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. Youd probably expect huge numbers from the likes of Texas, California and Pennsylvania, but when you take into account population, it completely changes the outlook, Diallo said. 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. 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. 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. Most touchdowns in NFL: Tony Gonzalez (111), Most games played in NFL: Tony Gonzalez (270). While everything may be bigger in Texas, the Aggies come up small in terms of Pro Football Hall of Famers. Notre Dames lack of recent success bears out in the number of active players the Irish have in the NFL. These high schools have produced the most NFL players. Others create politicians. 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. The sheer size of California and the number of universities within it has propelled the state to #2 on the list. But in recent years, the states that are football factories has shifted a little. 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. Notre Dame and USC were actually tied for the most draft selections ever entering the 2021 draft with 511. But now, Florida has joined them as one of the three biggest producers of NFL talent. That is, the Magnolia State, relatively small and poor in so many ways, kicks tail when it comes to producing football talent. Led by Manning and league MVPs Brett Favre and Steve McNair, they made 732 starts in 802 games played (91.3%). For a better experience, please consider using a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. . Again, its not even close. 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. That group includes former No. Over those100-plus years, they have won two national championships (1920 and 1922) and produced many pro players. And where does the 2021 NFL draft class of quarterbacks come from? 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. Bottom line: Purdue is one of the oldest college football programs. Yet Texas leads the U.S. in Super Bowl wins above expectation. Here's a breakdown of the 10 states with the most NFL players: It's always fun to see which states generate the most NFL talent. Action Network analyzed each NFL teams current roster to identify the state and university each of their players came from. When you factor in population, the state produces 26.6 pro football players for every 100,000 people. 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. Action Network's list of the top 10 states with the most active NFL players is listed below. 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. It's no surprise the schools that dominate on Saturdays see their alumni playing on Sundays. These five state's account for close to 50% of. 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. 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. 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. 4 on the leagues all-time passing yardage list. 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. Bottom line:Illinois never won a national championship, but the Illini had two of the most iconic players in NFL history. 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. 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. Coach Urban Meyer preparing players for the NFL also was a huge attraction as many of those 65 players came under his tenure. 1 overall pick in 1993, was one of four first-round picks from Washington and one of 12 taken within the first 100 selections. The only thing missing from Alabamas NFL resume is a shutdown cornerback. No. And some make NFL players. With 14 cities producing at least four players on Kickoff Weekend rosters, Texas surpassed Florida to lead the league in home states. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Always has. Nebraska,. The state of Mississippi has placed the most players in the NFL capita, according to a by Sidelines. Total enrollment: 46,810. 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. 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. Here's a breakdown of the 10 states with the most NFL. Heres the breakdown: There are three colleges that have dominated Florida football for decades. The United States of quarterbacks will add more members to the club April 29-May 1 with the NFL draft (on ESPN/ESPN App) and maybe someday make some QB-starved states proud (we're looking at you, Utah and Minnesota). Mississippi produces more NFL players per capita than any other state, and its not really that close. We also looked at the three college teams who had the most players join each professional team in every decade. The only thing UCLA is missing is an elite NFL receiver since theyve had Pro Bowlers at every position except out wide. 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. 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 The Longhorns are no longer on top, and they are chasing Oklahoma for Big 12 supremacy in terms of NFL players produced. The only thing missing from Washingtons NFL alumni is a successful wide receiver. Heres a breakdown of every states active NFL players. Others create politicians. And of those, 11 come from high schools located within 30 miles of Atlanta. From 1960 to 1987, the franchise was located in St. Louis, and that westward move brought with it more players from the Southwest and Great Plains regions, as players from schools like Utah, Missouri and Nebraska starting appearing on the field more for the NFL franchise. 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. 2023 www.clarionledger.com. It features arguably the most successful college football program in history. 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. Help keep the momentum going by rejoining our member community today. News Star World, Jackson Daily News and Clarion Ledger. That is more than 30 percent of all active players listed Pro-Football-Reference.com. The Lone Star State produced a plethora of talented quarterbacks, such as Drew Brees, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Ryan Tannehill. 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. We're dedicated to keeping Mississippians informed with our thorough reporting. Former Buckeyes in the NFL draft this year include Kendall Sheffield (CB, Atlanta Falcons), Rod Smith (RB, Carolina Panthers) and Justin Fields (QB, Chicago Bears). Try selecting a different location. 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 content on this page is for informational purposes only. 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. Rick Cleveland, a native of Hattiesburg and resident of Jackson, has been Mississippi Todays sports columnist since 2016. Active NFL players from Texas include Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes; Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams. Twelve of the 22 Washington QBs came from the greater Seattle area. 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). Nick Saban has given NFL franchises 29 first-round picks during his time as Alabama's head coach 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. Notably, however, LSU was the school most represented on the 2018 Cardinals roster. Only Purdue (676), Oregon (687) and Arkansas (706) have fewer NFL touchdowns. 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. 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. Louisiana QBs have nine Super Bowl wins in 14 starts. These colleges have produced the most NFL players, and they have a track record of success on the gridiron. 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. But which high schools are "football factories" like major college programs such as Alabama, Ohio State and USC? 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. For the Cardinals, this means that Georgia Tech and Duke footballers last the longest with the franchise at nearly four seasons on average. And some make NFL players. 2 is Louisiana (one in 76,837) .. No. 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. Perhaps a surprise to some, North Carolina takes the fourth spot. 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 most prolific quarterback state of the 2010s is Florida with nine, including Lamar Jackson and Teddy Bridgewater. 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 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. Follow on Twitter @RichExner or see previous stories at cleveland.com/datacentral. But the Ducks have had a lot of talent over the years. There are 151 NFL players that came from colleges across California. Its highest touchdown scorer, Elroy Hirsch, found the end zone just 66 times. In fact, 12 of their Pro Bowl players played either running back or fullback. Bottom line:Wisconsin has the most NFL players of any school to never win a national championship their highest season-ending finish was No. This site .css-110721q{color:#0079F0;}contains commercial content. 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. What college has the most NFL players all time? That is reflected by the Gators having the fifth-most active players in the NFL despite being outside the top 10 in total players. Its not just quantity were talking about either. Mississippi averages 26.6 NFL players for every 100,000 citizens. By continuing to navigate this site you are consenting to the collection of information via our use of cookies. 2 is Louisiana (one in 76,837) .. No. We just dont have available stats on the authors and musicians. 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." Copyright 2023 Action Network Inc, All Rights Reserved.Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | AdChoices. Alabama is ranked first in the country in terms of NFL players per capita, with one NFL player per 74,683 residents. Editorial cartoons and photo essays are not included under the Creative Commons license and therefore do not have the "Republish This Story" button option. 64 overall) of the San Diego Chargers in the 1973 NFL draft. 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. The schools that dominate on Saturdays have their alumni playing on Sundays. So we set out to determine what state produces the most NFL players. Colleges with the most NFL players all time . Don Majkowski. 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. 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. 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. 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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. 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. 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. While that number seems impressive, its a low number for this list and ranks just 81st in terms of all college football programs. Since 1936, 788 NFL players have come from Mississippi. Three of those Razorbackers became Hall of Famers: wide receiver Lance Alworth, defensive lineman Dan Hampton and free safety Steve Atwater. Louisiana, which doesn't have. 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. In fact, since Saban became coach in 2007, the Crimson Tide have more first-round picks (39) than losses (27). Rod Woodson already has a gold jacket and is the greatest Purdue football alum not named Brees. Bottom line: Smack dab in the middle of Pennsylvania, Penn State isnt far from Ohio, New York and New Jersey. The school has produced at least one player from every season of NFL football since the league resumed play in 2012. 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. It's no surprise the schools that dominate on Saturdays see their alumni playing on Sundays. This college has also produced the second-most players in the 2021 season. 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? City of Miami, State of Florida, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School Produce Most NFL Players Which state has most NFL players per capita? The state of Mississippi has placed the most players in the NFL capita, according to a by Sidelines. Despite that, Washington has attracted many of the top players in the nation and its reach goes beyond its Seattle campus. What state produces the most NFL players header image. Jim Druckenmiller. 1 overall picks and 6,532 TD passes. 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: While six states on this list landed multiple programs in the top 25, only one city accomplished the feat, and thats Los Angeles. Current NFL players: 37. U.S. News rank: 18 (tie), National Universities. With the 2020 season officially underway, CBS unveiled an incredible graphic that shows which states produce the most NFL players. 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. Thats a no-brainer. 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). In Ohio, Cuyahoga County alone is the birthplace of 17 players. Many of the schools on this list are poised to send another great class of rookies to the NFL next season. The universities to follow Alabama were Ohio State, Florida, Louisiana State and Michigan, all courtesy of its football programs. We are particularly interested in which colleges have been the most successful at sending players to the pros. 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. 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. Without Fitzpatrick's 146 starts, the canyon between Arizona and runner-up Ohio, at 57.6% for its 34 QBs, would be even wider. 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. Troy Aikman, Jonathan Ogden and Jimmy Johnson all have rejected USC for Westwood and currently reside in the Hall of Fame. 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. 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. That is more than 1 in every 12 players currently 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. Oct 6, 2011, 8:10 AM Historically, Texas, California, and Pennsylvania have been hotbeds for football talent. Though it might surprise some fans, the state of Florida actually has the most current NFL players. Most touchdowns in NFL: James Lofton (76), Most games played in NFL: John Elway (234). Oklahoma - 328 9. 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. Woodson has a Super Bowl ring, 71 career interceptions, 11 Pro Bowls and six All-Pro honors. These colleges have produced the most NFL players, and they have a track record of success on the gridiron. Nevertheless, with names like Bo Jackson, Ronnie Brown, and Stephen Davis, the Tigers have been a football factory at producing NFL running backs. Stay up to date with what you want to know. The one thing lacking from The Ohio States NFL resume is a great, or even good, or even above-average, quarterback. Bottom line:Did you know that the Washington Huskies 40 game win streak from 1908 to 1914 is the second-longest in NCAA history? Action Network makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event. But well take what we can get. 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 GLIAC has the most active NFL players with 10, followed by the Mid-America conference with 9. In fact, those three states rank 1-2-3 all-time for states where NFL. Alabama (17) was a distant fifth. Of that 82, 74 are playing in the NFL after spending time at Nick Saban's powerhouse football program. 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). The District of Columbia, with one NFL player for every 54,702 residents, has the most NFL players per capita. Or should. 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. Here is an in-depth look at the top five states. Then he starred for the Steelers, Ravens, 49ers and Raiders in the NFL. West Virginia University's Morgantown recruits many of these athletes. But the Texas total computes to only 8.5 players per 100,000, about one-third of what Mississippi has produced. as well as other partner offers and accept our. Many may not think of the Tar Heel State as a football-dominant state, but they sure know how to produce top-talent. The Volunteers can thank three players for boosting up their number of Pro Bowl selections: Peyton Manning (14), Reggie White (13) and Jason Witten (11) account for nearly 30 percent of those nods. Looking at the current NFL landscape, Action Network was able to identify several hot spots where top talent came from. It was enough to move . second most all-time wins in college football history. In fact, those three states rank 1-2-3 all-time for states where NFL players were born. Is it any surprise that the Lone Star State tops the ranking? 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. Heres how the rest of the list shakes out: The college football landscape is already taking shape for the 2022-23 season. And in 2018 and 2019, one out of four quarterbacks who started Week 1 hailed from the Lone Star State. The school has just one first-round NFL pick since the 2011 season with Prince Amukamara going 19th overall in that years draft. By Jackson. Texas has produced more active NFL players than any other U.S. state. So, it is no surprise to see them on this list. Ohio State is just one of three colleges to produce more than 400 NFL players. We support responsible gambling. How 'bout them Hogs? With both expected to be top picks in the draft, Georgia will soon have 19 NFL quarterbacks. After starring at Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Woodson stayed close to home and became an All-American for the Boilermakers. Michigan - 346 7. Coming in at second for most NFL players on Week 1 rosters is Texas. Warner collected 71 of his 311 career college wins at Stanford and changed the game with the forward pass. Jones was a Razorback starter at offensive guard and co-captain when the team won the national title. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using. 1 in health, wealth and education? Here are the universities cultivating the talent: In Alabama, theres no denying which school is best at producing professional football 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. Penn State - 359 5. Most touchdowns in NFL: Lance Alworth (87), Most games played in NFL: Jason Peters (238). Highest AV in NFL: Randall McDaniel (129), Most touchdowns in NFL: Charley Taylor (90), Most games played in NFL: Terrell Suggs (244). 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. Historically, Texas, California, and Pennsylvania have been hotbeds for football talent. The NFL is known world wide for having some of the best athletes in the world. Of the 16 Tigers to make at least one All-Pro first team, 11 were offensive players including Hall of Famers Y.A. Alabama, Ohio State, and LSU have been at the forefront of the supply chain of great talent for the NFL. 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. 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. Most touchdowns in NFL: LeGarrette Blount (58), Most games played in NFL: George Martin (201).