Lehman Legacy Award Recipients
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In Honor of Rex & Elsie Lehman
Founders of NHS Football (1949)
The Lehman Legacy Award honors their love for NHS Football and will be awarded to an individual who has demonstrated that love and embodies the very essence of team spirit.
1949
Two six-man teams played football with borrowed uniforms from Fort Myers
1950
NHS's first official game came about because a grandfather, Rex Lehman, wanted to see his grandson, Robert Walker, play the game he loved. A mosquito bite at age 10 stopped this grandfather's dream, but it did not stop the bonds of family nor their love for the game.
Robert Walker, who grew up loving his Naples community, became NHS #1 fan.
2011
The Walker family, Shula's Steakhouse, Naples Hilton, and Doctor Lois Bolin launched the Lehman Legacy Award.
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Rusty Larabell
Each year, the Naples High Football Program honors a distinguished player for their invaluable contributions to the Golden Eagle Football Team, Naples High School, and the local community. The Rusty Larabell Award, selected by the NHS coaching staff, serves as a testament to the remarkable young man, Rusty Larabell.
Rusty relocated to Naples during his sophomore year of high school. A multi-sport athlete, he excelled in wrestling, track, and football. His presence significantly impacted the emerging football program, embodying a contagious smile and leaving an indelible mark on all he encountered through his thoughtful, instructional, and inspirational nature. Rusty established a benchmark for his teammates through his unwavering work ethic and relentless pursuit of personal and collective improvement. His dedication extended beyond practice hours, as he often remained behind to assist his classmates with various tasks. Proud to be a Golden Eagle, Rusty’s contributions have left an enduring legacy on our lives.
The Rusty Larabell Award is the sole accolade bestowed upon a Naples High football player by their coaches. This award is presented to the individual who embodies the core principles of the Naples Football Program. Recipients are selected based on their exceptional performance on the field, their academic achievements, and their contributions to the community. The previous recipients of this esteemed award are:
The Naples High School
Athletic Hall of Fame
Background. The original Naples High School Athletic Hall of Fame was built in 1988 using funds raised exclusively by the Naples High School Senior Class. It was dedicated to the memory of their classmate Rob Neinas, who passed away when he was a sophomore. The building itself (and the trophy cases contained therein) was built onto the exterior front of the original NHS gymnasium and served as a gym entryway and lobby. The current gymnasium, which opened in August of 2009 (dedicated on October 19, 2009), was designed to include an expanded Hall of Fame and features a much larger front entryway and lobby, which extensively and vividly showcases the history of Naples High School athletic achievement over many years.
The Hall of Fame entryway contains a magnificent cast-bronze Golden Eagle sculpture mounted on a tiled-marble pedestal. Just below the cast bronze eagle and on the front of the pedestal is an engraved bronze plaque that reads in part: Naples High School Hall of Fame – In Memoriam – Charles Lykins – Class of 1977. Mr. Lykins was killed in a commuter plane crash in Kentucky in 2008. His widow, Karen, contributed generously (in his name) to provide NHS with upgrades during the new gym’s construction. Behind the bronze plaque is a Time Capsule, which is scheduled to be opened on October 19, 2034.
TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHIES: Displayed in fifteen (15) large Illuminated Display Cases (located along most of the eastern wall of the Hall of Fame) are FHSAA State Series Team Championship awards including but not limited to District, Region Runner Up, Region, State-Runner Up and State Championship trophies, Academic Team Championship Awards, and Collier County Athletic Conference Championship awards. (There are no District Runner-Up or below awards or any Invitational awards exhibited in the HOF.)
NHS - Winged-Foot Scholar Athletes. Also in the entryway/lobby area is a display case that provides recognition (in the form of pictures in shadow box display frames) for all of Naples High School’s Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete nominees and winners. The Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete Award was designed to recognize the top Scholar-Athletes in all Collier County high schools, both public and private. The program pays tribute to one senior “Finalist” nominated by each high school in Collier County. Each finalist receives a $5,000 scholarship and is invited to attend an awards ceremony where a nationally prominent sports figure announces the overall Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete Winner. The Winner receives a $10,000 scholarship and an elegant miniature Winged-Foot Trophy.
THE W.A.R. EAGLE CLUB - The Naples High School Wall of Athletic Recognition (W.A.R) is designed to recognize the achievements of those Golden Eagle student-athletes who played a sport(s) at the collegiate level. Engraved acrylic plaques mounted onto a canvas of NHS athletes in action are located all along the west wall of the Hall of Fame. The Naples High School Athletic Department sponsors the Wall of Athletic Recognition (W.A.R). The qualification for inclusion into this exclusive club is simple: a minimum of one full season of participation in a varsity sport at the collegiate level.
JOHN R. WOODRUFF and GEORGE B. PITTMAN AWARDS - Each year from 1973 until 1988, the John R. Woodruff Award was presented to an outstanding male or female athlete at Naples High School. Since 1989, the Woodruff Award has been given to a male athlete, and an equivalent honor, the George B. Pittman Award, has been presented to a female athlete. The Woodruff and Pittman Awards are designed to recognize and honor two students who have made outstanding contributions to Naples High School in the area of athletics. Academic and leadership achievements are additional important qualifications for each award. The pictures and nameplates of every Woodruff and Pittman Award winner are displayed in the Hall of Fame.
FHSAA Hall of Fame and Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) Hall of Fame Coaches’ Awards are exhibited.
An Olympic Bronze Medal Winner alumnus and a Wimbledon Champion are both recognized in the HOF.
National Football League. NHS graduates who play or have played in the National Football League have their framed jerseys exhibited in the HOF.
The Joe Klimas Coconut Bowl Trophy is awarded annually to the winner of the varsity football game between Naples and Lely High Schools. The Coconut Bowl football game is the third oldest high school football rivalry in the State of Florida.
The Cross-Town Showdown Trophy is awarded annually to the winner of the varsity football game between Naples and Barron Collier High School.
NATIONAL and State Championship Banners – hanging from the rafters in the Hall of Fame are banners celebrating our two national championship teams (baseball in 2009 and softball in 1998) and our 2009 All-Sports School Athletic Program State Championship.
BILL KRAMER
1998-2019
Head Coach
Quarterbacks and
Running Backs Coach
Coach Kramer is a graduate of Liberty University (Lynchburg, Virginia) where he majored in Health and Physical Education while lettering three years as a wide receiver. He also holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale) and a Master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from Saint Thomas University (Miami). He is actively involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes of Southwest Florida and is regularly a guest speaker and clinician for numerous schools, universities, professional, and civic groups. Bill and his wife, Susan, have four daughters. Katie currently resides in Washington DC where she works as an Economic Analyst for the FDIC. Courtney teaches Honors Biology and Herpetology at Huntington High School in Huntington, WV. Kelly is a senior at Florida Southern College, where she is majoring in Mathematics and Economics & Finance. Cassie is a terrific third grader.
The past thirteen seasons, the Golden Eagles have compiled a winning percentage of over 88 percent. The 216-51 record that Coach Kramer and the Naples Football staff have compiled over the last twenty-one years ranks them number one in total wins and winning percentage in Naples High School’s 70 years of football tradition.
232 - 64 record as a head coach (1995-2019)
216 - 51 at Naples High School (1998-2019)
2 State Championships (2001, 2007)
1 State Finals Runner-Up (2003)
8 Regional Championships (2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018)
16 District Championships (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
If success is measured by what happens after high school, it is worthy to note that in the last 19 years over 90 percent of senior football players at Naples High School have gone on to college or served in the United States Armed Forces. Many of these young men chose to continue both their academic and athletic careers. Again, this fall, there are more than 20 Naples High football players lining up on college gridirons.
Awards Coach Kramer has accepted on behalf of the football staff at Naples High School:
Florida Athletic Coaches Association District Coach of the Year (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016)
Inaugural Naples High School Coach of the Year Award (2001)
Nike Coach of the Year (2001, 2007)
Rotary Club Paul Harris Fellow (2001, 2008)
Inaugural Collier County “Ten Men of Distinction” Award (2002)
Fellowship of Christian Athletes Nick Hyder Award - Black Mountain, NC (2002, 2005, 2012)
State Farm Good Neighbor Coaches Sportsmanship Award (2003)
Florida Sports Writers and FACA Football Coach of the Year - All Classifications (2003)
The News-Press Coach of the Year (2003, 2007)
Naples Daily News Coach of the Year (2003, 2007, 2008)
American Football Magazine “Young Gun” - One of the top ten coaches in Florida under the age of 45 (2006)
Florida Sports Writers Florida 3A Coach of the Year (2007)
Published in the 2007 American Football Coaches Association Summer Manual (2007)
American Football Coaches Association Public Relations Committee (2007 - present)
Collier County Bar Association Educator of the Year Award (2008)
National Sports Achievement Award (2008)
National Federation of High Schools Florida Coach of the Year (2011)
Miami Dolphins Southwest Florida Coach of the Year (2012)
Florida North-South All-Star game Offensive Coordinator for the winning South squad (2013)
US Army All-American Bowl Running Backs Coach for winning East team - San Antonio, TX (2013)
Florida Representative to the NFL Youth Football Summit - Canton, Ohio (2013)
British American Football Coaches Association National Convention speaker - Leeds, England (2013)
FHSAA Football Advisory Committee - Chairman and Committee member (2014 - present)
Member of the Board of Directors for the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (2014 - present)
US Army All-American Bowl Head Coach for the East team - San Antonio, TX (2016)
Inducted into the Florida Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame (2016)
Inducted into the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame (2017)
Elected vice-president for the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (2018)
Inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2025)
Seasons in Review 1998 – 2017
Kramer – Dollar – Horne Years
At Naples High, as the saying goes, “Tradition Never Graduates”, and the Golden Eagle football tradition is well documented. In the spring of 2010, Scout.com analyzed all of the nearly 400 football programs in Florida and ranked the top ten for the last decade. Naples High is listed as the seventh-ranked football program in that decade. Also that spring the News-Press compared all of the football programs in Southwest Florida and declared Naples High School “Prep Football Kings”.
In 1998, Coach Bill Kramer, along with Sam Dollar and Paul Horne, declared themselves all-in and moved their families to Naples with no guarantee of success, but a common bond that football is a powerful tool to grow and mold young men into terrific fathers, husbands, sons, and leaders. The inaugural 1998 season was a struggle, but the 3-7 record belies the foundation that was built both on and off the field; a foundation which has held firmly through 21 years of success in Naples High football.
The 1999 and 2000 seasons saw a return to the playoffs for the Golden Eagles after a 17year hiatus. The young Eagles were growing into their own, posting 8-2 and 7-3 regular season records.
In 2001, after an 8-2 regular season, Naples High shocked the state of Florida, winning the first-ever State Football Championship in the history of Southwest Florida.
Naples High astounded pundits around the state in 2002, with a 12-2 record and an appearance in the State Semi-final game against eventual state champion Pompano Beach Ely.
The 2003 season found the Golden Eagles with a hard-earned 13-2 record and a return to the State Football Championship game.
In 2004, the Naples High School football team tore through the record books; with the Dollar Defense and fast break offense, they outscored their opponents 395-56 en route to a perfect regular season. The Golden Eagles finished the regular season ranked ninth in the nation by the Associated Press and twelfth by USA Today.
The 2005 Golden Eagle squad had much to overcome after sending seven coaches on to represent the Golden Eagle tradition at other venues throughout the country. Despite this, and with arguably the toughest schedule in Florida, the Golden Eagles boasted one of the stingiest defenses and the number one offense in yards per game in Southwest Florida, finishing with a 5-4 record.
The 2006 Golden Eagle football team went on to win 11 games and the district title. This 2006 team saw its state title run end against eventual state champion Glades Central High School in the Regional Championship; a game many considered to be one of the greatest games in Southwest Florida history.
The 2007 season was a season for the ages. Naples High Football completed a phenomenal season being the first team in the history of Southwest Florida to finish undefeated and win a State Championship. The 2007 squad set records for most points scored in the regular season (443) and fewest points allowed (52).
In 2008 the Golden Eagle football team again broke the single season scoring record (444) and had one of the toughest defenses in the state while finishing 11-2 with both losses at the hands of Miami Pace High School.
The 2009 season was difficult by Naples High standards, a 7-3 record that found the Golden Eagles out of the playoffs left the coaches and players determined to redouble their efforts in preparation for the 2010 season.
The 2010 Naples squad became just the third team to finish the regular season undefeated and will go down in the record books as one of the most dominating in Southwest Florida history as the defense allowed just over six points a game and the offense averaged more than forty. After 11 straight wins, the Golden Eagles fell to a talented South Fort Myers team in what many consider to be the greatest game ever played between Lee and Collier teams; it was the first time an undefeated team from each county had ever met in the playoffs.
After returning only two defensive starters in 2011, the Dollar Defense was dominant again, giving up just 12 points a game and posting four shutouts, while Paul Horne’s offense finished the season with over 5,000 total yards and 34 points a game. After an 8-2 regular season and ninth district championship, Naples prevailed in a 44-13 first-round playoff rematch against South Fort Myers. In the first-ever postseason matchup versus Fort Myers High School, the Golden Eagles walked away with a 42-0 win. Playing in their seventh Regional Championship, Naples came up short in a hard-fought contest at Daytona Beach Mainland. Naples High football finished with a top-eight ranking in Florida, the tenth consecutive year in the top ten by classification.
The 2012 season again set records as the Naples offense averaged over 52 points a game to lead the state in scoring for all classifications. The 476 points in just nine regularseason games set the bar high for future squads. The undefeated Golden Eagles played the Island Coast Gators for the first time in history during the first round of the playoffs. Naples finished with a 45-7 victory. The following week, Naples traveled to play South Fort Myers High the third consecutive year. With the all-time series knotted at one win each, the Golden Eagles remained undefeated with a convincing 42-21 win and advanced to the Region Final for the eighth time in twelve years. The 2012 Regional Final was a rematch from the 2011 game, but Daytona Beach Mainland traveled to Staver Field, where the Golden Eagles won 41-14. The 2012 State Semi-Final brought the nationally-ranked Miami Central Rockets to Naples for the first time ever. The Golden Eagles stunned Miami Central from the outset, taking a ten-point lead into the locker room at halftime. Unfortunately, the lead would not hold, and with eight minutes left the Rockets took a 34-33 lead, which Central would not relinquish.
The 2013 Naples football team faced many challenges with an offense returning only two starters and a defense returning three. On September 27, 2013, Staver Field was the first in Florida to host a game played between schools from Ohio and Florida. Undefeated (4-0) Centerville, the second largest school in Ohio, faced undefeated (4-0) Naples in a clash of two football powerhouses. This game did not disappoint as both teams played at a level seldom seen in high school football. The final 38-37 double overtime score left both teams exhausted and full of respect for each other. In the end, the depth and experience of Centerville prevailed as the more than 100 players on their sideline, led by more than forty seniors, outlasted the Naples team, which dressed forty-three total players and only eleven seniors. Naples High went on to win seven more games en route to an 8-2 regular season and fourth consecutive District Championship. The playoffs began with a convincing 49-7 win over Palm Bay Bayside. Week two of the playoffs found Naples taking the five-hour trip to Palm Bay to face Heritage High School, and in a hard-fought game, the Golden Eagles found themselves on the wrong side of a 27-19 score. With ten starters returning on offense, eight starters returning on defense, and three-year starter Jerry Nunez returning to kick for the Golden Eagles, the players and coaches were determined to be the very best, individually and collectively, that they can be.
Entering the 2014 season, the Naples Daily News described the Naples football team as “The Gold Standard” in Southwest Florida football. A tough regular-season schedule included a Week 3 matchup at national powerhouse Bradenton Manatee. A hard-fought game left Naples High on the short end of a 31-19 score, and without running back Carlin Fils-Aime, one of the top recruits in the nation, who was lost to a season-ending ankle injury. The Golden Eagles intensified their effort, and after shuffling the deck a bit with personnel, went on a seven-game win streak to finish the season 9-1. After dominating the first round of the playoffs, the Golden Eagles lost to Palm Bay Heritage for the second consecutive year in a 30-28 slugfest.
The 2015 Golden Eagle Football team began the season with high expectations and did not disappoint. After an early stumble against American Heritage-Delray, Naples went on a tear, winning eight straight regular-season games with an offense that averaged over 50 points a game and a defense that gave up less than 9. The regular season ended with Naples earning a record sixth consecutive District Championship and being named Collier County Athletic Conference Champions. The playoffs found Naples nearly as dominating, winning three consecutive games and the Regional Championship. The State Semifinal game in Miami versus Miami Central was hard fought, but the Rockets proved too tough as they went on to win their sixth consecutive State Championship.
The 2016 squad had many shoes to fill as 15 players from the 2015 ballclub went on to line up on college football fields across the country. The 2016 Naples Football team began the year with many people, especially local opponents, expecting the Golden Eagles to struggle. That simply was not the case. The 2016 team came out determined to carry on the legacy that is Naples High Football. After a 40-0 Kickoff Classic win against a strong St Pete Lakewood team, the Golden Eagles turned heads around the state with a 50-17 win against perennial powerhouse American Heritage (Delray). In the end, Naples Football finished 9-2 with a record-setting seventh consecutive District Championship and another Collier County Athletic Conference Championship.
The 2017 football season began with Hurricane Irma making Naples ground zero and finished with Naples High winning a record-setting eighth consecutive District Championship and the seventh Regional Championship since 2001. The 2017 season had two of the most memorable games in Southwest Florida history. On Friday, October 7, at Barron Collier, the Golden Eagles offense found themselves on their own 23-yard line down 15-13 with 1:25 left in the game. As the Barron fans celebrated the obvious victory, Jordan Persad-Tirone led the Naples offense to the Cougar three-yard line, and with twenty seconds left in the game, Hugh Wilkinson kicked the winning field goal, securing the 19th straight victory for Naples over Barron Collier.
November 10 found the Golden Eagles at home playing a salty Port Charlotte squad in the first round of the playoffs. The Dollar defense was lights out all night, keeping Port Charlotte from scoring on offense. The Pirates’ only score was on a recovered fumble, which they returned for a touchdown. With 10 seconds left and Naples down 7-0, the Golden Eagles found a way to win. Taejon Wright made an ESPN highlight touchdown catch, and with 9.6 seconds left, Naples High was down 7-6. Naples recovered the ensuing onside kick and scored on the first offensive play to advance with a 13-7 win. Two touchdowns in under ten seconds, now that is almost as memorable as Irma.
2017 FHSAA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
“I have come to appreciate Coach Kramer's many fine qualities and accomplishments as a coach in the way he runs his program - both on and off the field. His passion for coaching and making an impact in the lives of his players to develop them into great husbands and fathers is what sets him apart." – Urban Meyer, Head Football Coach, Ohio State University
The driving force behind Bill Kramer’s coaching philosophy is the notion that football is a powerful tool that can be used to grow and mold young men into tremendous sons, husbands, fathers, citizens, and leaders. Faith, family, and football have been Coach Kramer’s main focus for most of his life.
Bill Kramer began his coaching career in 1987 at American High School in Dade County, where he was the head women’s track and field coach and an assistant coach in the football program. In 1995, he became the Patriots head football coach and in 1998, he became the head football coach at Naples High School. In only his fourth season at Naples (2001), the Golden Eagles won the first football state championship in southwest Florida history. Kramer has since led two more Naples teams to the FHSAA State Finals, finishing Runner-Up in 2003 and winning a second State Championship in 2007 with the area’s first perfect season (15-0). Kramer’s teams have won 14 District and six Region Championships. The 186-45 record compiled by Kramer and his staff ranks them first in total wins and winning percentage (80%) in Naples High School’s 60-year tradition of football.
Bill Kramer has been recognized as an FACA District Coach of the Year 10 times and has been a two-time Nike Coach of the Year. In 2015, he was inducted into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
In addition, Kramer has been chosen to represent Florida at the NFL Youth Football Summit and serves on the FACA Board of Directors, the FHSAA Football Advisory Council and the American Football Coaches Association Public Relations Committee. He has also been selected to be an assistant coach in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, and in 2016 he was selected to be the head coach of the US Army All-American Bowl East team.
Coach Kramer is actively involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is a recipient of the FCA Nick Hyder Award. He is regularly a featured speaker and clinician at numerous schools, universities and colleges, professional and civic groups.
Florida Athletic Coaches Association
Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
The driving force behind Bill Kramer’s coaching philosophy is the notion that football is a powerful tool that can be used to grow and mold young men into tremendous sons, husbands, fathers, citizens, and leaders. Faith, family, and football have been Coach Kramer’s main focus for most of his life.
Bill Kramer began his coaching career in 1987 at American High School in Dade County, where he was the head women’s track and field coach and an assistant coach in the football program. In 1995, he became the Patriots head football coach and in 1998, he became the head football coach at Naples High School. In only his fourth season at Naples (2001), the Golden Eagles won the first football state championship in southwest Florida history. Kramer has since led two more Naples teams to the FHSAA State Finals, finishing Runner-Up in 2003 and winning a second State Championship in 2007 with the area’s first perfect season (15-0). Kramer’s teams have won 14 District and six Region Championships. The 186-45 record compiled by Kramer and his staff ranks them first in total wins and winning percentage (80%) in Naples High School’s 60-year tradition of football.
Bill Kramer has been recognized as an FACA District Coach of the Year 10 times and has been a two-time Nike Coach of the Year. In 2015, he was inducted into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
In addition, Kramer has been chosen to represent Florida at the NFL Youth Football Summit and serves on the FACA Board of Directors, the FHSAA Football Advisory Council and the American Football Coaches Association Public Relations Committee. He has also been selected to be an assistant coach in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, and in 2016 he was selected to be the head coach of the US Army All-American Bowl East team.
Coach Kramer is actively involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is a recipient of the FCA Nick Hyder Award. He is regularly a featured speaker and clinician at numerous schools, universities and colleges, professional and civic groups.
Paul Horne
2019 FACA Assistant Coach of the Year
Each year, the Florida Athletic Coaches Association recognizes Florida’s most outstanding assistant coaches. Any coach, in any sport, who has been an assistant coach in the state of Florida for at least ten (10) years and who is a current member of the FACA, is eligible for the award. Those coaches with the highest verifiable point totals in the areas of coaching tenure, coaching publications, State Series champions coached, and coaching service each year are selected to receive this award.
The 2019 recipient of the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Outstanding Assistant Coach Award is Naples High School varsity football Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach Paul Horne.
Coach Horne is in his 22nd season at NHS. He is a graduate of William and Mary, where he was a two-year starter in football for The Tribe. Coach Horne teaches social studies at Naples High School. He is a National Board Certified Teacher, a Golden Apple Recipient, and a Collier County Social Studies Teacher of the Year. He has a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership.
As a coach in the Golden Eagle football program Paul Horne has coached one All-American, two Florida North-South All-Star game participants, twenty-five collegiate linemen, fifteen All-State linemen, and numerous All-District/All-Conference/All-County linemen. In 2016, he was a coach in the 2016 US Army All-American Football Bowl.
Congratulations Paul!
