Though it might surprise some fans, the state of Florida actually has the most current NFL players. 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. 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. The most notable star to come from the Sunshine State is Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Here is a breakdown of the states where the most active NFL players were born Sign up for notifications from Insider! 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. Some regions of the country, though, have become well known for regularly producing NFL-caliber talent. In third place for most NFL players is California, which gets to claim two legendary players in Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Bottom line: While six states on this list landed multiple programs in the top 25, only one city accomplished the feat, and thats Los Angeles. 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! But well take what we can get. 2 following the 1962 season. Weve looked at the top states for producing NFL players, but how about the most successful schools within those states? 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. In 2016, Favre became the ninth native Mississippian inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. Thanks to a slew of legendary coaches and a tradition . 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: The California Golden Bears have been playing football since 1916. Nebraska, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Alabama round out the top five. Louisiana, with 25 NFL QBs, including Terry Bradshaw, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, is No. Only five players in the program's history have been selected first . Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke dominated in the 1960s and '70s, and the Fighting Illinis success also is in yesteryear. 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. The state of Mississippi has placed the most players in the NFL capita, according to a by Sidelines. Historically, Texas, California, and Pennsylvania have been hotbeds for football talent. Brees also won a Super Bowl (XLIV), was Super Bowl MVP, a 13-time Pro Bowler and a one-time All-Pro. 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 the last six years . A cleveland.com review of opening week. That stat does deserve a caveat as Matthew Slater and Wally Henry were both Bruins receivers who made the Pro Bowl, but they did so at the positions of special teams and return specialist, respectively. 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). 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. 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. Texas has produced more active NFL players than any other U.S. state. The school has just one first-round NFL pick since the 2011 season with Prince Amukamara going 19th overall in that years draft. 64 overall) of the San Diego Chargers in the 1973 NFL draft. 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. 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. In fact, 12 of their Pro Bowl players played either running back or fullback. They are followed by Florida, Texas, Georgia and then Ohio. Any sources cited were We believe that an informed Mississippi is a better Mississippi. Most games played:Sebastian Janikowski (284). Jim Druckenmiller. Others create politicians. One of the exciting things about going to college is that youll have the opportunity to direct the course of your own education. The only thing UCLA is missing is an elite NFL receiver since theyve had Pro Bowlers at every position except out wide. This is another program that has experienced its most success in recent years, and only rival Alabama has more active NFL players. 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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. But the Texas total computes to only 8.5 players per 100,000, about one-third of what Mississippi has produced. And there are currently no players that were born in the state of Vermont. Our site uses cookies to personalize content, to provide social media features/ads and to analyze site traffic. Louisiana is famous for its Cajun food, jazz music, Mardi Gras -- and quarterbacks. Remember, were talking about per capita here. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Bottom line:Illinois never won a national championship, but the Illini had two of the most iconic players in NFL history. 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. 4-year graduation rate: 66%. North Carolina can claim 121 current NFL players in the league. Which city has the most NFL players in 2020? No. Yes, Bulldogs Dak Prescott and perhaps Fletcher Cox are future Hall of Famers but thats a few years away. We do not sell or share your information with anyone. That's reflective of Arizona's NFL history, which includes longtime backup Mike Pagel. Total enrollment in fall 2021: 13,139. Of that 82, 74 are playing in the NFL after spending time at Nick Saban's powerhouse football program. Since 1936, when the NFL began to keep accurate roster records, Mississippi has produced 788 NFL players. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. Notre Dames lack of recent success bears out in the number of active players the Irish have in the NFL. Trevor Lawrence, of Cartersville High, and Justin Fields, of Harrison High, became the top two recruits in the nation in 2018. 211 current NFL players came from a school in Texas. One of the first things we found was how many players have ever donned the teams uniform throughout the entirety of the franchises history. 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. Look for the "Republish This Story" button underneath each story. Florida is another NFL-producing machine. This site .css-110721q{color:#0079F0;}contains commercial content. You cant edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. These five state's account for close to 50% of. He might be No. Then he starred for the Steelers, Ravens, 49ers and Raiders in the NFL. A bust is waiting for Brees in Canton. The most NFL players have come from Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Miami, Florida, and the state of Florida. Kelly never got the program to the promised land, and Oregon still is searching for its first national championship. But great players in Norman havent translated to great players in the NFL. Highest AV in NFL: Randall McDaniel (129), Most touchdowns in NFL: Charley Taylor (90), Most games played in NFL: Terrell Suggs (244). Dont forget to take advantage of Caesars Sportsbooks NCAAF odds week-in and week-out! The NFL is known world wide for having some of the best athletes in the world. Bottom line: Smack dab in the middle of Pennsylvania, Penn State isnt far from Ohio, New York and New Jersey. 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. Unfortunately, the two never shared a backfield while at Iowa, or maybe thats fortunate for opposing quarterbacks. pic.twitter.com/bxIOhq6fqz, Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) September 13, 2018. While ranking 22nd in all-time NFL players, Auburn ranks 23rd in active players after ranking eighth in 2019, pointing to their recent struggles. Second is Ohio State with 67, followed by LSU with 62. 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. Current NFL players: 37. 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. 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. 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. Its quality, as well. 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. 3 is Georgia (one in 78,761). He was sports editor of Hattiesburg American, executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. 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. Rick has been recognized 13 times as Mississippi Sports Writer of the Year, and is recipient of multiple awards and honors for his reporting and writing. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. But the program has produced some elite NFL stars. Cardale Jones. Yale Lary is the only Hall of Famer in school history, and that one HOF selection is the fewest of any school on this list. Ohio, a traditional Midwest football-mad state, is fifth on the list in terms of NFL players. After starring at Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Woodson stayed close to home and became an All-American for the Boilermakers. Notre Dame, USC, and Ohio State have produced 400 or more NFL players in history. 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. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images). Check out the full list of 721 quarterbacks divided by state here. Over those100-plus years, they have won two national championships (1920 and 1922) and produced many pro players. North Carolina Perhaps a surprise to some, North Carolina takes the fourth spot. In the 1950s, 69 Spartans were drafted into the NFL, compared to just 59 from 2000 to 2019. But which high schools are "football factories" like major college programs such as Alabama, Ohio State and USC? That group includes former No. 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. BYU's Zach Wilson will be just the sixth Utah QB to play in the NFL, yet somehow he was runner-up in the state's Mr. Football award. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Half the players on NFL rosters are from just seven states, with Ohio being among the top producers of pro football talent. Weve ranked the best NFL-talent producing universities in Texas, California, Florida, North Carolina, and Alabama. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). Will Texas cede its dominance, or will it hold strong as the top NFL-producing state? (You can find them here.). When you factor in population, the state produces 26.6 pro football players for every 100,000 people. Many of the schools on this list are poised to send another great class of rookies to the NFL next season. The Lone Star State produced a plethora of talented quarterbacks, such as Drew Brees, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Ryan Tannehill. Be sure to visit the Action Networks NCAAF Odds page each week to the lay of the land for betting lines. Eleven ZIP codes have produced three NFL QBs, and 60 can boast two. 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. That is more than 30 percent of all active players listed Pro-Football-Reference.com. It's no surprise the schools that dominate on Saturdays see their alumni playing on Sundays. And giving them three is a bit generous since Troy Aikman started his career at OU, but finished it at UCLA. 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. Texas ranks last in ESPN's QB formula because of the expectations given the state's resources. Bottom line:Michigan has the second most all-time wins in college football history (behind Alabama), produced perhaps the greatest quarterback in NFL history (Tom Brady) and even had a future president play for them (Gerald Ford). 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. 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. In the City of Miami, State of Florida, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School produces the most NFL players. 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. Nevertheless, with names like Bo Jackson, Ronnie Brown, and Stephen Davis, the Tigers have been a football factory at producing NFL running backs. 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. So we set out to determine what state produces the most NFL players. But now, Florida has joined them as one of the three biggest producers of NFL talent. 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. We also looked at career length to find which colleges players have the longest average careers on different NFL teams. 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). Those three states currently have 597 players in the NFL. The Boilermakers started playing football in 1892 and have sent big names to the NFL. But Knoxville, with its close location to the Gulf Coast, the Eastern Seaboard and the Midwest, is still adept at attracting top college prospects. 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. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. Time will tell! Coach Urban Meyer preparing players for the NFL also was a huge attraction as many of those 65 players came under his tenure. The remaining seven states to crack the top 10 are Georgia, Ohio, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, North Carolina and New Jersey. Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. What state produces the most NFL players header image. The Penn State Nittany Lions, who began play in 1889, are among the most storied programs in . 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. 4-year graduation rate: 90%. Ohio State is just one of three colleges to produce more than 400 NFL players. Stay up to date with what you want to know. 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. LSUs alums rank fifth all-time in touchdowns scored, with most of their best players lining up on the offensive side of the ball. In the college game, Tennessee has fallen off over the last 20 years, recording just two top-10 finish over that span. Switzer was a center, linebacker, and captain of the 1959 team that won the Southwest Conference and Gator Bowl. California, with 141 quarterbacks, is tops in the union with 14 Super Bowl wins in 25 starts, three Hall of Famers, seven No. 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. Out of all colleges, Notre Dame has produced 521 players selected in the NFL draft. The state that produced dynamic personalities such as Favre and Gardner Minshew found a way to make an impression. 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. 1 overall picks and 6,532 TD passes. 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 . 2023 www.clarionledger.com. Led by Manning and league MVPs Brett Favre and Steve McNair, they made 732 starts in 802 games played (91.3%). 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. . 1 overall pick. It was enough to move . 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 are particularly interested in which colleges have been the most successful at sending players to the pros. However, players of that caliber have been few and far between in recent years as the majority of Michigan States NFL alums played in the early days of the NFL. The numbers were run through a principle component analysis -- boiling the information down to the most important data points -- to create the overall rankings. Bottom line:Lots of schools have proclaimed themselves as "DB U" due to the prolific number of defensive backs they have sent to the NFL. Most touchdowns in NFL: Mike Alstott (71), Most games played in NFL: Drew Brees (287). This makes up 2.79% of the NFL. 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. The University of Alabama has produced the most pro athletes out of college, though, with 82. 2 Alabama, SEC Women's Basketball Tournament action suspended due to weather delay, 2 SEC players named to late-season watch list for Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Trophy, Overrated? 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. 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). 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. However, 13 Wolverines have reached 1,000 NFL rushing yards with the latest being the greatest, Tom Brady. That is reflected by the Gators having the fifth-most active players in the NFL despite being outside the top 10 in total players. Which ZIP code has produced the most NFL quarterbacks? Bledsoe, the No. accurate as of the publish date. 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). The schools other Hall of Famers are quarterback Bobby Layne, running back Earl Campbell and defensive back Bobby Dillon. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. In Ohio, Cuyahoga County alone is the birthplace of 17 players. Try selecting a different location. Founded in 2016 as the states first nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom, Mississippi Todays roots in Capitol coverage have grown to encompass a myriad of beats beyond politics and policy, including education, public health, justice, environment, equity, and, yes, sports. By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with Mississippi Today. Three legendary Cal stars are quarterback Aaron Rodgers, tight end Tony Gonzalez and running back Marshawn Lynch. 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. Others create politicians. The only thing missing from Alabamas NFL resume is a shutdown cornerback. Another amazing fact: Jackson State, alone, has produced four Hall of Famers, three of them native Mississippians. Nebraska,. 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. Despite that, Washington has attracted many of the top players in the nation and its reach goes beyond its Seattle campus. is known world wide for having some of the best athletes in the world. Bottom line:The Auburn Tigers are not currently considered an SEC powerhouse, but it wasn't that long ago when they were. Alabama is ranked first in the country in terms of NFL players per capita, with one NFL player per 74,683 residents. 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. Ohio State's Justin Fields was a five-star recruit at Harrison High.