The state of Mississippi has placed the most players in the NFL capita, according to a by Sidelines. We also took the combined data we had gathered and made a slightly different graphic for the entire history of the NFL. Weve looked at the top states for producing NFL players, but how about the most successful schools within those states? Three of those Razorbackers became Hall of Famers: wide receiver Lance Alworth, defensive lineman Dan Hampton and free safety Steve Atwater. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not Thats more than much larger states such as New York (7) and New Jersey (6). Action Network makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event. Notre Dame, USC, and Ohio State have produced 400 or more NFL players in history. 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. 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. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Half the players on NFL rosters are from just seven states, with Ohio being among the top producers of pro football talent. Copyright 2023 Action Network Inc, All Rights Reserved.Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | AdChoices. necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Dont forget to take advantage of Caesars Sportsbooks NCAAF odds week-in and week-out! So, it is no surprise to see them on this list. Mississippi not only produces the most NFL players per capita, but not only that, the state also produced the most Pro Football Hall of Famers per capita, as well, Diallo said. While Washington D.C., which isnt a state, has the best ratio of any place, it is followed by six states that feature SEC schools. Brett Favre, from Kiln and Southern Miss, is No. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. . 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. California, with 141 quarterbacks, is tops in the union with 14 Super Bowl wins in 25 starts, three Hall of Famers, seven No. 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. It is reflected in the NFL as well. Louisiana QBs have nine Super Bowl wins in 14 starts. Bottom line:UT is home to four Hall of Famers, although one of them, Tom Landry, is enshrined in Canton due to his work as a coach rather than a player. Bottom line: Tennessee makes up for its lack of quantity (13th in all-time players and 19th in active players) with quality (fifth in Pro Bowl selections). Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke dominated in the 1960s and '70s, and the Fighting Illinis success also is in yesteryear. 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. Despite putting 54 defensive backs in the NFL, including 14 first-rounders, no Bama corner has ever made a Pro Bowl. Or should. Which city has the most NFL players in 2020? For more information on our cookie collection and use please visit our Privacy Policy. 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. 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. The only thing missing from Alabamas NFL resume is a shutdown cornerback. Rick Cleveland, a native of Hattiesburg and resident of Jackson, has been Mississippi Todays sports columnist since 2016. Heres the top five schools for sending players to the pros: There are five schools who that dominate when it comes to producing NFL talent in California. While USC comes up second on this list (for now), the Trojans rank first with a staggering 239 Pro Bowl selections. And there are currently no players that were born in the state of Vermont. 13 Texas A&M at Kyle Field. Trevor Lawrence, of Cartersville High, and Justin Fields, of Harrison High, became the top two recruits in the nation in 2018. No. Thats a no-brainer. Yes, Bulldogs Dak Prescott and perhaps Fletcher Cox are future Hall of Famers but thats a few years away. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider And Jacksonville, Florida, native Mac Jones is expected to be the third straight Alabama QB selected in the first round, with none of the three hailing from Alabama. To learn more about our cartoon syndication services. We also looked at the three college teams who had the most players join each professional team in every decade. 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). 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? Stay up to date with what you want to know. Another amazing fact: Jackson State, alone, has produced four Hall of Famers, three of them native Mississippians. 4 on the leagues all-time passing yardage list. Coach Urban Meyer preparing players for the NFL also was a huge attraction as many of those 65 players came under his tenure. 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 was enough to move . 1980 also stands as the midpoint for Georgia football and the NFL draft as 50 percent of all drafted Bulldogs were selected before 1980 while the other half came in 1980 or later. But great players in Norman havent translated to great players in the NFL. Bottom line: Smack dab in the middle of Pennsylvania, Penn State isnt far from Ohio, New York and New Jersey. Now, Warner's name is synonymous with football in the United States, and Stanford has had a legacy of great passers who went on to shine in the NFL. Mississippi State upends No. Is it any surprise that the Lone Star State tops the ranking? Notably, however, LSU was the school most represented on the 2018 Cardinals roster. following organizations: Whoops! Texas is a football crazy state where towns live and die by their local teams at every level. 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. Despite ranking ninth in all-time NFL players, the Huskers rank just 26th in active NFL players. In the 1950s, 69 Spartans were drafted into the NFL, compared to just 59 from 2000 to 2019. Troy Aikman, Jonathan Ogden and Jimmy Johnson all have rejected USC for Westwood and currently reside in the Hall of Fame. Highest AV in NFL: Randall McDaniel (129), Most touchdowns in NFL: Charley Taylor (90), Most games played in NFL: Terrell Suggs (244). Coming in at second for most NFL players on Week 1 rosters is Texas. Or should be. No promotions available. U.S. News rank: 57 (tie), National Universities. But the program has produced some elite NFL stars. The research was done by Sidelines, a sports technology and digital media company, which also found that Texas has produced the most NFL players (2,515) of any state. Recent post: What Color Is Associated With The Number 5? Mississippi produces more NFL players per capita than any other state, and its not really that close. But Texas surpassed the Golden State in the 2000s with 25 quarterbacks (to California's 22), and they are tied with eight in the 2010s. Despite ranking fifth among all programs in NFL players produced, Penn State doesnt even lead the Big Ten in that regard, or even rank second. LSUs alums rank fifth all-time in touchdowns scored, with most of their best players lining up on the offensive side of the ball. Then he starred for the Steelers, Ravens, 49ers and Raiders in the NFL. Looking at the current NFL landscape, Action Network was able to identify several hot spots where top talent came from. Both J.J. Watt and Russell Wilson started their college careers elsewhere, then ended their playing days suiting up for the red and white of the Wisconsin Badgers. All rights reserved (About Us). Always has. And now, theres even data that would appear to back it up. Action Network's list of the top 10 states with the most active NFL players is listed below. Despite having more pro players than Arizona State, Iowa alums have scored 363 fewer touchdowns (730 to 1093), which places them close to last on this top 30 list. Jim Druckenmiller. By continuing to navigate this site you are consenting to the collection of information via our use of cookies. Second is California with 187, followed by Texas (160), Georgia (97), Ohio (80), Pennsylvania (66) and Louisiana (63). The most prolific quarterback state of the 2010s is Florida with nine, including Lamar Jackson and Teddy Bridgewater. With the 2020 season officially underway, CBS unveiled an incredible graphic that shows which states produce the most NFL players. DISCLAIMER: This site is 100% for entertainment purposes only and does not involve real money betting. Once we started looking through historic roster data for various NFL teams, we really didnt want to stop. According to its website, FUMA has produced more than 100 future NFL players, including 12 first-round picks such as Eddie George, Anthony Castonzo and Plaxico Burress. 2 following the 1962 season. But the Ducks have had a lot of talent over the years. With 56 players, Alabama's roster in 2019 is the largest. Nebraska (21.3 per 100,000), Oklahoma (also 21.3), and Louisiana (21.2) were the three states closest to Mississippi in NFL players per capita. Nick Saban has given NFL franchises 29 first-round picks during his time as Alabama's head coach Many of the schools on this list are poised to send another great class of rookies to the NFL next season. Of the 16 Tigers to make at least one All-Pro first team, 11 were offensive players including Hall of Famers Y.A. Here are the universities cultivating the talent: In Alabama, theres no denying which school is best at producing professional football players. The NFLs all-time leading receiver and touchdown scorer is Jerry Rice, from Crawford and Mississippi Valley State. Arkansas (274) 24. While the Razorbacks are no longer the class of the tough SEC, they have won 14 conference championships in program history and brought home a national championship to Fayetteville in 1964. Bottom line:1980 was a landmark year for the Georgia Bulldogs football program as they claimed their first national championship while riding the legs of Herschel Walker. The state of Mississippi has placed the most players in the NFL capita, according to a by Sidelines. However, 13 Wolverines have reached 1,000 NFL rushing yards with the latest being the greatest, Tom Brady. 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. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). Read on to see the results. had produced 63 NFL players, the most among the nation . Our site uses cookies to personalize content, to provide social media features/ads and to analyze site traffic. In third place for most NFL players is California, which gets to claim two legendary players in Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. After starring at Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Woodson stayed close to home and became an All-American for the Boilermakers. We will be watching alongside our fellow fans to see how it all unfolds and watch the young men getting drafted move on to the next phase of their lives. We know most people arent fans of the Arizona Cardinals, so we went ahead and made a similar graphic for every other team in the National Football League, which you can click through in the above slideshow. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. Switzer was a center, linebacker, and captain of the 1959 team that won the Southwest Conference and Gator Bowl. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. Eventually, we had gathered data on every player to ever appear on an active NFL roster, including their position, who they played for, how long they played in the league and of course which college they attended. California - 460.6 Aaron Rodgers, Pleasant Valley (Chico) - 104.1 Tom Brady, Serra (San Mateo) - 96.4 Carson Palmer, Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita) - 88.1 Jeff Garcia, Gilroy - 87.5 Alex Smith, Helix (La Mesa) - 84.5 2. Bottom line:Pittsburgh has just six Top 25 finishes in the last 35 years and hasnt won more than 10 games since 1981. Keep this news free and accessible to all by becoming a member and giving a recurring donation of any amount today. Be sure to visit the Action Networks NCAAF Odds page each week to the lay of the land for betting lines. 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. The most NFL players have come from Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Miami, Florida, and the state of Florida. Some regions of the country, though, have become well known for regularly producing NFL-caliber talent. Arkansas has sent almost 300 players to the NFL. First-rounders: 6. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using. These five state's account for close to 50% of. Bottom line: Youll notice a trend with nearly all of the schools on this list most reside in small college towns and outside of major cities. That list doesnt even include Cam Newton, who is the NFLs all-time leader in rushing touchdowns for a quarterback. The research was done by Sidelines, a sports technology and digital media company, which also found that Texas has produced the most NFL players (2,515) of any state. North Carolina can claim 121 current NFL players in the league. Colleges That Have Produced the Most NFL Players Alabama's Crimson Tide has 58 former student-athletes in the NFL, producing more pro players recently than other colleges. The 2022 season has seen 58 active players from the Alabama lineage. Texas A&M led all Texas college football programs with 37 current NFL players, followed by the University of Texas (29), TCU (25), Baylor (23) and Houston (20). But Florida State is rising up the ranks, and of its four Hall of Famers, three have been enshrined in Canton this decade. In Georgia, one NFL player is played for every 81,409 people, while in Florida, one is played for every 91,847 people. Walter Payton, from Columbia and Jackson State, is the NFLs second all-time leading rusher. In the City of Miami, State of Florida, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School produces the most NFL players. Yet the Panthers also have the third-most Pro Football Hall of Famers of any football program, pointing to the pull of Pittsburgh for top talent in Western Pennsylvania. Ohio State's Justin Fields was a five-star recruit at Harrison High. Despite all of that success in the defensive backfield, the Sun Devils never have won a national championship, making them just one of six teams on this list without a natty. Brees also won a Super Bowl (XLIV), was Super Bowl MVP, a 13-time Pro Bowler and a one-time All-Pro. Ohio has 71 players in the league followed by Alabama with 61, Virginia with 58 (and that so many played at prep school in that state helps) and North . 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 played. North Dakota State's Trey Lance could be the first Minnesota QB selected in the first round. It's no surprise the schools that dominate on Saturdays see their alumni playing on Sundays. They are from Pro Football Reference and through the 2022 NFL season. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. That makes them a bit of an outlier since every other school in the top seven is in a warm-weather location in either the South or Southern California. That is more than 30 percent of all active players listed Pro-Football-Reference.com. Perhaps a surprise to some, North Carolina takes the fourth spot. You could say it all started with the godfather of football, Pop Warner. Vinny Testaverde. There have been 149 players in NFL history to rush for 5,000 yards in a career, but none of them have donned the maize and blue. 2 is Louisiana (one in 76,837) .. No. Florida, California, Texas, Georgia and Ohio are the states where the most NFL players were born, based on rosters the Monday before the start of the 2016 season, cleveland.com research found. Only 44 wide receivers in NFL history have reached 10,000 receiving yards, and three of them came from MSU Andre Rison, Muhsin Muhammad and Derrick Mason. Since 1936, when the NFL began to keep accurate roster records, Mississippi has produced 788 NFL players. Newman had Peyton and Eli Manning, and Westlake's Drew Brees and Nick Foles also led world champions. Despite having the most players all-time, the Fighting Irish ranked eigth in active players for the 2022 NFL season. Tittle, Steve Van Buren and Kevin Mawae. Before he expanded to Louisiana and founded his own personal QB franchise, Archie Manning started another unique trend of QB1s from his home state of Mississippi. While ranking 22nd in all-time NFL players, Auburn ranks 23rd in active players after ranking eighth in 2019, pointing to their recent struggles. The Sunshine State comes in at #3 with 149 total players in the NFL. Warner collected 71 of his 311 career college wins at Stanford and changed the game with the forward pass. Eleven ZIP codes have produced three NFL QBs, and 60 can boast two. Kiper's two-round mock draft: Top-five trade, record QB haul, Kiper's favorite draft prospects at every position, Biggest question marks for draft's top quarterbacks. In terms of 2018 rosters, however, it comes as no surprise that Alabama, the premier program in college football over the last decade, leads the way with 53 players, enough for an entire official NFL roster, suiting up during the most recent season. Weve ranked the best NFL-talent producing universities in Texas, California, Florida, North Carolina, and Alabama. 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. The Penn State Nittany Lions, who began play in 1889, are among the most storied programs in . Not only have they sent the most players to the league, but they also have sent the most players to the Pro Football Hall of Fame (14), which is perhaps an even better measure of the talent produced by a program. After Georgia the drop-off is significant. In fact, since Saban became coach in 2007, the Crimson Tide have more first-round picks (39) than losses (27). Please reload the page and try again. Try selecting a different location. 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. About 20 miles on I-75 separate the Georgia high school homes of two of the draft's top QB prospects. Mississippi State has produced four fewer first-round picks this century than its Egg Bowl rival, Ole Miss, but it's gaining ground on that front . Alabama - 319 What College Has The Most NFL Players - 2019 Alabama - 53 LSU - 51 Ohio State - 46 USC - 44 Miami - 43 Florida - 43 These high schools have produced the most NFL players. Would we Mississippians rather be ranked No. Out of all colleges, Notre Dame has produced 521 players selected in the NFL draft. 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. These colleges have produced the most NFL players, and they have a track record of success on the gridiron. Some colleges excel at producing Fortune 500 CEOs. Bottom line:Did you know that the Washington Huskies 40 game win streak from 1908 to 1914 is the second-longest in NCAA history? 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. Alabama, Ohio State, and LSU have been at the forefront of the supply chain of great talent for the NFL. Here is a breakdown of the states where the most active NFL players were born Sign up for notifications from Insider! The captain of Oregon's all-time NFL team is Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts, a third-round pick (No. Twenty-eight states have fewer.The Cuyahoga natives, with the listed place of birth, are: Rankings could vary slightly because the birth places for 14 players were not immediately available, and rosters can change daily. Of that 82, 74 are playing in the NFL after spending time at Nick Saban's powerhouse football program. Their time will come. North Carolina can claim 121 current NFL players in the league. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. But which high schools are "football factories" like major college programs such as Alabama, Ohio State and USC? Some colleges excel at producing Fortune 500 CEOs. Here is an in-depth look at the top five states. Follow on Twitter @RichExner or see previous stories at cleveland.com/datacentral. You have to credit Mississippi Today. You cant edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. How 'bout them Cowboys? If youre not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: This story was originally published by Mississippi Today and include our website, You cannot republish our editorial cartoons, photographs, illustrations or graphics without specific permission (contact our managing editor. The data was analyzed through the lenses of number of quarterbacks, Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Super Bowl wins and NFL approximate value (AV). This college has also produced the second-most players in the 2021 season. But see who makes up the rest of the top 5 in the state: North Carolina has produced a surprising number of NFL players. Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports shared a chart on Twitter on Thursday that breaks down which states have the most NFL players per capita. Nebraska,. But one school often overlooked in this conversation is Arizona State. We believe that an informed Mississippi is a better Mississippi. Others create politicians. Bottom line:No list about football would be complete without the state of Texas, and the Longhorn State lands its first of two proficient programs. Bottom line: The California Golden Bears have been playing football since 1916. Without Fitzpatrick's 146 starts, the canyon between Arizona and runner-up Ohio, at 57.6% for its 34 QBs, would be even wider. The Bruins are considered a basketball school while nearby USC is considered the citys football school, but UCLA gets more than just the Trojans leftovers. The Longhorns are no longer on top, and they are chasing Oklahoma for Big 12 supremacy in terms of NFL players produced. Several prestigious Texas programs have contributed to the current NFL talent pool. From John Brodie and Jim Plunkett to John Elway and Andrew Luck, there's a reason Stanford has a reputation as Quarterback U. 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. Bottom line:Illinois never won a national championship, but the Illini had two of the most iconic players in NFL history. We are particularly interested in which colleges have been the most successful at sending players to the pros.
