what state has produced the most nfl players all time

To learn more about our cartoon syndication services. But in recent years, the states that are football factories has shifted a little. 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. And some make NFL players. More NFL players (199) graduated from Texas than any. Bottom line:Illinois never won a national championship, but the Illini had two of the most iconic players in NFL history. Most touchdowns in NFL: Mike Alstott (71), Most games played in NFL: Drew Brees (287). 4 on the leagues all-time passing yardage list. Eleven ZIP codes have produced three NFL QBs, and 60 can boast two. Perhaps a surprise to some, North Carolina takes the fourth spot. 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. For the Cardinals, this means that Georgia Tech and Duke footballers last the longest with the franchise at nearly four seasons on average. Looking at the current NFL landscape, Action Network was able to identify several hot spots where top talent came from. First-rounders: 6. Additionally, Miami wins the all-important Battle for Florida since it has more Pro Bowl selections (181) than Florida State (103) and Florida (89). Their time will come. 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? For more information on our cookie collection and use please visit our Privacy Policy. About 20 miles on I-75 separate the Georgia high school homes of two of the draft's top QB prospects. Nevertheless, with names like Bo Jackson, Ronnie Brown, and Stephen Davis, the Tigers have been a football factory at producing NFL running backs. 64 overall) of the San Diego Chargers in the 1973 NFL draft. Florida was also the home of superstars like Dalvin Cook, Amari Cooper, Lavonte David, Derrick Henry, Calvin Ridley and Matthew Stafford. Is it any surprise that the Lone Star State tops the ranking? They are from Pro Football Reference and through the 2022 NFL season. 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. LSU - 325 10. California ranked second among all U.S. states with 151 players drafted. Mississippi State has no former players the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 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. a proud member of the Washington is 10th overall in our rankings thanks in large part to Drew Bledsoe, Chris Chandler, Mark Rypien and Jon Kitna, whose careers have the highest approximate values among the state's 22 QBs. In fact, 12 of their Pro Bowl players played either running back or fullback. The captain of Oregon's all-time NFL team is Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts, a third-round pick (No. Many of the schools on this list are poised to send another great class of rookies to the NFL next season. The remaining seven states to crack the top 10 are Georgia, Ohio, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, North Carolina and New Jersey. But Knoxville, with its close location to the Gulf Coast, the Eastern Seaboard and the Midwest, is still adept at attracting top college prospects. Heres a breakdown of every states active NFL players. The rest of the country and other places around the world are home to 838 players. In the college game, Tennessee has fallen off over the last 20 years, recording just two top-10 finish over that span. The school has produced at least one player from every season of NFL football since the league resumed play in 2012. Jones was a Razorback starter at offensive guard and co-captain when the team won the national title. Here are some takeaways: - Notre Dame has produced more NFL players than any other college, with 495 athletes going on to play in the NFL. Ohio State - 426 4. The Buckeye never have had a Pro Bowl quarterback, never had a QB start all 16 games in an NFL season and never even had one throw for 3,000 yards in a season. 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. These five state's account for close to 50% of. Still, they dont have decades of winning traditions, which is why they fall a little lower on this list than many might expect. Despite that, Washington has attracted many of the top players in the nation and its reach goes beyond its Seattle campus. We support responsible gambling. Bottom line: Stanford didn't invent football, but the school helped popularize it in the 1920s and '30s with Pop Warner, who coached the Cardinal from 1924 to 1932. When you factor in population, the state produces 26.6 pro football players for every 100,000 people. We do not target any individuals under the age of 21. City of Miami, State of Florida, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School Produce Most NFL Players Which state has most NFL players per capita? Any amount helps us keep producing quality journalism for Mississippi. Using this data we were able to illustrate some key data points for every franchise in the league, as well as the league as a whole. 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. And now, theres even data that would appear to back it up. Some regions of the country, though, have become well known for regularly producing NFL-caliber talent. Heres the breakdown: There are three colleges that have dominated Florida football for decades. 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). Heck, it doesnt even finish in the top two in its own division thanks to the two participants of "The Game" beating them out. Alabama rounds out the top 5 with 109 active NFL players. Ohio State is just one of three colleges to produce more than 400 NFL players. The sheer size of California and the number of universities within it has propelled the state to #2 on the list. North Dakota State's Trey Lance could be the first Minnesota QB selected in the first round. But one school often overlooked in this conversation is Arizona State. Would we Mississippians rather be ranked No. is known world wide for having some of the best athletes in the world. The data was analyzed through the lenses of number of quarterbacks, Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Super Bowl wins and NFL approximate value (AV). Cardale Jones. Vinny Testaverde. Some colleges excel at producing Fortune 500 CEOs. If you feel like you're losing control over your gambling experience, call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-888- 532-3500(Virginia) 1-800-522-4700 (NV, TN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, TN), 1-855-2CALLGA (IL), 1-800-270-7117 (MI). 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. By continuing to navigate this site you are consenting to the collection of information via our use of cookies. There were at least eight Power 5 starting quarterbacks in college football last season from Arizona, but just two Arizonans started in the NFL last season (Kyle Allen and Ryan Fitzpatrick). North Carolina State has never been to a BCS bowl and hasn't won an ACC title since 1979. (You can find them here.). It's no surprise the schools that dominate on Saturdays see their alumni playing on Sundays. While not every former SEC player is from the state where they went to college, many of them did choose to stay close to home, either in their own state or a state close by. Will Furrer. Remember, were talking about per capita here. Pennsylvania State University--University. 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. Or should be. With 14 cities producing at least four players on Kickoff Weekend rosters, Texas surpassed Florida to lead the league in home states. Recent post: What Color Is Associated With The Number 5? 4-year graduation rate: 90%. While USC comes up second on this list (for now), the Trojans rank first with a staggering 239 Pro Bowl selections. All rights reserved. U.S. News rank: 18 (tie), National Universities. Bottom line:The Auburn Tigers are not currently considered an SEC powerhouse, but it wasn't that long ago when they were. Now youre an History of Colleges Most Represented on NFL Rosters, 3300 West Camelback Road - Phoenix, AZ 85017, Criminal Justice, Government & Public Administration. The remaining seven states to crack the top 10 are Georgia, Ohio, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, North Carolina and New Jersey. Bottom line:Did you know that the Washington Huskies 40 game win streak from 1908 to 1914 is the second-longest in NCAA history? But Florida State is rising up the ranks, and of its four Hall of Famers, three have been enshrined in Canton this decade. A winning tradition brings recruits from all over the country, and Ohio States all-time winning percentage of .754 ranks first among Power 5 programs. The Boilermakers started playing football in 1892 and have sent big names to the NFL. That's the highest start percentage of any state with at least 400 games played. Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports shared a chart on Twitter on Thursday that breaks down which states have the most NFL players per capita. Together these seven states are the birthplaces of 846 NFL players. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. DISCLAIMER: This site is 100% for entertainment purposes only and does not involve real money betting. In the last six years . Try selecting a different location. But Michigan also has struggled when it comes to skill position players in the NFL. Using traditional offensive and defensive formations as our guide, we were able to create a unique starting lineup of college football teams, using their logos as stand-ins. 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. 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. Highest AV in NFL: Randall McDaniel (129), Most touchdowns in NFL: Charley Taylor (90), Most games played in NFL: Terrell Suggs (244). Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. 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. Yes, Bulldogs Dak Prescott and perhaps Fletcher Cox are future Hall of Famers but thats a few years away. That Mississippi led all other states, said Diallo, was the part we found super interesting.. Top 10 States that have produced the greatest NFL quarterbacks Graphic by Ryan Escobar 1. 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. The only thing missing from Alabamas NFL resume is a shutdown cornerback. But that number dropped to 28 in 2022, due to some lean years for the Seminoles. Mississippi produces more NFL players per capita than any other state, and its not really that close. Louisiana is famous for its Cajun food, jazz music, Mardi Gras -- and quarterbacks. Over those100-plus years, they have won two national championships (1920 and 1922) and produced many pro players. Nebraska, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Alabama round out the top five. Since 1936, 788 NFL players have come from Mississippi. The NFL is known world wide for having some of the best athletes in the world. 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 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. These colleges have produced the most NFL players, and they have a track record of success on the gridiron. Tittle, Steve Van Buren and Kevin Mawae. 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. 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. Michigan - 346 7. The numbers were run through a principle component analysis -- boiling the information down to the most important data points -- to create the overall rankings. So we didnt. Coming in at second for most NFL players on Week 1 rosters is Texas. Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke dominated in the 1960s and '70s, and the Fighting Illinis success also is in yesteryear. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Louisiana, with 25 NFL QBs, including Terry Bradshaw, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, is No. Despite having the most players all-time, the Fighting Irish ranked eigth in active players for the 2022 NFL season. And some make NFL players. That is, the Magnolia State, relatively small and poor in so many ways, kicks tail when it comes to producing football talent. Bottom line:Florida is the only state to place three schools in the top 25, and despite FSU having the most recent success of the three programs, the Seminoles rank last in the Battle for Florida. In fact, those three states rank 1-2-3 all-time for states where NFL players were born. The only thing UCLA is missing is an elite NFL receiver since theyve had Pro Bowlers at every position except out wide. Mississippi averages 26.6 NFL players for every 100,000 citizens. Just because we dont have a college team of our own here at Grand Canyon University doesnt mean that we arent caught up in the excitement and talent infusion the draft brings. A cleveland.com review of opening week rosters found Florida leads with the way with 193 players, based on the place of birth of each player. Notre Dames lack of recent success bears out in the number of active players the Irish have in the NFL. 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. From there, we ranked which state currently has produced the most NFL players. However, Nebraska hasnt finished in the top 10 in the final AP poll since the 2001 season, and its once-abundant NFL pipeline has all but dried up. And that team just happens to be the only one that outpaced USC in NFL players produced. The state of Mississippi has placed the most players in the NFL capita, according to a by Sidelines. The state that produced dynamic personalities such as Favre and Gardner Minshew found a way to make an impression. necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. 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). Here's a breakdown of the 10 states with the most NFL. Please reload the page and try again. Despite ranking ninth in all-time NFL players, the Huskers rank just 26th in active NFL players. 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. Some regions of the country, though, have become well known for regularly producing NFL-caliber talent. 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. 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. Another amazing fact: Jackson State, alone, has produced four Hall of Famers, three of them native Mississippians. How 'bout them Hogs? Among states that have produced at least 15 NFL quarterbacks, Washington has the highest average draft position at 71.3 for its 16 QBs selected in the NFL draft (not counting the supplemental draft). Jim Druckenmiller. 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. Its one of the most exciting times of the year for football fans around the country. That is about 9% of the current active players in the league. Oct 6, 2011, 8:10 AM Historically, Texas, California, and Pennsylvania have been hotbeds for football talent. 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 . 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. During your secondary school years, you likely had a little One of the most common questions students hear is, What do you want to be when you grow up? For many individuals that answer is subject to change over time. 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. They grew up just 10 minutes from each other in Chicago and are universally known by their surnames: Butkus and Nitschke. All 11 of the school's conference championships have come under Spurrier and Meyer, who made Gainesville a pipeline to the NFL unlike previous coaches. 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. He has covered the SEC since 2016. The Sooners have only three Hall of Famers. 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.