1. Chris Spencer (center for Tennessee Titans), Jamarca Sanford (defensive back for Minnesota Vikings) and Damien Lewis (offensive line for Seattle Seahawks) are all outstanding players from Mississippi. California alone, at 225 active players, accounts for more than ten percent of NFL players. Its quality, as well. The Alabama Crimson Tide has produced the most NFL players out of all college football teams. Coach Urban Meyer preparing players for the NFL also was a huge attraction as many of those 65 players came under his tenure. Bottom line:The Auburn Tigers are not currently considered an SEC powerhouse, but it wasn't that long ago when they were. The remaining seven states to crack the top 10 are Georgia, Ohio, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, North Carolina and New Jersey. Editorial cartoons and photo essays are not included under the Creative Commons license and therefore do not have the "Republish This Story" button option. Any sources cited were Colleges with the most NFL players all time . If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Newman had Peyton and Eli Manning, and Westlake's Drew Brees and Nick Foles also led world champions. All four of those states are among the top 10 in producing NFL players, so Penn State is in an ideal location to land top talent. Jones was a Razorback starter at offensive guard and co-captain when the team won the national title. While ranking 22nd in all-time NFL players, Auburn ranks 23rd in active players after ranking eighth in 2019, pointing to their recent struggles. Rick Cleveland, a native of Hattiesburg and resident of Jackson, has been Mississippi Todays sports columnist since 2016. So we set out to determine what state produces the most NFL players. Seven of the school's 11 national championships came in the first half of the 20th century, and none of those titles have come in the last 30 years. Active NFL players from Texas include Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes; Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams. In third place for most NFL players is California, which gets to claim two legendary players in Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Once we started looking through historic roster data for various NFL teams, we really didnt want to stop. North Carolina State has never been to a BCS bowl and hasn't won an ACC title since 1979. With all due respect to Fran Tarkenton and others drafted before 1980, the best players in Georgia history have come in the last 40 years. Or should. They grew up just 10 minutes from each other in Chicago and are universally known by their surnames: Butkus and Nitschke. California and Texas are still at the top of the list. Action Network's list of the top 10 states with the most active NFL players is listed below. We just dont have available stats on the authors and musicians. It was enough to move . Mississippi averages 26.6 NFL players for every 100,000 citizens. That is 48 more than the team with the next most Pro Bowl selections. So we didnt. Those three states currently have 597 players in the NFL. For a better experience, please consider using a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. Clemson's Trevor Lawrence went 52-2 as a starter at Cartersville High, winning two state titles. However, 13 Wolverines have reached 1,000 NFL rushing yards with the latest being the greatest, Tom Brady. Heres the full chart that Feldman shared on Twitter below: The District of Columbia, with one NFL player for every 54,702 residents, has the most NFL players per capita. The state that produced dynamic personalities such as Favre and Gardner Minshew found a way to make an impression. Most touchdowns in NFL: Tony Gonzalez (111), Most games played in NFL: Tony Gonzalez (270). With the 2021 NFL Draft now firmly in the rearview mirror, here's an updated look at the 25 schools with the most all-time NFL Draft picks. Cardale Jones. Yes, Bulldogs Dak Prescott and perhaps Fletcher Cox are future Hall of Famers but thats a few years away. Check out the full list of 721 quarterbacks divided by state here. Mississippi averages 26.6 NFL players for every 100,000 citizens. U.S. News rank: 57 (tie), National Universities. Our site uses cookies to personalize content, to provide social media features/ads and to analyze site traffic. He was sports editor of Hattiesburg American, executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Would we Mississippians rather be ranked No. What college has the most NFL players all time? That's why they call scouting an inexact science. In terms of schools that have produced the most NFL players all-time, Notre Dame just edged out USC for the top spot, with Ohio State joining those historic programs as the only ones to send more than 400 players to the NFL. It only seems as though Tom Brady has been playing long enough to have hung out with the Lizard King himself, and that Jim Morrison was talking about Brady and California QBs when he crooned, "The West is the best, get here and we'll do the rest." We also looked at the three college teams who had the most players join each professional team in every decade. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Second is California with 187, followed by Texas (160), Georgia (97), Ohio (80), Pennsylvania (66) and Louisiana (63). Subscribe to get the latest insight from Mel Kiper Jr., Todd McShay and all of our experts heading into the NFL draft, plus thousands of your favorite sporting events. How Mississippis outdated application process keeps parents from getting child care assistance, Another Democratic defection adds to Republican supermajority in Legislature, Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. That's reflective of Arizona's NFL history, which includes longtime backup Mike Pagel. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). Perhaps a surprise to some, North Carolina takes the fourth spot. The Cornhuskers have won more games against Power 5 opponents than any other school in history, and their dominance stretches from the early 20th century all the way to the 1990s. More than 25 percent of its 98 Pro Bowl selections came from just four defensive backs: Mike Haynes (9), Eric Allen (6), Louis Wright (5) and Darren Woodson (5). A debate between NFL players bubbled up on social media this week when former Galveston Ball High School star Mike Evans proclaimed that Texas high school football produces the best players. Hall of Famers Warren Moon and Hugh McElhenny came from Los Angeles, six-time Pro Bowl center Olin Kreutz came from Hawaii, and Marcus Peters was from Oakland. Yet Texas leads the U.S. in Super Bowl wins above expectation. You have to credit Mississippi Today. Alabama is ranked first in the country in terms of NFL players per capita, with one NFL player per 74,683 residents. Current NFL players: 37. Three legendary Cal stars are quarterback Aaron Rodgers, tight end Tony Gonzalez and running back Marshawn Lynch. North Dakota State's Trey Lance could be the first Minnesota QB selected in the first round. The NFL is known world wide for having some of the best athletes in the world. Quarterbacks taken ahead of Fouts that year include Bert Jones (Baltimore Colts), Gary Huff (Chicago Bears), Ron Jaworski (Los Angeles Rams), Gary Keithley (St. Louis Cardinals) and Joe Ferguson (Buffalo Bills). Across NFL draft history, Notre Dame and USC have seen the most alums get drafted, according to drafthistory.com -- and they are also the most popular programs for the Eagles over time. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Thats as many Pro Football Hall of Famers as both Florida State and Georgia have and twice as many as Auburn, Ole Miss and Southern Miss have produced. Although the Magnolia State has boasted just 11 NFL quarterbacks during the Super Bowl era (tied for 12th among all states), almost all of them were QB1s. Thanks to a slew of legendary coaches and a tradition . Rod Woodson already has a gold jacket and is the greatest Purdue football alum not named Brees. 2023 www.clarionledger.com. In terms of players by decade, the NFL relied heavily on schools from the Midwest such as Notre Dame and Minnesota in the early days, before shifting their focus out west to USC in the 70s and 80s before settling into a varied approach that has seen schools from the Midwest, California, and the Southeast regularly headlining NFL rosters over the last 30 years. While some schools are known for producing CEOs or millionaires, these 10 colleges have the most NFL players on active rosters, according to NCAA data. St. Ignatius (Ohio) is in the only ZIP code with four NFL quarterbacks, though the most well-known name from that group is Luck -- and it's not the Luck you think it is. a proud member of the With 56 players, Alabama's roster in 2019 is the largest. Or should be. USC - 479 3. Warner collected 71 of his 311 career college wins at Stanford and changed the game with the forward pass. Thats right, Mississippi, for its population, produces more pro football players than Texas, Florida, California and more than Louisiana and Alabama, as well. 211 current NFL players came from a school in Texas. The Lone Star State produced a plethora of talented quarterbacks, such as Drew Brees, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Ryan Tannehill. No promotions available. Here is another area where Notre Dames influence is readily apparent, as they are the top school at seven of the 24 positions we evaluated, including key positions such as quarterback and running back. Arkansas football also produced Jerry Jones, Hall of Fame owner of the Dallas Cowboys, and Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer, two Super Bowl-winning coaches in Dallas. North Carolina can claim 121 current NFL players in the league. Beyond that local rooting interest, there is at least one Grand Canyon graduate that has a major impact on the fortunes of an NFL franchise, even if most of his work takes place away from the field. With both expected to be top picks in the draft, Georgia will soon have 19 NFL quarterbacks. Even though Florida has had over 385 former Gators suit up in the NFL, none of those players were ever drafted first overall out of UF. The answer may surprise you. Note: Birthplace for 14 players could not immediately be determined. The Volunteers can thank three players for boosting up their number of Pro Bowl selections: Peyton Manning (14), Reggie White (13) and Jason Witten (11) account for nearly 30 percent of those nods. Ohio, a traditional Midwest football-mad state, is fifth on the list in terms of NFL players. Bottom line:Illinois never won a national championship, but the Illini had two of the most iconic players in NFL history. LSUs alums rank fifth all-time in touchdowns scored, with most of their best players lining up on the offensive side of the ball. And some make NFL players. 1 overall pick. Did you also know that the streak started a dozen years before the NFL was founded so none of the players on those teams made it to the league? Alabama leads the way with 72 active NFL players as of the 2021-2022 season. Heres the breakdown: There are three colleges that have dominated Florida football for decades. Many of the schools on this list are poised to send another great class of rookies to the NFL next season. When you factor in population, the state produces 26.6 pro football players for every 100,000 people. That is reflected by the Gators having the fifth-most active players in the NFL despite being outside the top 10 in total players. And there are currently no players that were born in the state of Vermont. A cleveland.com review of opening week. Champ Bailey, Hines Ward, Terrell Davis, Todd Gurley, Geno Atkins and more helped re-establish the Bulldogs as an SEC powerhouse and also left indelible marks in the NFL. following organizations: Whoops! In the 1980's, the L.A. Rams featured one of the best NFL running backs of all time in Eric Dickerson, who tore defenses apart and set the league's single season rushing record in 1984. Many may not think of the Tar Heel State as a football-dominant state, but they sure know how to produce top-talent. And of those, 11 come from high schools located within 30 miles of Atlanta. The combination of our local NFL squad picking at the top of the draft, an accomplished alum serving in a major leadership role for a different team, and our general interest in seeing college students start their careers after school really got our team thinking about what it means for these student-athletes who are preparing to drop the student part of that moniker. By state, NFL training-camp rosters had 336 former Texas high school players, 293 from Florida, 285 from California and 232 from Georgia. Highest AV in NFL: Randall McDaniel (129), Most touchdowns in NFL: Charley Taylor (90), Most games played in NFL: Terrell Suggs (244). 13 Texas A&M at Kyle Field, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Ohio State's Justin Fields was a five-star recruit at Harrison High. It also doesnt count, for instance, a player such as Peyton Manning whose roots are firmly in Mississippi soil and who spent much of his childhood in the Magnolia State. 4-year graduation rate: 66%. Trevor Lawrence, of Cartersville High, and Justin Fields, of Harrison High, became the top two recruits in the nation in 2018. Despite ranking ninth in all-time NFL players, the Huskers rank just 26th in active NFL players. According to Pro Football Reference, Arizona has produced 19 NFL quarterbacks, eighth most in the country, but it has the lowest percentage of starts (55%) among states with at least 400 games . Notably, however, LSU was the school most represented on the 2018 Cardinals roster. Since 1936, 788 NFL players have come from Mississippi. Iowa not only has the NFLs all-time interceptions leader in Paul Krause (81), but it also has the second all-time interceptions leader in Emlen Tunnell (79). and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who rated as the top prospect from the Lone Star State for the 2014 national recruiting cycle before signing with Texas A&M. Will Furrer. LSU - 325 10. And that team just happens to be the only one that outpaced USC in NFL players produced. Additionally, Miami wins the all-important Battle for Florida since it has more Pro Bowl selections (181) than Florida State (103) and Florida (89). by Rick Cleveland, Mississippi Today November 1, 2021, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
. Oklahoma - 328 9. Heres a breakdown of every states active NFL players. With Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, Georgia will get a boost after the 2021 draft, climbing into the top five for the 2010s with six NFL quarterbacks. Heck, it doesnt even finish in the top two in its own division thanks to the two participants of "The Game" beating them out. Texas has produced more active NFL players than any other U.S. state. This is another program that has experienced its most success in recent years, and only rival Alabama has more active NFL players. None are bigger than Drew Brees, who threw for 80,358 yards in his NFL career, more yards than any other quarterback in NFL history. Its highest touchdown scorer, Elroy Hirsch, found the end zone just 66 times. Miami Hurricane alums rank second in NFL touchdowns scored and fourth in Pro Bowl selections, despite having 60-70 percent of the number of players that the top two schools have produced. As one of the oldest teams in the league, the Cardinals have one of the largest rosters of players all-time, clocking in at over 1,800! News Star World, Jackson Daily News and Clarion Ledger. To explain what we did, we cant think of a better team to spotlight than the aforementioned Arizona Cardinals, owners of the top overall pick this weekend. Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. Westlake (Austin, Texas) High and Isidore Newman (New Orleans) School represent the only two ZIP codes in the country to produce multiple Super Bowl-winning starting quarterbacks. The school has produced Pro Bowlers at every other position on the field, but theyve yet to send a receiver to the Pro Bowl or have a receiver post a 1,000-yard season. Mississippi produces more NFL players per capita than any other state, and its not really that close. While everything may be bigger in Texas, the Aggies come up small in terms of Pro Football Hall of Famers. Among states with SEC schools, the per capita numbers are: Mississippi (first, 26.6), Louisiana (fourth, 21.2), Alabama (fifth, 17), Arkansas (12th, 13.4), Tennessee (13th, 13.3), South Carolina (14th, 11.5), Kentucky (16th, 9.9), Texas (23rd, 8.5), Florida (34th, 6), Georgia (35th, 6) andMissouri (38th, 5.3). While USC comes up second on this list (for now), the Trojans rank first with a staggering 239 Pro Bowl selections. Iowas defense-heavy mindset seemed to carry on to all of its NFL players as they come up on the short end of touchdowns scored in the NFL. Nor does that number reflect on native Mississippians who should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame such as Charlie Conerly, Kent Hull and Jimmie Giles. They both were middle linebackers and played for rival franchises in the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, respectively. Here is an in-depth look at the top five states. The second-most populous state, Texas also leads the country in a key formula component -- Division I football programs -- with 21, seven more than any other state. His work as a syndicated columnist and celebrated sports writer has appeared in numerous magazines, periodicals and newspapers. Bottom line:Did you know that the Washington Huskies 40 game win streak from 1908 to 1914 is the second-longest in NCAA history? The state of Mississippi has placed the most players in the NFL capita, according to a by Sidelines. Others create politicians. Its one of the most exciting times of the year for football fans around the country. These high schools have produced the most NFL players. Nick Saban has given NFL franchises 29 first-round picks during his time as Alabama's head coach Tittle, Steve Van Buren and Kevin Mawae. 1. All six of the Nittany Lions' Pro Football Hall of Famers come from those states, including Franco Harris and Jack Ham, who were Penn State teammates and then teammates with the Pittsburgh Steelers. BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 09: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens rushes against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. No. You'll find there's a QB1 state -- the one with the highest percentage of starts per game played -- and one that has produced the most backups. The most prolific quarterback state of the 2010s is Florida with nine, including Lamar Jackson and Teddy Bridgewater. In Ohio, Cuyahoga County alone is the birthplace of 17 players. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). They are from Pro Football Reference and through the 2022 NFL season. That would be Grand Canyon University Athletics Hall of Fame member and Antelopes basketball legend Kevin Warren, who has been an executive for multiple NFL teams stretching back to the 1990s. 20 college football teams we aren't sold on in 2023, SEC Basketball Power Rankings: Mizzou shocks Tennessee, Alabama downs Auburn and more, SEC Basketball Power Rankings: Alabama stays unbeaten in SEC play, Tennessee outlasts Auburn and more, SEC Basketball Power Rankings: A new top team emerges, Alabama loses in blowout fashion, Mizzou lights it up again. But the Texas total computes to only 8.5 players per 100,000, about one-third of what Mississippi has produced. The most NFL players have come from Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Miami, Florida, and the state of Florida. Nebraska - 346 6. second most all-time wins in college football history. In Georgia, one NFL player is played for every 81,409 people, while in Florida, one is played for every 91,847 people. Texas surprisingly has no quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame (based on our criteria for players since 1966), and the collective approximate value of the state's QBs is watered down because many are not key contributors (its 62% start average ranked 15th among states with at least 500 games played). 3 is Georgia (one in 78,761). The University of Alabama has produced the most pro athletes out of college, though, with 82. More:Mississippi State upends No. So we set out to determine what state produces the most NFL players. The remaining seven states to crack the top 10 are Georgia, Ohio, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, North Carolina and New Jersey. In the City of Miami, State of Florida, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School produces the most NFL players. You might mention that the next time the Crimson Tide kicks your favorite teams butt, as it has done to Southern Miss (63-14), Ole Miss (42-21) and Mississippi State (49-9) this season. Oliver Luck hailed from St. Ignatius, but the 44113 doesn't get credit for his son Andrew, who went to high school in Texas. To learn more about our cartoon syndication services. Weve ranked the best NFL-talent producing universities in Texas, California, Florida, North Carolina, and Alabama. Bottom line: Smack dab in the middle of Pennsylvania, Penn State isnt far from Ohio, New York and New Jersey. Before making life miserable for NFL defenses, they were doing the same to opponents in college. Alabama - 319 What College Has The Most NFL Players - 2019 Alabama - 53 LSU - 51 Ohio State - 46 USC - 44 Miami - 43 Florida - 43 Can you name the seven states that have not produced an NFL quarterback? By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Jim Druckenmiller. Time will tell! Don Majkowski. That is more than 30 percent of all active players listed Pro-Football-Reference.com. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. All rights reserved. Bottom line:Most people think of Michigan State as a basketball school, but the Spartans are one of the best football programs in the nation in producing elite receivers. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images). Alabama, Ohio State, and LSU have been at the forefront of the supply chain of great talent for the NFL. A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelors in journalism, Rick has worked for the Monroe (La.) 64 overall) of the San Diego Chargers in the 1973 NFL draft. 4 on the leagues all-time passing yardage list. Others create politicians. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. After starring at Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Woodson stayed close to home and became an All-American for the Boilermakers. The United States of quarterbacks will add more members to the club April 29-May 1 with the NFL draft (on ESPN/ESPN App) and maybe someday make some QB-starved states proud (we're looking at you, Utah and Minnesota).
March 11, 2023