dingens | Defensive line | Brother Rice High School | Birmingham, Michigan | Notre Dame |
| Frank Stams | Linebacker | St. Vincent – St. Mary High School | Akron, Ohio | Notre Dame |
| Cedric Figaro | Linebacker | Lafayette High School | Lafayette, Louisiana | Notre Dame |
| Chris Spielman | Linebacker | Washington High School | Massillon, Ohio | Ohio State |
| Brandy Wells | Defensive back | Montclair High School | Montclair, New Jersey | Notre Dame |
| Charles Washington | Defensive back | Spruce High School | Dallas, Texas | Texas |
| Randy Thornton | Defensive back | West Jefferson High School | Harvey, Louisiana | Houston |
| Tom Tupa | Punter | Brecksville High School | Broadview Heights, Ohio | Ohio State |
1984 team
Coach of the Year: Nick Hyder;Offense
| Player | Position | School | Hometown | College |
| Hart Lee Dykes | Wide receiver | Bay City High School | Bay City, Texas | Oklahoma State |
| Todd Ellis | Quarterback | Page High School | Greensboro, North Carolina | South Carolina |
| Brian Davis | Running back | Washington High School | Washington, Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh |
| Aaron Emanuel | Running back | Quartz Hill High School | Quartz Hill, California | USC |
| Sammie Smith | Running back | Apopka High School | Apopka, Florida | Florida State |
| Eric Still | Offensive line | Germantown High School | Germantown, Tennessee | Tennessee |
| Mark VanKeirsbilck | Offensive line | Rockhurst High School | Kansas City, Missouri | Oklahoma |
| Chris Pettaway | Offensive line | American High School | Hialeah, Florida | LSU |
| Rick Meyer | Offensive line | Salinas High School | Salinas, California | UCLA |
| Mark Stepnoski | Offensive line | Cathedral Prep School | Erie, Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh |
| Marlon Washington | Wide receiver | Schlagle High School | Kansas City, Kansas | USC |
| Kevin Mills | Placekicker | Shore Regional High School | West Long Beach, New Jersey | Penn State |
;Defense
| Player | Position | School | Hometown | College |
| Quintus McDonald | Linebacker | Montclair High School | Montclair, New Jersey | Penn State |
| Sean Ridley | Defensive line | Central High School | Omaha, Nebraska | Iowa |
| Ray Huckestein | Defensive line | North Allegheny High School | Wexford, Pennsylvania | Stanford |
| Brent White | Defensive line | Stebbins High School | Dayton, Ohio | Michigan |
| Anthony Butts | Defensive line | Fulton High School | Atlanta, Georgia | Mississippi State |
| Larry Rose | Defensive line | Emma Sansom High School | Gadsden, Alabama | Alabama |
| Ned Bolcar | Linebacker | Phillipsburg High School | Phillipsburg, New Jersey | Notre Dame |
| John Porter | Linebacker | Valdosta High School | Valdosta, Georgia | Georgia Tech |
| Scott Thompson | Defensive back | Cascade High School | Everett, Washington | Oklahoma |
| Mark Green | Defensive back | Poly High School | Riverside, California | Notre Dame |
| Melvin Gilliam | Defensive back | Booker T. Washington High School | Tulsa, Oklahoma | Oklahoma State |
| Scott Johnston | Punter | Stranahan High School | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Florida State |
1985 team
Coach of the Year: Bob Shannon;Offense
| Player | Position | School | Hometown | College |
| Jeff George | Quarterback | Warren Central High School | Indianapolis, Indiana | Purdue/Illinois |
| Tony Stewart | Running back | Union High School | Union, New Jersey | Iowa |
| Tony Van Zant | Running back | Central High School | Hazelwood, Missouri | Missouri |
| Harvey Williams | Running back | Hempstead High School | Hempstead, Texas | LSU |
| Brad Johnson | Offensive line | Cherokee County High School | Centre, Alabama | Auburn |
| Lance Zeno | Offensive line | Fountain Valley High School | Fountain Valley, California | UCLA |
| Jeff Pearson | Offensive line | St. Laurence High School | Burbank, Illinois | Michigan State |
| Dave Szott | Offensive line | Clifton High School | Clifton, New Jersey | Penn State |
| Nigel Clay | Offensive line | Fontana High School | Fontana, California | Oklahoma |
| Greg McMurtry | Wide receiver | Brockton High School | Brockton, Massachusetts | Michigan |
| Percy Waddle | Wide receiver | Columbus High School | Columbus, Texas | Texas A&M |
| Mike Cortright | Placekicker | St. Mary's High School | Phoenix, Arizona | junior college |
;Defense
| Player | Position | School | Hometown | College |
| John Foley | Linebacker | St. Rita High School | Chicago, Illinois | Notre Dame |
| Warde Manuel | Defensive line | Brother Martin High School | New Orleans, Louisiana | Michigan |
| Mark Keough | Defensive line | East High School | Hazelwood, Missouri | Lincoln University of Missouri |
| Paul Glonek | Defensive line | St. Laurence High School | Burbank, Illinois | Arizona |
| Dennis Brown | Defensive line | Jordan High School | Long Beach, California | Washington |
| Zarek Peters | Defensive line | Willowridge High School | Missouri City, Texas | Oklahoma |
| Brent Collins | Linebacker | Jefferson County High School | Dandridge, Tennessee | Georgia |
| Melvin Foster | Linebacker | Yates High School | Houston, Texas | Iowa |
| Vada Murray | Defensive back | Moeller High School | Cincinnati, Ohio | Michigan |
| Mark Carrier | Defensive back | Poly High School | Long Beach, California | USC |
| Anthony Burnette | Defensive back | Lynwood High School | Lynwood, California | UCLA |
| John Zaleski | Punter | St. Rita High School | Troy, Michigan | Notre Dame |
1986 team
Coach of the Year: Spence McCracken;Offense
| Player | Position | School | Hometown | College |
| Emmitt Smith | Running back | Escambia High School | Pensacola, Florida | Florida |
| Mickey Joseph | Quarterback | Archbishop Shaw High School | Marrero, Louisiana | Nebraska |
| Darren Lewis | Running back | Carter High School | Dallas, Texas | Texas A&M |
| Ricky Watters | Running back | Bishop McDevitt High School | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | Notre Dame |
| Kelvin Hankins | Offensive line | Wilson High School | Camden, New Jersey | Clemson |
| Greg Skrepenak | Offensive line | G.A.R. Memorial High School | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | Michigan |
| Dean Dingman | Offensive line | East Troy High School | East Troy, Wisconsin | Michigan |
| Brian Kelly | Offensive line | South High School | Torrance, California | UCLA |
| Greg Lakin | Offensive line | Cypress-Fairbanks High School | Houston, Texas | Texas A&M |
| Nate Turner | Wide receiver | Mount Carmel High School | Chicago, Illinois | Nebraska |
| Johnny Walker | Wide receiver | Holmes High School | San Antonio, Texas | Texas |
| Philip Doyle | Placekicker | Huffman High School | Birmingham, Alabama | Alabama |
;Defense
| Player | Position | School | Hometown | College |
| Marc Spindler | Defensive line | West Scranton High School | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh |
| Alfred Williams | Defensive line | Jones High School | Houston, Texas | Colorado |
| David Rocker | Defensive line | Fulton High School | Atlanta, Georgia | Auburn |
| John Johnson | Defensive line | LaGrange High School | LaGrange, Georgia | Clemson |
| Stacey Dillard | Defensive line | Clarksville High School | Clarksville, Texas | Oklahoma |
| Matt Darby | Linebacker | Green Run High School | Virginia Beach, Virginia | UCLA |
| Sean Howard | Linebacker | Crespi Carmelite High School | Encino, California | UCLA |
| Pat Stant | Linebacker | Brother Martin High School | New Orleans, Louisiana | Tulane |
| Cory Booker | Defensive back | Northern Valley High School | Old Tappan, New Jersey | Stanford |
| Leroy Thompson | Defensive back | Austin-East High School | Knoxville, Tennessee | Penn State |
| Louis Riddick | Defensive back | Pennridge High School | Perkasie, Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh |
| Josh Butland | Punter | Troy High School | Troy, Michigan | Michigan State |
1987 team
Coach of the Year: Jack McCurry;Offense
| Player | Position | School | Hometown | College |
| Todd Marinovich | Quarterback | Capistrano Valley High School | Mission Viejo, California | USC |
| Kevin Williams | Running back | Spring High School | Spring, Texas | UCLA |
| Russell White | Running back | Crespi Carmelite High School | Encino, California | California |
| Chuck Webb | Running back | Macomber High School | Toledo, Ohio | Tennessee |
| Mike LiVorio | Offensive line | Gateway High School | Monroeville, Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh |
| Gene McGuire | Offensive line | Mosley High School | Panama City, Florida | Notre Dame |
| Tony Delazio | Offensive line | Whitehall High School | Whitehall, Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh |
| Brian Jacobs | Offensive line | Hart High School | Newhall, California | UCLA |
| Ed King | Offensive line | Phenix City High School | Phenix City, Alabama | Auburn |
| Derek Brown | Wide receiver | Merritt Island High School | Merritt Island, Florida | Notre Dame |
| Ronnie Johnson | Wide receiver | La Marque High School | La Marque, Texas | Houston |
| Chris Gardocki | Placekicker | Redan High School | Stone Mountain, Georgia | Clemson |
;Defense
| Player | Position | School | Hometown | College |
| Todd Collins | Linebacker | Jefferson County High School | Dandridge, Tennessee | Tennessee/Georgia/Carson-Newman |
| Tommy Jeter | Defensive line | Deer Park High School | Deer Park, Texas | Texas |
| Mike Lustyk | Defensive line | Interlake High School | Bellevue, Washington | Washington |
| Tim Cromartie | Defensive line | Godby High School | Tallahassee, Florida | Auburn |
| Randy Hall | Defensive line | Halls High School | Knoxville, Tennessee | Tennessee |
| Mario Johnson | Defensive line | Central High School | Hazelwood, Missouri | Missouri |
| Curtis Bray | Linebacker | Gateway High School | Monroeville, Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh |
| Mike Chalenski | Linebacker | Brearley High School | Kenilworth, New Jersey | UCLA |
| Baron Jackson | Defensive back | Southern Laboratory School | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Southern |
| Arnold Laws | Defensive back | Cordova High School | Rancho Cordova, California | Arizona State |
| Graylin Johnson | Defensive back | Austin High School | Port Arthur, Texas | Texas |
| Ron Dale | Punter | Boulder City High School | Boulder City, Nevada | USC |
1988 team
Coach of the Year: Carl Madison;Offense
| Player | Position | School | Hometown | College |
| Terry Kirby | Running back | Tabb High School | Tabb, Virginia | Virginia |
| Rick Mirer | Quarterback | Goshen High School | Goshen, Indiana | Notre Dame |
| Derek Brown | Running back | Servite High School | Anaheim, California | Nebraska |
| Rudy Harris | Running back | Brockton High School | Brockton, Massachusetts | Clemson |
| Bob Whitfield | Offensive line | Banning High School | Wilmington, California | Stanford |
| Mike Wells | Offensive line | Arnold High School | Arnold, Missouri | Iowa |
| Rudy Barber | Offensive line | Carol City High School | Miami, Florida | Miami |
| Stuart Tyner | Offensive line | Tomball High School | Tomball, Texas | Notre Dame |
| Chet Lacheta | Offensive line | Bloom High School | Chicago Heights, Illinois | Notre Dame |
| Pedro Cherry | Wide Receiver | Bertie High School | Windsor, North Carolina | Auburn |
| Kevin Williams | Wide receiver | Roosevelt High School | Dallas, Texas | Miami |
| Craig Hentrich | Placekicker | Marquette High School | Alton, Illinois | Notre Dame |
;Defense
| Player | Position | School | Hometown | College |
| Sean Gilbert | Linebacker | Aliquippa High School | Aliquippa, Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh |
| Alonzo Spellman | Defensive line | Rancocas Valley Regional High School | Mount Holly, New Jersey | Ohio State |
| Chuck Jones | Defensive line | Chillicothe High School | Chillicothe, Ohio | None |
| Sterling Palmer | Defensive line | St. Thomas Aquinas High School | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Florida State |
| Tamasi Amituanai | Defensive line | Vista High School | San Diego, California | Colorado |
| Eric Shaw | Defensive line | Pensacola High School | Pensacola, Florida | Louisiana Tech |
| Richard McKenzie | Linebacker | Boyd Anderson High School | Lauderdale Lakes, Florida | Penn State |
| Jesse Armstead | Linebacker | Carter High School | Dallas, Texas | Miami |
| Marcel Brown | Defensive back | Point Loma High School | San Diego, California | USC |
| Grady Cavnness | Defensive back | Willowridge High School | Sugar Land, Texas | Texas |
| Johnny Davis | Defensive back | Pahokee High School | Pahokee, Florida | Florida State |
| Paul Stonehouse | Punter | Loyola High School | Los Angeles, California | Stanford |
1989 team
Coach of the Year: Chuck Kyle;Offense
| Player | Position | School | Hometown | College |
| Andre Hastings | Wide receiver | Morrow High School | Morrow, Georgia | Georgia |
| Chris Weinke | Quarterback | Cretin-Derham Hall High School | St. Paul, Minnesota | Florida State |
| Calvin Jones | Running back | Central High School | Omaha, Nebraska | Nebraska |
| Robert Smith | Running back | Euclid High School | Euclid, Ohio | Ohio State |
| Ricky Powers | Running back | Buchtel High School | Akron, Ohio | Michigan |
| Matt Neenan | Offensive line | Williamsport Area High School | Williamsport, Pennsylvania | Syracuse |
| Aaron Taylor | Offensive line | De La Salle High School | Concord, California | Notre Dame |
| Mike McGlinn | Offensive line | Rockhurst High School | Kansas City, Missouri | Notre Dame |
| John Richard | Offensive line | Lamar High School | Houston, Texas | Texas A&M |
| Steve Roberts | Offensive line | Dalton High School | Dalton, Georgia | Georgia |
| Kyle Brady | Wide receiver | Cedar Cliff High School | Camp Hill, Pennsylvania | Penn State |
| Marty Simpson | Placekicker | Spring Valley High School | Columbia, South Carolina | South Carolina |
;Defense
| Player | Position | School | Hometown | College |
| Oliver Gibson | Linebacker | Romeoville High School | Romeoville, Illinois | Notre Dame |
| Reuben Brown | Defensive line | E. C. Glass High School | Lynchburg, Virginia | Pittsburgh |
| Bernard Williams | Defensive line | Hamilton High School | Memphis, Tennessee | Georgia |
| Mitch Davis | Defensive line | Vigor High School | Prichard, Alabama | Georgia |
| Brian Hamilton | Defensive line | St. Rita High School | Chicago, Illinois | Notre Dame |
| Tashe Williams | Defensive line | Air Academy High School | Colorado Springs, Colorado | Northern Colorado |
| Marvin Jones | Linebacker | Northwestern High School | Miami, Florida | Florida State |
| Bruce Walker | Linebacker | Dominguez High School | Compton, California | UCLA |
| Othello Henderson | Defensive back | Ellison High School | Killeen, Texas | UCLA |
| Larry Kennedy | Defensive back | Riverview High School | Sarasota, Florida | Florida |
| Willie Guy | Defensive back | East High School | Memphis, Tennessee | Iowa |
| Mike Thomas | Punter | Richmond County High School | Rockingham, North Carolina | North Carolina |