Ohio State - 426 4. It is reflected in the NFL as well. With the 2020 season officially underway, CBS unveiled an incredible graphic that shows which states produce the most NFL players. That group includes former No. LSU - 325 10. 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. Dont forget to take advantage of Caesars Sportsbooks NCAAF odds week-in and week-out! Only Purdue (676), Oregon (687) and Arkansas (706) have fewer NFL touchdowns. 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. Eleven ZIP codes have produced three NFL QBs, and 60 can boast two. Rounding out the top five are USC (479), Ohio State (426), Penn State (359), and Nebraska (346). 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. 2 following the 1962 season. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider 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. Johnson was on that same Arkansas team in 1964 and played defensive end during his college days. Its one of the most exciting times of the year for football fans around the country. The 2022 season has seen 58 active players from the Alabama lineage. But well take what we can get. It's no surprise the schools that dominate on Saturdays see their alumni playing on Sundays. 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. No school has more active NFL players than Alabamas 77, and that doesnt even include its 10 players taken in the 2019 draft, which was the most of any school. Only two of the 10 most populous cities in the United States have schools on this list with Phoenixs Arizona State and Los Angeles first entry with UCLA. Help keep the momentum going by rejoining our member community today. 4-year graduation rate: 90%. 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. 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. Bottom line: Purdue is one of the oldest college football programs. After all, our hometown Arizona Cardinals have the first overall pick! 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. The District of Columbia, with one NFL player for every 54,702 residents, has the most NFL players per capita. These high schools have produced the most NFL players. 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. After starring at Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Woodson stayed close to home and became an All-American for the Boilermakers. Notre Dames lack of recent success bears out in the number of active players the Irish have in the NFL. SEC schools continually churn out the most NFL talent. Nebraska, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Alabama round out the top five. What state produces the most NFL players header image. 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. A bust is waiting for Brees in Canton. 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. The state of Mississippi has placed the most players in the NFL capita, according to a by Sidelines. But the Texas total computes to only 8.5 players per 100,000, about one-third of what Mississippi has produced. 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. Always has. California is more than just Tom Brady, and the great state of Texas hasn't been so great when it comes to producing NFL QBs, according to our formula, which counts a player's home state as the one in which he finished his high school career. In the college game, Tennessee has fallen off over the last 20 years, recording just two top-10 finish over that span. 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. The Sooners have only three Hall of Famers. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. Bottom line:Wisconsin has the most NFL players of any school to never win a national championship their highest season-ending finish was No. 1 in health, wealth and education? Will Furrer. And giving them three is a bit generous since Troy Aikman started his career at OU, but finished it at UCLA. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. 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. Try selecting a different location. 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. These colleges have produced the most NFL players, and they have a track record of success on the gridiron. Action Network makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event. Seven of the school's 11 national championships came in the first half of the 20th century, and none of those titles have come in the last 30 years. 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 Alabamas NFL resume is a shutdown cornerback. Pitt has produced the best defensive lineman in a generation in Aaron Donald, but the DLU rsum increased in 2021 too, with three players selected in this year's draft. Again, its not even close. 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. Bledsoe, the No. One of the first things we found was how many players have ever donned the teams uniform throughout the entirety of the franchises history. Most touchdowns in NFL: Tony Gonzalez (111), Most games played in NFL: Tony Gonzalez (270). Copyright 2023 Action Network Inc, All Rights Reserved.Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | AdChoices. 4-year graduation rate: 66%. The only thing UCLA is missing is an elite NFL receiver since theyve had Pro Bowlers at every position except out wide. The rest of the country and other places around the world are home to 838 players. 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. That list doesnt even include Cam Newton, who is the NFLs all-time leader in rushing touchdowns for a quarterback. The population of New York State is nearly 20 million, compared to Mississippis fewer than 3 million. Three legendary Cal stars are quarterback Aaron Rodgers, tight end Tony Gonzalez and running back Marshawn Lynch. Finally, we broke out every player by position and school to find which schools have produced the most players at specific positions for every NFL team. The data was analyzed through the lenses of number of quarterbacks, Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Super Bowl wins and NFL approximate value (AV). Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Alabama leads the way with 72 active NFL players as of the 2021-2022 season. U.S. News rank: 57 (tie), National Universities. Its not just quantity were talking about either. Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke dominated in the 1960s and '70s, and the Fighting Illinis success also is in yesteryear. Notre Dame and USC were actually tied for the most draft selections ever entering the 2021 draft with 511. But the Texas total computes to only 8.5 players per 100,000, about one-third of what Mississippi has produced. And that team just happens to be the only one that outpaced USC in NFL players produced. 211 current NFL players came from a school in Texas. The sheer size of California and the number of universities within it has propelled the state to #2 on the list. 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. 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 analyzed each NFL teams current roster to identify the state and university each of their players came from. Meanwhile, the Magnolia State has plenty to celebrate when it comes to football or writers and entertainers, for that matter. 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. While ranking 22nd in all-time NFL players, Auburn ranks 23rd in active players after ranking eighth in 2019, pointing to their recent struggles. The state of Mississippi has placed the most players in the NFL capita, according to a by Sidelines. Out of all colleges, Notre Dame has produced 521 players selected in the NFL draft. Since 1936, when the NFL began to keep accurate roster records, Mississippi has produced 788 NFL players. and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who rated as the top prospect from the Lone Star State for the 2014 national recruiting cycle before signing with Texas A&M. Note: Birthplace for 14 players could not immediately be determined. 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. That is, the Magnolia State, relatively small and poor in so many ways, kicks tail when it comes to producing football talent. Nevertheless, with names like Bo Jackson, Ronnie Brown, and Stephen Davis, the Tigers have been a football factory at producing NFL running backs. 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. But Florida State is rising up the ranks, and of its four Hall of Famers, three have been enshrined in Canton this decade. Total enrollment in fall 2021: 13,139. That Mississippi led all other states, said Diallo, was the part we found super interesting.. 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. They grew up just 10 minutes from each other in Chicago and are universally known by their surnames: Butkus and Nitschke. 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. is known world wide for having some of the best athletes in the world. Texas is a football crazy state where towns live and die by their local teams at every level. 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. So, it is no surprise to see them on this list. But Michigan also has struggled when it comes to skill position players in the NFL. Bottom line: Arkansas has a great football tradition. Despite having the most players all-time, the Fighting Irish ranked eigth in active players for the 2022 NFL season. How 'bout them Hogs? A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelors in journalism, Rick has worked for the Monroe (La.) Second is Ohio State with 67, followed by LSU with 62. Some regions of the country, though, have become well known for regularly producing NFL-caliber talent. NFL draft picks since 2000: 57. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. Bottom line:Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Buckeyes' NFL credentials is that they rank second in active players with 65. 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. 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. In fact, since Saban became coach in 2007, the Crimson Tide have more first-round picks (39) than losses (27).