West Virginia University's Morgantown recruits many of these athletes. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Half the players on NFL rosters are from just seven states, with Ohio being among the top producers of pro football talent. Action Network's list of the top 10 states with the most active NFL players is listed below. Despite having the most players all-time, the Fighting Irish ranked eigth in active players for the 2022 NFL season. Three legendary Cal stars are quarterback Aaron Rodgers, tight end Tony Gonzalez and running back Marshawn Lynch. Louisiana, with 25 NFL QBs, including Terry Bradshaw, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, is No. Tittle, Steve Van Buren and Kevin Mawae. 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. Evans . Alabama - 319 What College Has The Most NFL Players - 2019 Alabama - 53 LSU - 51 Ohio State - 46 USC - 44 Miami - 43 Florida - 43 Of the 16 Tigers to make at least one All-Pro first team, 11 were offensive players including Hall of Famers Y.A. Which city has the most NFL players in 2020? After starring at Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Woodson stayed close to home and became an All-American for the Boilermakers. Unfortunately, the two never shared a backfield while at Iowa, or maybe thats fortunate for opposing quarterbacks. 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). Help keep the momentum going by rejoining our member community today. 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). 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). While everything may be bigger in Texas, the Aggies come up small in terms of Pro Football Hall of Famers. At present he serves the Minnesota Vikings as their Chief Operating Officer, making him one of the highest-ranking executives in the organization with the 18th pick in this years draft. Current NFL players: 37. 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. 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. Our site uses cookies to personalize content, to provide social media features/ads and to analyze site traffic. Total enrollment: 46,810. It was enough to move . Trevor Lawrence, of Cartersville High, and Justin Fields, of Harrison High, became the top two recruits in the nation in 2018. No promotions available. It's no surprise the schools that dominate on Saturdays see their alumni playing on Sundays. Texas used to be the dominant team in the state, but the rise of other programs like Texas A&M and TCU in recent years has taken some wind out of its sails. 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 . second most all-time wins in college football history. 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. Nebraska, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Alabama round out the top five. Historically, Texas, California, and Pennsylvania have been hotbeds for football talent. 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. In the City of Miami, State of Florida, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School produces the most NFL players. Alabama is ranked first in the country in terms of NFL players per capita, with one NFL player per 74,683 residents. These five state's account for close to 50% of. News Star World, Jackson Daily News and Clarion Ledger. California and Texas are still at the top of the list. Bottom line: Smack dab in the middle of Pennsylvania, Penn State isnt far from Ohio, New York and New Jersey. Johnson was on that same Arkansas team in 1964 and played defensive end during his college days. Bottom line:Pittsburgh has just six Top 25 finishes in the last 35 years and hasnt won more than 10 games since 1981. But the Texas total computes to only 8.5 players per 100,000, about one-third of what Mississippi has produced. 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. With both expected to be top picks in the draft, Georgia will soon have 19 NFL quarterbacks. Those three states currently have 597 players in the NFL. 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 . 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. 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. Bottom line: Purdue is one of the oldest college football programs. Brees also won a Super Bowl (XLIV), was Super Bowl MVP, a 13-time Pro Bowler and a one-time All-Pro. The Ducks didn't win another "Granddaddy" until 2011, when Chip Kelly and his high-flying offense beat Wisconsin 45-38. By Jackson. Bottom line:Did you know that the Washington Huskies 40 game win streak from 1908 to 1914 is the second-longest in NCAA history? Try selecting a different location. The schools that dominate on Saturdays have their alumni playing on Sundays. Thats more than much larger states such as New York (7) and New Jersey (6). We also identified the college football programs that sent the most players to the NFL within those states. NFL draft picks since 2000: 57. The Penn State Nittany Lions, who began play in 1889, are among the most storied programs in . 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. Nebraska,. The most prolific quarterback state of the 2010s is Florida with nine, including Lamar Jackson and Teddy Bridgewater. Some colleges excel at producing Fortune 500 CEOs. And where does the 2021 NFL draft class of quarterbacks come from? 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. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. City of Miami, State of Florida, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School Produce Most NFL Players Which state has most NFL players per capita? 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. 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. Perhaps a surprise to some, North Carolina takes the fourth spot. That's reflective of Arizona's NFL history, which includes longtime backup Mike Pagel. With your help, we've gotten a lot done but we're not finished yet! The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not Second is Ohio State with 67, followed by LSU with 62. 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. Eleven ZIP codes have produced three NFL QBs, and 60 can boast two. From John Brodie and Jim Plunkett to John Elway and Andrew Luck, there's a reason Stanford has a reputation as Quarterback U. But the Ducks have had a lot of talent over the years. Always has. 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. Even with Aikman, Oklahoma has fewer Hall of Famers than Morgan State, San Francisco and Jackson State, all schools with fewer than 100 NFL players. Mississippi averages 26.6 NFL players for every 100,000 citizens. Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports shared a chart on Twitter on Thursday that breaks down which states have the most NFL players per capita. In fact, 12 of their Pro Bowl players played either running back or fullback. Mississippi State upends No. The schools other Hall of Famers are quarterback Bobby Layne, running back Earl Campbell and defensive back Bobby Dillon. U.S. News rank: 57 (tie), National Universities. Only Purdue (676), Oregon (687) and Arkansas (706) have fewer NFL touchdowns. You cant edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. In Georgia, one NFL player is played for every 81,409 people, while in Florida, one is played for every 91,847 people. Since 1936, 788 NFL players have come from Mississippi. . 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. And now, theres even data that would appear to back it up. Arkansas has sent almost 300 players to the NFL. 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. Twelve of the 22 Washington QBs came from the greater Seattle area. 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. Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Note: Birthplace for 14 players could not immediately be determined. 1 overall pick. 2 is Louisiana (one in 76,837) .. No. Others create politicians. Bottom line:Wisconsin has the most NFL players of any school to never win a national championship their highest season-ending finish was No. Michigan - 346 7. To learn more about our cartoon syndication services. 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. 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. Still, they dont have decades of winning traditions, which is why they fall a little lower on this list than many might expect. by Rick Cleveland, Mississippi Today November 1, 2021, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
. Ousmane Diallo, a data analyst for Rise at Seven, led a team of five that did the research and tallied the results. Alabama leads the way with 72 active NFL players as of the 2021-2022 season. Oklahoma - 328 9. Arkansas (274) 24. Cardale Jones. Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke dominated in the 1960s and '70s, and the Fighting Illinis success also is in yesteryear. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. 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. 1. Many of the schools on this list are poised to send another great class of rookies to the NFL next season. 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. The population of New York State is nearly 20 million, compared to Mississippis fewer than 3 million. Most touchdowns in NFL: Tony Gonzalez (111), Most games played in NFL: Tony Gonzalez (270). But the Texas total computes to only 8.5 players per 100,000, about one-third of what Mississippi has produced. That is reflected by the Gators having the fifth-most active players in the NFL despite being outside the top 10 in total players. Thats right, Mississippi, for its population, produces more pro football players than Texas, Florida, California and more than Louisiana and Alabama, as well. But that is debatable. By state, NFL training-camp rosters had 336 former Texas high school players, 293 from Florida, 285 from California and 232 from Georgia. With 14 cities producing at least four players on Kickoff Weekend rosters, Texas surpassed Florida to lead the league in home states. Rod Woodson already has a gold jacket and is the greatest Purdue football alum not named Brees. Brees or Woodson at the top of the Purdue football alumni depth chart? The content on this page is for informational purposes only. He might be No. Most touchdowns in NFL: LeGarrette Blount (58), Most games played in NFL: George Martin (201). We're dedicated to keeping Mississippians informed with our thorough reporting. They have won just two conference titles in the last 35 years, and of their 61 Pro Bowl players, only one was drafted in the last 15 years (Vontae Davis, 2009). That's the highest start percentage of any state with at least 400 games played. Some regions of the country, though, have become well known for regularly producing NFL-caliber talent. 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. 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. Clemson's Trevor Lawrence went 52-2 as a starter at Cartersville High, winning two state titles. 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. Several prestigious Texas programs have contributed to the current NFL talent pool. 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. 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. 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). 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. 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. 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. 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. Kelly never got the program to the promised land, and Oregon still is searching for its first national championship. In the last six years . But the program has produced some elite NFL stars. Nearly 900 players came from the USC and UCLA campuses (separated by just 11 miles), but the majority of those are singing "Fight On.". had produced 63 NFL players, the most among the nation . Looking at the current NFL landscape, Action Network was able to identify several hot spots where top talent came from. But well take what we can get. And of those, 11 come from high schools located within 30 miles of Atlanta. 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. Highest AV in NFL: Randall McDaniel (129), Most touchdowns in NFL: Charley Taylor (90), Most games played in NFL: Terrell Suggs (244). Ohio State - 426 4. - Notre Dame, USC, and Ohio State are the schools with the most NFL players in history and the only colleges who have produced 400+ NFL players. The state of California has produced the most players in today's NFL. We are particularly interested in which colleges have been the most successful at sending players to the pros. The school has produced at least one player from every season of NFL football since the league resumed play in 2012. With the 2020 season officially underway, CBS unveiled an incredible graphic that shows which states produce the most NFL players. Bottom line:Another one of the schools without a national title, the Hawkeyes are a perfect nickname for Iowa because their best two players seemingly had hawk eyes. We also looked at the three college teams who had the most players join each professional team in every decade. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The Bobby Bowden-Jimbo Fisher era was the best run in program history, and that was evident by FSU having 46 active players in the NFL in 2019. Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. 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. 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. The only thing missing from Washingtons NFL alumni is a successful wide receiver. All rights reserved (About Us). North Carolina can claim 121 current NFL players in the league. Its quality, as well. They often get those TV slots since their players will be playing in the NFL in a few years. Some colleges excel at producing Fortune 500 CEOs. 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.