High Schools With the Most NFL Players on 2023 Kickoff Weekend Rosters

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

 
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

 *Based on most recent published U.S. Census Data (2020)​

Photo: AP/Ryan Kang