By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with Mississippi Today. At the other end of the spectrum, North Dakota, Delaware, and New Hampshire are each the birthplace of a single player in the NFL. We are particularly interested in which colleges have been the most successful at sending players to the pros. Be sure to visit the Action Networks NCAAF Odds page each week to the lay of the land for betting lines. Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. High Schools That Produce the Most NFL Players | Stadium Talk Three of those Razorbackers became Hall of Famers: wide receiver Lance Alworth, defensive lineman Dan Hampton and free safety Steve Atwater. 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. City of Miami, State of Florida, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School Produce Most NFL Players Which state has most NFL players per capita? Arkansas has sent almost 300 players to the NFL. Despite ranking ninth in all-time NFL players, the Huskers rank just 26th in active NFL players. Which Schools Have the Most NFL Players? They both were middle linebackers and played for rival franchises in the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, respectively. With both expected to be top picks in the draft, Georgia will soon have 19 NFL quarterbacks. 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. 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 . Louisiana, with 25 NFL QBs, including Terry Bradshaw, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, is No. Bottom line:Pittsburgh has just six Top 25 finishes in the last 35 years and hasnt won more than 10 games since 1981. No. 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. 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. California has been strong in its quarterback production in every decade, leading the way in the 1970s, '80s and '90s (based on the final year of high school for each QB). But that is debatable. Historically, Texas, California, and Pennsylvania have been hotbeds for football talent. 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. Jones was a Razorback starter at offensive guard and co-captain when the team won the national title. Action Network's list of the top 10 states with the most active NFL players is listed below. What College Has Produced The Most Nfl Hall Of Famers? We do not target any individuals under the age of 21. 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. Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. The only thing missing from Alabamas NFL resume is a shutdown cornerback. Still, they dont have decades of winning traditions, which is why they fall a little lower on this list than many might expect. following organizations: Whoops! 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. 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. 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. 1. NFL draft picks since 2000: 57. Bottom line:The dominance of Alabama under Nick Saban isnt limited to just the college game. 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. They grew up just 10 minutes from each other in Chicago and are universally known by their surnames: Butkus and Nitschke. No. And there are currently no players that were born in the state of Vermont. 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. 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. These five state's account for close to 50% of. His work as a syndicated columnist and celebrated sports writer has appeared in numerous magazines, periodicals and newspapers. Remember, were talking about per capita here. 4-year graduation rate: 66%. 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. Most touchdowns in NFL: Tony Gonzalez (111), Most games played in NFL: Tony Gonzalez (270). 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. Nearly 900 players came from the USC and UCLA campuses (separated by just 11 miles), but the majority of those are singing "Fight On.". You cant edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. 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. Heres how the rest of the list shakes out: The college football landscape is already taking shape for the 2022-23 season. Eleven ZIP codes have produced three NFL QBs, and 60 can boast two. But the Texas total computes to only 8.5 players per 100,000, about one-third of what Mississippi has produced. Second is Ohio State with 67, followed by LSU with 62. - 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. That is more than 30 percent of all active players listed Pro-Football-Reference.com. Bottom line:Illinois never won a national championship, but the Illini had two of the most iconic players in NFL history. Coach Urban Meyer preparing players for the NFL also was a huge attraction as many of those 65 players came under his tenure. Which states produce the most NFL players? Florida, California, Texas You can only publish select stories individually not as a collection. Try selecting a different location. By continuing to navigate this site you are consenting to the collection of information via our use of cookies. Many may not think of the Tar Heel State as a football-dominant state, but they sure know how to produce top-talent. (You can find them here.). What high school has produced the most NFL quarterbacks? Mississippi produces more NFL players per capita than any other state, and its not really that close. 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. 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. 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. Once we started looking through historic roster data for various NFL teams, we really didnt want to stop. 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. Bottom line: Arkansas has a great football tradition. 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? Bottom line: Tennessee makes up for its lack of quantity (13th in all-time players and 19th in active players) with quality (fifth in Pro Bowl selections). These high schools have produced the most NFL players. 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. Trevor Lawrence, of Cartersville High, and Justin Fields, of Harrison High, became the top two recruits in the nation in 2018. Recent post: What Color Is Associated With The Number 5? 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 state also produced Richard Sherman, Tyron Smith, Bobby Wagner and several other stars. Its highest touchdown scorer, Elroy Hirsch, found the end zone just 66 times. Bottom line:Whether or not Notre Dame is the greatest program in NCAA history is up for debate, but theres no denying the impact that the Fighting Irish football program has had on the NFL. Mississippi averages 26.6 NFL players for every 100,000 citizens. About 20 miles on I-75 separate the Georgia high school homes of two of the draft's top QB prospects. More NFL players (199) graduated from Texas than any. And that team just happens to be the only one that outpaced USC in NFL players produced. The school has produced at least one player from every season of NFL football since the league resumed play in 2012. The District of Columbia, with one NFL player for every 54,702 residents, has the most NFL players per capita. In the 1950s, 69 Spartans were drafted into the NFL, compared to just 59 from 2000 to 2019. The Ohio State University has produced a total of 411 players since the 17th NFL season in 1936. The population of New York State is nearly 20 million, compared to Mississippis fewer than 3 million. 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. After all, our hometown Arizona Cardinals have the first overall pick! Iowas defense-heavy mindset seemed to carry on to all of its NFL players as they come up on the short end of touchdowns scored in the NFL. Johnson was on that same Arkansas team in 1964 and played defensive end during his college days. 211 current NFL players came from a school in Texas. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The only thing UCLA is missing is an elite NFL receiver since theyve had Pro Bowlers at every position except out wide. 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). 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. Tittle, Steve Van Buren and Kevin Mawae. . 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. We share information about your use of this site with our social media, advertising and analytics teams who may combine it with other information that youve provided to them. He might be No. 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. 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? It's no surprise the schools that dominate on Saturdays see their alumni playing on Sundays. That is 48 more than the team with the next most Pro Bowl selections. Most touchdowns in NFL: Mike Alstott (71), Most games played in NFL: Drew Brees (287). Despite putting 54 defensive backs in the NFL, including 14 first-rounders, no Bama corner has ever made a Pro Bowl. What State Produces the Most NFL Players? | Action Network AV refers to approximate value and is PFRs attempt to quantify a players career value. 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. second most all-time wins in college football history. Only Purdue (676), Oregon (687) and Arkansas (706) have fewer NFL touchdowns.