ATLANTA – A new study of the NFL 2024 player roster has ranked Georgia in the top five states most likely to produce NFL stars.
Release:
A new study of the NFL 2024 player roster has identified the states most likely to produce NFL stars – with Louisiana ranking sixth.
The study by Rainbet.com analyzed profiles of over 2,800 players available on the ESPN website to find the most common birthplaces of NFL players. The data then shortlisted the states and cities that have the most success in producing NFL players, statistically.
#1 Texas
With an incredible 304 players hailing from the state, Texas takes the top spot as the most likely state to birth NFL players. Not only that, but Houston, Texas, is also the most common birth city all NFL stars analyzed, with 37 current players being born in the city – including Houston Texans wide receiver Steven Sims and Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver.
#2 Florida
The Sunshine State ranks as the second-most likely state to produce an NFL player – home to 287 of the players analyzed in the study. Floridian football stars include Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson and Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
Florida was also found to have three of the top five most successful cities in the US in producing NFL stars – as the study found that Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Tampa all rank among the top.
#3 California
Ranking top for the West Coast, California is third in the states with the most NFL stars. The findings revealed that a huge 278 current players are Californians. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is among those who were born in the state, as well as Colts defensive end Laiatu Latu, who was born and raised in Sacramento.
Of which, Sacramento and Long Beach rank as the most NFL-producing cities in the state – each home to 12 current players, as identified by the analysis.
#4 Georgia
The state where the fourth-most NFL stars are born is Georgia – home to 221 current players on the roster, according to the findings. The state’s capital, Atlanta, is the top-producing city in the state when it comes to NFL players, with 22 players born in the city – including Atlanta Falcons linebacker DeAngelo Malone.
#5 North Carolina
With 105 current NFL draft picks born in the state, North Carolina ranks fifth. The Carolina Panthers’ base, Charlotte, is the city where the most players were born in the state—the analysis identified 19 players born in the state’s most populated city, including the team’s offensive tackle, Ikem Ekwonu.
Top ten states producing the most NFL stars:
Rank State Current Player Count 1 Texas 304 2 Florida 287 3 California 278 4 Georgia 221 5 North Carolina 105 6 Louisiana 102 7 Ohio 99 8 Michigan 93 9 Illinois 89 10 Alabama 85
The top ten states where the most NFL current draft picks were born are home to a significant number of players, with Louisiana, home to 102 players, ranking sixth. Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois follow with 99, 93 and 89 players, respectively. Alabama rounds out the top ten states, with the study finding that 85 players were born in the state.
Top ten cities producing the most NFL stars:
Rank City State Current Player Count 1 Houston Texas 37 2 Detroit Michigan 36 3 Miami Florida 32 4 Fort Lauderdale Florida 28 5 Tampa Florida 25 6 Jacksonville Florida 24 7 Atlanta Georgia 22 8 New Orleans Louisiana 19 9 Charlotte North Carolina 19 10 St. Louis Missouri 16
Narrowing these results to the city level, Houston, Texas, leads the way as the most likely city to produce an NFL star, with a significant 37 current players having been born in the city.
This is very closely followed by Detroit, Michigan, named the birthplace of 36 current NFL players. This highlights the immense talent pool in the city, as Detroit does not even place in the top 20 most populated US cities but produces the second-most NFL stars in the nation.
Three Florida cities, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Tampa, round out the top five cities in the US most likely to produce NFL players. Each city is the birthplace of 32, 28 and 25 current players, respectively, as found by the analysis.
Gabriele Asaro, Head of Research at Rainbet.com, commented on the findings: “For NFL fans, knowing where in the US the most players come from shines an insightful light on where the best talent pools can be found, and where future stars of the League may be likely to be on the rise – and for young footballers aspiring to go pro, perhaps where the best football programs could be found.”
“Plus, it’s inspiring to see that success stories come from all over the nation—from California to North Carolina and everywhere in between. Young football players can feel encouraged knowing that no matter where they grow up, they could achieve their dreams of making it to the NFL.”
