Best NFL Players of All Time From Every State
Despite a recent decline in viewership after a slew of bad press, including abuse scandals and growing concern about the health effects of repeated head trauma, The NFL remains by far the most popular sports league in the United States. Americans from coast to coast tune in on Sundays to watch their teams, and kids all across the country dream of growing up and becoming an NFL superstar. For a select few, that dream comes true.
Getting to the NFL takes a combination of natural talent and hard work, but growing up in the right place can also help. Certain states produced a much higher number of NFL players and Hall of Famers than others.
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Why some states produce more NFL players can partially be explained by population. On the whole, states with larger populations produce the most Hall of Famers, and many of the best players in the country were born in states like California, Texas, and Florida. But population isn’t everything, and every state in the country has produced at least one elite player at some point in league history.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed lists of all NFL players who have ever taken the field and determined the best player of all time from each state. We considered Hall of Fame status, Pro Bowl and All-Pro appearances, Super Bowl rings, and more.
Alabama: Terrell Owens, WR
> Birthplace: Alexander City
> Years active: 1996-2010
> Primary team(s): San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles
> Honors: 6x Pro-bowl, 5x All-pro
> Runner Up: DeMarcus Ware
Alaska: Mark Schlereth, G
> Birthplace: Anchorage
> Years active: 1989-2000
> Primary team(s): Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos
> Honors: 2x Pro-bowl, 3x Super Bowl champion
> Runner Up: Steve Smith
Arizona: Randall McDaniel, G
> Birthplace: Phoenix
> Years active: 1988-2001
> Primary team(s): Minnesota Vikings
> Honors: 12x Pro-bowl, 7x All-pro, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Darren Woodson
Arkansas: Cortez Kennedy, DT
> Birthplace: Osceola
> Years active: 1990-2000
> Primary team(s): Seattle Seahawks
> Honors: 8x Pro-bowl, 3x All-pro, Defensive Player of the Year, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Willie Roaf
California: Tom Brady, QB
> Birthplace: San Mateo
> Years active: 2000-present
> Primary team(s): New England Patriots
> Honors: 13x Pro-bowl, 3x All-pro, 2x MVP, 5x Super Bowl champion
> Runner Up: Tony Gonzalez
Colorado: Calais Campbell, DE
> Birthplace: Denver
> Years active: 2008-present
> Primary team(s): Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars
> Honors: 3x Pro-bowl, All-pro
> Runner Up: Dutch Clark
Connecticut: Andy Robustelli, DE
> Birthplace: Stamford
> Years active: 1951-1964
> Primary team(s): Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants
> Honors: 7x Pro-bowl, 6x All-pro, 2x NFL champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Dwight Freeney
Delaware: Luke Petitgout, T
> Birthplace: Milford
> Years active: 1999-2007
> Primary team(s): New York Giants
> Honors: None
> Runner Up: Eddie Michaels
Florida: Ray Lewis, LB
> Birthplace: Bartow
> Years active: 1996-2012
> Primary team(s): Baltimore Ravens
> Honors: 13x Pro-bowl, 7x All-pro, 2x Defensive Player of the Year, 2x Super Bowl champion
> Runner Up: Deion Sanders
Georgia: Jim Brown, FB
> Birthplace: St. Simons Island
> Years active: 1957-1965
> Primary team(s): Cleveland Browns
> Honors: 9x Pro-bowl, 8x All-pro, 3x MVP, NFL champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: John Hannah
Hawaii: Olin Kreutz, C
> Birthplace: Honolulu
> Years active: 1998-2011
> Primary team(s): Chicago Bears
> Honors: 6x Pro-bowl, All-pro
> Runner Up: Max Unger
Idaho: Larry Wilson, S
> Birthplace: Rigby
> Years active: 1960-1972
> Primary team(s): St. Louis Cardinals
> Honors: 8x Pro-bowl, 5x All-pro, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Jordan Gross
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Illinois: Dick Butkus, LB
> Birthplace: Chicago
> Years active: 1965-1973
> Primary team(s): Chicago Bears
> Honors: 8x Pro-bowl, 5x All-pro, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Otto Graham
Indiana: Rod Woodson, CB/S
> Birthplace: Fort Wayne
> Years active: 1987-2003
> Primary team(s): Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens
> Honors: 11x Pro-bowl, 6x All-pro, Defensive Player of the Year, Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Bob Griese
Iowa: Kurt Warner, QB
> Birthplace: Burlington
> Years active: 1998-2009
> Primary team(s): St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals
> Honors: 4x Pro-bowl, 2x All-pro, 2x MVP, Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Marshal Yanda
Kansas: Barry Sanders, RB
> Birthplace: Wichita
> Years active: 1989-1998
> Primary team(s): Detroit Lions
> Honors: 10x Pro-bowl, 6x All-pro, MVP, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Gale Sayers
Kentucky: Paul Hornung, HB
> Birthplace: Louisville
> Years active: 1957-1966
> Primary team(s): Green Bay Packers
> Honors: 2x Pro-bowl, 2x All-pro, MVP, 4x NFL champion, Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Champ Bailey
Louisiana: Peyton Manning, QB
> Birthplace: New Orleans
> Years active: 1998-2015
> Primary team(s): Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos
> Honors: 14x Pro-bowl, 7x All-pro, 5x MVP, 2x Super Bowl champion
> Runner Up: Marshall Faulk
Maine: Al Harris, LB/DE
> Birthplace: Bangor
> Years active: 1979-1990
> Primary team(s): Chicago Bears
> Honors: None
> Runner Up: John Bunting
Maryland: NaVorro Bowman, LB
> Birthplace: District Heights
> Years active: 2010-present
> Primary team(s): San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders
> Honors: 3x Pro-bowl, 4x All-pro
> Runner Up: Cameron Wake
Massachusetts: Howie Long, DE
> Birthplace: Somerville
> Years active: 1981-1993
> Primary team(s): Oakland Raiders
> Honors: 8x Pro-bowl, 2x All-pro, Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Nick Buoniconti
Michigan: Jerome Bettis, RB
> Birthplace: Detroit
> Years active: 1993-2005
> Primary team(s): Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Rams
> Honors: 6x Pro-bowl, 2x All-pro, Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Antonio Gates
Minnesota: Terrell Suggs, LB
> Birthplace: Minneapolis
> Years active: 2003-present
> Primary team(s): Baltimore Ravens
> Honors: 7x Pro-bowl, All-pro, Defensive Player of the Year, Super Bowl champion
> Runner Up: Larry Fitzgerald
Mississippi: Jerry Rice, WR
> Birthplace: Crawford
> Years active: 1985-2004
> Primary team(s): San Francisco 49ers
> Honors: 13x Pro-bowl, 10x All-pro, 3x Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Brett Favre
Missouri: Kellen Winslow, TE
> Birthplace: St. Louis
> Years active: 1979-1987
> Primary team(s): San Diego Chargers
> Honors: 5x Pro-bowl, 3x All-pro, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Roger Wehrli
Montana: Jerry Kramer, G
> Birthplace: Jordan
> Years active: 1958-1968
> Primary team(s): Green Bay Packers
> Honors: 3x Pro-bowl, 5x All-pro, 5x NFL champion, 2x Super Bowl champion
> Runner Up: Pat Donovan
Nebraska: Mick Tingelhoff, C
> Birthplace: Lexington
> Years active: 1962-1978
> Primary team(s): Minnesota Vikings
> Honors: 6x Pro-bowl, 5x All-pro, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Ahman Green
Nevada: DeMarco Murray, RB
> Birthplace: Las Vegas
> Years active: 2011-present
> Primary team(s): Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans
> Honors: 3x Pro-bowl, All-pro
> Runner Up: Max McGee
New Hampshire: Greg Landry, QB
> Birthplace: Nashua
> Years active: 1968-1984
> Primary team(s): Detroit Lions
> Honors: Pro-bowl
> Runner Up: Don Macek
New Jersey: Franco Harris, RB
> Birthplace: Fort Dix
> Years active: 1972-1984
> Primary team(s): Pittsburgh Steelers
> Honors: 9x Pro-bowl, All-pro, 4x Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Jim Ringo
New Mexico: Ronnie Lott, CB/S
> Birthplace: Albuquerque
> Years active: 1981-1994
> Primary team(s): San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders
> Honors: 10x Pro-bowl, 6x All-pro, 4x Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Tommy McDonald
New York: Rob Gronkowski, TE
> Birthplace: Amherst
> Years active: 2010-presemt
> Primary team(s): New England Patriots
> Honors: 5x Pro-bowl, 4x All-pro, 2x Super Bowl champion
> Runner Up: Art Monk
North Carolina: Bruce Matthews, C/G
> Birthplace: Raleigh
> Years active: 1983-2001
> Primary team(s): Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans
> Honors: 14x Pro-bowl, 7x All-pro, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Julius Peppers
North Dakota: Pete Retzlaff, TE
> Birthplace: Ellendale
> Years active: 1956-1966
> Primary team(s): Philadelphia Eagles
> Honors: 5x Pro-bowl, All-pro, NFL champion
> Runner Up: Gary Larsen
Ohio: Jack Lambert, LB
> Birthplace: Mantua
> Years active: 1974-1984
> Primary team(s): Pittsburgh Steelers
> Honors: 9x Pro-bowl, 6x All-pro, Defensive Player of the Year, 4x Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Charles Woodson
Oklahoma: Steve Largent, WR
> Birthplace: Tulsa
> Years active: 1976-1989
> Primary team(s): Seattle Seahawks
> Honors: 7x Pro-bowl, All-pro, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Dan Hampton
Oregon: Ndamukong Suh, DT
> Birthplace: Portland
> Years active: 2010-2017
> Primary team(s): Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins
> Honors: 5x Pro-bowl, 3x All-pro
> Runner Up: Dave Wilcox
Pennsylvania: Joe Montana, QB
> Birthplace: New Eagle
> Years active: 1979-1994
> Primary team(s): San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs
> Honors: 8x Pro-bowl, 3x All-pro, 2x MVP, 4x Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Johnny Unitas
Rhode Island: Gerry Philbin, DE
> Birthplace: Pawtucket
> Years active: 1964-1973
> Primary team(s): New York Jets
> Honors: 2x Pro-bowl, 2x All-pro, Super Bowl champion
> Runner Up: Bill Osmanski
South Carolina: Art Shell, T
> Birthplace: Charleston
> Years active: 1968-1982
> Primary team(s): Oakland Raiders
> Honors: 8x Pro-bowl, 2x All-pro, 2x Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Richard Seymour
South Dakota: Norm Van Brocklin, QB
> Birthplace: Eagle Butte
> Years active: 1949-1960
> Primary team(s): Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles
> Honors: 9x Pro-bowl, All-pro, MVP, 2x NFL champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Adam Vinateri
Tennessee: Reggie White, DE
> Birthplace: Chattanooga
> Years active: 1985-2000
> Primary team(s): Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers
> Honors: 13x Pro-bowl, 8x All-pro, 2x Defensive Player of the Year, Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Patrick Willis
Texas: Joe Greene, DT
> Birthplace: Temple
> Years active: 1969-1981
> Primary team(s): Pittsburgh Steelers
> Honors: 10x Pro-bowl, 5x All-pro, 2x Defensive Player of the Year, 4x Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Mike Singletary
Utah: Steve Young, QB
> Birthplace: Salt Lake City
> Years active: 1985-1999
> Primary team(s): San Francisco 49ers
> Honors: 7x Pro-bowl, 3x All-pro, 2x MVP, 3x Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Merlin Olsen
Vermont: Steve Wisniewski, G
> Birthplace: Rutland
> Years active: 1989-2001
> Primary team(s): Oakland Raiders
> Honors: 8x Pro-bowl, 2x All-pro
> Runner Up: Bob Yates
Virginia: Lawrence Taylor, LB
> Birthplace: Williamsburg
> Years active: 1981-1993
> Primary team(s): New York Giants
> Honors: 10x Pro-bowl, 8x All-pro, MVP, 3x Defensive Player of the Year, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Bruce Smith
Washington: John Elway, QB
> Birthplace: Port Angeles
> Years active: 1983-1998
> Primary team(s): Denver Broncos
> Honors: 9x Pro-bowl, MVP, 2x Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: Brian Urlacher
West Virginia: Randy Moss, WR
> Birthplace: Rand
> Years active: 1998-2012
> Primary team(s): Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots
> Honors: 6x Pro-bowl, 4x All-pro
> Runner Up: Gino Marchetti
Wisconsin: Mike Webster, C
> Birthplace: Tomahawk
> Years active: 1974-1990
> Primary team(s): Pittsburgh Steelers
> Honors: 9x Pro-bowl, 4x All-pro, 4x Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame
> Runner Up: J.J. Watt
Wyoming: Boyd Dowler, Flanker/Split end
> Birthplace: Rock Springs
> Years active: 1959-1969, 1971
> Primary team(s): Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins
> Honors: 2x Pro-bowl, 5x NFL champion, 2x Super Bowl champion
> Runner Up: Chris Cooley
Detailed findings and methodology:
The likelihood of a state cultivating an elite athlete largely depends on the extent to which the gridiron is engrained in the state’s culture. Texas is a state that eats, sleeps, and breathes football. So it should come as no surprise the Lone Star State has produced more total NFL players than anywhere else in the U.S.
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Texas has also produced plenty of truly great players that have dominated the NFL. From Bobby Layne in the 1950s, to “Mean” Joe Greene in the 1970s, and Drew Brees still putting up points in 2018, Texas is well represented on the field and in the NFL Hall of Fame. There are 31 players from Texas enshrined in Canton, Ohio, more than any other state.
Just seven Hall of Famers, on the other hand, hail from New York, the fourth most populous state in the country. In New York, football can take a backseat to sports like lacrosse, hockey, and baseball. Alabama -- a state with less than one-quarter of New York’s population -- has produced as many NFL Hall of Famers as the Empire State.
Even with half the population of Texas, Pennsylvania is also well represented, with 29 Hall of Famers.
As might be expected, less populous states have produced fewer NFL stars. Alaska, Vermont, Maine, and Rhode Island have no active players in the NFL. There are 11 states with no natives in the Hall of Fame.
Still, Alaska, though it has a small population, sent over players like Mark Schlereth and Steve Smith. Those two not only played in the NFL, but were both selected to the Pro Bowl and won Super Bowls during their careers. New Mexico isn’t known as a football hotbed, but it has produced NFL legends like San Francisco 49ers safety Ronnie Lott and Philadelphia Eagles flanker Tommy McDonald.
In many large states, determining the greatest NFL player was an incredibly difficult task. Florida is home to some of the best players to ever play football. Hall of Famers like Emmitt Smith, Warren Sapp, and Deion Sanders didn’t make the list, despite their dominance.
The choice was relatively obvious in some states. Tom Brady, widely regarded as the greatest player ever, thanks to his postseason success, would be the clear choice for any state. Brady was born in San Mateo, California, and he beat out the many other good choices. Other players came from states with few other great players and stood out easily. 49ers teammates Jerry Rice and Steve Young are some of the best to ever grace the NFL and established themselves as easy choices for players who came from Mississippi and Utah, respectively.
In order to determine the best NFL player from each state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed each player in the league’s history sorted by state. Players were ranked based on career accolades and successes including Pro Bowls, All-pro designations, Championships, impact on the game and Hall of Fame Status. Players were sorted according to where they were born, not necessarily where they grew up.
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