As a new NFL season begins, there’s always talk about where the players came from, which colleges produced them, and which hometowns we can thank for the excellence they bring to the teams. At Sidelines, we wanted to take this conversation one step further: which colleges and states have produced the most – and the best – NFL players in history?
Last year’s champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have players hailing from Washington University (Joe Tryon, LB), Auburn University (Carlton Davis, CB), University of Nebraska-Omaha (Shaquil Barrett, LB), and more. The team also has Tom Brady (University of Michigan) in their ranks, who has scored the most touchdowns of any NFL player since 1936.
Do the states and colleges these players come from correlate to their success? And is there a college that produces more NFL players than the others? We have collected all the data, and curated an official guide to the most successful players’ roads to NFL greatness.
To find out which states have produced the most NFL players over the years, we compared the number of players produced to the population of the states to find how many NFL players have been produced by that state per capita.
Producing current NFL players such as Chris Spencer (C, Tennessee Titans), Jamarca Sanford (DB, Minnesota Vikings) and Damien Lewis (OL, Seattle Seahawks), Mississippi has produced the most NFL players per capita than any other U.S. state. In total, the state has seen 788 players head to the professional leagues since 1936.
Nebraska comes second, producing 21.26 NFL players per capita. Compared to their average population of 1,951,996 people, having 415 players hailing from this state since 1936 is an impressive achievement. Some of the most iconic Nebraskan players in NFL history include Pat Fischer (DB), Mick Tinglehoff (C) and Neil Smith (DE).
Having produced 848 NFL players in total since 1936, Oklahoma has been the birthplace of 21.25 players per capita. Players from this state who have been drafted into the NFL include Gerald McCoy (DT), Chris Harris Jr. (CB) and James Winchester (LS).
With the fourth most players produced per capita, Louisiana has been the birthplace of NFL players like Landon Collins (SS), Andrew Whitworth (T) and Anthony Levine (S). When compared to the average population of 4,627,002 people, Louisiana has produced 21.2 NFL players per capita.
Players born in Indiana include Andre Smith (T), Jared Cook (TE) and Steve McLendon (DT), and overall the state has produced 839 NFL players since 1936. When compared to the average population of Alabama, 4,934,193 people, this state has produced 17 NFL players per capita, placing it fifth overall.
| State | Ave. Population (c.1936-2021) | Number of NFL players (since 1936) | per capita (p/100,000) |
| Mississippi | 2966407 | 788 | 26.56412286 |
| Nebraska | 1951996 | 415 | 21.26028947 |
| Oklahoma | 3990443 | 848 | 21.25077341 |
| Louisiana | 4627002 | 981 | 21.20163337 |
| Alabama | 4934193 | 839 | 17.00379373 |
| Iowa | 3167974 | 522 | 16.47740796 |
| Indiana | 6805663 | 1055 | 15.50179608 |
| West Virginia | 1767859 | 272 | 15.38584242 |
| Wyoming | 581075 | 88 | 15.14434453 |
| Utah | 3310774 | 486 | 14.67934688 |
| Kansas | 2917224 | 403 | 13.8145031 |
| Arkansas | 3033946 | 406 | 13.38191253 |
| Tennessee | 6944260 | 924 | 13.30595341 |
| South Carolina | 5277830 | 606 | 11.48199165 |
| Oregon | 4289439 | 454 | 10.58413466 |
| Kentucky | 4480713 | 443 | 9.886819352 |
| Idaho | 1860123 | 183 | 9.838059096 |
| Michigan | 9992427 | 959 | 9.597268011 |
| North Carolina | 10701022 | 1024 | 9.569179467 |
| North Dakota | 770026 | 72 | 9.350333625 |
| Pennsylvania | 12804123 | 1103 | 8.614412717 |
| Montana | 1085004 | 92 | 8.479231413 |
| Texas | 29730311 | 2515 | 8.459380058 |
| Ohio | 11714618 | 955 | 8.15220778 |
| Colorado | 5893634 | 477 | 8.093478489 |
| South Dakota | 896581 | 67 | 7.472832906 |
| Washington | 7796941 | 557 | 7.143827304 |
| Wisconsin | 5852490 | 414 | 7.07391213 |
| Virginia | 8603985 | 591 | 6.868910162 |
| New Mexico | 2105005 | 143 | 6.793333032 |
| District of Columbia | 714153 | 48 | 6.721248808 |
| Massachusetts | 6912239 | 435 | 6.293185175 |
| Arizona | 7520103 | 473 | 6.289807467 |
| Florida | 21944577 | 1327 | 6.04705208 |
| Georgia | 10830007 | 646 | 5.964908425 |
| Minnesota | 5706398 | 328 | 5.747934161 |
| California | 39613493 | 2185 | 5.515797357 |
| Missouri | 6169038 | 328 | 5.316874365 |
| Maryland | 6065436 | 317 | 5.226334925 |
| Hawaii | 1406430 | 72 | 5.119344724 |
| Illinois | 12569321 | 637 | 5.067895076 |
| Rhode Island | 1061509 | 43 | 4.050837063 |
| Delaware | 990334 | 40 | 4.039041374 |
| New Hampshire | 1372203 | 47 | 3.425149194 |
| Nevada | 3185786 | 100 | 3.138942792 |
| Connecticut | 3552821 | 110 | 3.096131215 |
| New York | 19299981 | 415 | 2.150261184 |
| Maine | 1354522 | 22 | 1.624189197 |
| Vermont | 623251 | 7 | 1.123143003 |
| New Jersey | 8874520 | 98 | 1.104285077 |
| Alaska | 724357 | 0 | 0 |
Since the NFL introduced drafts in 1936, five colleges have come out on top when it comes to how many NFL players they have produced. Despite the University of Alabama producing the most 2021 NFL players, other colleges have played the long game to land in the top five.
Since the NFL began holding drafts in 1936, Notre Dame University has produced a huge 530 NFL players. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish has created 10 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with some of the most notable including Joe Theismann, QB, Jerome Bettis, RB and Tim Brown, WR.
The University of South Carolina has been the starting point for 515 NFL players’ football careers. In the current season, former USC players include Devon Kennard, OB, Sam Darnold, QB and Austin Jackson, OT. For current USC Trojans, there is a long history of NFL players being created in this team, so there’s a high chance that we will see some of the now-Trojans playing in the big leagues soon.
The Ohio State University has produced a total of 411 players since the 17th NFL season in 1936. Former Buckeyes in the NFL draft this year include Kendall Sheffield (CB, Atlanta Falcons), Rod Smith (RB, Carolina Panthers) and Justin Fields (QB, Chicago Bears). This college has also produced the second-most players in the 2021 season.
With 398 NFL players having come from The University of Oklahoma, this is the college that has produced the fourth most NFL footballers. Current draft players from the Oklahoma Sooners include Mark Andrews (TE, Baltimore Ravens), Joe Mixen (RB, Cincinnati Bengals) and Ronnie Perkins (LB, New England Patriots).
The Michigan Wolverines have seen 387 of their players move on to compete in the NFL. When watching the NFL this year, look out for some of the Wolverines alumni: Chad Henne (QB, Kansas City Chiefs), Chase Winovich (DE/OL, New England Patriots) Josh Metellus (SS, Minnesota Vikings), and Tom Brady – to name a few.
Scoring a huge 606 touchdowns throughout his 21 year NFL career, Tom Brady (QB) is the most successful NFL player in history. Coming from San Mateo, California, and having played for the New England Patriots and, more recently, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he has played in 10 Super Bowls – seven of which his team won.
Drew Brees scored a total of 597 touchdowns while playing in the NFL. Brees was a member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, and was born in Dallas, Texas. Playing as a quarterback before retiring, he has won one Super Bowl championship.
Considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Peyton Manning was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, and four with the Denver Broncos. He won two Super Bowls, and scored 557 touchdowns during his long career, and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Winning one Super Bowl championship, Mississippi-born Brett Favre scored 522 touchdowns throughout his 20 season NFL career. He played primarily with the Green Bay Packers, but was initially selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1991 draft. Like Manning, Favre is also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Aaron Rogers, who has scored 443 touchdowns in total for the Green Bay Packers, was born in Chico, California. Rogers, a quarterback, has been named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player three times in his 16 year-long (and counting) career. California, therefore, has produced two of the most successful NFL players of all time: Rogers and Brady.
There is not one particular college that produces the most successful NFL players. Each of the players who have scored the highest number of touchdowns overall came from different colleges. Tom Brady was a Michigan Wolverine, Drew Brees played for the Purdue Boilermakers, Payton Manning was a member of the Tennessee Volunteers, Brett Favre played for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, and Aaron Rogers played for the California Golden Bears.
Players from the University of Miami (Florida) – the Miami Hurricanes – have scored the most receiving touchdowns in the NFL than players from any other college. In total, these players have scored 938 receiving touchdowns overall, putting it strides ahead of the second highest scoring college players (Notre Dame University, with 893 receiving touchdowns).
Jerry Rice is the player who has scored the most receiving touchdowns of any player, and he is an alumni of Mississippi Valley State University, where he played for the Delta Devils.
When it comes to the college that produces the most players who score rushing touchdowns, the University of Southern California comes in top. Players from the USC Trojans have scored a total of 706 rushing touchdowns in the NFL.
In terms of the player scoring the most of these touchdowns, Emmitt Smith holds the title, with 164 rushing touchdowns scored in his career. Coming from the University of Florida playing for the Florida Gators, he’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for a reason.
| TOTAL TEAM SALARY SPENT ON PLAYERS (2021) | ||
| Rank | TEAMS | TOTAL PLAYER SALARY |
| 1 | Cleveland Browns | $173,123,583 |
| 2 | Dallas Cowboys | $173,026,353 |
| 3 | New England Patriots | $170,175,547 |
| 4 | Houston Texas | $166,029,260 |
| 5 | Indianapolis Colts | $165,075,687 |
| 6 | Miami Dolphins | $161,558,164 |
| 7 | Buffalo Bills | $159,947,133 |
| 8 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | $159,235,938 |
| 9 | Arizona Cardinals | $155,355,343 |
| 10 | New York Giants | $154,711,464 |
When each individual’s salary is combined, the Cleveland Browns pay a huge amount to their players. In total, the players are paid $173,123,583, making it the highest paid team in the NFL by far. The team was founded in 1944, and has won eight NFL championships – though they have never appeared in the Super Bowl.
With the second highest combined salary, the Dallas Cowboys pay their team a total of $173,026,353 each year. The team has been to eight Super Bowl championships, and has won five of these. Money well spent, we’d say, although lately it seems like the team and fanbase aren’t getting a good enough return on their investment.
Holding the records for the most Super Bowl wins (6, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers), appearances (11) and losses (5, tied with the Denver Broncos), the New England Patriots truly do it all. The team salary is a total of $170,175,547, making them the third highest paid team in the NFL at the moment.
Despite winning no Super Bowls, the Houston Texans are the fourth highest paid team in the NFL. The team has a combined salary of $166,029,260, and considering that they are the youngest team currently playing in the NFL after being formed in 2002, they are doing pretty well for themselves.
The Indianapolis Colts have two Super Bowls under their belts, from 1971 and 2007. The team pays a huge salary to their players, and their combined yearly earnings add up to a huge $165,075,687. The team has appeared in the Playoffs 16 times so far, so this salary is well-earned.
Coming from the University of Wisconsin where he played for the Badgers, and born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Russell Wilson, QB has played for the Seattle Seahawks since 2012. He also happens to be the highest paid player in the NFL this year. In 2021, Wilson will earn a salary of $32,000,000. While this is a huge amount of money, the player is widely recognized as one of the greatest dual threat quarterbacks that ever played in the NFL, so his salary has been more than earned.
The second highest-paid NFL player in the 2021 league is Kirk Cousins. Cousins, a quarterback, played for the Michigan State Spartans in college before being drafted by the Washington Football Team in 2012. Born in Illinois, he now plays for the Minnesota Vikings, and will earn a salary of $31,000,000 this year.
Hailing from the University of California, playing for the California Golden Bears where he set several career passing records, Aaron Rogers will earn the third highest salary in the 2021 NFL. Also playing as a quarterback, like the other top-earning NFL players, for the Green Bay Packers, Rogers is set to earn a huge $27,073,568 for this season.
Having played 13 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons so far in his career, Matt Ryan played for the Boston College Eagles until he was picked by the Falcons in the 2008 NFL draft. He was born in Pennsylvania, and in the 2021 NFL season, Ryan is expected to earn a salary of $26,912,500. Along with the other high-earners in this list, Ryan is a quarterback, proving this position to be the most lucrative of all.
Born in Illinois and alumni of Eastern Illinois University where he played for the Eastern Illinois Panthers, Jimmy Garoppolo is the fifth highest paid player in the 2021 NFL. As a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Garoppolo is said to be earning $26,382,352 for the current NFL season.
| 1 | Russell Wilson | SEA | QB | $32,000,000.00 |
| 2 | Kirk Cousins | MIN | QB | $31,000,000.00 |
| 3 | Aaron Rodgers | GB | QB | $27,073,568.00 |
| 4 | Matt Ryan | ATL | QB | $26,912,500.00 |
| 5 | Jimmy Garoppolo | SF | QB | $26,382,352.00 |
| 6 | Ben Roethlisberger | PIT | QB | $25,910,000.00 |
| 7 | Frank Clark | KC | DE | $25,800,000.00 |
| 8 | DeMarcus Lawrence | DAL | DE | $25,000,000.00 |
| 9 | Fletcher Cox | PHI | DT | $23,880,000.00 |
| 10 | Von Miller | DEN | OLB | $22,225,000.00 |
Following the same pattern as the highest paid 2021 NFL players, every single player with the highest career earnings is or was a quarterback – and the top earner is Tom Brady, widely recognized as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. So far in his career, which has spanned 22 seasons, he has earned $246,506,037.
Ben Roethlisberger, also known as ‘Big Ben’, played football for Miami University. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2004, and is a two-time Super Bowl winner. So far in his 18 season career, he has earned $267,286,864.
A quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons since 2008, Matt Ryan has earned the third most money out of any player in the NFL. During his 14 season career, Ryan has earned a total of $267,007,749, and this number is only going to continue growing as his NFL career continues.
Aaron Rogers doesn’t just earn the third highest salary in the 2021 NFL, he also has the fourth highest career earnings of any NFL player. A quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, Rogers has been playing in the NFL for 17 seasons, and has earned a total of $263,308,010.
Born in Texas, a player for the Georgia Bulldogs in college, and now a quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams, Matthew Stafford has the fifth highest career earnings in the NFL. After the 13 seasons he has played so far, Stafford has earned $246,506,037 in total.
| TOTAL CAREER EARNING (2020) | |||
| PLAYER | POS | TOTAL CAREER EARNING | SEASONS PLAYED |
| Tom Brady | Quarterback | $291,087,392 | 22 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | Quarterback | $267,286,864 | 18 |
| Matt Ryan | Quarterback | $267,007,749 | 14 |
| Aaron Rodgers | Quarterback | $263,308,010 | 17 |
| Matthew Stafford | Quarterback | $246,506,037 | 13 |
| Russell Wilson | Quarterback | $181,362,520 | 10 |
| Joe Flacco | Quarterback | $171,075,000 | 14 |
| Ndamukong Suh | Defensive Tackle | $164,965,157 | 12 |
| Kirk Cousins | Quarterback | $161,669,486 | 10 |
| Von Miller | Outside Linebacker | $144,475,534 | 11 |
| NFL TEAMS – PRESS ENGAGEMENTS – 1/APR/2021 – 25/AUG/2021 | ||||||
| TEAMS | ARTICLES ANALYZED | TOTAL ENGAGEMENT | AVG ENGAGEMENT | TOTAL LINKING DOMAINS | SUM TOTAL | FINAL ARTICLE RANKINGS |
| DALLAS COWBOYS | 8,594 | 2,094,395 | 243 | 3,395 | 115 | 100.00 |
| DETROIT LIONS | 6,280 | 1,178,966 | 187 | 1,959 | 103 | 89.57 |
| BUFFALO BILLS | 5,960 | 1,114,479 | 186 | 2,386 | 100 | 86.96 |
| CHICAGO BEARS | 6,701 | 1,099,299 | 164 | 2,688 | 100 | 86.96 |
| GREEN BAY PACKERS | 5,099 | 1,095,126 | 214 | 3,579 | 100 | 86.96 |
| DENVER BRONCOS | 5,088 | 1,440,766 | 283 | 1,734 | 99 | 86.09 |
| LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | 4,200 | 1,111,175 | 264 | 1,901 | 92 | 80.00 |
| KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | 3,948 | 1,144,449 | 289 | 1,323 | 83 | 72.17 |
| WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAMS | 4,759 | 673,252 | 141 | 1,800 | 78 | 67.83 |
| HOUSTON TEXAS | 5,500 | 774,471 | 140 | 1,435 | 77 | 66.96 |
| COLLEGE – PRESS ENGAGEMENTS – 1/APR/2021 – 25/AUG/2021 | |||||
| COLLEGES | ARTICLES ANALYZED | TOTAL ENGAGEMENT | AVG ENGAGEMENT | TOTAL LINKING DOMAINS | FINAL ARTICLE RANKINGS |
| Oklahoma Sooners football | 787 | 330,639 | 420 | 249 | 100.00 |
| Ohio State Buckeyes football | 631 | 190,169 | 301 | 221 | 97.98 |
| Michigan Wolverines football | 756 | 152,340 | 201 | 140 | 94.81 |
| LSU Tigers football | 492 | 118,659 | 241 | 120 | 94.52 |
| Florida Gators football | 355 | 94,398 | 265 | 96 | 92.22 |
| Texas Longhorns football | 365 | 73,694 | 201 | 136 | 91.64 |
| Clemson Tigers football | 366 | 71,445 | 195 | 135 | 90.78 |
| Georgia Bulldogs football | 283 | 67,708 | 239 | 65 | 88.18 |
| South Carolina Gamecocks football | 248 | 48,741 | 196 | 124 | 87.61 |
| ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE football | 281 | 66,894 | 238 | 83 | 87.61 |
Now that the 2021 NFL season is underway, we wanted to find out which teams were being the most hyped online by looking at mentions in articles, engagement and linking domains on the internet. At the moment, it seems that the Dallas Cowboys have the most buzz around them. There were 8,594 articles written mentioning the team between April 1, 2021 and August 25, 2021. From these articles, mentions of the team received 2,094,395 engagements. This is the highest amount of engagement of any NFL team, so it’s clear that the Dallas Cowboys are a fan favorite.
Does this hype mean that this team is on track to win the Super Bowl this year? At Sidelines, we keep all of the odds up to date taking into account data like this, so if you want to make the most educated bet possible, check out our 2021 NFL betting odds to win the Super Bowl.
It’s not just the NFL that’s getting sport fans excited at the moment: the NCAAF is also drawing a lot of hype online. But which team is getting the most engagement from fans? With the most article mentions and engagement, the most hyped team in college football is the Oklahoma Sooners. There have been 787 articles written that mention the team, and 330,639 individuals engagements with Sooners content online between April 1, 2021 and August 25, 2021.
If you want to follow the NCAAF as it unfolds, and wonder what all the Oklahoma Sooners hype is about, our NCAAF Betting Odds page has all the information you need to take part in one of the most exciting events in college football.
When it comes to the emotions the teams garner online, NCAAF teams tend to gain more ‘love’ reactions compared to emotions. Teams such as the Central Arkansas Bears, Kansas State Wildcats and Buffalo Bulls all have 100% ‘love’ reactions on content referring to them.
The NFL teams with the highest percentage of ‘love’ reactions are the Cleveland Browns (75% ‘love’), Pittsburgh Steelers (69% ‘love’) and the Baltimore Ravens (also 69% ‘love’).
Football fans always have opinions on their favorite teams, and even stronger opinions on their least favorites. The NFL teams receive a much higher percentage of ‘angry’ reactions online than NCAAF teams, so emotions clearly run higher when it comes to professional football. The Minnesota Vikings have the highest percentage of ‘angry’ reactions when it comes to mentions of them online, with 35%. Next is the Washington Football team, with 21% ‘angry’ (and 45% ‘haha’), and the Buffalo Bills have 18% ‘angry’ reactions.
The highest percentage of ‘angry’ reactions for a NCAAF team is directed towards the Washington Huskies, with 25%. 18% of reactions for the Oregon State Beavers are ‘angry’, and 17% are ‘angry’ for the LSU Tigers.
For budding NFL players, there are many paths to take if your goal is to play in the professional leagues.
Florida seems to produce a huge number of players – more than any other state. There may be something in the water there, so perhaps keen football players should plan a Florida trip to increase their drafting chances.
Both the state of Ohio and The Ohio State University have produced many NFL players over the years, and some of the most successful and high-earning players have come up through this state.
For those that have their eyes on the top-end salary, playing as a quarterback is the way to secure it. Each of the highest-earning players are in this position, irrespective of their college team or home state.
For fans that prefer to watch from the crowd and take part in the NFL in less physically demanding ways, Sidelines has the most accurate, up to date, and thoroughly analysed NFL odds.
for every team’s chances of winning available for you to read from the comfort of your own home. Support your favorite team, or take your chances with a brand new one. Whatever you choose, with Sidelines, you can get involved with the NFL more than ever before.
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