Tai Streets - High School

High School

After Streets' parents separated, he lived with his mother in Matteson. She started him in track, which quickly supplanted baseball, which he last played at age 12. At Rich South High School of Richton Park, Illinois he participated initially in basketball and track with basketball in his sights for professional success. As a sophomore, Streets briefly played halfback for the football team, but he broke his ankle in a freak accident after the second game, and vowed never to return. Rich South coach Hud Venerable, who had seen videotapes of Streets, set out to bring him back as a junior. He attempted to recruit Streets by attending his basketball games and track meets. He knew Streets wanted to play wide receiver. He realized football could provide a better college opportunity than basketball, especially for a 6-foot-4-inch (1.93 m) athlete such as himself. After he returned to football, he became widely known in all three sports.

As a sophomore in 1992–93, Streets scored 20 points and posted 12 rebounds in his first varsity basketball game for Rich South on January 22, 1993. The team finished that season with a 14–10 record. That same season, Streets won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) triple jump championship. As a junior, he helped the team compile a 26–2 record as it entered the sectional finals. In track, he won the Class AA state championship in the long jump on his final jump of 23 feet 7 inches (7.19 m) and was leading in the triple jump with a jump of 49 feet 8.25 inches (15.14 m) until Byron Topps leapt to a state record of 50 feet 7 inches (15.42 m). During his junior year, he was recognized, along with fellow future professional football player Donovan McNabb, as one of the 16 best boy athletes in the Chicago metropolitan area by the Chicago Sun-Times for his efforts in high school football, basketball and track. That spring he was also selected as one of the ten best football prospects in the Chicago area by high school athlete expert Tom Lemming for his play at wide receiver. College coaches who recruit in the Chicago area selected him as one of the top 16 1994 football prospects. One recruiting service rated him as one of the top five football prospects in Illinois and one of the top three wide receiver prospects in the United States. During the summer between his junior and senior year Streets was selected as to the All-Tournament team for the AAU 17 & under men's basketball National Invitational Tournament held in Kenner, Louisiana.

Streets moved in with his dad and transferred to Thornton Township High School. At the time of his 1994 senior year transfer to Harvey, Illinois's Thornton, Streets was described by a Chicago Sun-Times journalist as "the best high school athlete in Illinois". The Sun-Times chose him as one of the six best football prospects in the area and as an All-Area Offensive selection before his senior season. He was a preseason All-American in football. Lemming named him as one of the top 100 senior prospects in the nation. By this time, Lemming considered him to be the best high school wide receiver in Illinois. According to Sporting News, Streets and Randy Moss were among the four best wide receivers in the nation. National Recruiting Advisor listed him fifth behind Peter Warrick, Moss, Mondriel Fulcher, and Corey Jones.

Streets and sophomore quarterback Antwaan Randle El helped Thornton snap Homewood-Flossmoor High School's 44-game conference winning streak in the SICA East in football. Over the course of the season he helped Thornton achieve a 9–0 record on its way to the Class 6A state playoffs. Although Streets accumulated nine receptions for 145 yards in the playoff game, he only had one touchdown in the waning moments and was kept from making gamebreaking plays when it mattered. He ended the season as a Chicago Tribune second-team All-state selection. In high school, he aspired to have a broadcasting career after athletics like his role model Ahmad Rashad and also had visions of Olympic Games competition. As late as December of his senior year, he was considering Michigan, Illinois, Notre Dame, Wisconsin and South Carolina. In January 1995, he selected the University of Michigan because of its tradition of producing National Football League wide receivers such as Anthony Carter, Derrick Alexander, Desmond Howard and Chris Calloway. Streets was part of a Michigan football recruiting class that included Tom Brady and Charles Woodson. Streets was selected to play in the Chicago Public League Football Coaches Association eighth annual Harold Washington All-Star Football Game. In the 12th annual Suburban All-Star Football Classic, Streets caught a 37-yard fly pattern for the game-winning touchdown.

During his senior basketball season, he was named by the Chicago Tribune as a Prep Athlete of the Week for leading Thornton to victory over Champaign, Illinois' Centennial High School, the 12th ranked school in the state. After the regular season, he was a member of the Chicago Sun-Times All-Area team as well as their Class AA All-State team headlined by Player of the Year Kevin Garnett. He was also selected to the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette All-state team. Eventually, Streets was named to all five notable All-State teams. In the state playoffs, Streets helped lead Thornton to victory over Garnett's number-one-ranked Farragut Academy team, which also included Ronnie Fields and Michael Wright, in the Class AA state quarterfinals. In the championship game, Streets had a game-high 15 rebounds in a losing effort against Manual High School as Thornton finished with a 30–2 record. Streets was the highest vote-getter on the Associated Press Class AA all-tournament team. He was selected to play in the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-star game. Streets scored 12 points and had 10 rebounds in the game. Streets was also selected as a member of the Chicago Suburban All-Stars. He placed fourth in the 1995 Illinois Mr. Basketball selection that Garnett won in a landslide. USA Today recognized him as an honorable mention All-USA selection. He was part of a Michigan Wolverines men's basketball incoming number-one ranked recruiting class with three McDonald's All-Americans: Robert Traylor, Albert White, and Louis Bullock.

During his 1995 senior track season, he ran a sub-21 second 200 meter in the SICA East Conference championship meet. In the sectional state championship meet qualifier, Streets posted a long jump of 24 feet 9 inches (7.54 m) and a triple jump of 45 feet 9.5 inches (13.96 m). The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) championship meet record of 24 feet 6.25 inches (7.47 m) set in 1969 seemed in jeopardy. On the first day of the long jump competition, Streets posted a 23 feet 6 inches (7.16 m), which was second to the leader's 24 feet 2.5 inches (7.38 m), and neither athlete improved his jump on the second day, leaving Streets as the second-place finisher. Streets also ran a 47 split for his leg of the third-place 4 x 400 metres relay team at the state meet.

He graduated in the class of 1995. His high school basketball teams included future professional athletes Randle El, Melvin Ely, and Napoleon Harris. As a senior, Streets won the Chicago Sun-Times all sport 1994–95 high school athlete of the year award. He also was named Chicago Tribune March 1995 Athlete of the Month and 1994–95 Chicago Tribune Athlete of the Year, which was awarded June 21, 1995 at Comiskey Park. Streets was also honored as the IHSA Sports Report Athlete of the Year. Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Illinois said that Streets would have won their Athlete of the Year award had he competed in their coverage area. Streets was so highly regarded as an athlete that the Thornton baseball coach repeatedly extended him an open offer to pitch for the baseball team.