There were 19 players from Detroit (MI) high schools on Kickoff Weekend rosters, the most of any city. Bradenton (FL) had the second most players (17) followed by Houston (TX) with 16 players in 2023.
“Detroit football is tough, it’s real gritty and grimy there. There’s a lot of talent though,” said New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, who attended Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School in Detroit. “Lots of people with a story. The majority of people that I know in the league from Detroit, they worked really hard to get out, and they made it.”
“High school football is the bedrock for advancement in our great game,” said NFL Vice President of Football Development Roman Oben, a Gonzaga College High School (Washington, DC) & Fork Union (VA) Military Academy Alum. “Recently, we have experienced growth in high school participation. It is amazing to see players making NFL rosters who come from nontraditional states not considered hot bed recruiting regions. Talent can come from all over the globe, and it takes growth from all areas to make up NFL rosters.”
HIGH SCHOOL CITIES WITH MOST NFL PLAYERS
- Detroit, MI – 19
- Bradenton, FL – 17
- Houston, TX – 16
- Las Vegas, NV – 15
- Atlanta, GA – 14
- Miami, FL – 14
- Cincinnati, OH – 11
- Plantation, FL – 11
- Tampa, FL – 11
- Cleveland, OH – 10
- Indianapolis, IN – 10
- Jacksonville, FL – 10
- New Orleans, LA – 10
- St. Louis, MO – 10
With 12 cities producing at least four players on Kickoff Weekend rosters, Texas, with 187 players, produced the most players of any state, followed by Florida (178), California (173) and Georgia (150).
STATES WITH MOST NFL PLAYERS
- Texas – 187
- Florida – 178
- California – 173
- Georgia – 150
- Ohio – 67
- North Carolina – 66
- Louisiana – 64
- Alabama – 60
- Pennsylvania – 55
- Michigan – 51
- Illinois – 49
- Maryland – 48
- New Jersey – 39
- South Carolina – 39
- Tennessee – 37
- Virginia – 36
IMG Academy in Bradenton (FL) produced the most NFL players on 2023 NFL Kickoff Weekend rosters. South Florida continues to produce a plethora of NFL talent, as two of the top three high schools with the most NFL players each hail from the region.
HIGH SCHOOLS WITH THE MOST NFL PLAYERS
| High School, City, State | Number | NFL Players |
| IMG AcademyBradenton, FL | 14 | Andre Cisco, JAX; Grant Delpit, CLE; Daniel Faalele, BAL; Hjalte Froholdt, ARI; Robert Hainsey, TB; Tony Jones, NO; Tre’ McKitty, LAC; Evan Neal, NYG; Greg Newsome, CLE; K.J. Osborn, MIN; Eli Ricks, PHI; Cesar Ruiz, NO; Nolan Smith, PHI; D.J. Turner, CIN. |
| American HeritagePlantation, FL | 11 | Brian Burns, CAR; Tyson Campbell, JAX; Khalil Herbert, CHI; James Houston, DET; Brandon Johnson, DEN; Isaiah McKenzie, IND; Mike Morris, SEA; Nesta Jade Silvera, LV; Tedarrell Slaton, GB; Pat Surtain, DEN; Marco Wilson, ARI. |
| Saint Thomas Aquinas High SchoolFort Lauderdale, FL | 8 | Jordan Battle, CIN; Nik Bonitto, DEN; Joey Bosa, LAC; Nick Bosa, SF; Phillip Dorsett, DEN; Elijah Moore, CLE; Josh Palmer, LAC; Tyler Steen, PHI. |
| Bishop Gorman High SchoolLas Vegas, NV | 7 | Nick Gates, WAS; Brevin Jordan, HOU; Kyu Blu Kelly, SEA; Jalen Nailor, MIN; Ronnie Stanley, BAL; Dorian Thompson-Robinson, CLE; Cedric Tillman, CLE. |
| DeMatha Catholic High SchoolHyattsville, MD | 7 | Ja’Whaun Bentley, NE; Nick Cross, IND; DeMarcco Hellams, ATL; Anthony McFarland, PIT; Rodney McLeod, CLE; Olusegun Oluwatimi, SEA; Chase Young, WAS. |
| Miami Northwestern Senior High SchoolMiami, FL | 6 | Tutu Atwell, LAR; Teddy Bridgewater, DET; Artie Burns, SEA; Amari Cooper, CLE; Lavonte David, TB; Calijah Kancey, TB. |
| Cass Technical High SchoolDetroit, MI | 5 | Jalen Graham, SF; Jourdan Lewis, DAL; Michael Onwenu, NE; Donovan Peoples-Jones, CLE; Del’Shawn Phillips, BAL. |
| Mater Dei High SchoolSanta Ana, CA | 5 | Quentin Lake, LAR; Curtis Robinson, SF; Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET; Ryan Stonehouse, TEN; Bryce Young, CAR. |
Eighteen high schools had four players on NFL Kickoff Weekend rosters this year:
- Desoto High School; Desoto, TX
- East English Village Preparatory Academy; Detroit, MI
- East Lake High School; Tarpon Springs, FL
- Eden Prairie High School; Eden Prairie, MN
- Glenville High School; Cleveland, OH
- Greater Atlanta Christian; Norcross, GA
- Hebron High School; Carrollton, TX
- Highland Springs High School; Highland Springs, VA
- Hillgrove High School; Powder Springs, GA
- Lake Travis High School; Austin, TX
- Lakewood High School, St. Petersburg, FL
- Lee’s Summit High School; Lee’s Summit, MO
- Oaks Christian School; Westlake Village, CA
- Oxford High School; Oxford, AL
- Peachtree Ridge High School; Suwanee, GA
- Plaquemine Senior High School; Plaquemine, LA
- Saint Louis School; Honolulu, HI
- Steele High School; Cibolo, TX
Overall, NFL players hail from high schools in 45 states and the District of Columbia, three countries – Australia, Canada and the United States – and a U.S. territory (American Samoa). The totals are based on the 1,716 players on Kickoff Weekend rosters.
NFL PLAYERS PER CAPITA
Georgia, with one NFL player for every 71,413 residents, leads the list of NFL players per capita. Louisiana (one in 72,777) and Alabama (one in 83,738) round out the top three. The national average is one NFL player per 195,315 U.S. residents.
STATES WITH MOST NFL PLAYERS PER CAPITA
| State | Population * | NFL Players | NFL Players Per Capita |
| Georgia | 10,711,908 | 150 | 1 NFL player per 71,413 people |
| Louisiana | 4,657,757 | 64 | 1 NFL player per 72,777 people |
| Alabama | 5,024,279 | 60 | 1 NFL player per 83,738 people |
| Mississippi | 2,961,279 | 32 | 1 NFL player per 92,540 people |
| Florida | 21,538,187 | 178 | 1 NFL player per 121,001 people |
| Utah | 3,271,616 | 26 | 1 NFL player per 125,831 people |
| Maryland | 6,177,224 | 48 | 1 NFL player per 128,692 people |
| South Carolina | 5,118,425 | 39 | 1 NFL player per 131,242 people |
| Texas | 29,145,505 | 187 | 1 NFL player per 155,858 people |
| North Carolina | 10,439,388 | 66 | 1 NFL player per 158,173 people |
| United States | 331,449,281 | 1,697 | 1 NFL player per 195,315 people |
*Based on most recent published U.S. Census Data (2020)
The above story is from NFL Play Football.
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