The University of Alabama has produced the most pro athletes out of college, though, with 82. In 2016, Favre became the ninth native Mississippian inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And in 2018 and 2019, one out of four quarterbacks who started Week 1 hailed from the Lone Star State. This is another program that has experienced its most success in recent years, and only rival Alabama has more active NFL players. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The state of Mississippi has placed the most players in the NFL capita, according to a by Sidelines. Over those100-plus years, they have won two national championships (1920 and 1922) and produced many pro players. Current NFL players: 37. Despite having the most players all-time, the Fighting Irish ranked eigth in active players for the 2022 NFL season. 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. About 20 miles on I-75 separate the Georgia high school homes of two of the draft's top QB prospects. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. Will Furrer. We also identified the college football programs that sent the most players to the NFL within those states. That is 48 more than the team with the next most Pro Bowl selections. Bledsoe, the No. The school actually has more Heisman winners (2) than Pro Football Hall of Famers (1), though Von Miller or even Shane Lechler may one day even things up. Yes, Bulldogs Dak Prescott and perhaps Fletcher Cox are future Hall of Famers but thats a few years away. Any amount helps us keep producing quality journalism for Mississippi. accurate as of the publish date. Louisiana, which doesn't have. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Only two of the 10 most populous cities in the United States have schools on this list with Phoenixs Arizona State and Los Angeles first entry with UCLA. We prefer Author Name, Mississippi Today in the byline. Since these states end up producing such talented players, that's why college football programs like Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State and Penn State get their hands on top recruits. Some colleges excel at producing Fortune 500 CEOs. Nearly 900 players came from the USC and UCLA campuses (separated by just 11 miles), but the majority of those are singing "Fight On.". 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. had produced 63 NFL players, the most among the nation . Michigan - 346 7. They are from Pro Football Reference and through the 2022 NFL season. 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. Thats more than much larger states such as New York (7) and New Jersey (6). Their list of 10 Hall of Famers is sure to grow in the near future as Larry Fitzgerald, Darrelle Revis and Aaron Donald likely will receive their gold jackets one day. About Saturday Down South | Ethics and Editorial Standards | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Other Conferences: Big Ten | ACC | Pac-12. Oliver Luck hailed from St. Ignatius, but the 44113 doesn't get credit for his son Andrew, who went to high school in Texas. by Rick Cleveland, Mississippi Today November 1, 2021, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
. First-rounders: 6. Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. Tittle, Steve Van Buren and Kevin Mawae. Bottom line:The U may not have the same prestige it had at the turn of the century, but there is no denying Miamis presence in the NFL. This college has also produced the second-most players in the 2021 season. In Georgia, one NFL player is played for every 81,409 people, while in Florida, one is played for every 91,847 people. 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. Keep this news free and accessible to all by becoming a member and giving a recurring donation of any amount today. So we set out to determine what state produces the most NFL players. Rick Cleveland, a native of Hattiesburg and resident of Jackson, has been Mississippi Todays sports columnist since 2016. Our site uses cookies to personalize content, to provide social media features/ads and to analyze site traffic. 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. Louisiana is famous for its Cajun food, jazz music, Mardi Gras -- and quarterbacks. 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. Colorado . Heck, it doesnt even finish in the top two in its own division thanks to the two participants of "The Game" beating them out. U.S. News rank: 18 (tie), National Universities. 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. Brett Favre, from Kiln and Southern Miss, is No. Madison, Wisconsin, may not be the first location that many transfers think of when deciding where they want to finish their college careers, but it has proven to be a much-sought-after destination for some of the NFLs best players. 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. Some regions of the country, though, have become well known for regularly producing NFL-caliber talent. Second is California with 187, followed by Texas (160), Georgia (97), Ohio (80), Pennsylvania (66) and Louisiana (63). By state, NFL training-camp rosters had 336 former Texas high school players, 293 from Florida, 285 from California and 232 from Georgia. Rounding out the top five are USC (479), Ohio State (426), Penn State (359), and Nebraska (346). Arkansas (274) 24. We do not target any individuals under the age of 21. Try selecting a different location. Since 1936, 788 NFL players have come from Mississippi. Bottom line: The California Golden Bears have been playing football since 1916. Pennsylvania - 443.4 All rights reserved (About Us). It's no surprise the schools that dominate on Saturdays see their alumni playing on Sundays. 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. The data was analyzed through the lenses of number of quarterbacks, Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Super Bowl wins and NFL approximate value (AV). But Florida State is rising up the ranks, and of its four Hall of Famers, three have been enshrined in Canton this decade. Jim Druckenmiller. Mississippi averages 26.6 NFL players for every 100,000 citizens. Additionally, Miami wins the all-important Battle for Florida since it has more Pro Bowl selections (181) than Florida State (103) and Florida (89). Second is Ohio State with 67, followed by LSU with 62. That Mississippi led all other states, said Diallo, was the part we found super interesting.. Nick Saban has given NFL franchises 29 first-round picks during his time as Alabama's head coach Florida is another NFL-producing machine. The dominance of Florida, Florida State and Miami has dwindled slightly over the years, but they are still producing NFL players at a high rate. 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. 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). Interestingly, the 1988 move to Phoenix marked an end to regionality having an outsize influence on roster decisions, with Michigan Wolverines playing for the Cardinals at a greater clip than any other school in both the 2000s and 2010s. But now, Florida has joined them as one of the three biggest producers of NFL talent. as well as other partner offers and accept our. Its quality, as well. But that is debatable. Bottom line:No program has more wins or a better win percentage since World War II than Oklahoma a testament to the great players who have come through Norman. You have to credit Mississippi Today. 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. But the Texas total computes to only 8.5 players per 100,000, about one-third of what Mississippi has produced. Others create politicians. Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. Louisiana, with 25 NFL QBs, including Terry Bradshaw, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, is No. And there are currently no players that were born in the state of Vermont. 64 overall) of the San Diego Chargers in the 1973 NFL draft. 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 while not everyone can get their name called to start a professional football career, everyone can set themselves up for a successful career in another field with the help of a quality education like the one you will receive at Grand Canyon University. Unfortunately, the two never shared a backfield while at Iowa, or maybe thats fortunate for opposing quarterbacks. Notre Dame - 495 2. The District of Columbia, with one NFL player for every 54,702 residents, has the most NFL players per capita. California alone, at 225 active players, accounts for more than ten percent of NFL players. Recent post: What Color Is Associated With The Number 5? Oklahoma - 328 9. Looking at the current NFL landscape, Action Network was able to identify several hot spots where top talent came from. Bottom line: Arkansas has a great football tradition. 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. Weve looked at the top states for producing NFL players, but how about the most successful schools within those states? 13 Texas A&M at Kyle Field. In the 1950s, 69 Spartans were drafted into the NFL, compared to just 59 from 2000 to 2019. 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. 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). 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 . Copyright 2023 Action Network Inc, All Rights Reserved.Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | AdChoices. No matter who you root for, the NFL Draft represents an exciting time in the lives of football fans, one that brings the promise and potential of new talent and new hopes for on-field success. Here's a breakdown of the 10 states with the most NFL. While ranking 22nd in all-time NFL players, Auburn ranks 23rd in active players after ranking eighth in 2019, pointing to their recent struggles. How 'bout them Cowboys? Newman had Peyton and Eli Manning, and Westlake's Drew Brees and Nick Foles also led world champions. Florida was also the home of superstars like Dalvin Cook, Amari Cooper, Lavonte David, Derrick Henry, Calvin Ridley and Matthew Stafford. 2 following the 1962 season. From John Brodie and Jim Plunkett to John Elway and Andrew Luck, there's a reason Stanford has a reputation as Quarterback U. The schools that dominate on Saturdays have their alumni playing on Sundays. Every April, a new crop of young men try to make the leap from college to the pros where they will try to carve out a career for themselves in the NFL. City of Miami, State of Florida, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School Produce Most NFL Players Which state has most NFL players per capita? Action Network's list of the top 10 states with the most active NFL players is listed below. Top 10 States that have produced the greatest NFL quarterbacks Graphic by Ryan Escobar 1. Ohio State's Justin Fields was a five-star recruit at Harrison High. 3 is Georgia (one in 78,761). 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). Heres the breakdown: There are three colleges that have dominated Florida football for decades. But even the most diehard of Notre Dame fans would admit that their best days are well behind them. 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. By Jackson. This website does not fully support Internet Explorer. The Sunshine State comes in at #3 with 149 total players in the NFL. A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelors in journalism, Rick has worked for the Monroe (La.) 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. Thanks to a slew of legendary coaches and a tradition . A total of 721 quarterbacks have debuted and played at least one game in the NFL during the Super Bowl era (since 1966), and the Bayou State outperformed expectations the most in a study by ESPN and Pro Football Reference. Most touchdowns in NFL: Tony Gonzalez (111), Most games played in NFL: Tony Gonzalez (270). In third place for most NFL players is California, which gets to claim two legendary players in Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. 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. We just dont have available stats on the authors and musicians. 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. 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. You may have been obsessed with becoming You may have already come across the term senioritis while in high school, and perhaps youve dealt with a bout of it already as you prepared for your high school graduation. Which city has the most NFL players in 2020? Bottom line: Smack dab in the middle of Pennsylvania, Penn State isnt far from Ohio, New York and New Jersey. Time will tell! LSU - 325 10. While Brady (and his seven rings) is the headliner, the Golden State's dominance is more than just the Golden Boy, a sixth-round pick who graduated from Serra High School in 1995. 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). That group includes former No. Clemson's Trevor Lawrence went 52-2 as a starter at Cartersville High, winning two state titles. The 2022 season has seen 58 active players from the Alabama lineage. Kelly never got the program to the promised land, and Oregon still is searching for its first national championship. Mississippi averages 26.6 NFL players for every 100,000 citizens. And that Mississippi number doesnt count such NFL legends as Ray Guy, Robert Brazile and Gene Hickerson, who played their college ball in Mississippi after growing up in nearby states. 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. These colleges have produced the most NFL players, and they have a track record of success on the gridiron. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Half the players on NFL rosters are from just seven states, with Ohio being among the top producers of pro football talent. That's reflective of Arizona's NFL history, which includes longtime backup Mike Pagel. 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. 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. Out of all colleges, Notre Dame has produced 521 players selected in the NFL draft. Action Network conducted a study to identify which state produced the most current NFL talent, which determined that the Lone Star State was the home of 211 active players, which accounts for 1 in every 12 players. U.S. News rank: 57 (tie), National Universities. Bottom line:Flordia had recent success under Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer, but doesnt have decades of dominance under its belt and didnt become an elite program until the 1990s. The Longhorns are no longer on top, and they are chasing Oklahoma for Big 12 supremacy in terms of NFL players produced. But see who makes up the rest of the top 5 in the state: North Carolina has produced a surprising number of NFL players. California, with 141 quarterbacks, is tops in the union with 14 Super Bowl wins in 25 starts, three Hall of Famers, seven No. But which high schools are "football factories" like major college programs such as Alabama, Ohio State and USC? Bottom line: Louisiana has the most NFL players per capita of any state, and LSU leverages that fact as the only Power 5 program in the state. So, it is no surprise to see them on this list. The state of Mississippi has placed the most players in the NFL capita, according to a by Sidelines. 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. 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." 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. The Penn State Nittany Lions, who began play in 1889, are among the most storied programs in . Cam Newton attended Florida for two years, then transferred to Auburn, so when he was taken first overall in the 2011 NFL draft, Auburn got the credit for the selection. 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. Notably, however, LSU was the school most represented on the 2018 Cardinals roster. Since 1936, when the NFL began to keep accurate roster records, Mississippi has produced 788 NFL players. 3 is Georgia (one in 78,761). Bottom line:Wisconsin has the most NFL players of any school to never win a national championship their highest season-ending finish was No. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider 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. The NFL is known world wide for having some of the best athletes in the world. Meanwhile, the Magnolia State has plenty to celebrate when it comes to football or writers and entertainers, for that matter. Bottom line:While many of the aforementioned schools have had recent success but not decades of winning, the exact opposite can be said for Nebraska. Weve ranked the best NFL-talent producing universities in Texas, California, Florida, North Carolina, and Alabama. Alabama, Ohio State, and LSU have been at the forefront of the supply chain of great talent for the NFL. The school has just one first-round NFL pick since the 2011 season with Prince Amukamara going 19th overall in that years draft. That list doesnt even include Cam Newton, who is the NFLs all-time leader in rushing touchdowns for a quarterback. (You can find them here.). Bottom line:Did you know that the Washington Huskies 40 game win streak from 1908 to 1914 is the second-longest in NCAA history? After Georgia the drop-off is significant. 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. 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. Its one of the most exciting times of the year for football fans around the country. For more information on our cookie collection and use please visit our Privacy Policy. 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. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. 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. Others create politicians. Any school would be proud if their NFL alumni base started and ended with those names -- but at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia, that's just five of the quarterbacks who attended the boarding school before playing in the NFL. We do not sell or share your information with anyone. Action Network's list of the top 10 states with the most active NFL players is listed below: Texas- 211 California- 149 Florida- 149 North Carolina- 121 Alabama- 109 Pennsylvania- 106 Ohio- 104 Michigan- 103 Louisiana- 102 Georgia- 89 Advertise With Us For You Editorial cartoons and photo essays are not included under the Creative Commons license and therefore do not have the "Republish This Story" button option. 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. Again, its not even close. The NFLs all-time leading receiver and touchdown scorer is Jerry Rice, from Crawford and Mississippi Valley State. Its highest touchdown scorer, Elroy Hirsch, found the end zone just 66 times.